Chapter 23

King Landor sent runners to the families with guardsmen on the ship and Torbert went to the training grounds to round up the rest of the Noble and Emertland Guards. The scene when the ship was pulled into the dock was almost chaotic.

The men had witnessed the mob growing and had requested they be allowed to wear full battle regalia when disembarking. Jorgarn saw no harm since the men would either wear it or carry it. Once dressed, the guardsmen stood tall and proud on the deck of the ship while the ropes were tied to the moorings.

Gorin and Melodart, who wore only their tunics and not their armor, escorted Eslada down the ramp first and Pernice followed leading the rest of the men. Families rushed forward to greet their sons but the Guards maintained their ranks until Pernice brought them to a halt in front of King Landor, Queen Lorida, Princess Denae and Sir Torbert.

"Your Royal Majesties," Pernice said loudly. "Your Guard returns after an unmitigated success. The conspirators are slain without harm to our relationship with Longview or to Domita. We await your next command."

The King beamed proudly at his brother.

"On behalf of Emertland and its citizens, I offer my thanks and my congratulations on a job well done," King Landor said. "To each and every man, I say thank you for the valor you have shown and your dedication to Emertland. I dismiss you to visit with your families and your loved ones."

Jorgarn had slipped down the gangplank during the greetings and come to rest beside Gorin, Melodart and Eslada. King Landor and Sir Torbert found him quickly.

"Well done!" King Landor said. "Well done, indeed. I have never seen the look of pride on my brother's face that I saw today."

Regardless of the circumstance, he wrapped his arms first around Jorgarn and then around Eslada. Denae had followed her father across, and more aware of propriety, had refrained from hugging and kissing Jorgarn as she wished. The King turned and put his arms around Torbert and Jorgarn. He looked from one man to the other and smiled widely.

"Let us meet the families of these brave men," he said.

Denae had seen the drawn, pinched look on Jorgarn's pale face. She noticed the droplets of sweat above his lip and on his forehead. Like Gorin and Melodart, Jorgarn had eschewed armor and wore only his bloodstained tunic, his overlay and the ribbon Denae had offered him.

"Excuse me, father," Denae said. "I believe one of those belongs with me."

She glanced at Sir Torbert and they both smiled.

"Oh, of course, of course," Landor said as he removed his arm from Jorgarn's shoulder.

Jorgarn flinched noticeably when Denae slid her arm though his. She turned to him immediately.

"A scratch?" she said through clenched teeth. "You do not jump when someone touches a scratch."

"Maybe a bit more," Jorgarn admitted. Eslada let out a noise behind him.

"He has a deep cut running from where his armor ended on his arm to near his elbow," she said. "It has become infected. It is much more than a scratch."

Jorgarn willed Eslada to cease but she spoke more.

"I have done my best to keep the infection at bay but the ship's stores and the medicine in Longview were not up to the task," she said added. "He will need a medic and several days of rest."

Denae cast her narrowed eyes on Jorgarn who was doing his best to look anywhere else.

<"She exaggerates,"> he thought to Denae. <"Honestly, it's more than a scratch but much less than she lets on. I'll show you once we get to the castle.">

"Father," Denae said. "I have learned that Jorgarn was wounded. He needs to see a medic immediately. May we be excused from these proceedings? We will meet each family personally after he is attended to."

"Your Highness," Jorgarn said. "I'm fine."

"You call this fine!" Denae said. She pulled her hand away from his arm to show it was covered in his blood. "He is bleeding through his bandage and his tunic, father. He needs a medic."

The King looked at Jorgarn's shirt with dismay.

"You're wounded," he said. "Yes, yes, Gorin, please take him to a medic. Our carriage is here. Use it."

Jorgarn could see Denae was about to protest.

<You need to stay and greet the families, > he thought. <Their sons went to war for you and your family.>

Denae was displeased but she nodded.

<We will discuss this scratch later, > she promised as she put a hand to his forehead. <You're burning up with fever, as well.>

"Take care of him, Gorin," she said sweetly. "I believe he is too simple to take care of himself."

"It was fine until she grabbed my arm," Jorgarn insisted in the carriage. Gorin simply laughed and handed Jorgarn another cloth to wrap around his arm before blood fell on the carriage floor. "You would think it is to be amputated."

"Oh, it could be worse," Gorin said. "You could have come back and had no one care that you were hurt. Now you will have all your admirers battling to see to your wounds. Although, that last remark from the Princess might have been right on the mark. If I were you, I would have had them take me off the ship on a litter and transported me straight to the castle. I wouldn't have tried to slip off unnoticed."

Jorgarn rolled his eyes.

"I wanted to make sure the right people got credit for their actions," he said. "I noticed you made it a point to exit with Eslada."

"We are not Noble Guardsmen," Gorin said simply.

"All the more reason you deserve praise," Jorgarn responded. "You would have decided to go even if Eslada stayed behind. I know that."

Gorin nodded.

"We would have," he admitted, "because of you. We followed for the same reason the rest of those men did. They didn't go for glory or, really, even for Emertland. They went because you thought it should be done and they thought they were the best ones to help you do it. You have given those men – this Kingdom – reason to be proud. They have sought pride for so long and you have delivered it. I have known Torbert since we were children, perhaps 50 years now. Despite all he has accomplished in the King's name, today was his proudest moment. He saw his Guards standing with their chests out and their heads high. It was not a show. It was real and it will carry over to the rest of the squadrons."

"Perhaps we should fight a battle every 20 years or so just to help them along," Jorgarn said sarcastically.

"If we had gone to battle six months ago, Pietro likely would have won," Gorin replied. "The group's pride had nothing to do with battle. It had to do with knowing for certain they could go to battle. They knew what could happen when they volunteered. There was no fear in those men. You told them it could be done and they agreed. They believe in themselves because you believe in them and they believe in you. That is no small feat."

"But they believed in Torbert," Jorgarn interjected.

"Some of them, yes," Gorin said sadly. "The younger ones, probably not. He is 35 years older than they are. He is another parent to them, not a peer. It is like you said earlier. Much has changed in a generation, let alone 400 years. They respect Torbert but they doubt he could lead them in battle. They do not doubt you in the least. You and Torbert will make a fine team in leading this group. Now, let's let the medic have a look at your arm before the Princess finds out we're dawdling."

The medic had expected several wounded soldiers and was surprised when only Jorgarn arrived. She was an older woman with a severe face and a cold personality.

"Just you," she said. "Where are the others?"

"There are no others," Jorgarn replied. "I am the only one."

The medic looked around at her wasted preparations and her perpetual frown deepened.

"Well, let's have a look," she said. She roughly cut away Jorgarn's shirt – his best shirt, he lamented – and unwrapped the bandages.

"Amateurs," she hissed. "Who attended to this? Let me guess, you took care of it yourself."

Jorgarn was tempted to set up a confrontation between Eslada and his hag but he demurred.

"I tried but I am no medic," he said.

"Obviously," she said as she poked and prodded. "Well, at least you cleaned it halfway well. This is going to hurt."

Jorgarn seriously doubted it would hurt more than her poking had and he sent a silent thanks to Eslada for the compassion she had shown when she cleaned it earlier.

"When did the fever start?" she asked.

"Last night, early this morning," Jorgarn answered. "I've kept it covered. I didn't think it would get infected."