Ignorance of the Imagination:Chapters3-4

(I HAVE NOT EDITED THIS YET SO THERE ARE MANY SPELLING, GRAMMAR AND TYPO MISTAKES)
“Lady Yves please enter” called an unfamilar voice from somewhere within the tent. Whoever it was sounded very authoritative.
I gulped. I hate confrontation! I reached my hand out toward the spot where Klar had entered.
Warm air hit me as I entered the fire lit room. The ttent was dark inside lighted by a large fire. There was a small table with maps and books sprawled in no particular order. There were some wooden chairs with large, plush pillows on them. In the middle of the room was a bulky desk with some paper and pen on it. The mathcing chair stood behind it. There was movement beside the chair.
A very big man stood towering by the chair. TRhe top of my head looks like it would reach his collar bone. His clothes looked a little worn but are much better quality than any I have seen in the camp. A glint at his waist caught my attention. A large sword hung from his belt. It had some srt of engravings on it. He is obviously the infamous captin I’ve heard so much about. He looks to be around his late twenties. I did not think the “captin” would be so young. His brown hair did not have any trace of grey. His face was browned by the weathering elements. The only wrinkles visable were laugh line about his eyes. Realizing I had been staring rudely, I started to glance downward but he caught my eyes. His hazel eyes glimmered with amusement.
“Uh hem," I gulped,"Uh now that I proved that I am truely a rustic by my rude manners, let me close my mouth and be polite by thanking you for meeting me."
"No, it is I that should be thanking you. Healer, please come in and warm yourself by the fire,” saying softly as he gestured at the chairs near the fire.
“Well it was much due to my aunt and uncle." I sank into the chairs. They were surprisingly comfortable. The fire’s warth radiated through out my body. I wiggled my stockened toes as the become defreosted. I untied my scarf around my head amd laid it into my lap.
He was looking ast me stranegely.
“Yes, your aunt and uncle did much to help my troops but I was told you saved Tikvah's life. I am very grateful for your knowledge in such things."
I shook my head in disagreement. I do not know as much as I should because of the isolation of the area.
"Tikvah is exactly why the reason I'm here," I said choosing not to comment on his assumption.
"Yes, well I distinctly remember a command I issued to Achbor. The command was for your own safety and the safety of this reigman." He sounded as though he was talking to a child.
"Yes, captin, indeed he told me. I do not deny that but I need to give Tikvah more medicine. It is important for his full recovery,"I explained. I was not going to let him intimadate.
He frowned.
"You could have given it to Asisah."
I shook my head. "I would have but I did not how well Tikvah is doing and this medicine has to be given in certain percise volumes according to how he is progessing."
He was silent. He looks as though he is thinking intently. I twisted my scarf in anxiety. No matter what he says I must give Tikvah that talement. I hate to go agnist him but I will if I have to. I sat up staighter at that notion. I looked up to see him studying me.
"Since you will probably go without my consent,"I blushed at being read so well, "The best thing for us both, is to let you do your job. Healer, you can give Tikvah this medicine. But you must not come back. This is for you and your families own saftey. I'll have Achbor take you back."
I breathed a sigh of relief. I smiled.
"Sorry, I caused so much trouble."
His lips twitched.
"I wouldn't say you are trouble. It has been a delight to meet a uh...healer."
I grinned at this I knew what he was saying.
"Oh you mean to meet a WOMEN healer."
He looked embarassed at his blunder.
"I meant no offense. "
"I am very offended, oh yes," I said sarcasticly.
He smiled showing off his pearly whites.
A breeze of cold air rushed into the tent. A solder soluted the captin. He rose I did too.
"Sorry to inturupt, sir. But I have some news." The soilder looking apprehensively at me. I can take a hint.
"Well, I better go and check on Tikvah."
"I apologize. You need not go so soon. If you will wait for me outside I wll escourt you to the cave."
"Thank you."
I don't think he heard me. He seemed to be already in deep conversation with the soilder as I walked out the door. Snow was coming down in a heavy stram making it especially dark. Retying my scarf around my head I walk toward a nearby tree to wait.
He was not at all what I thought a captin would be like. I have heard awful stories of the commanding officers harsh treatments of his regiment. He seems to be considerate of his men and his men seem to respect him. I am not sure how to make of his treatment of me. He seemed to treat me as a child at first. I do not think he knows what to make of me.
I smiled at that thought.
The soilder exited the tent along with the captin. The soilder gave me apolite nod of head and move on past me.
"Uh, I aplogize for making you stand out here in this weather."
I shrugged my shoulders.
"It's alright Captin, I'm quite used to going out in this type of weather."
He smiled slightly.
"Well uh shall we go." He said as he gestured with his hand toward the forrest.
"Sure, lead the way." He walked beside me at a steady pace. He wathced me from the corner of his eye to make sure I could keep up with him.
"So Healer, what is this medicine that you insist will help Tikvah?"
Wonder why he still calls me healer? Sounds so impersonal. Why is he suddenly interested in what kind of medicine I am using?
"I found the taliment in one of my books that I got from Ralmons."
"I've heard those are purely fictional remedies."
"Some are but there are a few that actually do work. This one I improved upon adding firestar for the calcium increase and gleadnale for boosting the bodies natural defenses."
Hr looked taken abacked at my stament.
I arched an eyebrow in question.
"You are quite unusal from most of the healers I've met."
"Well yeas you've pointed out that I am a women healer earlier."
"Uh hmm, yes but that's not what I meant by my comment."
"Well just what did you mean?" This is so much fun embarassing him.
"I uh meant that it is unusal for a healer to have knowledge of the actual effects of platns and medicine that actually works. All the healers I knew were qwakes and did not help but mad the situation worse."
"Yes, I've heard of these so called healers. They make it harder to help people because they already have false preconceived notions. There is no justice for these people. The king does not see the damage that his people are experiancing. The sick will now not seek help in fear that they will only die. The money driven healers will then leave the patient's family starvation and homeless. Leaving them to die in the streets or yet inprison when they get caught stealing food for their starving familes." Oh dear I've done it again and rambled incoherntly on my views.
He stood still. I could not discifer the expression on his face: astonishment, no appriciation, facination?
"M'lady! What are you doing here,"exclaimed Achbor. He was walking toward us. He didn't look to pleased.
"It is nice to see you too."
He frowned.
"I thought I told you not to back here."
"You did but I forgot to tell you about the medicine I need to give Tikvah. I need to check to see what progress the healing is making. There was a good amount of tissue that I had to cut out. I don't know if that will effect how he walks or if he will ever walk properly again."
"Why did you not tell me this before.?"
"I didn't tell you?" He shook his head. Oh well no wonder he was so upset that I came back.
"Oh...I don't know what in the world I was thinking not telling you. Please accept my apology." I know exactly knew what I was thinking. I was so sleep deprived that I don't remember hardly anything.
"It's alright. You were exhausted when I took you home." I smiled at him grateful that he was not mad any more.
"Oh sorry captin I didn't mean to ignore you," Achbor said while he soluted him. I forgot about him for the moment too.
"That's alright. While we are on the subject of the healer." Achbor gave him a strange look. "If you will escort her back to her home after she is done here. I'll take her up to the cave. If you will wait for me here I've got some things to dicuss with you."
"Yes sir."
"This way," said the Captin as he me guided toward the incline.
Uugh! I remember this now. I swallowed hard. Lowering my eyes on the ground, I slowly ascended pon the path. I made sure to but my feet where the captin had.
Hey this is getting easy! My scarf came loose. I watched as it quickly flew off my head. I tried making a grab for it but I felt my feet slip a little. I caught myself before I fell on the snowy incline. I watched helplessly as my scarf fluttered down on the ground.
"Oh." I closed my eyes and turned my head away from the view.
"Are you alright?" I heard the captin say.
I took a deep breath. Just keep going and get to the cave. I told myself.
"Yes, let's continue."
I didn't look up at him so he couldn't see the fear in my eyes.
"I'll get someone to go down and get it." He turned and continued walking. My eyes went right back to the ground watching his feet placement.
I don't think we'll ever get there. The wind blew ferouciously the higher we went. I don't think I cna take much more of this. I know I was out of shape but I didn't know I was THAT much.
The cave seemed like a welcoming beacon. I was out of breath as I entered the cave. Walking further into the cave, the air temperature felt warmer.
There are considerably less men in here than there was a couple days ago. There is space in between the men on pallets. I scaned the room for familar faces. I saw Asisah in the corner telling a story to an eager group of men. I walked closer to hear what he was saying.
"So there I was sitting next to 'er. You knows she asked me 'bout my parents." He grinned mischeviously.
"Asisah, wht' did yu' tel' 'er," asked a younger man who had his arm in a sling.
"I told 'er that my parents were tortured horbli' and that I watched the whole tihin," saying dramatically as he made his eyes big and his mouth quiver. Then he grinned and said,"Then I tol' 'er that my fingers got chopped off 'cause I when I reach downs to scoop up some bread cruumbs th' fallen from the bluggers mouth." The soldiers hooted with laughter.
"Tha's not all. She then look real sorrowful lik n let me get firs' dibs on the food." The men laughed again.
Well that shows me how naive I am.
"Then she kissed me right 'ere on my cheek," he said pointing to his cheek. The men hooted and hollered. They ruffled his hair.
I smiled. Obviously they do not see me standing here or the captain. The captain stood next to me in silence. Catching him watching me for a reaction.
Laughing I shook my head at how gullible I am. That was quite a story he told me but yet I can't help feeling a little hurt. Maybe I felt like I had something in common with the boy.
Oh get over it Nadine! It was just a harmless joke quite thinking people are out to hurt you.
"Hello gentlemen," saying loudly. Asisah jerking his head up and stared at me in disbelief. His face looked a little guilty. The other solders stood up at once and saluted the captin.
"At ease men. Please continue the lady and I really want to hear the ending of this tale." His voice was very calm. Ohh he's one of those people when he gets made he doesn't raise his voice. That is the worse kind of people to get mad!
The men looked toward Asisah.
"I.. I... " stuttered Asisah. The poor boy!
Turning toward the captian I said softly, "Captian, it's alright. It was just a harmless joke."
He shook his head.
"No, he needs to learn that there is a time for jokes and a time to be serious. He seems to think it is funny to lie about where he came from and then embellish it and brag about what he did." Asisah dropped his head down looking at the floor.
Oh the poor guy, I feel bad that he is getting in trouble because of me.
"Tell these men the truth."
He gulped and said, "Lady Yves did not kiss me." I flinched at being called that.
"That's it?"
"Yes sir." He sounded so miserable.
"Alright, everybody else you are dismissed. Asisah come over here."
The men quickly dispersed but not without giving sympathizing looks toward Asisah. Asisah hung his head and stood in front of the captain.
The captain squatted down to his level.
"You know better than to do that."
Asisah nodded.
Why did the captain not ask why he told me those lies?
"I'm sorry Jac,"he said softly. Asisah turned toward me.
"I'm sorry m'lady. Please forgive me if I offended you." His big brown eyes pleaded.
"It is alright." I reached out and squeezed his arm. "Just please tell me the truth next time."
"Sure." He grinned.
"Oh and one more thing Asisah."
"What is it m'lady?" He looked so serious like I was going to really plow into him.
"Now more breaking my aunt dishes no matter how horrid looking they are."
He looked at me in disbelief that I was asking him such an irrelevant question. Then he grinned knowing that I was joking. I smiled.
"He broke your aunt's dishes?"
"Please captain he did not do it on purpose. Actually I'm awfully glad he did. Now I won't have to inherit that ugly thing."
The captain actually smiled.
"Is that the healer lady's voice I hear," asked a voice that sounded like Tikvah's
"Yes, it's me Tikvah." I walked over to him.
He was on the only cot in the cave. His leg was propped up by many blankets. His face was pale with pain. He smiled as I came over and took his hand.
"How have you been feeling?" I put my hand on his forehead to feel if he had a fever. It felt warm. I looked into his eyes and noticed there was a feverish glaze to them.
"I'm fine just a little cold." This is not good.
"Here you go." Asisah spread a blanket over him. I smiled at him in thanks.
Asisah beamed.
"Here's your things m'lady." Asisah held my bags.
"Thank you."
I noticed the captain was standing back a little and watching the exchange. Ah he is just what I need, a distraction.
"Tikvah, the captain is here to see you." I motioned with a jerk of my head.
"Ah captain, I would get up if it wasn't for the leg."
"No it's alright Tikvah."
I quickly unwrapped bandages around the incision I had made. Slowing down as I came to the end of the bandage so it would not cause pain. I glanced at his face to measure how much pain he was in. He seemed not to notice because he and the captain were carrying on a conversation.
Although the leg was swollen, the stitches seem to be healing. It looks like someone has been cleaning his bandages regularly. Cleaning around the stitches a little fluid seeped out of the wound. Well that's good I expected a lot more of that.
"Excuse me for the interruption but I need to ask Tikvah a few questions." All three of them turned their heads to look at me.
"Go ahead."
"First of all does the pain still wake you up in the night?"
"Just one or two times last night."
"Have you felt any unusual sensations, like tingling, itching or spasms of pain?"
"Well it started itching on the incision but all it's been doing is aching."
I nodded my head in satisfaction.
"Now do you have any questions for me?"
"Yes, how long till I am able to walk?"
"Well that all depends on you."
"What do you mean?"
"Your stitches are healing nicely. As soon as I am satisfied they are healed you will have to strengthen that leg. It will be considerably weaker than your other one. You'll have to walk a little at a time on it and gradually increase the time spend walking and eventually running."
He frowned.
"How long do you think it will take me to do this."
"Somewhere between two to five months. I'm not sure, like I said it really depends on how fast your body heals." He looked depressed.
"Look I want you to take this much of this powder twice a day until you run out." I showed him how much should be poured.
"For now take this to bring down your fever." I gave him a mug to drink out of.
"Oh no it isn't that awful stuff you gave me before."
I laughed.
"No this is different."
He drank it.
"I recommend that you get lots of rest and this will help with the recovery process." He nodded.
"Thank you m'lady."
I smiled.
"Now you just think about getting better and seeing your wife."
He smiled as he closed his eyes.
I motioned for us to leave him. Picking up my bags I followed them toward the center of the cave.
"Captain"
He turned around to face me.
"Yes."
"Was there someone who changed his bandages?"
"Yes there is."
"I'm glad. Can you tell me who it was so I can give them my instructions?"
"Go ahead healer and tell me and I will make sure to tell them." I looked at him curiously. I wish he would stop calling me that.
“Alright. His bandages need to be changed three times a day till the incesion is pink. I'll leave some bandages behind.- Also did you see how much I gave him for both medicines?"
"Yes."
"Will you make sure he gets them?"
"Yes I'll make sure."
"Oh and one more thing."
"Yes, healer."
"Will you please stop calling me healer? And you stop calling me Lady Yves or m'lady." I said turning to Asisah. "No matter what Achbor says do not call me that. My name is Nadine and that's what I like to be called." Asisah was smiling at me.
Silently a solder came in from the frozen world of snow. Watching as the half frozen solider pulled the captain into a corner, which looks like he was giving a report. He looked a bit tattered. His words were whispered fiercely.
Asisah kept talking to me as though the solder did not even interrupt our conversation.
"I would but I promised Achbor. Plus I think he would clabor me head iffen he 'eard me calliong you by your firs' name." He grinned cheekily. I shook my head trying to concentrate on what Asisah just said.
"Well at least call me something other tan Lady Yves or healer."
"Well houws about Miss Nadine."
" That seems fine. Now," I glanced over to see if the Captin had moved, "I think it is time to go Asisah. If you tell me where you last saw Achbor "
The captain had a grim look on his face. He dismissed the solder who urgently ran back into the frigged cold air. The Captain turned and faced the cave.
"STATION NOW," yelled Achbor as he walked swiftly into the cave. Everybody started to run into a sttraight line.
Well at least I know where he is. Tikvah tried to get up out of his bed. Running over to his side, I pushed him gently back against his cot. I shook my head.
He sighed. His eyes went longingly over to the line that had formed.
Checking jostled wound for any sign of bleeding. No new blood. I let my breath out. Strange I didn't realize I was holding it in.
I looked up to see the Captin and Achbor whispering quietly. The men were still in a straight line. The captain stepped forward in front of the large group.
"We were attacked not to long ago by a regiment of Glandgilian army. You men have been doing an excellent job of scouting and fighting. You are in my regiment for a reason. Right now we must retreat northwestward toward Oythur. There we can continue the plan. I say this every time and I mean it, if you are having doubts about fighting with us, now is as good as anytime to get out." He looked around at everybody and his eyes stopped on Achbor.
There was silence.
"You'll always have my sword, Captin," said Achbor. They shook hands and smiled at each other. The group of men raised their sowrds and tyelled in agreement.
"Good because we have a long road ahead of us. We'll need all the men we can get."
Biting my lip, my gaze fell on Tikvah. What will happen to him. He can not possibly travel by foot. Will the Captain leave him here for his enemies? Looking over at the Captin. I shook my head. Although I have heard such tales from people, I do not think that he would do such an awful thing.
"Don't worry m'lady, the Captin will bring me with him," said Tikavh reasuringly.
"I do not mean to cause you distress but how do you know?"
He smiled.
"Nay, m'lady you toubl' me niegh. You sees, I ask the Captn' myself, I did. He sa' tha' I was not to 'orry 'tha' I woul' come with the men. He's a bonny fell'w he is. I woul' follow 'em anywheres." His eyelids were getting heavier from the powder I gave hiom earlier. " 'e has some noggin'. I like a fellow' that had his noggin togehter. I wrote to my wife tha' she was not to 'orry cause I was under the bes' captin there was." The last of his words were slurred together. His eyes closed.
I pulled the blanket up higher around his chest. What makes these men so loyal toward the Captin? Yes, he seems intelligent but a lot of these war leaders are. It does not neccesarly mean that their men like them.
"M'lady." I looked up to see that Achbor had come over to Tikvah's pallet. He motioned for me to follow him. I gave him a questioning look. Shaking his head, pointing his finger to where the Captin is standing. His face did not show any emotion.
What is going on? I stood up and followed him to the corner. Maybe they want to talk to me about how I'm going to get home.
The cave flickered with movement as the solders were grabbing their belongings. A solder glazed my shoulder.
"Eh sorree miss, din't sea ye' ther'." He tipped his hat.
"Oh.." but he was gone before I could tell him it was all right. I frowned.