Wrought Iron, Book 1 of Merlin's Message

Chapter 16 - Meetings

"Hello! Can you climb aboard? We must be quick!"

Gavin looked up at the red-haired, red-bearded man looking down from the dromon. He looked at Mike, sitting on a rowing bench with an arrow stuck in his arm. Hannah was trying to figure out what to do about it as she fussed and hovered.

"We have wounded aboard!" Gavin shouted up in response.

"We'll take you in tow!"

The dromon spun around, and a rope sailed out from its stern. Gavin and Dafydd got it secured to their bow. The eighty oars of the dromon dug into the sea, and they moved out of the bay into open water. The bow of their longship rose a bit as they picked up speed.

"Do you need anything?" the man in the dromon called.

"No! Just get us out of here!"

"Augh!" Mike yelled. "That hurt! I mean, that really hurt!"

Taeko was standing there with two halves of a broken arrow in her hands. Gavin guessed she had broken off one end to pull the shaft from Mike's arm.

"Oh, don't be a baby," Taeko grinned. "You're supposed to be the big bad country boy."

"You yanked an arrow out of my arm!"

Taeko merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"Shush, Michael, and hold still," Hannah scolded as she set to work on the wounded arm. "Taeko, clean up Dafydd's ear until I get to him."

"Yah-uh-uh-uh!" Dafydd shuddered as Taeko casually dumped bottled water over his wounded ear. "Gently, girl!"

Taeko started scrubbing around the bisected ear. "Oh, suck it up, mister macho Special Boat Service man."

Dafydd grimaced. "While I try to be polite to ladies, I've got to say you seem to have a pretty wide mean streak, no offense meant."

"None taken," Taeko deadpanned. "Just so you know, I'm not on this trip to babysit you men."

"You've made your point, m'lady. I'd stand and bow if I could."

Before Taeko could respond, Dafydd spoke to Gavin.

"And should we be trusting these people on the Dromon?"

"I don't know for sure. But they pulled our tails out of the fire. So, I think we can afford to let them help us for now," Gavin replied.

Mike's arm was now cleaned, bandaged, and in a sling. Hannah placed her hand on the bandage, closed her eyes for a few moments, and then stood. Gavin felt something when she had her hand on Mike's wound. Something warm. He shook his head again.

Hannah deftly sewed Dafydd's ear together. He winced and twitched each time the needle pierced his skin.

"If you don't stop flinching, your stitches aren't going to be very neat," Hannah warned with a huff.

Dafydd rolled his eyes. "You too? Women are cruel."

Mike laughed. "I'd say 'too right' if it wasn't taking your line, dude."

Soon, Dafydd had a bandage around his head. Again, Hannah placed her hand on the wound and closed her eyes for a few moments. And as before, Gavin felt a surge of warmth.

Taeko approached Gavin. "You're turn now. Come on, Hannah."

"What? I'm okay."