More Than a Slave

Long Night

            Lagertha gently cleaned the wound again, trying to be as gentle as she could. Athelstan lied there tiredly, too incoherent to form any clear thought other than the fact that Lagertha could go from terrifying shield maiden to caring mother in half a second.

            "Thank you," he said quietly, but Lagertha hushed him like you would a child.

            "Priest," Ragnar said, "This will be painful, but it should help."

            "Th-That's what y-you said l-l-last time," he stammered weakly, attempting to smile at his masters, "W-What are you going to do?"

            "The wound is infected and filled with fluids," Lagertha told him, "We need to cut open the wound so we can drain them and stop the infection from spreading."

            "It s-seems it would have be-been better to leave it h-how it was," Athelstan said, trying to smile.

            "Perhaps," Ragnar said, "Try not to move." Athelstan saw the glint of a knife out of the corner of his eye and tensed, preparing for what he knew was to come. He squeezed his eyes shut tight against the ain as Ragnar cut into his arm. He opened his eyes slightly and saw blood running down his arm, but it wasn't just blood. Mixed in with the red was yellow pus which slowly seeped from the cut Ragnar had made.

            "What is that?" he asked.

            "That is the infection," Ragnar replied, "The mud you spent the night in got into the wound and caused it."

            "We need to keep it clean to make sure the infection does not return," Lagertha said.

            "I wind Floki in the morning," Ragnar said, "He is good with medicinal plants." Lagertha nodded as she wiped the blood and pus off Athelstan's arm.        

            "Try to sleep priest," she said, "You need to rest." Athelstan closed his eyes and drifted off, soothed by the feeling of Lagertha's hand on his back. Ragnar and Lagertha looked at each and settled in for a long night.