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Post by celticbear on May 14, 2012 20:09:15 GMT -5
I agree with Laurine! The time has come for both groups to settle their differences!
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Post by onyxfyrefly on May 15, 2012 13:44:58 GMT -5
Several hours later Ryan began to stir. Aislin was at his side in a flash, grasping his shoulder tightly and easing him back down onto the bed.
“Easy, you’ve lost a lot of blood. You’ll have to take things slowly for awhile.”
Ryan blinked several times to clear his vision then met the eyes of the woman leaning over him. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were twisted in an uncharacteristic frown. Reaching up, he gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face and winced when the action jarred his injured midsection.
Aislin’s frown deepened as she removed his hand from her face and placed it on his chest. “I said to keep still. Trust me, you don’t want me to re-stitch those wounds.”
She turned from him to stir something and it was Ryan’s turn to frown. Aislin was never this short with him, even in the most dire situations she had a kind word and a sincere look for those near her. In the dim light he could see the tense muscles of her back and watched as her normally fluid movements became choppy and rough.
“What’s wrong?” he finally asked.
“Nothing,” Aislin mumbled while adding something to the boiling pot.
“You’re lying,” the king replied and watched as every muscle in the healer’s body tightened.
“You should go back to sleep, it’s late.”
Ryan sighed and closed his eyes briefly. “Please, tell me what’s wrong. This isn’t like you.”
Slowly Aislin turned from the fire and leaned against the table. “You really want to know what’s wrong?”
Ryan nodded and the young woman forced herself not to throw something.
“This! This is what’s wrong!” she exclaimed before jumping up and pacing the small room. “Do you realize that you could have died today? The wound was shallow but another inch or two and the bullet could have shattered your ribs and killed you or punctured your stomach or your lungs. You got lucky.”
She ran her fingers through her long hair, forcing herself not to cry as her king lay silent.
“Ryan I love you but this has to stop. I’m sick of constantly worrying if you’ll come back from a raid and each time you do come back the injuries are worse than the last. I’m a good healer but I can’t perform miracles.”
With a weary sigh Aislin sank onto the stool and buried her head in her hands, her hair falling like a curtain around her.
“I can’t do this anymore. I know this is a part of our lives but I can no longer live like this. Call me weak but I can’t do this anymore. If things continue along the same lines I will be forced to leave…with or without you.”
The tent was silent for a long time and the healer did her best to calm herself. Finally Ryan’s voice broke the silence.
“I know.”
Aislin brushed her hair away from her face to meet the troubled eyes of her love. “What?”
“I know that you’ve been feeling this way for a long time now and I’m sorry.”
“Then why did you agree to the raid?” she asked while wiping away angry tears. “Why didn’t you listen to me?”
Ryan shifted uncomfortably and stared at a point on the ceiling. “I told you, I felt pressured by the men to go. There has been a lot of unrest in the tribe as of late. Not everyone believed that I was intercepted by the villagers on my way home from the raid and those who do believe that story do not approve of our relationship. Going on this raid was one of the only ways I could keep this tribe from falling apart.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
Ryan just shrugged and avoided looking at Aislin.
“First of all, you are king and if the people cannot respect you then they have no place in this tribe. Second, your people are not just angry they are afraid. The group that urged you to go fears that we will give up and give this land to the villagers. They are tired of running and just want to settle down.”
Ryan finally met the dark eyes and felt his heart break when he saw the lingering tears clinging to her lashes.
“How do you know this? Have my people come to speak with you?”
Aislin allowed herself a small smile as she shook her head. “No, no one has spoken to me but pain and fever will loosen the tongue more than any spirit.”
Ryan matched her smile and slowly reached for her hand. “You are as clever as you are beautiful.”
Aislin shook her head and laced the fingers of one hand with his own.
“I am merely observant.” She paused a moment to smile down at Ryan then took a deep breath. “So, are you willing to end this and make peace with the villagers?”
Ryan nodded and squeezed her hand. “Yes, but how will we manage it? I doubt the villagers will be willing to listen to us.”
The young woman grinned and stood to walk over to the small stove. She poured some broth into a bowl and placed it near the bed. Slowly she helped Ryan sit up, sliding behind him to keep him propped up. Once he was comfortable she handed him the bowl and gave him a moment to start eating before she began.
“You forget, I have an advantage: I have a way of making myself useful. If the villagers refuse to speak to us I can make my services necessary.” She paused and grinned to herself. “I’ve watched these villagers for years and I’m pretty sure that I know how to get through to them. It seems like the villagers for the most part don’t want to hurt us, they just want to feel safe in their homes. If we present them with the opportunity for safety then I don’t see why they wouldn’t listen.
“And if they refuse to listen?”
“I have a feeling they will…if not, well, let’s just say I have my ways.”
Ryan chuckled then winced, the slight action pulling at the stitches in his side. He finished the broth and leaned back against Aislin, relishing the feeling of being in her arms.
All too soon she was helping him get settled once more. Ryan gently grabbed her arm and she sat down next to him, running her hand along his slightly stubbled jaw. “Get some rest, your body needs to heal. Don’t worry, I’ll stay by your side tonight.”
Ryan nodded and let his eyes drift closed, comforted by Aislin’s presence.
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Post by laurenne on May 15, 2012 21:02:04 GMT -5
I'm glad Ryan agreed to the peace idea, I hope the villagers agree too. More soon, please.
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Post by onyxfyrefly on May 16, 2012 5:26:37 GMT -5
The next morning Aislin was awakened by the sun spilling onto her face. She groaned and slowly sat up, her back protesting from sleeping on the pallet she had arranged on the floor. Pushing herself to her feet she glanced over at Ryan and frowned. Some time in the night he had thrown his blankets off and his cheeks were slightly flushed.
She leaned down and lay her hand across his forehead, shaking her head when she felt the slight fever. It was minimal but even the slightest increase in temperature worried her. Quickly she opened the shutters and allowed some of the cool morning air into the space then knelt by the cot and removed the bandage from around his waist.
It was slightly bloodstained but the stitches seemed to be holding. She tested the skin near the wounds and was relieved when she couldn’t detect any heat or sign of infection. After re-wrapping the bandage Ryan began to stir and she kept an eye on him as she sorted through her collection of herbs.
She crushed some into a mug and added boiling water, allowing it to steep for a long time as Ryan slowly woke. The young man’s eyes were glassy with fever and Aislin forced herself to stay calm as she sat next to him on the cot.
“It’s hot,” he mumbled.
“I know but drink this, it will help.”
Aislin eased him into a sitting position but the action seemed strained and painful compared to a few hours ago. Slowly he sipped the tea and the healer couldn’t ignore that his hands were shaking. She didn’t allow her emotions to show and she took the empty mug from him when he was finished.
It took Ryan a long time to get comfortable and the healer stood to leave when he grasped her hand. “Don’t leave, not yet.”
Aislin nodded and sat down next to him. “Try and relax so you can sleep.”
“It’s too hot to sleep.”
“Then think of something or somewhere cold.”
“What?”
The young woman smiled and ran a gentle hand through his hair. “Close your eyes.” Once Ryan did as he was told she began to speak softly. “Remember when we were children and our tribes moved to the settlement near the river? One day we followed the river and found the waterfall. I can still see it. It was so beautiful and so loud that we couldn’t hear each other speak. That was the day you decided to teach me how to swim.”
Glancing down, Aislin noticed that Ryan was smiling slightly.
“You knew I couldn’t swim but you insisted that I had to learn. I refused to get in the water and instead of finding a way to coax me in you just picked me up and threw me in. For a split second I swore I was going to die. The water was like ice and the surface was so far away but you knew how stubborn I was. I wasn’t going to let you rescue me so I started to kick my legs and before I knew it I was swimming.”
“You pulled me in,” Ryan mumbled and Aislin chuckled.
“Of course I pulled you in, you didn’t think that I would let you get away with throwing me in like that. I can still see our parents’ faces when we returned to camp looking like a couple of drowned rats. But it was worth the scolding and the extra chores. I think we went to that waterfall nearly every day after that.”
The hand grasping hers released its grip slightly as Ryan finally fell asleep. Aislin pressed a gentle kiss against his warm forehead and pulled the blanket up to his waist. She watched him sleep for a few minutes before hurrying from her wagon to fetch Meara. The older woman rushed over and Aislin stood in the doorway in order to keep an eye on Ryan while Meara stood on the steps.
“It may just be a fever but with such a grievous wound I’m afraid it will develop into something worse.”
“Did you try the tea?”
“Yes.”
Meara nodded then glanced towards her own wagon. “Give it time to work. If the fever doesn’t break in a few hours let me know, I have an old remedy that should break it.”
“Thank you, Meara.”
“Trust in yourself, Aislin. If he’s under your care then he will be fine.”
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Ryan’s fever did not break.
No matter what Aislin or Meara tried his fever continued to rise steadily for two days. Both women did their best to keep Ryan comfortable but they were both unnerved when it became more and more difficult to rouse him in order to administer their remedies.
Aislin never left his side, only eating when her body demanded it and doing everything in her power to ease his discomfort. She was too scared to sleep, afraid that if she closed her eyes Ryan’s condition would worsen due to her negligence. She forced herself to remain strong and keep positive, she had soothed many fevers in her day and wasn’t going to let Ryan’s condition rattle her.
On the third day the infection set in and Aislin felt all of the fight drain out of her when she checked his wounds. The skin was swollen and hot and even in his unconscious state Ryan groaned with pain when she probed the area. Aislin was at a loss, she could fight a fever and she could heal nearly any wound but infections scared her. The only solution she could think of involved removing his stitches and with a sigh she went to get Meara.
The older healer’s presence wasn’t really necessary in the end, Ryan barely even reacted when she pulled his stitches free. With slightly trembling hands she blended alcohol with several pungent herbs then soaked a rag in the substance. She placed the material over the wounds and wrapped a fresh bandage tightly around his midsection to hold the rag in place. She was hoping that the mixture would draw the infection to the surface which should help break the fever.
Once she was finished the healer let her head rest in her hands and jumped when she felt Meara’s hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you go to my wagon and get some rest? I’ll watch over him.”
Aislin shook her head. “I can’t leave him.”
“You haven’t slept in days and you’re going to make yourself sick. I can’t watch over both of you.”
Reluctantly the young woman stood. She gave Ryan one last glance before walking towards Meara’s wagon. The older woman was right, she couldn’t afford to fall ill herself. She had to be there to take care of Ryan.
At first Aislin worried that she would be too concerned with Ryan’s welfare to sleep but the moment that her head hit the pillow she was out like a light, her last thoughts lingering on the condition of her love.
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Post by laurenne on May 16, 2012 11:26:41 GMT -5
I hope the infection clears up soon. More soon, please.
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Post by onyxfyrefly on May 17, 2012 8:10:24 GMT -5
When Aislin woke the sun was low in the sky and she shook her head in disbelief. She had slept the day away!
Rushing back to her wagon her heart sank when she saw Meara. The older woman was sitting next to Ryan’s cot and was running a cool cloth over his forehead and neck. She met Aislin’s eyes and shook her head sadly.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You needed your rest. I think you’re going to have a long night ahead of you.” Ryan let out a soft moan of pain and twisted on the cot. Meara hushed him and brushed his sweat soaked hair away from his forehead. “The solution you prepared seems to be working, I’ve changed the bandages half a dozen times but his fever started to spike about an hour ago. It’s going to be a race between the fever and the infection, let’s just hope the Gods will spare him.”
Aislin swallowed hard and nodded before switching places with Meara. Even without touching Ryan she could tell his fever was dangerously high, she could feel the heat radiating off of his skin.
“Thank you, Meara. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’re stronger than you think, Aislin. Call me if you need any assistance with anything. I’m going to get some rest so I can assist you later.”
When Meara left Aislin changed Ryan’s bandages and warmed up some broth. She sipped a bowl of the soup without tasting it while running the cool cloth over his forehead and neck. Once she had finished eating she brewed another batch of the tea they were using to fight his fever and attempted to rouse Ryan.
“Come on, Ryan, wake up…please wake up.”
She felt panic surge through her veins when he refused to wake but she stomped it back down. He hadn’t opened his eyes in three days but she still tried, hoping that this would be the time that he woke.
Wrapping an arm around his shoulders she helped him sit up slightly. His skin was so hot that she feared she would be burned but she pushed the concerns to the side and pressed the mug to his lips.
A sigh of relief left her when he swallowed the mixture and she slowly urged every drop down his throat. Finally the mug was empty and she placed it to the side but she did not release her hold on Ryan. She cradled him in her arms and closed her eyes, praying to whoever was listening that he would be spared. “Take me instead, give me his pain…please don’t take him,” she whispered.
She could feel tears sting her eyes but she held them back, she had to be strong for Ryan. “I’ve lost everyone, including my own child, please don’t take Ryan from me…please.”
----------------------------------------------------
For hours Aislin kept her vigil at his beside. She was changing the bandages less frequently which was a good sign because that meant that the infection was disappearing but his fever was so high that she couldn’t keep him comfortable. Not long after sunset the fever began to severely affect him and she could tell that he had taken a turn for the worse.
Despite her efforts Ryan twisted and thrashed around, calling out for her or his parents or for Caroline as the fever ravaged his body. Aislin held back tears as she watched Ryan drift further away from her. It was a losing battle but she was determined to fight until the very end. Glancing around she realized that she needed more cold water for the compresses but she didn’t dare leave his side to draw more water from the well.
Anticipating her needs Meara arrived carrying a fresh bucket. As Aislin ran the cold cloth over Ryan’s forehead he seemed to sigh in relief and she hoped that perhaps she had found a way to comfort him. For a brief moment he seemed to relax and she allowed herself to believe that the worst was over.
Her hopes were dashed moments later when Ryan began to twist around and cry out. His words were broken but he seemed to be reliving the night of the fire. He cried out for his parents and she felt tears in her eyes at the sheer amount of pain in his voice. Aislin held his shoulders down but even in his weakened state he nearly threw her off. Finally something inside of him seemed to snap and he fell back onto the cot, his head rolling limply to the side.
Immediately Aislin’s fingers flew to his neck as she searched for a pulse. It was there but it was sluggish and weak. Leaning close she listened for his breath but it was shallow and seemed forced. The healer closed her eyes for a moment before turning to face Meara.
“Please go and get Caroline and Emmet. I…I don’t think I can save him and they should have a chance to say goodbye.”
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Post by onyxfyrefly on May 22, 2012 9:19:12 GMT -5
Meara returned a few minutes later with Caroline and Emmet in tow. The dancer gasped when she saw her brother, she had visited him yesterday but his condition had rapidly deteriorated. Aislin had straightened the sheets on the cot and neatly folded the blanket back at his waist. She had turned down the lanterns out of respect and Ryan’s pale skin seemed to glow in the dim light.
Caroline hung back, too scared to approach while Emmet knelt next to the cot.
“King Ryan, it has been an honor to serve and to fight along side you all of these years. You have my word that the tribe will be safe and we will avenge you.”
He bowed his head and covered Ryan’s hand with his own for a moment. Soon he stood and went to gather his men, preparing them for the worst.
Caroline took a tentative step forward then stopped, she couldn’t believe this was really happening and was praying that she would wake up from this nightmare. Eventually she took another step, then another until she was sitting on the edge of the cot.
Aislin was perched on the stool, dutifully running the wet cloth across Ryan’s neck and forehead. The healer nodded at Caroline who took her brother’s hand in her own.
“Ryan…I…I’m sorry. This is my fault. I didn’t want Keith to get hurt so I told them you were coming but I had no idea…” Her breath caught as tears began to race down her cheeks. “I know things haven’t been easy as of late but know that I love you. I’m so proud of you and I know that mother and father would agree with me. Please tell them that I miss them…” Caroline couldn’t finish, she broke down as sobs wracked her body.
Aislin watched the young woman as her own silent tears fell. She wasn’t ready to lose Ryan but it was highly unlikely that he would make it through the night. She placed a hand on Caroline’s shoulder as the dancer pleaded for her brother’s life.
Aislin had said her goodbyes when Meara had gone to fetch Caroline and Emmet. Instead of being sad or angry she was numb and watched the interactions around her through someone else’s eyes.
She had already decided that if Ryan died she would leave the tribe, she was the successor but she was going to pass that title on to Emmet. She had failed her sister and now she had failed her king and couldn’t deal with the pressure any longer. She wasn’t quite sure where she would go or what she would do but she couldn’t let anyone else down.
Placing the rag back into the bucket she absently ran her fingers along Ryan’s cheek and watched Caroline mourn her brother. She wanted to comfort the dancer, to tell her to be strong but Aislin knew that the time for strength would come later. Right now her sorrow was justified and the healer wished she had the strength to cry.
Eventually Caroline’s tears slowed and she sank to her knees next to the cot, her head resting on the soft blanket next to Ryan’s ribs. She fought her weariness but she couldn’t help it when her eyes began to close. Aislin slowly carded her fingers through the young woman’s hair, offering what comfort she could spare.
Caroline’s hand fell to her side and she jumped when it brushed against the small satchel tied at her waist. Slowly she slid her hand into the bag and let her fingers close around the smooth vial. Before Meara had retrieved her she had been spending the evening with Keith. She knew she should have been at Ryan’s beside keeping watch with Aislin but the sight of her brother so weak disturbed her and Keith offered her comfort.
The night of the raid she had raced to their usual meeting spot near the river and was relieved to see that Keith was unharmed. When Ryan had fallen ill she had confided in Keith and she could tell that the highwayman was conflicted. On the one hand his enemy, the gypsy king, was weak and vulnerable but on the other hand he didn’t want to see Caroline in pain if her brother died.
At their last meeting Keith had pressed a small vial into Caroline’s hand, promising that it would help her brother. The dancer was torn between her love of Keith and her love of Ryan. She trusted Keith but there was a chance that the vial was poison masquerading as a cure. If Ryan died Keith could always claim that the medicine wasn’t strong enough to save him but Caroline wanted to believe that her love wouldn’t stoop to such a low.
“Aislin?” she whispered and the healer glanced down to meet her eyes.
“Yes, Caroline?”
“Give him this, it should help.” She handed the healer the vial and Aislin’s eyes widened.
“Where did you get this?” Aislin recognized the substance, it was a powerful medication that was also ridiculously expensive. Some of the villagers had used it during the plague but only a small handful could afford it and often multiple families had pitched in to buy one vial.
Caroline didn’t answer and Aislin frowned while searching the young woman’s face for an answer. There was no way that any of the gypsies could have afforded it, they would have used up all of the goods they stole from the last raid and then some. Only someone with a great deal of wealth could have procured the medicine.
The grey eyes suddenly widened in realization. “Keith gave this to you, didn’t he?”
The dancer nodded and gently squeezed Ryan’s hand. “He said it would help.”
Aislin held the vial up to the light then glanced down at Ryan’s still form. “It could be a trick. Ryan knows Keith’s identity and it would be easy for him to switch the medication with poison. I doubt the highwayman is pleased that the gypsy king knows his identity.”
“He wouldn’t do that. I know him and he wouldn’t kill my brother.”
Aislin stared at Caroline for a long time before letting out a sigh of defeat. “Fine, but if this is a trick know that the blood will be on your hands.”
Uncorking the vial, Aislin carefully tilted Ryan’s head up and slowly poured the substance between his lips. Miraculously he swallowed the precious liquid and Aislin placed his head back onto the pillow.
She watched him for a solid five minutes and nothing changed so she let herself relax slightly. “Either it is a slow acting poison or Keith was telling the truth. Now all we can do is wait and see if it will have any effect. Ryan may have been too far gone for it to do any good.”
“You mean it might not work?”
The healer placed her hands on Caroline’s shoulders and met the now terrified brown eyes. “Caroline, your brother is dying. I’ve done all that I can but he might not make it. What Keith gave you was just medicine, powerful medicine, but medicine nonetheless. You can’t bottle miracles.”
“It has to work, it just has to.” Caroline bowed her head and let her forehead rest on the cot next to Ryan as her tears began to fall once more. Aislin began to run her fingers through the dancer’s hair, wishing she could ease the young woman’s pain.
Soon Caroline was asleep but Aislin kept up the gentle motions as she watched the slow rise and fall of Ryan’s chest. She knew he was strong and was fighting but after four days she wondered how much strength he had left. Unknowingly her eyes began to close and she offered up one last prayer before succumbing to her exhaustion.
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Post by laurenne on May 22, 2012 11:13:49 GMT -5
The medication had better work. More soon, please.
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Post by celticbear on May 22, 2012 20:30:09 GMT -5
The medicine Keith gave to his Caroline HAS TO WORK!
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Post by HburgEagle44 on May 24, 2012 0:31:57 GMT -5
Wow, just caught up... Please don't let Ryan die. Thank you. -Hburg lol
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Post by onyxfyrefly on May 25, 2012 8:03:33 GMT -5
Minutes after midnight Caroline heard a soft sound and raised her head. She hadn’t moved from her position next to the cot and Aislin was asleep with her head on Ryan’s chest, apparently the healer wanted to hold on to every heartbeat.
Hearing the sound again, Caroline shook the healer’s shoulder. “Aislin, wake up. Something’s happening.”
Immediately the grey eyes snapped open and she looked around in confusion. “What is it?”
“It’s Ryan, is he…?”Aislin’s fingers flew to his neck and her eyes widened. “What? Aislin, what’s going on?” asked the dancer, terrified that she was witnessing Ryan’s final moments.
“His pulse…it’s normal again. And his fever has broken…this is…it’s a miracle.” For a moment the healer sat dumbstruck, amazed that the medicine Keith purchased actually worked.
Caroline covered her mouth to contain her gasp. She had already started to accept Ryan’s death and the knowledge that he could live made her dizzy.
Aislin pulled the cloth from the bucket and used it to clear away the cold sweat clinging to Ryan’s forehead and torso before leaning over him once more. She wasn’t dreaming, his pulse was once again strong and his breath was steady.
“Caroline, go and get Meara. I want her to make sure I’m not imagining this.”
The dancer took off and appeared moments later with Meara. The older healer took her time checking Ryan’s pulse, heartbeat and breathing but when she sat up she was smiling. “I don’t know what you did, Aislin, but you performed a miracle.”
Aislin shook her head in wonder and sat on the edge of the cot to watch over Ryan. Meara went to tell Emmet and the rest of the tribe of the recent development while Caroline sat down on the stool Aislin had recently vacated.
The two women sat in silence as they watched over Ryan. His fever was dissipating but Aislin prayed that there would be no ill effects from having such a high fever for so long.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she nearly missed it when Ryan’s eyelids fluttered. Holding her breath, she felt time slow to a crawl as the bright blue eyes opened. For the first time in days she met her love’s eyes and couldn’t contain her joy when the clear orbs were free of any traces of fever.
“Aislin?” Ryan rasped. Caroline handed her a mug of water and she helped Ryan take a few sips before lowering his head back down. “Aislin, why are you crying?”
The healer smiled and wiped away her tears. “Because I nearly lost you.”
“How long have I been out?”
“Almost four days,” answered Caroline. Ryan craned his head to see his sister and smiled when she squeezed his hand. “Your wounds became infected but Aislin refused to let you go. She fought day and night to keep you alive.”
Aislin shyly averted her eyes and raised her head when Ryan touched her cheek. Caroline watched the interaction for a moment before silently excusing herself. Neither Ryan nor Aislin noticed her departure, they were too caught up in each other to notice.
Ryan ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping away a stray tear then gently touching the dark circle below her eye. “You look exhausted, when was the last time you slept?”
“I was asleep when your fever broke.”
“No, when was the last time you slept for more than a few minutes at a time?”
Aislin shrugged. “I don’t remember. I couldn’t leave you, Ryan. I thought I was going to lose you. I even called Emmet and Caroline in to say their goodbyes.”
Her voice caught and Ryan gently hushed her. “It’s all right. I’m here now.” Aislin leaned close to let her forehead rest against his and he tucked her hair behind her ears. “I promised you I would come back,” he whispered.
Aislin couldn’t reply due to the lump in her throat, she just smiled and squeezed the strong shoulders beneath her hands. After a few minutes she sat up and wiped her eyes.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, slightly embarrassed that she had allowed her emotions to overcome her.
Ryan shifted around for a few moments as he took inventory of himself then smiled. “A little stiff from lying here so long and my right side feels a little tight but I’ve felt worse.”
“In the morning we’ll see if you’re strong enough to get up and move a bit, that should help.” Falling into her role Aislin lit a candle and passed it back and forth in front of Ryan’s eyes, made him wiggle his fingers and toes, and put him through a short series of tests to make sure that the fever hadn’t done any damage.
Finally the healer nodded, pleased with the results, and bent to check his bandages once more. The wounds were healing nicely but she applied another layer of salve just to be safe. She worked in silence as she wrapped a fresh bandage around Ryan’s waist.
Once she was finished she sat down on the edge of the cot once more, after four days without her love she was reluctant to miss a moment with him.
Ryan reached up to cup Aislin’s face in his palm and he couldn’t mask the fact that his hands were trembling slightly. The healer picked up on this and frowned while covering his hand with her own. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I just…I had a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“Will you be my wife?”
Aislin froze at Ryan’s words and her eyes widened in shock. “What?”
“Will you be my queen? I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.” He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I was going to ask you once we returned from the raid in front of the entire tribe but that didn’t exactly work out as planned.”
The healer could hear her heart pounding in her chest and hoped that Ryan couldn’t detect that she was trembling as well. What he was asking was absolutely mad. Yes, she loved him and she knew he loved her but love and marriage were two completely different things. Kings did not love leigheasóirs and they certainly did not marry them. After staring into the cool blue eyes for what seemed like ages Aislin knew what her answer would be.
“Ryan, you nearly died. Are you sure that’s not the pain or the fever talking?”
At first Ryan was shocked at Aislin’s words then he noticed the very slight smile that crossed her lips. “I’m sure,” he replied with a chuckle. “I love you, Aislin, and I don’t want to live another day without you by my side. I nearly lost you and I regret not asking you before the raid. Please…”
Aislin swallowed hard and felt Ryan hold his breath as she leaned closer. “Yes.” She smiled and saw Ryan’s eyes light up. “Yes, I will be your wife but not until we have settled this mess with the villagers. I have been many things in this life but I have yet to be a widow and I do not want to start now.”
The gypsy king beamed and pulled Aislin close, hugging her tightly. It was slightly awkward due to the angle and his injury but neither one cared, they were happy to be in each other’s arms again.
Aislin lifted her head when Ryan began to move and soon she realized that he was scooting over. There wasn’t a lot of room on the cot but Ryan managed to create about a foot of space next to him.
“Come and rest, Aislin. It’s my turn to watch over you.”
The healer paused for a moment, she was still afraid that she was going to wake up and Ryan would be burning with fever. Eventually she gave in and gently lay down next to Ryan, careful not to jar his injured side. She let her head rest on his chest and felt his arms surround her.
“Sleep now. I promise to be here when you wake.”
For the first time in days Aislin allowed herself to relax and she slowly drifted off in the arms of her future husband. The thought made her stomach flip and she slept all night with a soft smile on her face.
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Post by laurenne on May 25, 2012 19:04:44 GMT -5
I am so glad the medicine worked. He even asked her to marry her. I loved it.
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Post by fallingn2ct on Jun 12, 2012 10:38:36 GMT -5
Just a little disclaimer, I SWEAR I had written this before I read Fall's story 'Torn', any similarities are coincidental. And I may be scarce the next few days, I'm going to a concert. Care to guess which one? No worries!!! It happens You are doing a wonderful job!
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Post by fallingn2ct on Jun 12, 2012 11:03:09 GMT -5
finally all caught up!!! My mom & I were in an accident with a semi about 4 weeks ago & everything has just been crazy with doctor's visits & everything. We are both doing well though
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Post by onyxfyrefly on Jun 12, 2012 14:18:39 GMT -5
Oh no! Glad to hear you're doing well! I've missed you!
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