Chapter 4
1135 Words
Day light had broken, when I was tapped lightly on the shoulder, waking me from my slumber. My eyes opened slowly.
Liv stood over me holding a plate with food on it and a cup. She placed the plate and cup on the table next to my bed, before speaking, "Daphne, it is morning. I have breakfast here for you. Once you have eaten, get dressed. If you need help let me know. Then I will come help you with walking."
I smiled, sitting up and taking the plate in hand. Noticing that the plate held some chicken, an egg, a slice of bread, and a few strawberries. I looked up at Liv.
"Thank you, Liv. Will you be eating as well," I inquired.
She nodded, taking a seat next to me, after grabbing a plate of her own from the table on the other side of the room.
I began to tuck into the chicken, when Liv said, "I have to say not many women can fight off a pack of wolves."
I shrugged, "I don't know how I managed to survive as long as I did. I don't even know how to fight with a sword. I just swung it, in the hopes I would survive."
"Even, Ubbe and Halfdan were both intrigued on how you survived an attack by wolves, considering you killed two of them. I do have to say Halfdan kept staring at you."
"Why was he staring at me," I asked, after gulping down the food I had within my mouth.
Liv giggled, "Is it not obvious? You are a very beautiful young woman."
I blushed as I continued eating my food. I hope I do not get much attention from the other men around here. More importantly, how the hell will I get home. Will it just happen after completing a part of history, or do I have to travel somewhere?
"Once you are dressed, we will get you up and moving. Then, as promised, I will teach you medicine," Liv said, as she rose from her seat and moved across the room with her empty plate.
I finished my plate of food and drunk from the cup left on the table for me. In the cup was mead. Mead is surprisingly nice. I can see why it was common during this era. Liv took the plate and cup from me, and placed it on the table.
"I will be outside while you dress. Call for me if you need help."
I nodded, showing her a grateful smile. Liv was like the mother I never had. She was kind and caring everything a mother should be, unlike my step mother.
As Liv left and closed the door behind her, I removed the blanket from myself and moved into a sitting position on the edge of the bed.
I reached for my clothes. I slipped my trousers on first, being exceedingly careful with my left leg. Followed closely by my boots, which I put on quickly. I took off the dress that Liv had put me in to wash and repair my clothes. I quickly put on my blue dress and did the fastening at the front of the dress up.
"I am ready, Liv," I called out.
The door opened and she entered cautiously. She smiled, offering me her hand, "Come on. Shall we get you up and moving?"
I took her hand, using my left hand. I rose to my feet, placing all my weight on my right leg. Taking my first shaky step, I stumbled forward almost falling over but Liv stablised me keeping me upright and on my feet.
"Shall we go for a walk around my home and you can see my garden," she asked, as she came to my side, linking our arms together.
I nodded. After a few more very slow and shaky steps, we were outside and I was able to put more weight on my left leg.
"I think I will be walking more normally in no time," I chuckled.
"I would have to agree with you there. I expect you will probably be good as new by tomorrow. I also expect that Ubbe and Halfdan will return tomorrow. They both said they would return within a week."
We approached a garden. All sorts of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers were growing there. Some of the plants I recognised, from the days when Dad would take me hunting. Days of which I did not enjoy, but I guess in some small way he was trying to prepare me for this.
"This is a beautiful garden," I complimented.
She smiled, "Thank you. These three plants, I mixed together to form a paste and applied it to your wounds."
She pointed to one after the other. The first, I recognised all too easily. It was oregano. A herb, I love to cook with back home. The second, was a yellow five petalled flower that looked like a star. I think that one is called St. John's wort, in my time. The final, was another yellow flower that looks like loads of buds grouped together in a sort of cloud. I think Dad called it Helichrysum or Everlasting flower.
"May I ask what they do if applied to a wound," I questioned.
"Individually, they are perfect for small wounds, in treating and preventing the wound from going bad. But, I have found together, they work very well on quite brutal wounds," Liv explained.
"A brutal wound being like my leg because it had been torn up a wolf," I replied, looking over to her.
"Yes, but it is not often that someone will survive a wolf bite of that magnitude. So, you are very lucky," she verified.
We continued our walk around her home. She explained more and more about treating wounds. I tried so hard not to reveal too much of medicine in the future but I did try to give her tips, or "ideas" on how to improve the treatment of wounds.
Time flew by and I was beginning to walk more normally but still with a slight limp.
By the time, we made it back inside her home, it was time to start prepping dinner. Liv wanted me to rest as I had walked alot today. But I managed to presuade her to allow me to sit and prep some vegetables to be cooked for dinner.
I knew that tomorrow was going to be exciting, meeting the men who helped save my life. But, I doubt they will be like Liv. She is so kind and gentle. They most certainly won't be the same, considering what they do, according to the history I was taught in those private history lesson Dad made me take, when I was but a child.
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