The Knight's Eyes

11: WOODEN EDGE

KIT POV

He clenched his teeth together and hissed as the nurse gently dabbed a fresh cotton wad on the red scratch. He nibbled on the skin along his left fingers for all of the fingernails he had chewed away.

The kind old woman glanced up at him, a question weighing on her puckering lips. She moved fast to stop the bleeding and gave him a small cup of rum to fuzz the pain. Once the skin had decided to clot up, she grabbed the roll of white bandages.

"So you're not going to tell me what happened, Kit?"

His finger sucking froze for a second then continued. His tiny shoulders stiffed. "It's nothing," he muttered through his fingertips.

The woman was not close to being convinced. She shook her head, "You need to be more careful."

"I'll be fine," Kit assured though his churning stomach told him otherwise. "Where's Physter Lordem?"

"Oh, hun, he left for Greenshine last week with his family," said the nurse giving the wrapping a good tug around his hand.

"Oh," he said hoping it would cease her from asking any more questions.

When she was finally finished, he grabbed his things, gave her his thanks, and sprinted from the physician quarters. With great speed, he made his way to the castellan's office praying the pitchy man was not present. Unfortunately, as he entered the propped doors of the castellan's main quarters, which sat down the adjoined hall to the King's Study, the hideous voice filtered through the air.

Kit halted by the assistant's desk, presently empty. He huffed and scrunched his nose searching the sitting area and down the adjoined halls for Miss Sonia.

Where is everyone?

"I can't have this going on right now," shouted Ortonas from his study, the door cracked open just a bit. "The King wants this done before summer comes and not later."

"Well, I will try and have it rushed, but I can't guarantee-," said the assistant.

"No! Don't say that. The King gets what he wants, which means I get what I want. You will make sure," Ortonas ordered, the volume of his voice rising as he neared his cracked door, "it's on my desk by tomorrow evening, no later."

The door swung open and Miss Sonia rushed out of the room, eyes wide on full alert. Kit groaned as the thin man exited behind her.

"Yes sir, I will make sure of it," she said her plain yellow and brown dress flying behind her as she swooshed pass towards one of the halls. "Hello, Kit," she swiftly said not giving him a chance to respond.

"Kit," Ortonas said a smile breaking through the anger on his face. "Kit. How are you?"

A growl rumbled in the back of his throat, "Good morning, sir."

"Yes, it's a good morning indeed," he said and gestured him over. "What brings you, hmm? Tired of being around that boring old bag?"

He gave the man a crooked smile, "No, actually. He wanted me to deliver this to you."

He pulled out a thick black record book of all the royal purchases for the first half of the year 720. He had helped Master Citrus fill out some of the pages while he was dealing with other matters. On the side, Kit enjoyed the calculation part where he would figure out the answer in his head then checked it on parchment. They always came out just right and if not, he would punish himself by not eating desert.

"Ah finally he's finished. The old bag is growing slower and slower each day," Ortonas sneered snatching the book from his hands.

As fast as he took it, he grabbed hold onto Kit's bandaged hand. A shock of pain slithered up his arm. He jerked away, but the man so determined to touch him held firm.