Behind the Mask | Garroth x Reader

| Part Four | Man Down |

After getting to see the village for myself I can see why Lady Aphmau can get distracted so easily. There are more and more people that come to the village she is trying her best to expand and accommodate all of the new arrivals. Most are sharing houses with others and there are even a few people that have gotten married thanks to her. I admire what she has been able to do and know that if I were her I wouldn't be able to handle all of this.

I haven't really found a place for me to fit in just yet other than with Kiki and Brendan. Most of my day is spent with Kiki and her animals or listening to Brendan's "girl problems". It was comforting, just being able to be around other people who care and don't mind me just helping out where I can.

Brendan was busy today with some work given to him by Lady Aphmau, apparently, she wants to clear up the old lord's house. I don't know what happened to their previous lord but I don't know if I would be able to. This isn't my village though and I have no connection to the previous lord either. 

Kiki and I were busy preparing dinner together when we had a sudden and aggressive pounding on the door. I placed down my knife and looked at Kiki who seemed to be just as confused as me. She held up a hand and made her way to the door to see who was there. Before she could even ask what happened a familiar masked guard hand leaned further into her doorway. "It's Brendan!"

Neither one of us needed any further explanation. Dinner didn't matter anymore. I had never seen Garroth so worked up, and it seemed like Kiki hadn't either. Before we knew it the three of us were rushing to the farmhouse. People were gathered around the house trying to catch a glimpse of what had happened inside.

"Clear a path!" His voice caught the attention of everyone there, making them step aside to let us through. Once he pulled open the door he looked around until his gaze fell on Zenix. "I got them, and I already sent a message to Brightport for Dr.Doctor's help." 

The moment we stepped inside the first thing I saw was Brendan laying in bed with an arrow still in his chest. I could hear the labored gasps from across the room. 

"Brendan!" Kiki moved just as quickly as I to Brendan's side. Her eyes were filled with tears for her brother as she held one of his hands. My hands however had no time for something like that. Quickly I rolled my sleeves up and grabbed a nearby cloth to wrap around the bleeding wound. I leaned over Brendan's chest and applied my weight to slow the external bleeding. 

I spent years taking care of my mother when she had gotten sick. I made sure to take the time to learn all I could from the doctors in town so I could better my care. Besides helping create small home remedies, I was also taught some basic first aid. It wasn't much but hopefully, it would help keep Brendan alive long enough for the doctor from brightport to get Garroth's letter. 

"Stay with me, Brendan," I mutter while looking over to Garroth who had moved to my side. 

"What happened..?" Even in all the chaos, Garroth didn't have all the answers. I would have thought he would have had someone attend to Brendan while he was figuring out what all happened. 

"I... I don't know. I was taking a look around the Lord's place when I heard Brendan hit the ground behind me. I caught a glimpse of the person who took a shot at him and chased him until I had lost sight of where he went. I couldn't waste time chasing after him with Brendan in his condition..." Zenix didn't lift his head up to even look at Garroth. He was only an apprentice guard, I wouldn't expect him to be able to handle everything perfectly.

"You chose Brendan's life over finding the culprit. He has a chance to pull through thanks to you." It wasn't much, but I hoped that I would be able to lift his spirits even a little. 

---

Silence. It was only interrupted by Kiki's hushed hiccup or the shuffling of Garroth's feet as he paced the floor. Garroth had sent Lady Aphmau away to gather the herbs needed to help Brendan. She had her boat and the wind in her favor. Brendan had started to grow tired from his pain which worried us more and more. Despite his longing to fall asleep, we had to keep him awake until we knew that he was safe. We needed him to stay with us.

After what felt like forever, Lady Aphmau comes rushing in with the satchel from Brightport. She was a bit out of breath from running from her boat, but she had the herbs regardless. 

"Oh thank Irene." Kiki breathed as she watched me pull my hands away, revealing the layered bloodied clothes around the wound. I turned away to clean my hands in the bucket of water in the corner.

"You seem to know what you are doing." Lady Aphmau comments as she watched me approach Brendan once again.

"I've cared for my mother for as long as I could remember. I am no expert, but I have some experience." I answered as I placed a hand on Brendan's chest. "Brendan, this is going to hurt, but I promise we are going to do our best to help you after." I wasn't even sure if he could hear or understand me, but I knew that an arrow wasn't meant to be removed easily. With no exit wound in the back that meant it would have to come out the way it went in.

I gave a small countdown as I readied my hand over the stub of the arrow. In one quick movement, the iron-tipped arrow had been pulled from Brendan's chest. What was a steady flow of blood that had quickened considerably. Brendan reacted with pained grunts and hisses. I don't know if I would say they were intentional, but rather his body acting on its own. With quick movements, I pushed up Brendan's shirt and dabbed away the blood with a clean cloth. 

Those herbs. I had no idea what they were but they did what we needed them to. The internal bleeding had slowed. I was able to stitch Brendan up and fall back into the chair with shaking bloody hands. "The bleeding is slowing down... That's all I can do... He will have to pull through this on his own..." Despite my words, I was beyond worried that I had failed. That the man who had done so much for me would die due to my mistakes, by my lack of expertise. 

A hand rested on my shoulder, drawing my attention up. Garroth. He would gesture to Brendon who had passed out on the bed. His chest rose and fell at a steady rate. 

"Brendan has a chance at pulling through now. Kiki has a chance to be with her brother again." His hand shifted down to my shoulder blade and rubbed gentle circles there. "You did an amazing job, thank you for your help Y/N." He was just as worried as me, though I tell that he was relieved that Brendan seemed to be out of the worst of it at the very least. 

"I hope so..."