Page 9 of Theoden
“I am fine. Are you?” I asked.
Ashur nodded.
“I am so sorry I stabbed you. I only wanted the chance to stop him from killing you. I made sure it was not a killing blow,” I said as I made my way toward him, feeling the strength returning to my legs with each step. I dropped to one knee to examine his wounded shoulder only to stare in awe at the perfectly healed flesh.
“H-how?” I asked.
Ashur shrugged that same shoulder. “I do not know.”
I looked at the blade of my sword, seeing that it had both of their blood on it. My only conclusion was he must have been healed by the monster’s blood when the sword was pulled out. How much of my friend was changed by that? “Did his blood infect you?”
“You stabbed me!” Ashur growled, as if remembering for the first time how he’d been wounded.
I nodded. “And I said I am sorry. I saw no other way. He was feeding on you. By doing so, I saved your life. Remember that,” I stated. “Now, answer me, did he infect you? Do you thirst for blood?”
“I do not thirst for blood, Theodosius,” he declared as he glared at me. “I am only grateful to be alive.”
“Did his blood heal you?” I looked at his back to see the wound was also completely healed. As a matter of fact, Ashur looked to be in the best of health, which concerned me a great deal.
He shoved my hands off him. It was apparent he was still angry with me for stabbing him. “I feel fine, we need to see to Samuel,” he said, then rose to his feet as I did the same. He wavered a bit, but refused my aid when I offered it. “I think you have done enough for me tonight, Theodosius.” He turned to Samuel. “Is he alive?”
I wondered how long it would take Ashur to forgive me. But I did not regret making the decision. By taking such risk, I was able to weaken and then kill the blood drinker.
“I do not know,” I said, my gaze going back to his now healed shoulder. “You will tell me if you feel like you are changing, won’t you?” I had concerns that he wasn’t as surprised by how quickly he had healed as I was.
Ashur nodded. “I do not wish to be one of those things. Shunned by God’s glory and destined for hell. I would have you end me before that happened.”
Satisfied with his answer, I nodded, then walked over to Samuel to examine him. I leaned my head against his chest, listening for his breathing and heartbeat. I sighed in relief as the beat of his heart was slow, but steady. “He lives.” I shook Samuel lightly over and over until he began to stir. If he could walk on his own, I would feel better about his state of health.
“He is coming back to us,” I told Ashur.
“Aye, good. Would have hated to have lost him, especially on our first mission,” he said.
Ashur looked like a normal human, but then again, so had the blood drinker. He had been fed upon, but even those wounds had healed. I wondered if he would become one as their blood had mixed. I would have to monitor him to see if he did. I would kill him if that happened. I watched as Ashur was still looking over his body and seeing that his wounds were healed. He seemed so pleased by that fact. Not one iota of worry that he might become a blood drink himself seemed evident in his demeanor. I was surely going to tell Father Quintus as soon as possible, that was a certainty.
“Take your time to gather yourself, Ashur,” I said, then returned my attention to Samuel. I was even more relieved when I saw his eyes flutter open and a moan escaped his lips. “Easy, Samuel,” I said, pressing my hand to his chest when he tried to sit up.
“Whaat… hap… happened?” he asked in a slurred speech.
“The monster is dead, we are all alive,” I told him, pleased with my first victory.
“How?” Samuel asked.
I took a cloth from my coat pocket and used it to apply pressure to the bleeding wound on the back of Samuel’s head. “You need to take it easy, my friend.” I turned to Ashur. “If you are able, help me with him.”
Ashur nodded and joined me, then we lifted Samuel together. Ashur carried Samuel on his back and we returned to the inn. I tended to my injuries, applying healing ointment to my wounds and wrapping my ribs up. Next, I addressed Samuel’s wound and put him to bed so he could rest before I wrote a letter to Father Quintus, telling him of the success of our mission. I sent the letter off by messenger and returned to our room just as the sun was rising.
Both Ashur and Samuel were sound asleep, but I wanted to test Ashur. I walked over to his bed, shaking him awake. “Wake up,” I urged.
“I am tired, Theodosius, I want only to rest,” he said.
“And I will allow it once you stand before the sun.”
He opened his eyes when I said that and forced himself to climb out of the bed. I didn’t doubt that he was exhausted. The night had been long, the battle was hard, and the travel back to our inn was particularly grueling on him as he had carried Samuel. My ribs were damaged, so I could not help alleviate his burden. Ashur was the only one amongst us that was perfectly healthy. And that was why I was forcing him to stand before the sun now.
The bright rays illuminated his skin, it didn’t burn him. That was proof enough. No blood drinker could survive the sun and they slept during the day when the sun was in the sky. This was fact, and I could sleep deeply knowing Ashur was not one of them.
I patted him on the back. “God has shone his favor onto you, Ashur. You remain human.”
