The Baker's Daughter

Chapter One

I live a simple life as the only daughter of the village baker, Robert, I do have a younger brother, Kevin, who is training to take over our father's business. I am studying under the medicine woman who is our mother, Sylvia. My Aunt Betty and Uncle Joe run the village inn/saloon with their only child Tallia (Tall-è-a).

It would take us a full cycle of the moon to reach the royal palace if we were to travel there. The village was surrounded by a forest and rolling hills at the base of a mountain range. There was an estate that housed the knights who were here to get training or protect the village. The market place was arranged in front of its gates and next to the market place was the inn/saloon.

The bakery was placed right across the street and to the right of the bakery is the medicine house. There were also lots of other homes around and a stables close to the inn/saloon. Our house was the bakery and it also had a stable area for the wounded that came by. We didn't get very many visitors because of the secluded area the village was in.

My mother was out gathering more medical herbs and had been gone for a week leaving me in charge. She was due back late today or early morning tomorrow. Every morning I wake up before the sun comes up and tidy up the medicine house. The room I was in is spacious and all along the walls were shelves of herbs. There was a counter on the right side of the room and a door just to the left of it that led to the back room.

There was a clash as the door was opened harshly, I jumped and looked to the door to see two men standing there. Well one was standing and the other was being held up by the first, both men were badly injured.

"Bring him in here," I said as I helped carry the man to the back room were there were two cots. There was a tub and next to it was a fire stove to the left of the door and a table and chairs to the right. Both cots were in the back of the room with a rocking chair in between with a nightstand on either side of the chair.

We got the man on the bed and I grabbed a chair from the table for the other to sit on for now. I grabbed the shears from a shelf that was behind the the rocking chair and started cutting the mans clothes off.

"I need you to take off your clothes so I can clean your wounds." I grabbed a cloth to cover the unconscious man's groin and saw the other standing naked so I gave him one as well.

I then gave him a pail of water and some rags to clean up with and started on the wounds of the other. After cleaning him up I saw that three on his legs would need to be stitched back together so I did those first. Then I added medicine to all the others and wrapped them up.

"Okay," I sighed. "Let's fix you up now." I grabbed the needle and thread and then looked to the other man. He had only cleaned about half of them so I got a clean rag and started to do it myself. "They don't have to be perfectly clean. Just the inside and around the wound itself."

"It hurts" He grumbled. His voice sounded very ruff from over use or a cold and he grunted every time I cleaned a wound.

"Yes," I replied. "Now no more talking, I will get you something for your throat later." He had four wounds that would need to be stitched up, two on his right leg, one on the left and the fourth one on his right arm, he also need a sling for his left arm after I relocated his shoulder. I had given him some whiskey to help distract him from the pain and then a cloth to bite until his shoulder was in place. "Now you need to rest." I helped him to the other bed and gave him some tea and a blanket.

"What about clothes?" He whispered with flushed cheeks.

"I will get you new ones," I smiled. "Now get some sleep." I helped the other one drink some tea. "I will be back to check on you in a short while." I grabbed their dirty blood stained clothes and threw them in the fire stove and then went to the bakery. I cleaned my hands and arms and changed my clothes to a green gown and a white apron, before going to the market place.

Once there I went and got some clothes for the two men. As I paid for them I saw some knights walking down through the streets to do their patrol. One looked at me and smiled, I bowed my head in return and went back to the medicine house.

Sylvia was in the front adding the new herbs to the jars. "It looks like you had an early morning," She smiled when I shut the door. Her brown hair was now turning salty and her blue eyes turning grey, but she was still beautiful for a middle aged women. "They are well dressed, the wounds that is." She teased as she winked at me.

"Mother," I glared and shook my head. "I didn't think you would be back so soon."

"I got done early," She replied. "Are those for the boys in the back?"

"Yeah," I answered. "They were covered in dirt and dried blood. The wounds are old, but are still really open and fresh."

"Maybe two to three weeks old?" Sylvia asked.

"Yes," I answered. "I looked for blood poison, but there was none and there was also no infections either."

"So they must have kept them cleaned," Sylvia paused as we heard some movement from the back room. "The dark haired one has a knot on his head, you might want to check it for a cut."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied as I walked to the back room. When I got there the one with the dark hair was sitting on the bed with his hand on his head. "Here, let me check that for you." He looked at me with striking blue eyes and a confused expression on his face.

"Where am I?" He asked. His voice was also very ruff.

"You are in a medicine house," I smiled as I walked over to him. "Your friend brought you here early this morning. Could you tell me your name?"

"Dean," The other one answered. His voice was still rough and he coughed after speaking that one word. "Mine is Thomas." I glared at 'Thomas' who had hazel eyes and blond hair.

"I needed to know if he remembered his name," I gave him some clothes. "So you are Thomas and he is Dean?"

"Yes," Dean groaned. "Sorry about the trouble we have caused you." He stood up and the cloth fell to the ground. He stood there naked for maybe a minute before he lost his balance and almost landed with the cloth.

"The only trouble you are causing is not staying in bed," I grunted as I helped steady him again. "You are in no condition to be moving around right now."

"And if you didn't noticed," Thomas chuckled weakly. "You are completely nude right now." Dean looked down and his face turned a bright shade of red as his friend laughed openly at him.

"I-I'm," Dean stuttered.

"Don't worry about it," I smiled. "Just get back in bed and I will give you your clothes." He did as he was told and I placed the clothes on his lap. Then I checked the bump on his head and saw that it didn't have a cut on it. "Now you are probably hungry so I will be back with food." After I helped Thomas with his tunic I left them to get dressed.

"Very handsome boys," Sylvia smiled.

"Mother, you are married," I sighed.

"You should also be married by now," She argued.

"Men don't interest me much," I replied. "After nursing them I find them rather revolting."

"Don't you want children of your own?" She whined.

"Yes, but not with the men that live in this village."

"Oh, alright," She sighed in defeat. "Get them some food. Maybe one of them will steal your heart." She said in sing-song as I left the building to find a black war stallion and sorrel mare in front of the bakery. They looked really worn out so I took them and put them in a stall with hay for each one.