The Forest at the Edge of the World(161)
Perrin cringed. “Oh, Hogal. You should never have touched that.”
Hogal nodded feebly.
“Sir, may I help you with that?” said a quiet voice. Lieutenant Karna crouched in front of Hogal and gently pried the long knife from his fist.
“Thank you!” Hogal and Perrin breathed at the same time.
Karna chuckled. “I’ll see that this gets back to your home, Captain,” and he slipped it into his waistband.
“How exactly do you do that?!” Hogal said, more lighthearted now the knife was a safe distance away. “Don’t you ever cut yourself? Or sneeze?”
“We simply don’t talk about it if we do, sir,” said Karna soberly.
Hogal chuckled, then put a hand on Perrin’s bare shoulder. “What happened, my boy?”
“Guarder,” Perrin whispered. “I slipped on the snow, he came over the top of me, right through the coat and tunic. But I got him. Hogal, there were fourteen.”
“I heard that, from the soldier that accompanied me here. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I know what might have happened.”
“What, Rector?” Karna sat down on another bunk, and the surgeon stepped closer to hear.
“Your informant was found out, Perrin,” Hogal said gravely. “It was discovered that he sent the warning, and those above him sent two more to finish the job in case you ensured the other twelve failed. Just when you’d be confident that you had them all, the last two would arrive.”
Perrin closed his eyes. “That’s exactly what happened. Can’t count on hearing from our friend ever again, can I?”
“If he was discovered, he’s most likely dead,” Karna suggested.
“That would be the Guarder way,” the surgeon said with disgust.
“But she slept through it all, didn’t she?” Perrin said, his eyes still closed.
Hogal smiled. “That she did, my boy. Without a pain, I imagine.”
“Which poses a new problem,” Perrin said, “and I hope you can help me with it.”
“What to tell her about that?” Hogal gestured to his torso.
All the soldiers nodded.
Hogal clucked his tongue and shook his head. “Remarkable the kind of damage a mere tree branch can do, isn’t it? When a horse goes down in the snow, and throws one at just the precise angle? Really, that branch should have broken sooner, but if it had held longer, Perrin would have been impaled on it, instead of severely slashed. Good thing Relf sent the message that the night training experiment is over. Just in time for his son to have a nice three or four days off to sleep at home and annoy his wife by being around too much.”
The surgeon nodded at him. “That’s why the forests are so dangerous, Rector, and why we never allow any soldiers into them. Perhaps now they should even stay away from the edges!”
He sent a severe look to the captain. Shortly after they’d packed Shin’s back in snow, the surgeon opened and read the captain’s letter he’d signed a few days before. Then he threw it angrily into the fire and went to work on the noncompliant officer.
“I’ll write instructions for Mrs. Shin on how to care for her husband. I’m sure he’ll be more comfortable at home. We can move him after midday meal, when he’s a little stronger.”
Karna nodded at the rector. “I’ll be sure the soldiers know the dangers of branches. Most should still be getting breakfast,” and he left the surgery.
Hogal patted Perrin gently on the shoulder when they were alone. “Excellent work, my boy. I couldn’t be prouder. I suspect you were sent some help?”
Perrin’s eyes became damp. “Hogal, you have no idea, and I think only you would understand.”
“I look forward to hearing the story. But first, I’ll go get Mahrree.”
---
It was a little over an hour later, as dawn was breaking and ending that very long night, that Perrin heard the whimper.
“I don’t believe it! Look at you! Oh, Perrin!”
He attempted a smile. “Hello, my darling wife. How did you sleep?”
“Wonderfully, I’m ashamed to say.” She kneeled down by his cot and gingerly touched his back. “You must be in so much pain.”
“I’m fine—they froze the area with snow again,” he whispered. “Where’s Jaytsy?”
“Tabbit came over so she and Hogal are both there for when she wakes up.”
“And our little kicker?”
Mahrree held her belly. “Still kicking, but no pains right now.”
He closed his eyes. “Thank the Creator.”
She wiped away a tear and attempted to stroke his bare back, unsure of where to touch him. “This is so awful! A tree branch? Thank goodness your father stopped these ridiculous night drills. When I get home I’m going to write to tell him exactly what his little experiment did to his son!”