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Post by Noelie de Maignard (H) on Apr 10, 2010 17:53:37 GMT -5
For my 16th natal my father gave me a copy of Tres Milles Joie with a red face and a few stammered words. It was indescribably awkward and reminded me how much I missed my mother, who had been dead nigh unto two years now.
At first I tucked the book into my dresser and did not look at it again, feeling strange and uncomfortable over the whole affair. Still, when time passed and curiosity overtook me.
I dug the book out and slipped away one balmy afternoon, heading to the field behind my family's estate. There was a lake there, and I found it a wonderful place to get quiet and privacy.
So that afternoon found my lying on a blanket on my belly, reading things that made me blush to the roots of my hair, while the warm summer sun shone down on me.
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Post by Shiloh Shahrizai de Garnier on Apr 10, 2010 18:11:07 GMT -5
Ten years into the service I finally decided that there was not much left for me. I had gotten my scars, a steel of the mind, training in fighting and the ways of war and with the lull, they did not need me anymore. I had gotten a letter from my father about his declining health. Had it been from my mother, I would not have believed her, but it was about time that I learned the rest of his trade the best that I could to carry it on before he passed. I saddled my horse with what few possessions I owned and headed out into the wilderness, marking the routes and my tracks, worrying only about myself. It was not long before I realized I was being followed, however, the amount of men cut me completely off guard.
I had assumed mayhaps, two or three, nothing that I could not handle, but nearly eight of them finally came on me, spooking my horse. I was ready for them, however and was able to take out many of them. It was inevitable that I was to be injured with so many but when I turned to grab the man as he stabbed me, I felt the wound move through my ribs, deflating a lung. I was barely able to make it out of that battle alive and my horse, long gone, I had to wait until I was sure they were out before I stabbed myself again in the chest to let the excess air out and allow my lung to reinflate. I was bloodied and wounded, however, my horse long gone and I found myself beginning to hobble despite my loss of blood.
I passed out somewhere in the middle of the night, hopefully somewhere that was visible enough. In the morning, I groaned, surprised to be alive, however thin my life was. "Elua's balls..." I groaned. Gods did it HURT! I was just glad my father had trained me to tend to my wounds the best I could before I had left, or the deflated lung would have killed me already. I was wrapped, but poorly, my broken arm not working the best that it should.
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Post by Noelie de Maignard (H) on Apr 10, 2010 18:43:34 GMT -5
I must have fallen asleep, for suddenly I was being awakened by something ... a sound? I was confused for a moment as I sat up, my pale yellow sundress rumpled and my hair coming out of it's bindings. The landscape seemed still, no sign of what might have awakened me, but I decided that I should investigate.
Rising, I made a cursory attempt at smoothing my skirts before I took a few steps into the stand of trees nearby. "Hello?" I said, my voice sounding loud and unnatural in the stillness of the mid-morning air. For a moment I thought that I was being ridiculous and thought about turning back, but for whatever reason I continued to put one foot in front of the other until I could no longer even see the open land from which I had come.
It was then that I saw him, the man, limping along, bruised, bloody and dirty. At first I was terrified, but so afraid that I could not even open my mouth to scream. Who would hear me anyway? But after a moment, my natural instincts took over - he was hurt.
I rushed forward, to offer what support I could, though he fair towered over me. "You're hurt, let me help you," I said, wondering at who he was and how he come to be here.
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Post by Shiloh Shahrizai de Garnier on Apr 11, 2010 19:19:56 GMT -5
I felt relieved when I saw a young woman coming towards me. Surely SHE wouldn't take advantage of me, but she was such a small, frail thing that I felt horrible putting my weight against her. It was something I could not help. I could barely keep myself up at that point and pathetic as it was to take help from someone who already seemed so helpless, I found myself leaning fully on her as I limped along. "I'm not too hurt," I wheezed with a smile on my face as I patted her arm in appreciation.
"The name is Shiloh. Shiloh de Garnier," I said, purposefully leaving out the unfortunate part of my name that I never felt belonged there anyway. My mother could be so haughty. "I hope you don't live far I honestly don't know how far I can walk," I said, wheezing for breath and I decided talking may not be the best option when I was hobbling along the way that I was.
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Post by Noelie de Maignard (H) on Apr 11, 2010 21:23:53 GMT -5
"Not too hurt?" I scoffed, shaking my head slightly even as I ducked under his arm so that I could try to help him walk. "You look like something my brother's dog chewed up and left on the porch."
I decided to leave my blanket - and the book that I did not wish to retrieve in front of him - and take a short cut through these trees. I didn't usually walk this way because being alone in all of this forest was disconcerting, but this was an emergency.
"Noelie de Maignard," I said, introducing myself when he did. "Don't worry, we're very close, my family's estate is just over that ridge..." I wondered what my father would say when I appeared on our doorstep with an injured stranger, but I knew very well that he would never turn away someone in need. "We're almost there, I promise."
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Post by Shiloh Shahrizai de Garnier on Apr 12, 2010 15:09:37 GMT -5
"Ridges? I love ridges they're my favorite," I said with a wry sort of laugh. I never had the best kind of humor and my mother had always chastised me for having such a dark comedy within me. And because of that, I made sure to stick with it. It was not that I was a prideful man, too prideful to show pain, I merely knew through experience as a chirugeon that many onlookers panicked quickly and would make rash decisions and orders when a patient was screaming out bloody murder in pain. I was in pain. I was in SO much pain, but considering the fact that I did not want to be dragged to her estate or accidentally slammed into a rock out of haste, I was swallowing it down.
Elua's balls was it a crime if a man wanted to cry?
But every step was like torture against my lungs, every wheezing breath. I just wanted to lie down, but I forced that smile on my face and continued to make harmless banter with her. "No, no, not TOO hurt. I have seen much worse Noelie," I chuckled and gave her an almost flirtatious wink. "I'm a soldier and a chirugeon. A deadly combination."
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Post by Noelie de Maignard (H) on Apr 12, 2010 22:51:08 GMT -5
I laughed at his jest, he must be all right if he could joke under these circumstances and it made me feel a little less concerned. Not much less, it was obvious he was pretty badly injured.
"Worse than this?" I asked, worried about the way he was breathing. We can to the top of the ridge, and I gestured toward a large rock. "Why don't you sit here, and rest, and I'll run down and get some help." I suggested, pointing down the hill at my estate, of which the stables were clearly visible.
"You're a chirurgeon?" I laughed then, adding "apparently I ask a lot of questions. I'm sorry, it's the first time I've found a strange man in the woods, I'm not sure what the proper etiquette is." It seemed that he had a good sense of humor, so I looked back down the hill and said in a serious tone, "If you don't want to wait, I could always just roll you down..."
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Post by Shiloh Shahrizai de Garnier on Apr 14, 2010 2:59:33 GMT -5
"It's quite fine," I said through a rasping breath. "If I had made it this far I can make it a couple feet more then I can finally get some rest. I don't know if I'll be able to get up if I sit down." I smiled at her, wanting to laughing but knowing better than to with how horrible I was feeling in the chest area. I raised a brow when she told me she was going to roll me down and I really couldn't help but laugh at that comment though I ended up grabbing my side, unable to help the wincing and groans that followed it.
"No, no, just let me lean on you I can make it." It was hard, but I began the slow and jagged movements down the ridge. "Yes, I'm a chirugeon... I was on my way home to Siovale."
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Post by Noelie de Maignard (H) on Apr 16, 2010 14:57:13 GMT -5
"Sorry," I grimaced, scolding myself for making him laugh. Despite his protestations, I could see that he was more badly hurt than he was letting on. I stopped speaking to him for the rest of the trip down the hill, so that he could conserve his strength.
When we reached the outermost area of the estate, Hernan, one of my father's workers, came running up to see what was going on.
"What is this you've brought home now, my lady? More than a hurt bird this time, I see." He looked at Shiloh suspiciously, but I waved his concern away.
"Oh stop yapping and help us, Hernan!" I exclaimed, making a face at him. I had grown up with him around, and we did not stand on much ceremony around here.
Hernan did as I asked of him, stepping up to Shiloh's other side and giving him much more support than I was sure my small frame did. Together we walked to the small building that Hernan shared with some of the other workers, where Shiloh was finally able to lie down on one of the men's cots.
"Why don't you go see if you can find Amelie, she can help with this. I'll stay here to make sure he doesn't go anywhere." Hernan's tone made his distrust obvious, but I didn't have time to argue. Instead, I turned Shiloh and smiled.
"I'll be back soon." I turned to Hernan, "Make sure you get him some water and anything else he needs."
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