Chapter 65 Life and Death
“Be careful as you move him,” I warned. Ray came running. He was the closet thing we had to a doctor.
“Stop!” Ray dropped to his knees. “Don’t move him until I look at him.”
Ray examined him. He had been a principal at a prep school, but he had required all staff members to know basic emergency protocols. “Can you move your toes? Your legs?”
Rupert groaned. “If you’re asking do I feel my legs, I most certainly do.” He looked queasy, which didn't surprise me. Intense pain often used nausea.
Ray grimaced as he looked at the bent leg, which was pointing in a direction that violated the rules of bodily physics. “I’m going to have to straighten this out, and it’s going to hurt like hell. Somebody give him a leather strap to bite on.”
Aisling whipped off his belt and handed it over. Ralph fitted it between Rupert’s teeth. Magdala scrunched up her scarf and stuck it in his right hand.
“Squeeze on that when you need to, child.” She brushed his hair back from his face and kissed his forehead.
Rupert steeled himself as Ray moved down to his side. Rupert’s leg was pointing to the side, the bone sticking through his trousers. I walked over to Magdala and took her hand in mine.
“Is there a healer in the village?” I asked.
Magdala nodded. “Gem, she lives about a quarter-mile from us.”
I turned back to Brynn. “Get one of the others to go with you and bring Gem back to the house. Go quickly.”
Brynn ran off, tagging Alina to go with her.
Ray took hold of the leg and cautiously bent it back into position. Rupert let out a scream that echoed through the air. Then, without another word, he fell unconscious.
“It's better that way,” Ray said. “He won’t feel the ride home. Sean, you and Aisling ease him onto the board, and I’ll hold his leg while you do.”
They managed to get Rupert onto the door, and Aisling, Ray, Sean, and Reggie carried him back to the house.
Mavis cleared the table so they could set the board there.
I sent her for blankets and asked Thornhold to start a kettle of water heating.
No doubt we’d need it, whether to clean the wound or to make tea.
Magdala was beside herself. She stood behind one of the chairs, holding onto the back as she swayed back and forth.
“Are you hurt?” I asked her. “We should look you over to make sure.”
“Aisling and I had stepped out the side door just as the giant hit the roof. We’re a bit battered, but we’ll be fine,” she said, staring at her son as he rested pale against the door.
Mavis brought down blankets and we draped them over him.
“Crank up the fire,” I said. “We’ll need the heat for him.”
Reggie put more wood on the fire, then headed for the front door. “I’m going to cast a general protection spell over the area,” he said.
“Take someone with you,” I said. “Right now, we don’t know if there are any more ice giants in the area, and we don’t want to take any chances on being caught unawares.”
Reggie tapped Thornhold on the shoulder. “Come with me?”
“Sure, why not.” Thornhold followed him out into the snow.
At that moment, Alina and Brynn came back in, a tall, dark-haired elf following them. I was surprised by how much taller she was than I was. I’d assumed all elves in Abarria were short, but apparently not.
“Where is he?” Gem asked.
“Right there.” I pointed at Rupert. “His leg is mangled.”
Gem gave me a once-over. “Where’s the cleric?”
“Right here,” Ray stepped forward. “But I’m not a doc—healer. Not in the sense of the word that I know how to mend something like this.”
“And I suppose you aren’t high enough level to fix it magically?”
For an elf, she sounded terribly judgmental, I thought. Ray seemed to be taken aback, as well, by the look on his face.
“Obviously not,” he said, trying to stare her down. But within seconds, he blinked and looked away.
Gem gave a nod of the head for him to move out of the way, and Ray scuttled back, looking almost guilty. For what, I don’t know, but I had the feeling Gem could inspire anybody to feel like they were in the wrong.
She set down her bag and examined Rupert’s leg. “I’ll need hot water, a bowl and spoon, and room to work.” Turning to Ray, she added, “You may attend me and learn.”
Ray scowled, but he followed Alina to the kitchen and returned with a pot of steaming water. Alina carried the bowl and the spoon. Gem glanced at the rest of us.
“Out. I need to focus, and I can’t with all of you standing here watching.” To Ray, she added, “Not you. You’ll help me. You too,” she added, motioning to Alina.
The rest of us moved to the living room.
Thornhold and Reggie returned from outside, and we settled on the sofa.
Magdala sat in the rocking chair, as Brynn knelt by her side, taking her hand.
Aisling and Sean stood by the fireplace, both deep in thought.
Mavis approached me, and I scooted to the side so she could sit down.
“Did you cast the protection spell?” I asked Reggie, desperate for something to break the silence.
Reggie nodded. “I did. I’m not sure how much good it will do, but here’s hoping.
I’ve never…” He stopped, shaking his head.
“Sheesh, I was about to say I’ve never had to ward against ice giants before.
Of course I haven’t. Ice giants don’t exist—” He froze as I gave him a long look and then nodded toward Magdala.
“Um…There aren’t any ice giants where we come from. ”
“Do you have fire giants, then?” Sean asked, turning away from the fireplace.
Reggie shook his head. “Not that I know of. I’m afraid we’re not really used to giants at all, though we’ve had a couple run-ins with some ogres.”
“Nice catch,” I mouthed to him. The last thing we wanted to do right now was to try to explain to Magdala who we were and tell her that her entire existence had been based on a game.
“Do you have snow, then?” Magdala asked.
“Yeah, we do. Just…we aren’t from a mountainous region, and the kingdom we come from has a lot of rules and regulations to try to keep things peaceful,” I said. “Is Gem a shifter?”
“Of course not,” Magdala said. “You’re an elf—you know that elves don’t successfully interbreed with most races.”
I nodded. I hadn’t been aware of that, but now I’d know for the future. Half-elves—elves that were the products of human-elf pairings—existed, but most species apparently couldn’t manage to produce offspring.
At that moment, Gem poked her head around the door. “He’ll live, but he’s going to need a lot of care, and he won’t be walking again for quite some time.”
“Is he awake?” Magdala asked, jumping up.
“No, and I’m still adjusting the dressing. But you’ll be able to see him in a while.” She turned back to her patient, ignoring the other questions that Sean and Aisling were firing at her.
Magdala let out a long sigh and leaned back into her rocking chair.
“He’ll be safe, and it sounds like he’ll be able to recover,” I said. “Would you like some tea?”
Magdala nodded. I headed into the kitchen, thinking about what one misstep could result in. Life in Abarria wasn’t for the weak-hearted, and it wasn’t something that we could take for granted.