Chapter 13
1210 Words
Daylight broke, and the men were preparing for battle. Me and Liv got up early, to prepare for the aftermath of battle. We prepared bandages and mixed herbs together to create a paste to apply to open wounds. While we were preparing, Halfdan called me over to him, "Daphne, can you come here please?"
I nodded and went over to him, "What is wrong?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to tell you that I," he began, and I interrupted, "Please, don't. You need to focus on the battle. You will be fine. Come find be after the battle."
He nodded and handed me a heavily decorated dagger.
"I want you to keep this. It has kept me safe over the years. It will keep you safe. Don't worry I have another dagger," Halfdan said.
I was completely stunned. I have been given gifts before, but never something like this. It was beautiful, even for something soo violent.
"Thank you. Be careful," I thanked him.
He nodded, smiling at me. But, I couldn't bring myself to smile back, they were going off to battle. If I had to go to battle, I will but I would need a strong reason to do so while here. Surviving is one, but protecting those I love is the biggest that would make me go to battle. I don't love anyone enough for that, not here atleast.
All the men marched off too battle and I went back to helping Liv prep for battle.
"How do we choose who to help first," I asked.
"We will start with the more heavily wounded first. Once, we have done we will go to those less wounded. If you get stuck follow my lead. Just be prepared, not all of them will survive," Liv reassured me, while also causing me to worry even more.
Now all we had to do was wait. A few hours later, the cries of men and the clashing of weapons could be heard in the distance. Almost by instinct, I rushed from the tent and climbed the nearest tree. I reached the top and was able to see the battle unfold. I witnessed wave after wave of Viking men charge at the small Anglo-Saxon army.
The onslaught that insued was horrifying, it churned my stomach. I had never seen anything like this. Men killing men. I watched, as the Viking men hounded the Anglo-Saxon warriors. Hearing the screams and seeing the soil soaked red with blood and dismembered body parts, sent chills through me. It truly shook me to the core. I sat and watched until the battle was finished.
All the Anglo-Saxon men were dead, there bodies littered the battlefield. A few Viking warriors were all scattered across the field dead. One Anglo-Saxon man looked like he had been captured. He must be King Aelle. The Viking warriors searched the field to help the wounded return to camp, and to collect any weaponary they could.
Liv shouted up to me, "The wounded are starting to return. I will need you help."
"I am coming down, now," I shouted back, as I hurried to climb down the tree.
Getting down from the tree, Liv was right the wounded were coming back. Liv was knee deep in amputating a man's arm and cauterizing the wound.
Another man walked towards me with a stab wound to his abdomine. Liv ordered, "Help him, Daphne."
His brother came to his side, "Help my brother, please."
"Lay him down."
I ran off grabbed badges, some of the paste, and a needle and thread. I rush back to his side. I picked up a chunk of wood.
"Bite down on this."
"Why," he winced.
"It will stop you from biting and choking on you tongue," he nodded and I continued, "Keep as still as you can. You move and I could do more damage. If he can't stay still, you will have to hold him down."
I lifted the man's top up and looked at the wound. It missed vital organ and I think it missed vessels. It cut through muscle but not the vessels. That is good, I am not micro surgeon. I poured alcohol over the needle and then over the wound. I pinched it together, tightly, and began to sow his wound shut.
Once done, I cleaned the blood away from the wound, and then applied the paste before wrapping bandages around his wound. He spat out the wooden chunk.
"Thank you," he said.
"Rest, try not to walk to much or move to much for a couple of days. Give your body chance to heal the wound," I said, before getting up and leaving to help the next wounded man.
Hours passed, I must have helped over a hundred wounded men that returned to camp. Even, Liv helped just as many wounded warriors. It was horrible. By the end of the day, I was covered in soo many peoples blood that I couldn't tell if I had been hurt myself.
After finishing, I sat down next to a fire completely frozen. That day was a dark day for me, but somehow I knew I would have more dark days ahead. I stared at my hands, covered in so much blood. I couldn't bring myself to look up, I had saved lives but I witnessed the life train from the eyes of soo many men, today.
I didn't even realise that Halfdan had come up to me with a bucket of water. He asked, "Are you good?"
I just stared at him, no idea what to say. He rung out a cloth, and began to wipe the blood off my hands and the splatter on my face.
"It is hard being at your first battle, even the aftermath of the battle can be just as bad. But, I am here for you. Trust me it does get easier," Halfdan reassured, as he continued wiping away the blood from me.
Once, the blood was finally gone, I spoke, "Thank you. I have just never seen so much blood and death before. I may have killed those four men before, but it was instinct to save my life. But, this blood its from me trying to save lives and in some cases not being able too. I just need sleep and food."
"I can get you some food. Then you can get sleep," Halfdan said.
Halfdan gave me food, and he sat down to eat too. Once, we had finished eating. I turned to Halfdan.
"I don't think I will sleep tonight. Will you hold me, I think being held will help me sleep," I asked.
"Of course, I can," Halfdan said.
I stood up and headed to my bed, Halfdan followed me. I laid down on the bed on my side. Halfdan laid down on his back next to me. He wrapped his arm around me, and I rested my head on his chest. He closed his eyes. Listening to the sound of his heart beat, and feeling the rise and fall of his chest, as he breathed in and out, helped me fall in to a deep sleep. After what happened today, being held in my sleep helped me feel secure and safe in some small way.
- Writer
