Warrior (#Wattys 2016)

Chapter 5

Feeling pain slowly spreading throughout her body, Kyra tried to move but something was preventing is it felt like a weight on her chest.

"Gideon..." her voice was so weak that it came out a slight breath, "Gideon..."

"Shhh. It's going to be alright." A comforting voice filled her ears calming her.

With much force, she opened her but she couldn't make nothing out. A blur stood over her, "Gideon?"

Seeing the figure move, "I'm sorry." his voice sounded far away. "I'm not..." was the last thing she heard before she was out again.

The smell of food made Kyra's mouth water and her stomach protest with noises. She felt the weight that was on her was lifted but the pain and weakness was still there.

Opening her eyes again was a bit easier. It started with everything a blur but they soon focused. Looking around she noticed she was having trouble with her right eye. She realized that it was covered.

Raising her hand, "No, no, no..." someone called out to her as they quickly cupped her hand with theirs.

A great relief washed over her, "Father. You're alright." she tried to get up to hug him but the pain stopped her.

Adrianus's smile was so warm and welcoming that she felt so much joy, "Yes, I'm still alive. I have my share of cuts but manage to stay alive."

Then his smile softened to more like a painful then happy, "You on the other hand had me scared to death." she could see it in his eyes as they started to red and water. "You were so close to death when I finely found you that they healers wasn't sure if they could bring you back for the lack of blood you lost."

Taking a deep breath, the pain was not going away. She knew she would be bad as she felt so many tips of the men's swords enter her body.

"I lost my concentration. By the time I regained it, they were overthrowing me and it was to late..." She looked down, "I had to use my magic. That was what saved me."

Then she remembered why she lost her concentration, "Gideon." her voice held the answer.

Sadness fell on his face, "I'm so sorry Kyra. He didn't..."

"That's what I thought." Tears began to burn her eyes, "What did they do to him?" She was afraid to ask.

Kneeling down beside her and gave her a hug. He wasn't going to tell her what she already knew. Instead, "You have been our for three days. I have been giving you broth from the food I've been cooking to get your strength back up." he smiled as he got up.

"I know you're hungry. I heard your stomach from outside." his smile widen, "The food is ready so I'll get you a plate. Eat it slow."

Helping his daughter get into a better setting position before handing over her plate. She didn't know really how weak she was until she tried to hold the plate as she had to sit it in her lap.

"Why isn't my healing powers working?" There was no hiding her frustration.

"You were close to death. Your injuries were to server for your healing powers to work fast. Remember, your body doesn't heal as fast as mine but it was strong enough to keep you alive until I found you and a healer."

Not sure on how to say, "Gideon was a Master Healer. There are other healers just as good but Gideon had the touch as he would have had you on your feet by now. These others are doing their best and I'm grateful that they brought you back to me."

They ate quickly. The only thing right now on Kyra's mind was her lost love. A few tears fell into her plate as she wiped them off. She could also feel her straight slowly returning after her second plate.

After eating and washing the plates, Adrianus returned inside where he knelt down beside Kyra again, "Lets go ahead and take these wraps off. Your healer will be here in a few moments."

Kyra allowed her father to help her take her shirt off. Helping him the best way she could they undone the wraps around her upper body and her eyes.

"We are not sure if you're going to get your sight back or not." He wiped the greenish paste off, "We do know for sure that you will be having a nice looking scar across it and your eye color came back."

With her eye clean, she started looking around, "Everything is blurry."

"Just give it some time."

By then a voice came from the entrance of the tent, "She's up. That's good. The wondering about her making it is over."

Wrapping her up with a sheet, Adrianus helped her down to the lake. Nothing felt so wonderful then feeling the water over her bare skin. She didn't even care being topless in front of some stranger and her father as she could feel her magic trying to heal her.

Luckily with her healer's magic. It was hard to tell if he was causing her to glow or her. Either way, she closed her eyes and let the magic flow and relax her.

"I'm done." she heard as she jumped and felt pain jar her.

It seemed like only a few minutes but it appeared to been over an hour.

Not wanting to get out, Adrianus insisted she had to. He told her that the others had to use the water's edge as well but she could come back in the early mornings for an hour.

"You need to take it easy." her father told her when he saw her stepping out from the tent.

After getting out of the water, her body felt freer. It wasn't that stiff but it was still sore and painful.

"Father." Kyra was a bit panicky, "I had Gideon's..."

"It's safe." He assured her, "I put it with his other belongings I have for you."

"Other belongings?" she knew that he'd had travel light. The only reason they had a tent was because her father and change something into something.

Smiling warmly, "It's not much, just what he had on him. I thought you would like to take a look."

"May I please see them now?" Tears started to fall.

Nodding Adrianus led her back into the tent to the far side and uncovered them, "I know it's going to be hard choose but you must only keep what is best." he kissed her on the head before leaving her be.

Her father was right, she didn't want to part with anything. Memories of him filled her mind as she allowed her tears to fall freely.

There wasn't much there but his leather armor and weapons that was on him. She kept his weapons, as well as their rings. The rest was useless to her.

Once she had finished, she put his weapons with hers and grabbed Balin's, the ones that she took from him after killing him.

Walking out for the tent and over to where her father was sitting. "I'm keeping all of Gideon's weapons so I'm giving these to you. They're the ones I took off of Balin."

Accepting the extra weapons, "Thank you. They will help me out."

"Father." her eyes were blood shot red.

"Yes." his voice was soft.

"How many men were lost?"

Taking a deep breath, "Not as many as you would think. The other side lost more then we did." he told her.

"There is about two dozen of us here. The ones that could still fight went on and the ones that were healed enough to fight followed later."

Sighing, "They left the dead back at the battle field. We carried the injured to the nearest lake to heal them. I'm not sure what they done but I do believe you know."

Seeing more tears fall, he held his daughter and kissed her one last time on the forehead.

"Now get some sleep. You need all the rest you can get to regain your strength. We need to be leaving with in two days no more then three."

As he was heading out, he stopped just short of the exit. Taking a deep breath, "We need to talk. I have to tell you something very important but it can wait until tomorrow." then he was gone.