The Princess Weiyoung: The Crown

Healing Hands

Tuoba Yu

{Tung Shao}

It took me an hour to get to Tung Shao on a horse. If I traveled on foot, it would be nightfall by the time I reached Ping City. I looked at the person sleeping beside me. I had to try and carry her to the nearest village. I placed my sword back in its sheath and hoisted the woman into my arms.

If only Tuoba Han could see me now.

An hour later, I still wasn't any closer to a village. I sighed with frustration and observed my surroundings. There was a ledge nearby; I would be out of sight from my enemies.

Maybe I should stay here and continue later. I was starting to get tired.....

I was walking towards the ledge when I heard a voice.

"Woah!"

I turned and saw an aging man on top of a horse. His straw hat covered his silver hair and missing teeth. Before I could think twice, I decided to approach him.

"Excuse me, sir?" I called. "I am so sorry to bother you, but could you give me a ride to the nearest town? This young woman needs to see a doctor." I gestured to the unconscious female in my arms.

The man eyed me suspiciously. "Well, I don't know ya like that, and I don't have no room for extra people," he said.

Sighing, I handed him a bag of gold coins.

He smiled toothily at me. "I'm always willing to accommodate. Get in the wagon."

After I climbed into the back, the man flicked the reins and the horse galloped into the sunset.

Hours later, I was shaken by the aging traveler.

"Hey! Wake up!"

My eyes flew open as I studied my surroundings. After a minute, I remembered the old man I met on the road. I must have fallen asleep during the trip. Once he saw I was awake, he returned to the front of the wagon. "We're in Cheng'an, now." He said.

The town was quiet and rural; it was completely surrounded by wildlife. However, I felt an odd sense of peace here that I never experienced in Ping City. The horse calmly walked through the streets before slowing down.

The man pointed to a clinic on the right. "The only doctor in town lives here, and his name is Song Liu."

The man helped me get the woman off of the wagon. "Good luck," he said, and his horse trotted away. I knocked on the door. When I got no response, I tried again. Still nothing. What if he wasn't home? I was prepared to knock once more when the door finally opened. I was greeted by a middle-aged man with graying hair.

"I need to see Song Liu; it's an emergency," I said urgently. I was unable to keep the desperation out of my voice.

"You're looking at him," he answered. His attention turned to the person that I was holding. "Please, come in."

I followed him to a small room in the back of the clinic. I had just laid the woman down before he was asking questions.

"What happened to this poor child?" He asked.

"I don't really know," I said. "I was out in the woods when we ran into each other. After she fainted in my arms, I convinced a traveler to bring us to Cheng'an."

Song Liu inspected her heart, lungs, and other organs.

"This woman has been poisoned severely. It's a miracle that you got her here when you did. If you had found her much later, the damage would be irreversible."