Jolene

Chapter 12 Alone at the Frontier

Edward pushed himself to cover the distance to reach the Frontier Inn. His leg hurt, a throbbing unyielding pain, but he ignored it hoping to reach Jolene. He was grateful for the mules as walking any distance was impossible with his leg pain. His thigh was swollen and the gunshot wound drained a foul smelling green pus. But by the fifth day the drainage had stopped although the wound remained very tender to the touch. He convinced himself that the cessation of the drainage meant it was healing well. He limped into the inn and paid for a room. When he registered he was given the letter Jolene had left for him.

"So you're the Tiger's fiancée," the innkeeper said smiling.

"Is she here?"

"Left with a group of dragon riders just two days ago. It was the most excitement we've had in these parts for years. We even got a visit from the Imperial Secret Police."

"What did they want?"

"Jolene and her dragon, we had no one here by that name, just a little woman named Tiger and her sister. We told them they left with three riders in black, but never seen no dragon."

"Could you arrange for a surgeon or a healer to visit me?"

"You're limping really badly, I'll send for Samuel the old healer. He lives in the village."

"I'm going to take a nap, just send Samuel to my room." Edward felt hot as he lay down on the bed. He decided he most likely had a fever and made a mental note to ask for some willow bark after his nap perhaps an hour or two and he would feel better. He looked at his letter and the elegant handwriting on the envelope. He had always admired Jolene's precise handwriting, especially little loops and curls she made with her capital letters. She had always called his handwriting chicken scratch. He smiled and put the envelope on the little table next to the bed and closed his eyes.

"Mr. Craigson, Edward wake up!"

"Dam it I just closed my eyes go away!"

"I'm Samuel the healer, you have been sleeping for over ten hours." Edward open his eyes and saw a tall thin ancient man standing at his bedside. He had little hair, but what he had was curly and almost white and stood straight up. "Here take this it's willow bark. You're burning up."

"My leg hurts like hell!"

"Smells awful too. Gunshot wound?" Edward nodded.

"A good surgeon would say off with the thing."

"Please, not my leg!" Edward said looking horrified at the healer.

"Well, I'm not a good surgeon, just and old healer. So we will just have to save your leg. I'm going to lance the wound. It will really hurt but only for a second or two. I want you to take something for pain."

"Just do it, let's get it over."

"The pain med will do nothing for the lancing, but without it the packing will be much worse."

"Packing?" Edward drank the bitter tasting fluid he had been offered, Samuel cut the leg off his pants and removed the pant leg.

"Ready?" Edward nodded and Samuel took a sharp knife that he had heated until it glowed in a lamp at the bed side and plunged into the wound. Edward had all he could manage not to shout out or jump off the bed. He was startled by the jet of foul smelling green pus that exited the wound. "Looks like a volcano," Samuel whispered. The pus continued to drain in a green stream of fluid Samuel gathered in a bowl. "We'll let it drain for a bit." The innkeeper's wife entered the room and came close to vomiting due to the smell and the sight of the drainage, she placed a tray on the table and covering her nose and mouth with a cloth quickly exited the room. "Ah, my packings and the honey I requested."