Regrets Chapter 5
Jamen scrambled to swiftly mount his own horse and followed the retreating pair ahead of him.
Xena held the reins lightly, letting Argo move in the direction she had spotted the situation. The Warrior Princess spotted the trouble when they were still some distance away. A farm wagon, loaded with sacks of some kind, had lost a wheel, and had tumbled part of the way down the riverbank. As Xena drew closer, she could see an old man lying half-covered by the wreckage of the wagon.
A few feet before they were parallel to the wagon, Argo braced her front hooves and skidded to a halt, allowing Xena to agilely somersault over her head, landing lightly on her feet. "Good girl," she told Argo, and then nimbly made her way down the riverbank.
The man was awake, and his eyes were full of pain, but Xena saw the look of relief in his eyes as she assessed the situation. "You're going to be all right," she told the man calmly, even as she heard Jamen approach. He was beside her in an instant.
"He's losing a lot of blood," Xena said, indicating the spreading dark patch beneath the man. "We need to move fast."
"Let's see if I can lift the wagon enough to pull him free," Jamen replied. He bent his knees and reached under the wagon, lifting with all his might, but the wagon didn't budge.
Xena hated to suggest it, and was relieved when Jamen did instead. "You want to see if you can lift it?"
"All right," she said, and seconds later, Jamen wasn't surprised when he heard the wagon creaking.
Xena grunted through clenched teeth as she strained to lift the wagon, which was much heavier than it looked. "Get ready," she managed to say.
Jamen grasped the man under his arms. "We'll have you out in a minute," he told him. He supposed he should be embarrassed that Xena's strength was greater than his own, but her reputation was legendary. It was said the only one alive whose strength was superior was Hercules, and he was a demi-god.
Gradually, the wagon was pulled upward, and Jamen tugged quickly at the old man, pulling him free of the wagon. "Okay", he told Xena, the second the man was clear.
Xena quickly lowered the wagon back to the ground, and stretched her protesting back. She was going to need a good massage later.
But now she had other concerns on her mind, namely, getting the old man's bleeding stopped and getting him stabilized.
"Can you speak?" she asked the man, as she kneeled beside him.
The man's eyes focused on her, and Xena could see he was coherent, despite the pain. "Yes," he finally whispered.
"Good," Xena replied, giving him a soft smile and a touch on his shoulder. "I'm going to cut off the flow of blood to your legs for a few minutes. It will cut off the nerves too, so you won't feel the pain for a while. Okay?"
"All right."
Jamen watched in amazement as Xena executed a series of sharp thrusts of her fingertips in one leg, then the other, near the spot where the thighs met the torso. The pain in the man's face eased almost immediately. Xena quickly pulled her boot dagger, and cut away the legs of the man's trousers, then couldn't help but wince at the damage the heavy wagon had done.
"Jamen, will you get my healing kit and some rope from Argo's saddlebag?" she asked.
Jamen nodded, and as he moved to do her bidding, Xena asked the injured man, "What's your name?"
"Dal," he answered. "What's yours?"
"Xena," she replied. Dal's eyes reacted to the name, but he only said, "Thank you for helping me."
"Don't mention it," she replied easily.
"How bad is it?" Dal asked.
Xena was never one to mince words. "Both of your legs are broken, and the right one looks like the bone is pretty well shattered. The bone is sticking out of your flesh in more than one place, and you've got some pretty deep cuts on both of your legs. You won't be running any races for a while," she gave him another smile, "but you're going to be all right."
"That will make Laurel happy," he replied. "She's been wanting me to quit working for years."
Xena's smile widened as Jamen approached with the requested items in his hands.
Xena took the kit, and laid it on the ground beside her. "All right, Dal," she said, "We're going to get the worst part of it over with. We're going to pull your legs back into position. You're probably going to feel at least part of it, but we'll go as quickly as we can."
"All right," Dal replied.
"Jamen, move down to his feet. When I give the word, I want you to pull on his left leg, straight back. Pull hard and fast, but don't jerk it. Okay?"
Okay, Xena." He moved into position and nodded at her.
It took several minutes and much muffled swearing on everyone's part, but Xena was finally satisfied that the leg was set. "Hand me that plank," Xena told Jamen, nodding toward a piece of wood that had jarred loose from the impact of the wagon.
He did, and Xena raised her left knee and effortlessly broke the board in half. "I'm going to slide this board under your leg for a splint," Xena told Dal, and she did so quickly, using a length of the rope Jamen had retrieved to tie the plank in place. "Now comes the hard part," she told Dal.
Dal, who was feeling far more comfortable with his leg supported, looked up at her. "What's that?" he asked.
"I've got to release the pressure point," Xena replied. "When all the blood rushes back to you leg, it's going to hurt…a lot."
Dal nodded calmly. "I'm pretty tough," he said with a slight smile. "You've got to do it, right?"
Xena gave him her quirky, half-grin. "Right," she said. She poised her fingers above his thigh. "Are you ready?"
Dal gritted his teeth. "Ready," he nodded.
Jamen found his gaze mesmerized by Xena's face as she released the pinch and the old man cried out. Her expression was unflinching, yet at the same time, she looked totally sympathetic to Dal's pain.
"Boy, you weren't kidding, were you?" Dal asked a while later, when he had control again.
"Afraid not," Xena replied. She was studying Dal's other leg, which was much more extensively damaged.
"I'll set this as best as I can, Dal," she told him, "but I'm not sure how much it will help. The bone is shattered. But just splinting it will help ease the pain."
"I understand, " Dal replied. "I guess I'll have to face the fact that I might not walk again."
Xena considered this. "I'm sure you will be able to walk again, " she assured him. "I just don't know how much trouble you'll have doing it."
"That's good," Dal answered. "I'd hate to think of Laurel always having to take care of me."
"You've been married a long time?" Jamen asked.
Dal nodded. "More years than I can count," he replied cheerfully.
"Do you have any children?" Jamen asked.
"Six of 'em," came the reply. "Four sons and two daughters. They're all married with kids of their own."
"Must be nice to have such a large family," Jamen mused. Xena glanced up at the wistful tone he was using.
"Yes, it is," Dal was answering. "I wouldn't trade them for all the dinars in the world."
Jamen contemplated this, a sad expression on his face. He didn't say anything else. Xena understood both his loneliness and his curiosity, but had to turn to the matter at hand.
"Dal, I've got to release the pinch on this leg now, to get the blood moving through it again. If the pain is too much, in a while I can press the nerves again, before I set it."
"Okay, Xena," he replied, bracing himself for more agony.
Xena quickly released the pinch, and then talked Dal through the horrible pain that followed. Once again, Jamen was struck by her amazing strength, and at the same time, her incredible gentleness.
After Dal had stopped grimacing from the pain, Xena went back to work on his leg. She painstakingly removed the fragments of bone that were protruding from the flesh. In some places, she had to make incisions into the flesh, where his skin bulged, but hadn't been penetrated by the shard. She and Dal were both sweating profusely by the time she finished. She used a fine needle and some catgut from her healing kit to suture up the larger cuts.
After about an hour of this, Dal fell into a light sleep, more than likely due to exhaustion. Xena continued to work meticulously, and Jamen assisted her when she asked him to.
"That's all I can do for the cuts," Xena finally said, standing up and stretching finally. Her hands were covered in blood up to her wrists, and the areas of her skin that were exposed were streaked with blood and dirt.
Jamen stood up beside her. "Can I get you anything?" he asked her.
"No thanks," Xena replied, shaking her head. "I'm going to wash my hands and get a drink, then we'll set Dal's leg."
"We'll need a travois to get him home, won't we?' Jamen asked.
"Yes."
"I'll go ahead and gather the material for it." Jamen told her. "Maybe Dal could get a little more rest in. You could probably use some rest too."
"I don't need any rest," Xena replied, with a wave of her hand. "But you're right about Dal. Let me wash up and I'll help you build the travois."
"Okay."
She was back in moments, and they set about walking the riverbank, gathering what they needed from the sparse trees scattered along the way.
"Your healing skills are amazing," Jamen said after a while. "Who taught you?"
Xena shrugged. "I learned here and there," she replied. "It's come in handy many times."
"I'm sure it has! And that pinch you do; I've heard you could do it, but I thought it was for incapacitating men. I didn't know you could use it for other means." Jamen felt like a blubbering schoolboy, but he really didn't care.
"Sure, it can be used on any pressure point of the body," Xena replied, climbing a tree a few feet, then using her sword to hack off a particular branch. "I can use it to kill someone or heal someone. It all depends on how you use it."
"You're just full of surprises," Jamen grinned at her.
She winked at him. "You haven't seen anything yet," she promised him, as she shimmied back down the tree.
Jamen's eyes widened a bit, as he used his rampant imagination for just a second. The kisses they had shared were still very fresh in his mind. But he knew they had to get Dal taken care of. "I can't wait," he said, bending to pick up the bundle they had gathered.
Xena followed, and in a matter of moments, they had a decent litter built. "I wonder," Xena mused aloud, and then nodded.
"What?" Jamen asked.
"I'm thinking, if I put the pinch back on Dal's leg, he might sleep through my setting his leg." With the speed of lightning, her fingers deactivated the proper nerves, and Dal groaned, but didn't awaken. Xena nodded, satisfied, and set to work on the injured leg.
It took twice as long as the left leg had, before Xena decided she had done all she could do. She offered to let Jamen splint the leg, so he could learn, and was pleased when he didn't hesitate.
"Very good," she told him with a smile, and then she gently awakened Dal. He seemed a little startled at first, but Xena told him they were going to move him to the travois, and then she would release the pinch.
Jamen brought the litter as closely as possible to Dal, and he lifted the upper half of the older man's body, while Xena handled the lower half. Then, using the travois as a stretcher, they carefully carried Dal to the top of the riverbank.
They secured the litter behind Argo, and moved off slowly in the direction Dal pointed out. He told them it wasn't far to his home.
Once they were comfortably underway, Xena asked Dal what he had been carrying in his wagon.
"Grain," he replied. "I was taking it to Namas to sell."
"Do you have another wagon?" she asked then, glancing at Jamen. He already knew what she was thinking.
"No," Dal replied, then, apparently, he also figured out why she was asking. "Don't worry about it," he added. "My son Lors lives very close to me. Laurel can have him get the grain."
"How will he be able to lift the wagon?" Jamen asked.
"You two have done enough," Dal replied, with a definite shake of his head. "I've got plenty of neighbors who can help Lors."
Xena opened her mouth to add something but Dal cut her off. "I won't hear anymore about it," he grinned, "or I'll kick your behinds!"
Xena turned her head to look at him, and rolled her eyes with a smile. "He is one pig-headed man," she told Jamen pointedly, as if Dal wasn't there.
Half an hour later, they were approaching a small farmhouse that Dal had pointed out. As they moved nearer, a plump woman came flying out of the house, her hands clutched to her bosom.
"I think we found Laurel," Jamen commented, with a wry smile.
"What have you done now?" the woman asked. Xena had brought Argo to a stop, and the old woman was at Dal's side.
"Now, now, Laurel," Dal, replied. "I'm fine, thanks to these two fine young people."
Xena hopped down from Argo, and stood quietly, watching Dal and his wife. The woman had bent her head close to Dal's and they seemed to be talking without actually speaking, their eyes doing the communicating for them.
Xena couldn't help but stare, as it was a beautiful sight to see. Jamen came to stand beside her, and stood quietly watching the couple as well.
Finally, Dal pulled his eyes away from his wife. "Laurel, these are the people who saved my life. This is Xena, and Jamen." He indicated each of them in turn.
If Laurel recognized Xena's name, she didn't let on. She hopped to her feet, and very spryly, considering her ample girth, grabbed Jamen, then Xena into an embrace. Jamen's eyes widened to the size of saucers under Laurel's grasp, but Xena just endured it, knowing the women felt the need to express her gratitude.
"I guess I don't have to introduce Laurel," Dal chuckled, enjoying the reactions from the pair of warriors.
"I don't even know how to begin to thank you," Laurel began then.
"No need for thanks," Xena replied curtly. This kind of situation always made her feel very uncomfortable. "We need to get Dal into the house and into bed. He needs to rest."
"Of course!" Laurel exclaimed. "Do you need my help?"
"If you could just hold the door," Jamen answered, loosening the ropes that held the litter.
"Yes!" Laurel responded, and she hurried to take her position, as Xena and Jamen carried Dal into the house. Laurel led the way to the bedroom, and with only a little discomfort, Dal was transferred to the bed. He was soon reclining comfortably.
"Is there a local healer?" Xena asked Laurel and Dal.
"Yes, there's Kenastras. He doesn't live far from here," Laurel replied.
"How about Lors?" Jamen asked. "Where does he live?"
"He lives four houses to the west," Dal answered. "If you tell him what's happened, he can ride and get Kenastras before going after the wagon."
Jamen glanced at Xena, who nodded. "I'll be back in a little while," he said. He nodded to the threesome, and then left the room.
Laurel was examining the extent of her husband's injuries. "Xena took good care of me," Dal said, grinning fondly at the Warrior Princess who was looking more and more uncomfortable as the minutes passed.
"She certainly did," Laurel clucked. "I've stitched up some wounds in my time, but I've never seen such tiny, even stitches. You have skilled hands, my dear."
Xena unconsciously glanced down at them, internally wincing at the comment. Her skilled hands had injured and killed far more than they had healed. She looked back up and realized Laurel and Dal were watching her. "I'm glad I could help," she replied with a shrug, then managed to smile.
"You and Jamen must be starved," Laurel said then, as she suddenly remembered her manners. "I'm going to start something to eat."
"No, we can't stay," Xena, replied. "We've got a friend competing at Acrimonius in the bard's contest. If we miss that, you and Dal will end up healing Jamen and I."
Dal and Laurel laughed at that. "At least let me fix you something for the road," Laurel said then.
"You don't have to…" Xena began, but Laurel cut her off.
"I know…but I'm going to anyway." The lively old woman bent to kiss her husband affectionately, and then left the room.
Dal patted the bed next to him. "Will you sit down and talk with me while you're waiting for Jamen?" he asked.
"Sure," Xena answered, and she sat on the edge of the bed, much more comfortable with Dal than she was with Laurel. The woman was delightful, but a little too excitable for Xena's liking. Dal, on the other hand, made her feel at ease.
"You know I have to repay you for saving my life," Dal began.
Xena put up a hand. "No, you don't," she answered. "It isn't necessary."
"It's our way," Dal protested. "I wouldn't feel right if I couldn't give you something."
Xena smiled, gently shaking her head. "The food Laurel is getting us is payment enough."
"You mean to tell me all my life is worth is a couple of apples and some bread?" Dal replied, his eyes twinkling.
Xena shook her head, her own eyes sparkling. "You're a sneaky one," she said. "And you don't owe us a thing."
Dal didn't look pleased by that, and he laid his head back on his pillow, looking irritated.
"Look, Dal," Xena said, noting the look. "I'm not one who likes to have anything given to her. But I will keep you in mind, if I ever do need something, and that will make us even, okay?" She held out her hand.
Dal grasped her forearm. "I might be sneaky, but you are sneakier," he chuckled.
They sat and talked, until Jamen returned. "We've got to be heading out," Xena said, standing up as Jamen entered the bedroom.
"Be sure and water your horses before you go," Dal told them.
"We will," Jamen replied. "Thanks."
Laurel entered the bedroom. "I've got a meal all packed for you," she told them.
"Thank you," Xena replied. "We appreciate it." She looked down at Dal one last time. "You take care of yourself," she told him.
"I will," Dal said solemnly. "And you do the same."
"Always," Xena paused, and then bent down to give the man a quick embrace, surprising even her. She had a great deal of affection for Dal.
Jamen stepped forward, and offered his forearm to Dal, who shook it heartily, then pulled the younger man closer to whisper something in his ear. Jamen beamed, said, "I will," then straightened up.
Expecting another bear hug from Laurel, both Xena and Jamen were surprised when she just offered her wrist to both of them this time. They shook with her, then she led them out to the kitchen, where a cloth sack lay, bulging with food.
"I thought you were making us a meal, Laurel," Xena said, "not feeding the whole town of Acrimonius." Her eyes were twinkling.
Laurel laughed. "So, you'll get a couple of meals out of it," she answered, with a wave of her hand.
Chapter 6
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