Knight of Kandor

Winn- Panic

Suddenly the music stopped and I jerked my head up. The nameless girl I was pretending to flirt with was immediately forgotten. People surged back from the middle of the room, screams were scattered throughout the crowd. I jumped onto the table to see what was happening, Kal stood over a man on the floor. His once white tunic now had a tear in the side and blood poured out. he grabbed Queen-in-waiting Lena's hand and pulled her out the door behind the high tables. 

The gash makes me panic. Kal would not be able to see a normal healer. I begin to force my way through the surging bodies. As so as I reach the now cleared dance floor, I begin sprinting after them. Corridors rush by. At one intersection I have to stop and catch my breath. I look down and see blood splattered on the wood floor. I know they are headed to Queen-in-waiting Lena's rooms and I just hope I catch them before that. I round the hallway just in time to see one of the guards take off. the other draws his sword and drops into a fighting stance. I try to stop but my feet slide on the polished wood floor. I almost face plant on the floor at the man's feet. 

"Leave! Now!" I peer under the helmet.

"Conner, buddy! It's me! Winn?" The sword points lowers to my chest.

"No one enters."

"Conner, please. Kal is hurt. He will need help." I see the panic in Conner's eyes but he is trained too well, the sword does not waver.

"Stand down!" comes a deep voice behind me. 

John, Kal's former squire, approaches behind me. Conner does not move except to shift his glare to the man towering above me. Conner slowly sheaths his sword and steps aside. John rests a hand on my shoulder and steers me through the opening. 

"Hey, hey, hey. Watch the tunic. It's new." 

"Do you know?" he ignores my protests and I swallow hard.

"Know what?" my voice raises an octave and I curse my inability to lie.

"I will take that as a yes. He needs us before the Queen-in-waiting finds out."

"Kal!" A harsh cry comes from behind the heavy doors.

John rushes in and pulls my arm roughly behind him. Queen-in-waiting Lena kneels over Kal's unconscious form. His tunic was more red then white at this point. I stand frozen in the doorway. John rushes to flip Kal over.

"Winn, grab his feet." John's words spring me to action.

"Wait! Where are you taking him?" Queen-in-waiting Lena's voice is filled with panic.

"My lady, we have to stop the bleeding and he has supplies in his room." John tries to quell her panic.

"So go get them." She tries to force command into her voice. I take her shoulders and look deep into her eyes.

"My lady, if you trust Kal, if you want to protect him, please let us take him from here." Tears are moments from spilling out of her eyes when she nods. 

Quickly I scoop up Kal's feet. John lifts his shoulders and takes most of the weight before we back through the open door.  We set Kal back down outside his own door. John pulls slightly bloodied keys from one of Kal's pockets and quickly unlocks the door. Just as swiftly John lifts Kal again and I follow him into the room. We gently set Kal on the bed and John practically dives under it. He comes up with two small chests. He opens them both. One looks to hold cloths and the other a mix of herb and plants.

"Lock the door," he commands as he moves to dig through the chest at the foot of the bed. 

When the bolt is securely in place I turn back to see John searching through the wardrobe.

"Dammit, Kal. Where did you put it?" 

"What are you looking for?" I ask.

"A book on herbs Kal had. I know there is one that stops bleeding but I am not sure which one.

"Oh, I know this! He gave me the book. Hold on." I look into the box of herbs, trying to remember the page. I have to peer closely in the dim light. Finally, I find it.

"Aha! Now we need to grind it with water to form a paste."

John had been pressing some of the cloths to Kal's side and nods for me to take over. Again he begins to search through Kal's belongings and finds a stone pestle and mortar. He begins with the small leaves I found, then adds in a little water from the flask on the bedside table. 

"Okay, that should be good. Take off his tunic and I'll spread it on the wound. It should stop the bleeding so we can wrap Kal's chest." John hands over the pestle.

John actually just rips open the fabric instead of lifting it over Kal's head like a normal person. I scoop the green paste into my hand and use a cloth to wipe away as much blood as possible before spreading it on. My stomach turns at how wide the gap is in the skin. Once the seal is in place John lifts Kal's shoulders and I quickly remove the ruined warp and replace it. I knew Kal wrapped his chest and the extra fabric just may have saved his life. 

"What now?" I ask John.

"Now we wait." John begins to put away the boxes and grinding tools. We both sink to the floor, no other seating was available in Kal's sparse possessions. 

"How did you know?" I ask John.

"I was his err... her squire. I had my suspicions. Then one day I was sent to get Kal for an emergency. She was bathing in the river, deep in the woods. I backed away and began calling out to give Kal time to dress. I never told him, her, because Kal was the best. She deserved everything she earned. Plus, despite the few words and even fewer emotions, I grew to love her. Not in any romantic way, but like family. She taught me everything."

"Him, just use him. Kal told me about his secret. He may be shocked that you know."

"Well, hopefully, he lives to be shocked."

Banging on the door makes us both jump to our feet. The door shakes again with the force of it. John grabs a fresh tunic from Kal's wardrobe and tosses it to me. I struggle briefly to pull it over his head before finally getting him back into a laying position. When Kal is settled John opens the door. A furious Jessica stands in front of an almost distraught Queen-in-waiting.

"What is happening?" Lady Jessica demands.

"We think we stopped the bleeding. Now we have to see if he will wake up. Please, my lady, do not come in. If you respect Kal at all, then go wait in your own chambers." 

"Just let me see him. See him breathe." Lena says in a small voice. I pull the covers up over Kal just before John lets the door swing wide.

Lena comes just far enough to see Kal's short labored breaths. Her hands fly to her mouth and she turns into Jessica's shoulder. John guides them both gently back to the  Queen-in-waiting's chambers. I slump to the floor and rest my back against the wall by Kal's head. 

"Come on Kal. You cannot go out like this. I am so close to finding a way for you to be you."