Saaja interrupted Rune’s attention with the retrieval of his requested items, pushing them onto the man.
Taking the bowl of water from his broad-shouldered companion, Rune held it in his hand as he dabbed a white cloth and began to clean Kirsten’s mangled shoulder. After several passes, dabbing and wiping around the bite, Rune said, “The amount of dried blood in this wound does seem to confirm the timeline you claim. Judging by our proximity to Grandwood, it’s nothing short of impressive that you managed to come this far so quickly.” Rune paused, pointing a bony finger to the edge of the wound. “You can see that the blood has crusted suggesting there’s been at least an hour or more since the wound was inflicted. When I remove the newly hardened scabbing, the blood begins to seep, suggesting the wound is fresh, but, as I said, I would say it’s at least an hour.”
Max watched as Rune pondered the situation, rubbing his forehead in thought. Before anyone could ask him his opinion of Kirsten’s status, Rune continued, “The red streaking extending from the bite and moving into the veins is consistent with a goblin’s bite, as are the markings around the bite’s edges. I’ve been practicing army medicine for decades and I’ve never seen anyone with this type of wound survive for more than an hour, unless the limb is removed before the infection spreads.” Rune’s gaze fell to Max, “Goblins are magical beings and when they deliver a venomous bite, there’s no stopping it. How is it possible that she’s survived for four or even six hours?”
Britt’s dark-eyed look told Max that she wondered the same thing, but feared telling him about the sapphire’s power. Max heard all too often of the things some Westlanders would do to someone who claimed to have magical powers. He’s helping us now, but if he found out that the sapphire had powers, we might need to make another escape, Max thought to himself as he broke away from Britt’s charcoal face.
Hearing him say the words before Max could stop him, Thomas stammered, “She has this special necklace. It, um, started glowing.” Folding back the collar of Kirsten’s shirt, Thomas exposed the pink-hued sapphire clasped around his sister’s neck. In that moment, Max noticed the stone shown more dimly than it had before, but its appearance was enough to cause a gasp from Rune.
“So the rumors are true,” Rune whispered. “The crystals do exist.”
Max held his breath, stiffening as he waited for Rune’s next course of action.
Rune leaned in closer, pulling back more of Kirsten’s shirt, exposing the streaks spreading down her chest and fading around her heart. Bo reached his tanned hand out and stopped Rune from revealing any more of Kirsten’s chest. Max could tell by the look his brother gave the doctor that he didn’t appreciate Rune’s searching eyes. Exhaling through his nostrils and giving Bo a stern look, Rune flexed his narrow jaw and said, clearly irritated, “I’m a professional, if you want my expert opinion, I need to see her,” he paused, “symptoms,” and he motioned to the streaking across her chest.
Bo relented, withdrawing his muscular arm and Max could see his brother’s well-defined cheeks flushing despite the dim light. Still keeping their eyes fixed on him, anticipating that the doctor might snatch the sapphire necklace, Max and Britt remained poised and ready to pounce.
Rune pulled Kirsten’s shirt back, exposing her and showing the effects of the crystal. “Remarkable,” he murmured.
“That’s a poudrettite!” Saaja gasped. The man’s sudden exclamation made Max keenly aware of the lookout’s presence over their shoulders.
Thomas hastily moved Kirsten’s shirt; he, too, was caught off guard, now realizing that the strange man was still observing them.
“What’s a poudrettite?” Rune asked.
“It’s a type of rare stone,” Saaja explained. “My granddad used to collect rare things, he did. He used to show us his precious finds when we came to visit him, and I remember that one. It’s unique because of its pink color.” Max could hear the pride in his voice for contributing to the conversation.
“Will it cure her?” Thomas asked. Max now heard hope in his voice as Thomas perked up, a hint of color returning to his face.
Rune carefully peeled open one of Kirsten’s eyelids and Max wondered what kind of information the man would gain by covering her open eye with one of his hands and pulling it back, examining her eye carefully. After repeatedly covering and uncovering her open eye, Rune answered, “I’m not sure. The use of magical items isn’t anything I’ve ever dealt with before. I’m trained to treat mortal beings with modern medicine. The fact that this girl isn’t dead already is astonishing. Clearly this poudrettite crystal is staving off the effects of the goblin venom and is most likely a host to some kind of magical force.”
Max started to relax slightly, feeling that the doctor didn’t have a desire to take the sapphire for himself or harm them for having a magical crystal. Rune returned his focus to the bite, wetting the cloth and dabbing at the sore.
“Well,” Britt said, frustration in her voice. “Can you help her?”
Rune wrung out the cloth, expunging the blood. He sighed, “The good news is she’s stable.”
“That’s not what she asked,” Max said, wondering if there was hope for Kirsten.
“If you want me to help her any further, I will need to remove the affected area,” Rune said, pulling the wire-rimmed glasses from his face and placing them neatly into his pocket.
“You mean cut off her arm?” Thomas asked in alarm.
Rune nodded.
“The whole thing?” he asked.
Rune sighed shortly, “In my experience, the only way to prevent death from a venomous goblin bite is to cut the limb off before the infection reaches the rest of the body. Even then, I’ve only had success with those in whom the venom hasn’t spread beyond the injured limb. The veins in her shoulder and chest on the left side of her body are already infected. At this stage, even if I were to take the limb, I’m afraid the infection would continue to spread.”
“Then what are you telling us? She’s a lost cause?” Thomas asked, his breathing increasing rapidly.
“What I’m saying is that the only thing keeping her alive right now is that necklace,” Rune said, pointing at the pink sapphire. “The venom could continue to spread, but as long as she’s wearing the necklace, she should remain stable.”
“So, that’s it?” Bo interjected. “Just keep the necklace on and send us on our way?”
Rune stood. Rising slightly taller than Bo, he met Bo’s gaze, which vacillated between angry and terrified, “I’m afraid I can’t help her. The level of surgery required to remove all of the infection is beyond my skill level. Even if surgery worked, out here on the run it’s almost sure there would be infection. The possibility of her surviving such a procedure in these conditions is marginal at best.”
“No!” Thomas shouted. The outburst caught the whole group off guard. Tears welled in Thomas’ eyes. “I can’t lose her. She’s all I have left. Please, you can’t let her die!”
Rune shrugged, “I’m sorry, but that’s all I can tell you from a medical standpoint.”
“Is there anyone you know who might be qualified to help in our current situation?” Max asked calmly, trying to keep a positive vibe among the group.
Rune pondered the question and looked to Saaja, “With the current state of activity in Brookside and the Riverlands, I’m not sure anyone’s available. Even if they were…”
Max cut him off at the mention of his hometown, “What’s happened in Brookside?”
Rune raised an eyebrow, “You haven’t heard? I assumed being in Grandwood you would’ve heard by now. The entire nation of Westland is being taken by force. It started with the coastal towns. Grandwood followed by Brookside nearly three weeks later. Ever since then there have been waves of occupation by foreign soldiers. They fly the black and red banners of the King’s Army from Southland,” Max watched Rune eye Bo in the officer’s uniform he’d taken as a disguise from a soldier in Grandwood. “Brookside and the villages continuing up the valley are swarmed with supporters of this new Emperor who’s been backing the insurgence. Last I heard, the governor of Mergwood, as they’re calling it now, was named warden of Westland.”
Max asked, “And the people? What’s become of the people in Brookside?”
“Anyone who opposes the army is quickly snuffed out,” Rune replied.
“This can’t be happening,” Max said, shaking his head. “How has no one stood up against them?”
“There is a resistance,” Rune continued. “They have a large encampment in the Riverlands. It’s the only place where the locals can outsmart the insurgents and keep their location secret. There are more doctors and healers in their company.”
“How do you know this?” Bo asked.
