The Pirate's Legacy: New Identities

Chapter 28: A Mask Removed

Most of their Draconian pursuers stopped short of entering the treacherous mountain ranges, but Diamante and Roger spurred their dragonettes onward. A handful of foolhardy soldiers continued to give them chase. Roger and Leo created an avalanche using their swords to cut into packed snow hanging off the edges of cliffs. They couldn't hear the Draconians' yells and their dragonettes' shrieks from under the crack and rumble of the frozen mass.

They covered a little more than half the ground in Serpentine Pass by the night of their escape. All four ached to the bone with exhaustion and their sustained injuries. After Leo almost fell off the dragonette he and Diamante rode together, the group hid themselves in the nearest, densest area of scarlet trees. They lit one short tree branch on fire before turning to address their wounds.

Only Diamante was best-off out of the four. He had minor cuts and scrapes. The right side of his bifocals had a small crack in the glass lens. On the whole, he was fine. His companions weren't as fortunate, however, so he took it upon himself to assist them.

Dread Pirate Robin refused aid from anyone. As soon as he'd taken a jar of salve and a few rolls of bandages from the medical supplies that were in Diamante's satchel, he headed over to the farthest side of the area from everyone else.

"Are you sure you don't need any—?"

"Leave me be," said Dread Robin over his shoulder. He had his back to everyone, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "You'd only do a poor job. Mind your own wounds."

Out of the corner of Diamante's eye, he watched Em sink onto her knees beside him. Hurt and concern shone clear in her dark brown eyes, which never left the pirate's back. She was still damp from whatever water torture the Draconians had subjected on her. Coupled with the terribly cold climate, Em's skin appeared to be gaining a blue tinge.

"Ow!" yelped Leo as Diamante's fingers pressed hard against the large cut on the lieutenant's arm. Held by his fingertips was a little cloth damp with medical alcohol. "Watch how you're rubbing that thing!"

"My apologies," said the delegate. "Remove your cloak so I can see those scratches on your back." As Leo did his bidding, Diamante turned to Em. "Prin—I mean, Emelia," he caught himself when the young woman looked at him sharply. "You must remove your cloak as its wet condition will enhance the chances of you catching hypothermia. Set it aside and sit as close as possible to the fire. I'll help you once I'm done here."

Em glanced at Roger once more, who was taking handfuls of snow and rubbing it onto his wounds now, before she nodded her head and complied.

Both Leo's shoulder and arm injuries were covered in dried blood and sand, but Diamante used the alcohol to clean them out. They bled anew after all the rubbing, but the Politickan was sure at least that there seemed to be no risk for infection. The bandage rolls in his satchel were a paltry sum, especially since Dread Robin had just taken a few for himself, but Diamante made do with what he had left for Leo and Em. She had bruises and small cuts all over her body, and it was a good thing Diamante had told her to stay next to the fire. Em shook like a leaf threatened by the wind. The skin not covered in bruises was very pale, and the tips of her fingers were deep red turning blue.

"Leo, sit next to Emelia," Diamante ordered. "Wrap your arms around her to share your body heat. We must prevent her from having hypothermia."

Em's more serious wounds were concentrated on her legs. Telling from the boils to the blistered skin, she had second degree burns. Diamante hoped her burns were superficial only and didn't go to the deeper layers of skin. The boils were few, five at the most, and some had even lost the fluid inside because of their hard day's rough journey. For the ones still with the fluid, those boils needed to be drained and all of them cleaned thoroughly to avoid infection.