| General Fiction posted July 28, 2018 | Chapters: |
...20 21 -22- 23... 
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The Wahaland men and women being their training
A chapter in the book GULBRANDR- God's Sword
Training Day
by Roxanna Andrews
| Background A young girl is banished from her people because of a curse. Her child will one day be a champion and save them from annihilation. |
Joshua opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. He wrinkled his brow in an attempt to remember where he was. He had been on his way to Wahaland. Was he in the village, maybe in one of his uncle's dwellings?
He heard soft breathing and turned to see Lyse asleep on a mat beside his bed. He lay on his stomach and when he pushed himself up, pain shot through his shoulders and down his arm. He fell back on the bed, his face buried in the bedclothes. He felt as weak as a day old kitten.
He had let out a loud groan when trying to sit up and it woke Lyse. She jumped up from her sleeping mat and came to his side.
"Joshua," she said, placing a hand on his head.
He turned to see her.
"Don't try to move too much. You could open your wounds again. You have been running a high fever for days and thrashed about in your delirium. You kept opening your wounds."
After being brought to the fortress, Joshua's wounds had become badly infected. This was common for wounds inflicted by a bear because of the bacteria they carried in their claws. The infection resulted in a high fever. Many died from the infections, but the very learned healer had stayed with him day and night, cleaning the wounds and packing him in snow to bring down his fever. After four days the infection began to clear and his fever dropped until he finally fell into a normal sleep.
Lyse had not left Joshua's side, assisting the healer anyway she could. She was terrified of losing him. Her heart ached and pounded so hard with fear, it left her exhausted. She could not imagine her world without Joshua. She had come to love him more than her own life.
She wondered often if she should send for Nyla, fearing Joshua would not make it through the night. But she remembered the dream he had told her about, his destiny to lead a great army. She took comfort in that and told herself he would recover, he must! She sank to the floor with relief when his fever disappeared and she could finally sleep.
"Yesterday afternoon your fever finally left you. I was so afraid for you. The healer had been with you night and day. He stitched the wound closed last night when the infection cleared,"
Joshua gave her a questioning look.
"The healer sewed the wounds closed. I have witnessed him doing so to other warriors who were cut. Be glad you were sleeping, it is very painful," she shuddered as she said the words.
Joshua put his hand to his shoulders to feel his wound, but it was covered. "It does not sound like a pleasant experience. I cannot remember all that happened. Tell me."
She told him of the bear attack and of Dyster's behavior. How she knew something was amiss with him.
"Dyster would have flown to you without me, he was so restless. If not for him and Riddare, I believe you would have been a meal for a huge mountain bear. Your mother saved you by killing it, an arrow straight to the heart."
"I would have liked to see that." He coughed, then winced as pain shot through his shoulder.
"How long have I been here?" He asked.
"Five days," she answered. "I have been sending messages to my father and Nyla to let them know how you fare. I did not tell the whole truth as I did not want Nyla to worry too much. I would have sent for her today if you had not started to show improvement. I am sure she will be angry with me when she finds I was not completely truthful. I cannot fault her. I would be angry as well."
"I think she will forgive you," he assured her. "I am so thirsty, can you get me some water?"
Lyse ran to get him water and asked for food to be brought. While she was gone, Joshua struggled to turn onto his back. The effort left him weak and shaky and his forehead damp with sweat.
His memory was coming back and he recalled being dragged by the huge bear. He was grateful his dragon was so attuned to his feeling and came to his rescue. He was grateful Lyse knew something was amiss.
Lyse brought him cool water and he drank his fill. When the food arrived, he ate only half before exhaustion overtook him and he slept.
Later in the day the healer checked Joshua's wounds and nodded with satisfaction.
"They heal nicely. We will leave the bandages off. The threat of infection has passed. The stitching holds well."
"Where did you learn to stitch the skin closed?" Joshua asked.
"I learned from an Egyptian healer. They are much advanced in the ways of medicine. I stayed with him two years to learn all he could teach me. I know what I learned has saved lives."
Joshua thanked him for all he had done.
"Do not thank me, it is God's will," he said. "I will be back tomorrow to see you."
Joshua turned to Lyse. "Who cares for the dragons while you are here?" he asked.
"There are others who can do that. My place is here. I would not leave you," she said as she took his hand.
****
The men of Wahaland had begun to train for battle. They decided to trust Augdon and his men, and began their training without Joshua's assurance. The word of Goran and his sons was enough for them.
Many of the women also wanted to fight, and Nyla began training them in the basics of swordplay and archery.
Augdon had sent for his Nubian generals and they brought several of the wives to help train the women.
Ten days had passed since the Wahalands began their training. They learned quickly and Augdon was grateful they had kept up their sword skills even with no enemies to fight. He was pleased with their progress.
Early on the morning of the eleventh day, as the warriors trained, a huge shadow passed over them. They looked up, shielding their eyes from the sun, to see a huge iridescent blue dragon flying above them. It came to rest just yards away.
Drake and Eric, swords at the ready, ran to defend against it. The men of Wahaland also drew swords and came behind them. As they looked on, a man and a young woman, slid from the dragon's back to the ground and smiled.
"Hello, Uncles. No need for swords," Joshua said.
He heard soft breathing and turned to see Lyse asleep on a mat beside his bed. He lay on his stomach and when he pushed himself up, pain shot through his shoulders and down his arm. He fell back on the bed, his face buried in the bedclothes. He felt as weak as a day old kitten.
He had let out a loud groan when trying to sit up and it woke Lyse. She jumped up from her sleeping mat and came to his side.
"Joshua," she said, placing a hand on his head.
He turned to see her.
"Don't try to move too much. You could open your wounds again. You have been running a high fever for days and thrashed about in your delirium. You kept opening your wounds."
After being brought to the fortress, Joshua's wounds had become badly infected. This was common for wounds inflicted by a bear because of the bacteria they carried in their claws. The infection resulted in a high fever. Many died from the infections, but the very learned healer had stayed with him day and night, cleaning the wounds and packing him in snow to bring down his fever. After four days the infection began to clear and his fever dropped until he finally fell into a normal sleep.
Lyse had not left Joshua's side, assisting the healer anyway she could. She was terrified of losing him. Her heart ached and pounded so hard with fear, it left her exhausted. She could not imagine her world without Joshua. She had come to love him more than her own life.
She wondered often if she should send for Nyla, fearing Joshua would not make it through the night. But she remembered the dream he had told her about, his destiny to lead a great army. She took comfort in that and told herself he would recover, he must! She sank to the floor with relief when his fever disappeared and she could finally sleep.
"Yesterday afternoon your fever finally left you. I was so afraid for you. The healer had been with you night and day. He stitched the wound closed last night when the infection cleared,"
Joshua gave her a questioning look.
"The healer sewed the wounds closed. I have witnessed him doing so to other warriors who were cut. Be glad you were sleeping, it is very painful," she shuddered as she said the words.
Joshua put his hand to his shoulders to feel his wound, but it was covered. "It does not sound like a pleasant experience. I cannot remember all that happened. Tell me."
She told him of the bear attack and of Dyster's behavior. How she knew something was amiss with him.
"Dyster would have flown to you without me, he was so restless. If not for him and Riddare, I believe you would have been a meal for a huge mountain bear. Your mother saved you by killing it, an arrow straight to the heart."
"I would have liked to see that." He coughed, then winced as pain shot through his shoulder.
"How long have I been here?" He asked.
"Five days," she answered. "I have been sending messages to my father and Nyla to let them know how you fare. I did not tell the whole truth as I did not want Nyla to worry too much. I would have sent for her today if you had not started to show improvement. I am sure she will be angry with me when she finds I was not completely truthful. I cannot fault her. I would be angry as well."
"I think she will forgive you," he assured her. "I am so thirsty, can you get me some water?"
Lyse ran to get him water and asked for food to be brought. While she was gone, Joshua struggled to turn onto his back. The effort left him weak and shaky and his forehead damp with sweat.
His memory was coming back and he recalled being dragged by the huge bear. He was grateful his dragon was so attuned to his feeling and came to his rescue. He was grateful Lyse knew something was amiss.
Lyse brought him cool water and he drank his fill. When the food arrived, he ate only half before exhaustion overtook him and he slept.
Later in the day the healer checked Joshua's wounds and nodded with satisfaction.
"They heal nicely. We will leave the bandages off. The threat of infection has passed. The stitching holds well."
"Where did you learn to stitch the skin closed?" Joshua asked.
"I learned from an Egyptian healer. They are much advanced in the ways of medicine. I stayed with him two years to learn all he could teach me. I know what I learned has saved lives."
Joshua thanked him for all he had done.
"Do not thank me, it is God's will," he said. "I will be back tomorrow to see you."
Joshua turned to Lyse. "Who cares for the dragons while you are here?" he asked.
"There are others who can do that. My place is here. I would not leave you," she said as she took his hand.
****
The men of Wahaland had begun to train for battle. They decided to trust Augdon and his men, and began their training without Joshua's assurance. The word of Goran and his sons was enough for them.
Many of the women also wanted to fight, and Nyla began training them in the basics of swordplay and archery.
Augdon had sent for his Nubian generals and they brought several of the wives to help train the women.
Ten days had passed since the Wahalands began their training. They learned quickly and Augdon was grateful they had kept up their sword skills even with no enemies to fight. He was pleased with their progress.
Early on the morning of the eleventh day, as the warriors trained, a huge shadow passed over them. They looked up, shielding their eyes from the sun, to see a huge iridescent blue dragon flying above them. It came to rest just yards away.
Drake and Eric, swords at the ready, ran to defend against it. The men of Wahaland also drew swords and came behind them. As they looked on, a man and a young woman, slid from the dragon's back to the ground and smiled.
"Hello, Uncles. No need for swords," Joshua said.
Joshua-champion, Nyla's son
Lyse-Augdon's daughter, Joshua's future wife.
Dyster- Blue Dragon
Riddare-Mountain Cat, Dyster's constant companion.
Augdon-Captain of the Army
Drake & Eric-Joshua's uncles
Nyla-Joshua's mother. A Dark One banished from her village.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Lyse-Augdon's daughter, Joshua's future wife.
Dyster- Blue Dragon
Riddare-Mountain Cat, Dyster's constant companion.
Augdon-Captain of the Army
Drake & Eric-Joshua's uncles
Nyla-Joshua's mother. A Dark One banished from her village.
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