Chapter Twenty-Two #5
She was about to turn around when the man grabbed her arm. Maxi stifled a scream. He yanked Maxi toward him and growled irritably, “No need to be coy. If it’s money you want—”
“What’s going on here?”
Maxi whirled at the familiar voice. Kuahel Leon stood before them, glaring at the man with his ice-cold gaze.
“Were you not warned that anyone who causes a disturbance within the camp will be severely punished according to military law?” he said in his usual brisk tone.
The burly man appeared undaunted. “Why are you makin’ such a fuss? The woman seemed to be lost. I was just trying to help.”
“She is no woman,” Sir Kuahel barked at the man without even glancing at Maxi. “Do you not see her attire? She is a female cleric sent by the basilica. I’m sure I do not have to explain to you the punishment that awaits those who try to harm someone under the church’s protection.”
“Goddamn, aren’t you a testy one?” the man snorted without a hint of remorse. “How am I supposed to know just from her attire if she’s a cleric or a woman here to comfort the weary men?”
Maxi’s lips quivered. It finally dawned on her that the man had mistaken her for a prostitute.
Apparently sick of the man’s audacity, Sir Kuahel twisted his lips in contempt. “I tire of this discussion. Return to your post before I have you punished for mocking a cleric of the church with your foul mouth.”
The man scowled, then practically flung Maxi’s arm away. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”
Maxi ducked behind Sir Kuahel. The burly man shrugged nonchalantly before strolling away. Maxi watched him warily until she felt a hot gaze boring into her head.
She tentatively looked up. Sir Kuahel looked down at her, his brows furrowed into deep creases.
“Follow me,” he ordered curtly. “I shall escort you back to the women’s tent.”
She was in such shock that she meekly obeyed, glad to get away. As they cut through the bustling camp, she made sure to stick close behind him.
Sir Kuahel remained silent until they arrived at a secluded spot. He turned to level his piercing gaze directly at her.
“Please avoid moving about the camp on your own as much as possible.” His words were polite but clearly laced with reproach.
“The armies of Livadon, Wedon, Osiriya, and Balto are currently gathered here at Eth Lene Castle, and a third of them are mercenaries for hire. Please refrain from wandering the army barracks by yourself if you do not wish to encounter such an odious situation again.”
Maxi fixed her eyes on the ground, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. “I will…k-keep that in mind.”
The knight sighed and turned around. “You should go inside now. I will post a guard at the tent.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Maxi scurried into the tent as though she were fleeing from a predator. All the tension in her body suddenly evaporated, sapping the strength from her legs. When she wobbled to her cot and sank down onto it, Idsilla and Selina rushed over.
“You surprised us when you left so suddenly.” Idsilla looked at her expectantly. “Did you…meet him?”
Maxi shook her head. “No. I-I only…watched him from afar.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just tell him the truth? You came all this way to see him, after all,” whispered Selina. Her frown suggested that all this stress was too much for her.
Maxi flushed. She felt like a child desperately trying to delay being whipped. “I do not wish to trouble him…wh-when we are at war. And frankly…I’m scared of h-how he might react.”
“I understand. Elba would no doubt scream like a madman if he were to find me here.” Idsilla hunched her shoulders in an elaborate shudder.
Maxi barely managed a smile. “H-Have you heard any news of your brother?”
Idsilla shook her head. “Not yet. I’m waiting for the right moment to visit the Livadonian barracks.”
Their conversation was cut short by a cleric entering the tent. Maxi wiped her clammy hands on her robe and tried to forget about earlier events.
Such a thing would not happen again if she followed Sir Kuahel’s instructions and refrained from wandering the camp alone. With a deep breath, she tried to calm her pounding heart as she left with the other female clerics.
—
It was evening when Ruth came to see her again.
The forced journey had worsened the patients’ conditions, and Ruth had to tend to them before doing anything else.
After completing his treatments, he motioned with his head for Maxi to follow.
Cautiously glancing about, Maxi picked up a small lamp and quietly headed out.
Ruth led them through the dark forest in silence for a long time. After checking that they were alone, he promptly slumped down on a tree stump in exhaustion.
“All this suspense will be the death of me,” he grumbled.
Maxi hesitated. “Do you think…he sensed something?”
“There would have been an uproar if he had,” Ruth muttered. “I think he’s too preoccupied with Sir Hebaron’s injury to notice anything else. Though I’m not sure that is a good thing….”
Maxi’s expression grew worried. “Is Sir Hebaron’s c-condition…that serious?”
Ruth ran a hand through his hair and heaved a sigh. “The wound itself is not that big, but his pain seems to be excruciating because of the curse. Even divine magic proved ineffective, as did mine.”
Maxi’s pulse quickened with fear. “Th-Then what should be done?”
“I need to find a way to break the curse. You need not worry, my lady. The man has endured worse with no problems. He is so fiercely tenacious that I’m sure he’ll be able to get through this as well.”
Despite his words, Ruth’s face was lined with worry. When Maxi’s expression grew despondent as well, Ruth forced a smile and changed the subject.
“Leave Sir Hebaron to me and focus on your own problems, my lady. The Remdragon and Temple Knights will be leaving tomorrow to stand guard at the battlefield for the next seven days. We should be able to breathe easier during that time, but…the problem is when they return. I’m not sure how long we can hide your presence from Sir Riftan… .”
Maxi’s eyes grew round. “H-He is going to the battlefield? Are you saying…th-that the battle will commence soon?”
“It will not be an all-out battle. Not yet,” Ruth said.
“The monsters are currently camped beyond the ravine in Cabro Valley. For a full-scale battle to commence, either army must pass through the narrow gorge. The one that makes the first move will be at a clear disadvantage. So for a while, both sides will most likely be locked in a war of nerves.”
“That means…i-it won’t be that dangerous, then?”
Ruth looked at her as though she had asked a ridiculous question.
“My lady, we are at war. Of course it will be dangerous.” Then he added more gently, “Personally, I don’t think there will be a major battle for the time being.
We’ve managed to secure enough provisions, so there is no reason for our side to take any risks.
Moreover, the monsters are not likely to attempt an attack anytime soon.
They suffered heavy casualties during their retreat from Eth Lene.
As long as the situation doesn’t change unexpectedly, things should be peaceful for a while. ”
“I-I see.”
Though she knew she was not supposed to feel like it, Maxi was greatly comforted by the knowledge that Riftan would not be fighting the trolls right away. Ruth let out a bitter laugh when he saw the relief on her face.
“The key to winning a drawn-out war is to save as many men as possible for an all-out battle without dropping our guards. I’m told that the coalition army will be split into three divisions, which will take turns guarding the front lines.
In any case, I think it will be safe for you to relax while the Remdragon Knights are at the front.
We’ll deliberate on what to do when they return. ”
Maxi nodded. After completing a final round of treatments in the infirmary tent, Ruth returned to his own barracks. Maxi remained at the infirmary throughout the evening, and it was nearly dawn when she finally lay on her cot to sleep.
The next day, the Remdragon Knights departed for the battlefield in the faint light of daybreak. A strange sense of emptiness and relief came over Maxi as she watched them leave. Ruth found her as the gates were being secured after the last of the knights left the castle grounds.
“I must go check on Sir Hebaron. If anything happens, send someone to my tent,” he instructed her. “I’ve instructed the soldiers to inform me immediately if a female cleric calls for me.”
“I-I understand.” Maxi gave him a small, hesitant smile. “Thank you…for doing so much for me.”
He shrugged as if to say it was nothing, then made his way toward the knights’ barracks.
Maxi spent her time tending to the wounded just as she had at Serbin Castle. Since there were men assigned to prepare the meals at Eth Lene, the women’s tasks were limited to looking after the injured.
Despite the decreased workload, however, they found themselves just as exhausted at the end of the day due to the mercenaries’ constant propositions and flirtations.
Though the soldiers sent by the basilica did their best to ward them off, the gazes of the sexually frustrated men followed the women wherever they went.
Some were flagrant with their obscene remarks. The men from the north were the worst. According to Ruth, it was because there were no female clerics in Balto, and they did not understand that the women here were consecrated to God.
Their depravity appalled Maxi. They took no heed whatsoever of the church’s doctrines. Was it normal for a man to feel lust for a woman who was not his wife or lover? With her chastity threatened, Maxi felt terrified.