Jade Medieval

Chapter 18

During the agonizing stitches i had passed out. Bodies had a way of keeping the conscious mind from feeling horrible pain. The mind wasn't as merciful. My face was pale and sweaty. I was having a nightmare. A terrible dream that caused me to choke on sobs.

"Jade?" A voice called that i couldn't believe at first.

The voice continued to call my name. The words surrounding me and their once calm tone was now frightening. Micheal walked from behind a tree. I screamed and held my hands to my ears.

"No!Stop, Michael help..."

The wind threatened to choke me. It pressed painfully at my side. Michael walked closer across the grey grass. The sky was wrong; the red and black colors. It became very dim.

"You watched me die Jade!" Michael brushed a hand through his brown hair," And you didn't morn me, just left my body out there to be eaten," he snarled angrily.

I shook my head, the image of his bloody foot filling my mind.

"I couldn't-"

The wind picked up again and sent me into a stream. Suddenly my side ached and i couldn't stand. I smelt the scent of tea. That couldn't be right.

A drip of sweat trickled down my face as i took my first conscious breath. I opened my eyes and looked forwards.

"Just a dream," I murmured.

I was lying on a mat on the floor of a teepee. It was large for a teepee and i saw a kettle was warming over a fire. It smelt of tea. Someone pulled the cover up and unconsciously stroked my hair. I looked up and saw Fillip, he was distant in thought. I felt my dry mouth and moved my right arm from the covers. Pain shot through my body.

"Ahh," i sucked in air through my teeth.

Fillip connected again with reality and looked at me. His brown eyes full of concern. I lowered my arm slowly, avoiding his gaze. How long had he been here whilst i slept?

"Could you get me something to drink?"

"Sure," Fillip ducked out of the teepee.

Alexa came in with water saying Fillip had to deal with a matter. She wouldn't tell me what kind. I looked closely at her as i drank the water she brought. Alexa was sipping from a piping hot cup of tea. Her hair was loose and held only in a low pony tail. She was scratched up but she seemed more confident in herself. From one glance she seemed to be the happiest i have seen her in years. Perhaps she wasn't as grateful for her seamstress job as I had assumed.

"Did you ride beside Flea?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Flea was a thin woman with brown hair and ash colored eyes. Her lips were always loose, smilling or talking. She seemed very opposite of Alexa in many ways but in others they were very alike. Medical skills, kind nature and enjoyment of the outdoors.

"Is she-"

"Okay?" Alexa looked at her hands for a moment and took a sip of tea," yeah. Flea is fine."

"Any news about Jocelyn and Henry?" I asked suddenly needing to know.

"Not sure," she said slowly.

Fillip walked in holding banok in his hands.

"Couldnt find any drink but I talked with Mint and he taught me how to cook this over the fire," Fillip gestured to the banok steaming in his hands and he blew on his hands annoyed at the heat, at least it appeared that way.

His eyes fell from me to Alexa who had sat so close to the doorway he didnt see her when he had came in. Fillip abruptly stopped blowing on the bannock and placed it beside me. I picked it up and began to chew. The tense vibe in the air was suffocating.Alexa took a deep breath and fake-coughed into the crook of her elbow. She pulled the tattered black hem of her dress with her hand and walked out of the teepee.

"Flea what did he..." She muttered under her breath.

I was confused at her behaviour,"what's going on?"

Fillip sighed and shook his head, his black boots thudded on the hard dirt ground. A crease formed on his brow and he pulled a Christian cross from under his vest. Nervously he licked his lips and looked at me.

"I walked in on a sin," his hand held tightly on the cross like it was his lifeline," You believe in God?"

"I suppose, yes of course," I said, my brows furrowed and I tried to think what it could be about.

Alexa had acted so coolly to Fillip...

"It's about Alexa?"

He nodded and I gestured for him to sit on the edge of the blankets.

"I accidentally walked in on her and-and Flea," he struggled to say it,"in a most compromising position."

I choked on the bannock," what?"