[Ransom]

While Elenna’s mind was lost in a happy and peaceful world of new dresses and pink-and-green puppies, the movements of her body painted a vastly different picture. Her thin body twisted and turned in her bedroll, forever seeking the perfect position but never finding it. Much to Azariah’s chagrin, her body often experimented with sprawling on top of his blankets. Despite the strange black herbal concoction she had drank before she had gone to sleep, the other members of the small group could still hear her coughing across the camp. Two days of traveling was more exercise than she had had for several years, and the long lessons on the use of a broadsword with Azariah had left both her arms aching and sore.

Azariah gently nudged her limbs back on top of her bedroll before pulling the blanket back over her body. He would have to speak to her about her sleeping arrangements tomorrow. Despite the onset of spring, the night was still too chilly to spend without the protection of a blanket. Reflecting silently on his descent from diplomatic escort to chaperone, he returned to his watch. Carefully avoiding the low light of the fire, he slowly paced around the sleeping bodies of his four companions. Varying his itinerary from time to time, he began to glance at the position of the moon in the sky. Despite the unusual nocturnal activities of his charge, he would certainly be glad to go to sleep.

He was looking over horses and the group’s baggage when the attack came. The Gondorian had moved to the opposite side of Halasan to check on the horses when he saw a shadow flitter out of the woods towards his sleeping comrades. Moving with speed unbecoming of a man in plate mail, Azariah began to run toward the silent figure while drawing his sword. “To arms!”

Fortunately for Halasan, the axe man Haleg had simply been feigning sleep. Perhaps due small distance between Halasan and Haleg’s bedrolls, the boy’s soft steps had alerted the large mercenary. Azariah’s shouts had only confirmed his suspicions that something was not right. Grabbing the intricately wrought axe that he kept close at hand, he leaped to his feat. Joal had just enough time to spin around and throw his dagger at the new threat before the axe bit into his right shoulder and smashed into his chest.

By now, Azariah’s shout and Joal’s untimely demise had woken the rest of the sleepers. Tunar, inexperienced as he was in such matters, hastily grasped for his weapons before climbing somewhat unsteadily to his feet. Elenna had gotten to her feet much quicker than the blacksmith, though she had not even thought of reaching for a weapon. Halasan, on the other hand, took the time to question his comrades before he got to his feet. “What in the name of Valar is going on?”

Haleg lowered the body to the ground near the fire and freed his axe. “Perhaps a highwayman or a bandit. He seemed intent on your life.”

Azariah gripped his bastard sword in both hands, glancing at the body before peering into the darkness around the party. “A dirty Easterling, if I’ve ever saw one. They usually travel in groups, so we’d best be on our guard.”

“No, Gondorian, I don’t think there’s a band of them lurking in the shadows. No bandit worth his salt would attack a group by himself. Besides, why would he attack an unarmed man when there was a guard pacing around?”

“Indeed. Still, it would be best if we make haste as soon as possible.”

While Tunar had seen animals killed in the stockyards, the sight of the dead human severely unsettled his stomach, and he had staggered off to the edge of the camp to loose his dinner. Elenna, on the other hand, was no stranger to death. Even the most skilled herbalist regularly lost patients to disease or old age. Still, she made a point not to look at the dead body. Instead, she turned her attention to the dagger sticking out of Haleg’s arm. “Don’t pull it out yourself, Haleg. It’ll only let more blood out. Haleg, come over here and lie down. Halasan, I’ll need some warm water. Azariah, get me the brown bag by my boots.”

Ignoring the dead body of the assassin, Halasan threw more wood on top of the fire. While Tunar’s face was still as white as a sheet, he moved to assist the homeless homesteader with his task. Azariah quickly retrieved the bag and returned to the herbalist’s side, somewhat curious at what she intended to do. His idea of battlefield surgery, just like Haleg’s, was to simply remove the weapon and bind it with whatever cloth was available. Haleg lay on his back, with his injured arm near the flickering fire to allow Elenna a better view of the wound. She took the bag from Azariah and pulled a roll of bandages, some herbs, and a cup.

Halasan pulled the pot of water off the fire and placed it near the woman. Elenna filled the cup from the pot of water and threw a few pinches of herbs in before handing it back to Halasan. “Prop Haleg up and let him drink this. It’ll help with the pain, and I’m in no hurry to be punched by him.”

While they waited for the tea to take effect, Elenna placed a stick between the wounded man’s teeth before positioning the Azariah and Halasan to hold the man in place. Kneeling on top of the man’s blood-drenched hand, she took a hold of the dagger and pulled upwards. A fresh fountain of blood spurted out of his arm, splattering a small amount of blood on her dress. Using three quarters of the remaining water, she washed the wound out and quickly bandaged it. Returning to the herbs she had laid out, she threw a small pile of objects into the pot before securing the soggy herbs around the wounds with another layer of bandages. “Unless you wish for another scar, Haleg, I would advise that you not pick at the bandage.”

By now, the first rays of sunlight were already beginning to peak over the horizon. Elenna quickly repackaged her supplies and hurried off to find a clean set of clothing. The rest of the party quickly broke down camp, rolling up the bedrolls and scattering the ashes of the fire. Azariah and Halasan, at Tunar’s insistence, dragged the body of the assassin off into the woods and buried him in a shallow grave. Soon, everything was packed and the small group quickly left their bloody campground.

[ April 11, 2003: Message edited by: Ransom ]