Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

The Siege of Syrn: Part XIII

The journey to the Infirmary seemed to take forever to Dirk. In reality, it was only a few minutes, and soon they were there. People helped him take his armor off, and then Dirk was laid down on a pallet.

A nurse removed the bandage from his wound and bathed it. Then she put a salve on and bandaged it again. She brought him a drink, and within moments Dirk was fast asleep.

Several hours later he awoke. It was still dark. Outside he could hear noises. Men were shouting, metal clanged on metal. A huge crash broke over the other noise. It sounded like a rock had hit a building.

Dirk stood up and looked out. He was in the second level of the castle, looking over the first wall into the town. His jaw dropped.

The town was in flames. Figures were running toward the first circle of the castle being chased. Arrows were flying in every direction. Far back on the curtain wall, he could barely make out the dim silhouette of the gate, twisted and wrenched. More men poured through the ruins of the gate, many carrying torches.

Dirk stood watching the spectacle unfold before him, his eyes widening in awe and horror. Then he came to his senses. He looked around frantically. Where was his armor? More importantly, where was his sword?

He saw that he was in a small room. A chair stood next the pallet he had been sleeping on, and on this rested his armor and his sword stood next to it.

Frantically, he began pulling his armor on. The armor had been cut when he had been wounded. The blow surely would have killed if he had not been wearing it. As he slid it on, the jagged edge of his chain mail caught on the bandage, pulling it down and exposing his cut.

He howled in pain as it began to bleed again.

Gently, he slid the bandage back into place. This time he was careful to keep the mail from rubbing his side as he finished sliding into it. He strapped on his boots which lying next to the chair, and picked up his sword.

Then, not knowing exactly what awaited him, he opened the door and left the Infirmary.

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