The Monarch

The Risk

In the morning, something smells rotten and it fills the air around them, waking Bridgette from another horrid dream.

A shout woke up the camp, daylight edging its way to the sky. "HELP SOMEONE PLEASE! HELP!"

Bridgette jumps up and looks out the cart quickly, trying to see what's wrong.

A: (My baby wants to help BUT HE'S DEAD HAHAH)

The cook was kneeling by the body of a guard, his face terrified as he held tightly to the armor of his fallen comrade. Guards stand up, moving close to the scene.

Bridgette trembles at the sight but calls out. "Let me out! I can help him! Please let me help him!"

"Quiet back there!" The leading guard shouts as one guard tries to pull the cook away, struggling as the cook kept pulling out of his grasp.

 "You FOX! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" He shouts, his eyes clouded with rage. Several guards avert their eyes, assuming they were only the calls of a madman.

A: (AHHHHH)

Bridgette realizes what he is saying, and is now confused on how he knows Timber. She goes pale. "LET ME OUT I CAN HELP HIM!!! AND THE MADMAN, JUST LET ME OUT! I swear on my dead father's soul I WILL NOT run away!"

The leader turns once more. "I said quiet! Did you not hear me?!"

"Did you not hear me?!?! I CAN SAVE THAT MAN NOW LET ME OUT!" Her eyes are slits with tears.

"Sir, maybe we should listen to her." The leader looks to the guard who spoke up and nods. 

"Let her out but keep a close eye on her!" As they opened the crate, the cook is rocking on his knees, a hand over his friend's neck. "Help him...help him!"

Bridgette doesn't hesitate and runs as fast as she can to the man. She slides beside him and looks at his neck, staring at the blood and whispering something under her breath. "Needle and thread, NOW!" She begins wiping the blood off his neck with her night gown.

A: (Btw this is all foreshadowing for WAY later but still, foreshadowing. It's gonna kill u. I hope. I'll give you a hint. *cough* N- that's it.)

One of the guards hurried, bringing some of the medical supplies. The cook was shaking his head. "Hold on Vic, it'll be okay...It will be okay!"

"Stop. You'll ruin it." She focuses on stitching the wound and cleaning it, connecting veins and fixing muscle. When it's all stitched, Bridgette leans and whispers in the man's ear, whispering for minutes that pass by like hours. Suddenly the man takes a stuttering breath.

A: (Fact: People who are resurrected from the dead can kill, but those who are killed by the resurrected dead can be brought back by Aowin. Which is why she was working on Jeremiah, and why Bridgette studied with her.)

A: (The people who are killed by the resurrected dead. They can be saved.)

A: (Unless they are fully restored. Then anyone they kill is dead meat. Timber is still restoring.)

The cook's eyes widen and he places a hand on the guard's cheek. "Oh thank heavens! Victor! Oh gosh, Victor I'm sorry! It's my fault! Im so sorry!"

Bridgette looks at the cook and realizes he probably was mad. She knew it had to be Timber, and she thought to herself that he probably saw the tails and thought it was a fox. She stands up.

Bits of charcoal spread from the cook's hair and Victor breathes shallow breaths.

"He won't be able to speak for a few hours while his muscles heal, and he can't have too much physical activity." She looks at Victor "But he'll be okay..." She walks back to the cart.

"Bridgette.. Thank you." The cook says quietly, a slight British accent failing to be hidden.

She stops. "Wait- What did you say?" She turns her head to look at him.

The cook looks at her. His face was drawn with worry, hair just barely over his eyes that still looked to the ground. "Thank you."

Bridgette hesitates then nods and smiles. She sits back down and lays against the side realizing she had just saved a man's life because of Timber.

The guards take Victor, laying him in the guard's area of the cart, making the guards carry their own supplies. The cook is checked on. He says he's okay, and that he would be fine. He got back to work, carrying all the ingredients and pots with a heavy heart.

Bridgette stares at the floor of the cart as they rode, and for the whole day all she can think about is the fact Timber was somewhere in those woods, killing men on the trip. As she thinks about it she realizes she has no one. Her father is dead, the chalk is back at Alcor so she couldn't get back home, Kogan is at Alcor, and she doesn't understand if Alek is mad at her or not. And, he is back at Alcor. This gives her a sick feeling and tears fill her eyes. She turns away from the slaves to hide her watering eyes.

The cook shakes away thoughts of causing this near murder, no, it was a murder. He had made friends. They would die if he stayed with them. He couldn't tell anyone anymore. He is going to serve Bridgette as a knight, alone.

Bridgette ends up crying to sleep.

For the first night in a while, Alek doesn't take first watch and falls asleep.

******

A/N: Aw.... Victors a good.... BUT HE ALMOST DIED FROM THAT FOX BOI.

L/N: STUPID FOX! UGHHH! But Bridgette is flippin' able to bring back the dead because of Aowin! Man, I love Aowin so much. HEHEHE! HINT HINT.