The Nun and King

Chapter 28

The following week is numbing and I've spoken very little except when required. The morning after I ate breakfast before heading back out to the field where the battle took place, joining a few early risers to start building the pyers. As the morning passed, all able bodied men came to lend a hand and by nightfall we had enough for all of our fallen comrades. I gave a speech that sounded well-enough, thanking them for giving their lives not only for Paevia, but for myself as well. I promise that their immediate families will still receive their monthly military stipend for the next twenty years--a small debt considering how priceless their lives were. The pyres are lit. Songs are sung. Prayers are whispered. Claire tries to catch me as I head back to camp but I feed her a lie saying I'm tired. I spend another night alone in my quarters lying awake. Over the next few days we slowly began to pack up camp, breaking down the tents of the fallen first and gathering their personal belongings to return to their families. During the week I keep myself busy and find myself in the woods hunting for hours daily. I visit the wounded and lend aid where I can. At night I retreat to my tent and drink alone, and allow silent tears to stain my cheeks. Rory has been too enamored with Beth Ann to pay me any mind which is fine by me. By day three Claire stopped trying to reach out and has given me the space I require. She still tries to steal glances at me and greets me when I stop by to pick up supper each night is met with cold responses on my end.

Birds calling overhead brings me from my thoughts and I wipe sweat from my brow. Figuring it's been a few hours since I set my snares I stand up from the ground and brush off my pants. Unslinging my bow from my shoulder I check all twenty, finding all but two to be empty. I have to finish the second rabbit off myself and drop it in my satchel. Sighing, I make my way back to camp as I realize with our extended stay, we've probably all but cleared out this area of game. "Doesn't matter," I mutter to myself. "We head out tomorrow anyways and the land can return to new."

As I reach camp and see our gates in the distance I take pleasure at the sight of Lugos's body swaying slightly on a post. His corpse has not agreed with the heat and humidity of the south and has become quite grotesque, his skin black and blue and body bloated. As I walk past him I wrinkle my nose at the smell and nod at guards in the distance. Heading over to James I turn in my meager spoils. "It's not much, I'm sorry," I offer.

He gives a smile and takes them from me. "No worries. We're doing pretty well on rations anyways. Besides, a group men came back an hour ago with a buck and two boars."

Nodding, I glance over to the medical tent and sigh. "Guess I'll get this thing checked out and see how the others are fairing," I say, holding up my injured hand. Turning on my heel I make my way over and duck inside the sweltering tent and find only Noah and Morgan inside. The remaining injured men have been sent to recover in their own quarters with Noah periodically making his rounds to tend to them along with the women.

Noah applies a salve to Morgan's injured eye and spares me a subtle bow as I enter. "I was wondering when you'd show up. It's been three days since your last visit," he tells me.

"Who is it?" Morgan asks out loud.

"Aye. I've been busy," I say. "It's Tho-" I begin before Morgan cuts me off.

"I know your voice, Tommy. Good to see you. Well...hear you. Gotta get used to that," he says awkwardly.

I give him a smile anyways and lean sit down on the cot across from him. "How's the hand?" he asks as Noah continues to tend to his eye.

"Hurts but I think it's healing like it's supposed to. Lots of drainage. Claire did a good job," I answer. I haven't mentioned to him my battered face and how my left eye was swollen shut for two days or about the dark bruising around my throat. My superficial injuries are nothing compared to him not being completely blind.