PEIRCED by Marie Colleen Dugger (fox in socks read aloud TXT) 📕

die. She waited to shallower water until it was up to her wait and she heaved Jensen onto her shoulders.
He was already heavy and the fact that he was soaking wet and she was in pain didn’t help but she managed to get him on shore. Holly dragged him into the cover of trees, as to not be seen, and rolled him onto his back.
She leaned over and placed her head on his chest. “Thank God” she whispered. He was breathing. Somehow he had managed to not breathe in any water. She then checked his other wounds.
The arrow had only skimmed his left ankle, but his sword had cut deep into his calf. He was bleeding but the river had cleaned the wound. Holly ripped part of her shirt and tied it around his leg.
She looked around not knowing what to do. Then she spotted a familiar plant. It had needle like feathery green leaves. ‘Milfoil.’ Holly thought. ‘It will help the blood clot’
She rushed over and picked all that she could see. Holly then started laying the leaves on Jensen’s wounds and gently pressing the leaves into them. She hoped he hadn’t lost too much blood.
She sat down next to him and leaned against a tree. The she noticed the throbbing in her own body. She reached her right arm back to her shoulder and felt were the arrow had grazed it. It wasn’t as bad as she had originally thought. She took some of the leftover milfoil leaves and pressed them into her own wound. Then she looked at her arm. When she had been using it to slow her down it had become scraped and sprained. She didn’t think it was broken.
Holly was too tired to put it in a makeshift splint or sling now, so she slowly went to sleep, still hoping that it was all just a dream.

#3

Edward awoke with a start. He and Jensen had been comrades in status ever since he had arrived in the camp at the age of seven. Edward’s mother and father had died during a raid on there village by a group of drunken southern soldiers. Jensen’s father had been in the regiment that arrived shortly after the massacre. He had lifted Edward onto his battle mount and brought him to the camp were he was put in Jensen’s class on the practice field and in the garrison.
With someone Edwards age he could relate to and was I ranks with, Edward and Jensen became fast friends. They fought a lot, but got over it quickly, which was why Edward was surprised when Jensen didn’t show up. When the healer, Roland, came in Edward asked him to send for Jensen. When Roland was done administering the poppy and bleeding Edward, as to remove the evil spirits from his blood, Roland sent Tirrin for Jensen.
A short while later, Tirrin walked into the tent. “Sir,”
“Yes?”
“I have asked around and no one has seen the captain since midday yesterday.”
“Are you sure”
“Yes sir.”
“Well were did he go?”
“We don’t know but on the field yesterday Cia was called by the captain and asked were the location of the… the thing was. After that no one has seen him.
“If he doesn’t show up by sunrise I want you to go to the garrison and gather a company of 4 to 5 men and search for him.”
“Yes sir.”
Tirrin was about to exit the tent when he remembered something.
“And sir?”
“Yes?”
“The girl is…”
“Is what?”
“Well some of us think that Jensen might have taken her along.”
“What?”
“And some think she might have escaped and followed him.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Well the girl… she’s missing also.”

*****

Jensen awoke gasping for breath. His whole body burned. He wanted to scream. He would have screamed if his breath had not caught at the sight of her. Holly was lying on the ground beside him, a rose of blood staining her shirt. No! He leaned towards her, his leg throbbing. He rolled over onto his side. “Holly?”He whispered. “Oh no, Holly…” his voice cracked, and he started to shiver.
He didn’t know what to do, or what had happened. He thought she was dead. Jensen just stared at her unable to speak. Then she sighed…

TO BE CONTINUED

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Publication Date: 06-25-2010

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