A Holy Knight's Tale Chapter 5
Wounded Soldier
By Crystal Zeal
Beatrix awoke the next day, finding herself alone. She was often able to sense when people were around her, but they were all gone. She sighed with relief. Beatrix was...uncomfortable around them.
She brought a hand slowly up to her eye and winced. It still hurt like crazy.
The wounded soldier sat up, hands groping for something to support her. It met a bedpost, and she shakily hopped off of the bed.
Weak legs instantly crumpled. She fell flat on the floor, a sharp dagger of pain running up her body. Used to pain, she just crawled to a sitting position. She have to work her legs, then start on her arms... Then she could get back to training with a sword.
She started stretching her legs, using a warm-up as a way to exercise them. This was almost unbearable; legs that hadn't been used in three weeks, suddenly being used. Beatrix winced, but moved into a different position to stretch.
Sweat was pouring down her face, yet she continued on. She was a soldier -- she should be able to deal with things like this! Beatrix was tenacious and didn't know what was good for her. Any normal soldier wouldn't be able to handle all the pain she was in.
She was soon gasping for air. She had just finished doing one hundred push-ups, and was now moving onto sit-ups when one of the priestesses walked in.
"By the Goddess!" She exclaimed, moving to stop Beatrix. "Stop this instant! You're in no condition to do anything! Derlone, Casethi, I need help in here!"
Beatrix felt herself being lifted up. She yelped in pain, and writhed to get free. The priestesses set her down onto her bed. "Stay there!" She was commanded.
The wounded soldier started to fervently protest. "You can't be serious! I must train! I can't let myself get out of shape! Injury or no injury, I still have a responsibility to keep my body functioning properly!" Her voice sounded urgent. The one unbandaged eye looked imploring. She just had to get back into shape!
"No!" Snapped the priestess, just as the other two servant of the Goddess stepped in. "We will bind you to this bed if make any other attempt to move before we say you can!"
Derlone, the red headed priestess, tilted her head slightly. "What has happened here, Aemilia?" She asked, motioning to the now still Beatrix.
The original priestess, called Aemilia, gave a furious glance in the direction of Beatrix before replying, "She was out of her bed, trying to exercise!" This produced gasps. "Just look at her. She's worn herself out. Casethi, come here. We're in need of your healing abilities. Her face is contorted in pain! She needs to sleep, as well." The woman sighed, cradling her head in a hand. "Next time she awakes, we'll give her some food."
A shy looking girl stepped forward, probably no more than eighteen. She had long blond hair that cascaded down her back in waves, and bright blue eyes that stared innocently at the fallen knight-in-training. She raised a hand that seemed to glow with a bright white light, and touched it to Beatrix's forehead, muttering an incantation softly. The soldiers pain seemed to fade, and eventually completely disappear. She sighed with relief, her features taking on an easier expression. The girl smiled, and chanted again. Beatrix felt herself drifting into a deep sleep.
She awoke some time later, stomach growling with hunger. She gasped and clenched her teeth, pulling herself to a sitting position. Casethi, the priestess who had done away with Beatrix's pain, looked over from her seat by the window.
"Oh, poor dear," she said, standing. She made her way over to a table, taking a tray of steaming food over to the fallen soldier. "Here's some food for you. Ah ah! You need to be fed. Don't worry. There's no one around to watch." The girl started to feed Beatrix, who was a deep crimson. "We've decided to give you some things to keep you occupied while you're in bed. We have some steel balls for you to help with your hands, and small weights for you to use. No more heavy exercise until you've regained your strength. There you go," she finished, setting down the tray on the nightstand beside the bed.
"Th-thank you..." Beatrix managed to stammer.
The priestess blushed shyly. "It was my pleasure."
"What was that thing you used to ease my pain?" The soldier asked.
"Ah. White Magic," answered Casethi. "I could teach it to you while you're stuck in bed, if you wish."
Beatrix sat up strait. "Could you really? I would be honored to learn!"
Casethi giggled. "Sure!"
Many thoughts raced through Beatrix's head. Oh well if she was stuck as a wounded soldier, at least she could learn something useful!