Arcadia tugged the spearhead out of the stallion's side just as his would began bleeding in earnest.
"Goddess no!" she gasped, throwing her full weight against the wound.
"Grab him!" she snapped at her deer, although not unkindly. Her normally reserved nature had been pushed aside for the moment out of necessity. When working with patients, she was not quiet little Cady, she was Arcadia, a master healer, and she was not afraid to step into the role when a leader was needed to take the situation in hand. Niva and Gymn obliged, throwing their weight on the thrashing stallion in an attempt to hold him still, blood spurted with each desperate movement. Still, his hoof caught her in the ribcage with bruising force, for a moment she gasped, attempting to draw air back into her stunned lungs and her vision went spotty. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she threw herself against the would once again, pressing with all her might.
"You might show some bravery, my fine warrior," she hissed in his ear breathlessly, "And some restraint, rather than fighting the healer who is trying to save you from bleeding out on the dirt."
She had heard the sounds of battle from a distance, and having sworn an oath to serve all who required her skills, she had made for the far off screams and clangs of metal against metal. She had arrived too late to see what the battle had been about, bodies were scattered, and most of the wounded were beyond even her skill to save. She had done what she could to comfort the dying, sending Niva and Gymn around with herbs to numb the pain and ease their passing. She had cleaned and dressed the wounds of the remaining, and now there was this stallion. He must have been the leader, he insisted on waiting until his warriors were seen to before he'd so much as let her approach him. The blade lodged in his midsection had looked grim, but she there was no arguing with stubborn fools. She had been at this long enough to know when to push and when it would be a wast of time. Now the other warriors had been seen to and blade had turned out to be much longer than she had originally thought, with a serrated edge that did more harm coming out than it did going in.
The stallion stopped struggling, she wasn't sure he had even heard her at this point, but blood loss was making him weak. "Bandages!" she demanded, another stallion stepped forth to hand her a wad of white linen. She wrinkled her nose, there was no way it was sterile, but at least it was clean. She pulled back for a second, and shoved the bandages into the wound and watched them rapidly saturate, turning a deep crimson. She sniffed the air and sagged, sadness tinging her features as she pulled away.
"Niva... Give him some of those herbs, Gymn, try to make him comfortable." The two deer who were her constant companions obliged, and Arcadia walked away. She was a grim sight, bloodstained from shoulder to hoof. Her hair was dark with sweat and dried blood, none of it hers. She walked a short distance away and sighed. She was no stranger to death, but she would never become used to losing a patient. Her sisters had told her she needed to harden herself, but she hadn't managed it yet. Her herd was very focused on alternative healing methods but since coming to Kawani she had had to adjust her thinking and polish her skills in other areas. Hoofs approaching, the stallion that must have been the second in command approached her.
"You did good work out there, we thank you... But... Why stop? You could have gotten the bleeding under control with a few more minutes of pressure."
She slashed a furious look over her shoulder at the presumptuous male. He clearly knew nothing about the force unleashed from a nicked artery, still, that was not what had made her stop. She turned to face him, "There was foulness in the wound. The spear ruptured his bowels. Bleeding out quickly was a more merciful death than letting him die of a festering belly wound. I am sorry for your loss, but he was as good as dead the moment the spear entered his body."
Niva and Gymn approached and circled her, nuzzling, comforting. Her work was done here, with no more healing to be done she felt herself retreat back inside her shell. She was done arguing with these husky warriors who dealt death and invited injury. She hated working on a battlefield, sometimes she wished she could just turn away and leave them to the fates they had brought on themselves. "I'm leaving now." She stated simply, "There's a packet of herbs to help with the pain by that rock. I also put in some antiseptic and fresh bandages. Get yourselves home." She turned without another word and stalked off, she needed to find a stream to clean herself.
