Book One: Rise of the King

Chapter Thirteen

 Anna was impressed with the Ranthos. The refugees from the mines had arrived and decided among themselves who had the more serious wounds and needed immediate attention. The others waited quietly and patiently for their turn under the long tent that was for now the infirmary. They were gentle in their tones and touches. Charlie had promised to stay with her so she could communicate with her patients. He was talking in calm tones. His smile was genuine and quick.

"What are they saying?" she asked, carefully applying salve to a red, swollen welt on the back of a woman with long dark hair. "I've heard that name they have for Graham a few times."

"They want to see him." Charlie grinned at her, leaning against an empty examination table. "He's a bit of a hero around here."

Anna worked on the next welt. "He's helped a lot of people, hasn't he?"

Charlie nodded, his eyes distant. "He has. Strange, too, that a man could be humble to the point of almost feeling ashamed of the attention. He's a good commander, a good leader."

"I never would have thought of him as a soldier."

Charlie moved towards her, curious how the young woman was coming along. He watched Anna's careful movements. She seemed very compassionate and mindful of the pain of her patients.

"He isn't a soldier. None of us are. But he's a warrior, no doubt about it. He sets his sights on one target at a time and it's almost like he knows every step they'll both take. It's all very fluid, like a dance. It wasn't. The first time, back at the village by the river, he hacked a Gauran to death with a dagger. He killed a handful of them just from being scared to death." Charlie smile sadly, his memory of that night still clear.

Anna cringed, thinking of her sons in such danger. It would have been unimaginable just two weeks ago.

"He's always the first one in and the last one out. If there was ever a man of greater courage in the face of death, I've never seen him. He's risked his life time after time for this cause and people know that he's fought with his own sword for their freedom. They love him for it." Charlie told her, moving away, looking at a clay bowl with some kind of herb in it.

Anna didn't know what to make of his words. In her whole life she would never have thought of Graham as a warrior in any context. He had many good qualities that he never seemed to give himself credit for. Courage in the face of death wasn't honestly one she would ever have realized, or even had opportunity to witness in him.

Charlie moved to speak with the Ranthos, leaving her to her thoughts. Perhaps she could talk to Daniel. He knew that Gray had been close to his father when they had left the village and couldn't imagine what had happened to change Daniel so very much. He seemed so angry and it was directed at Gray. But why? Why was Daniel so angry? Charlie had no idea, so he had kept out of it, but he would defend Gray as if he was his own son.

Seemingly on cue, Tyler walked into the infirmary. He sported a huge grin on his ruddy face.

"We hit the water, Dad." He informed them.

"Wonderful!" Charlie laughed, grabbing his son in a bear hug.

Anna smiled. The more time she spent here, the more she liked it. She was beginning to understand what had been bothering her so much about their forest village. There had been no challenge to life there. Without challenge, how did Man grow? What was there to be learned in stagnation? She felt more alive than she had in decades and she had no intention of returning to the forest. Like her son, she was connected to the cause of the Ranthos in a unique way and she felt compelled to help these people.

"Go on and keep an eye on things for me. I'll be there as soon as I can." Charlie said, sending Tyler off.

"What's the word for cut?" Anna asked.