LEGACY one made out of blood

Eight

We got back to the settlement close to night, there was still enough light for Dyane to take her bath and wear a new dress, she was shocked when Orel chose the clothes for her instead of the jewelries and when she asked me why, I told her that it was because if Orel brought me another piece of jewelry again, I might be tempted to take his head off with my new pair of swords.

When she was done bathing, her skin glisten in the candle light inside the tent. And I told her so “The color of your skin is amazing.” She shrugged bashfully.

“It was better than this when I had my herbs with me.”

“I would like to give you materials for your herbs but my husband is not too comfortable with you around medicine yet. Give him time.”

“Why are you helping me? Why am I a servant instead of a slave, a paid servant?”

“Because there was no way I would have allowed my husband to give me a slave. Now, let us go eat.” I said as I helped her lace her gown and we went in search of my husband. I found him with Elison in the tent he used for meeting with his commanders.

“Orel, we are ready to eat.” I said as Orel looked up with weary eyes and nodded. “What is going on?”

“Our camp is moving tomorrow, we are going to join the major army and then I have to dispense different battalions to protect different parts of the empire before moving to greet our allies, I am trying to fix everything within a month” Orel replied as I sighed.

“Well, you are not doing anything this evening, we are going to eat then sleep.” I said firmly refusing to allow Orel to complain.

“Elison, come dine with us.” I said with a smile as Elison nodded, he knew that I was not taking another answer from him. With that we moved to eat in mine and Orel tent, after eating, Elison escorted Dyane to the tent where she was going to sleep while me and Orel talked a little before sleep took him.

I brushed his hair from his face with a smile, he was handsome when his face was not scrunched into a scowl, which was the expression that was always on his face without his knowledge.

As I turned my back to sleep, I didn’t see him open his eyes to watch me with a smile before he closed his eyes again.

“My lady, there is a package here for you.” Dyane said as she walked into the tent holding a wooden box to her side.

I woke up as I turned in bed with a groan. “Get up my lady, don’t be lazy, the camp started dismantling at first light.”

“I didn’t have a restful sleep, at first I dreamt of a snake striking me and you were present, the snake was inside a wooden box.” I said as I sat up. When I saw the wooden box I froze, “Who sent that box?”

“A servant from the merchant king home, I think he wanted to give you a last minute gift.”

“That is not from the king. “ I replied. “That box is from his wife, she would rather kill me than send me any gift.”

“What makes you think that a snake is inside the box?” Dyane questioned.

“My dream and a really bad feeling.” I replied rubbing my head which was beginning to ache.

“You just had a nightmare, I am sure that everything is fine, just keep calm.” Dyane said as she unlatched the box.

“Close the box back!” I screamed at Dyane who jerked in surprise and mistakenly open the lid, a giant snake rose out of the box the same time the tent flap opened as one of my guards rushed to my aid. The snake moved to him with unerring speed as he bit the guard, Dyane screamed the same time I took, a sword lying close to the bed and swung at the snake the moment it rose from the guard body to attack Dyane.

The tent opened again, this time to reveal my husband and Elison who rushed in with wide eyes.

“Quick, before any of the poison gets to his heart.” I said as Dyane rushed to the warrior on the ground and tried to suck out the poison the same time Elison went out of the tent and shouted for a healer.

“What in the blazes happened in here?” Orel shouted as Dyane body jerked with shock at hearing Orel loud voice.

“I will tell you everything later when he is not in danger of dying, as for now don’t throw a tantrum.” I said with a frown I sent to Orel as I gathered close to Dyane and the guard, Dyane was busy sucking the poison out carefully while I cut his clothes so that Dyane could work easier.

“What do you need to cure the man?” I asked Dyane who looked at me shocked.

“Well?” I demanded.

“Emm, Lady Themis, I believe we should wait for the healer.” Dyane said slowly.

“He will not be able to do anything, he is barely even a healer” I said with a snort as I removed pieces of the clothes I had cut off the guard chest. Orel made a sound in his throat that made me pause but continued as if I didn’t hear anything after all it could only be for two reasons which I did not need to provide an answer to.

The first was the fact that I knew that their healer was not much of an healer, all he really could do is treat the warriors wounds, he doesn’t care for those who had fever neither does he care for those who had any problem with their health or body system that was different from a wound with a sword.

The second reason was the fact that I was touching a man the way I haven’t touched him, but I doubt that Orel will be concerned or jealous about that. He seemed more of a reasonable sort but then again, Orel is a man, and his woman was touching another man.

Something which the said woman hasn’t done to him. It is enough for any man to voice a complaint and I know that whatever reason that made Orel to make that sound, he will correct me as soon as he could so that I will not make the mistake again or say something of that sort where people could hear me.

Dyane opened her mouth to answer me just as the tent flew open and Elison and the healer came in. the healer looked at the wound and blanched as he looked around for the snake, when he saw the scales of the snake. His face paled.

“There is nothing we can do but prepare for the funeral of one of us.” He said with a sorrowful expression as I ignored him and pinned Dyane in place with my gaze.

“What do you need to heal him?” I asked Dyane who licked her lips nervously.

“But the healer said…” Dyane started as my gaze turned to a glare as Dyane quickly snapped her mouth shut.

“You can heal, him I know you can. Get on with it.” I ordered Dyane whose body jerked again with my tone as she nodded biting her lips.

“I need a healing salve and the salve for cleaning the wound, I have sucked out enough of the poison for him to be alive for the next few hours. I need the body of the snake and a knife along with a bowl to remove the venom so that I can make the antidote. I need him to be moved to a place not too far and not jostled as he is moved. He needs nothing to wake him now.” Dyane ordered as the healer spluttered while Elison nodded and left the tent to bellow some orders as I faced the healer with a scary expression on my face that made the healer take a step back.

“Well, what are you doing here, don’t you have some medicines to bring.” I voiced out as the healer looked to Orel helplessly, whatever he saw on Orel face made him to quickly bow to me and left the tent as quickly as possible.

Within the next few minutes. We were in a new tent with the healing salve and cleaning salve while Dyane was working on the snake body by slitting the body and pouring out a substance from the snake to the bowl. That was when Orel finally asked. “How did the snake enter our tent?”