"Elizabeth Vaughan - Chronicles Of The Warlands 01 - Warprize" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vaughan Elizabeth)

тАЬYes. IтАЩm going to clean the wound. It wonтАЩt be quiet.тАЭ

He winced. тАЬAye, I would think not. IтАЩll warn the others as to what you are about.тАЭ

тАЬThank you.тАЭ I cocked my head. тАЬMore water would not go amiss, either.тАЭ

He sighed. тАЬYou know the KingтАЩs commandsтАжтАЭ His voice trailed off as I looked at him. тАЬAye. More
water, then.тАЭ He called through the tent flap as 1 turned to go back to my newest patient.

They had stripped the man and gotten him on a pallet. Prest was standing to one side, carefully folding
the manтАЩs clothes in a neat pile. As I knelt, I could see that he looked better. The beads of sweat were
gone, and his eyes were closed. His breathing seemed easier, too. Instead of tattoos on his dark skin,
there seemed to be scars, but in a pattern as the others.

тАЬTwo swallows.тАЭ Prest reported. I nodded, but my eye had already been caught and held by the wound.
I waved the men out of my light, and leaned closer to get a better look.

The wound had been packed with the manтАЩs cloak. It was wadded up, and the blood had crusted to the
cloth. I took fresh water, and soaked the material, easing it away from the scabs. Clearly, the wound had
been tended in the field, but neglected since then. I glanced at Joden. тАЬYou did this?тАЭ

Joden grunted. тАЬIt was all I had time for, before we were taken.тАЭ

I grimaced in understanding and worked in silence. Once the material came free, I let it drop at my side
as I got my first good look at the leg.

It was bad. The gash started at the groin and got deeper as it went the length of the thigh. The edges
were swollen, and white pus had gathered in its depths. There was grass and dirt and small stones
embedded in the flesh. I reached out, touching the sides lightly, and felt the heat radiating off the flesh. I
bit my lower lip.

тАЬWill he lose the leg?тАЭ Joden was standing above me.

I looked up, noticing for the first time that Joden didnтАЩt seem to have a hurt on him. But my eyes were
drawn back to the gaping wound. I worried my lip, then spoke. тАЬI donтАЩt know.тАЭ
The men around us murmured, but I had no time to fuss with them. тАЬWeтАЩll start with the cleansing.тАЭ I
turned to my supplies, and dug out the bottles and cloths that I needed. тАЬIt is going to hurt. IтАЩve warned
the guards. But I need your help to hold him down.тАЭ

Joden sank to his knees next to me but made no move to help. тАЬI wished for something to sing of, and
the elements answered.тАЭ His tone was one of sorrow. тАЬIt would have been better to have granted him
mercy and be done.тАЭ

The men around me recoiled. тАЬYou failed to give him mercy?тАЭ Rafe asked, hushed, his eyes wide.

I jerked my head up. JodenтАЩs face was haggard and looked gray in the light. There had been tales of this
practice, of the WarlordтАЩs men killing their own on the field, but I had not believed. I rose on my knees,
glared at them all, then jabbed Joden in the chest with my finger, drawing his attention. тАЬYou will not. To
come this far, only to have you kiтАФ.тАЭ I could not finish that word. тАЬNo. I will not have it so.тАЭ