A druid's oath

There were two thoughts when I woke up, after I decided that going in front of two tons of monster was a good idea.

The first was of general pain, and not the “please give me some analgesic and let me sleep.”

More like “everything is broken and if you don’t give me the prescription of opioids now I will kill someone.”

Something that was probably noticed by someone, because two cold hands touched my forehead and the pain vanished pretty much immediately.

That made space for the second thought, that made me shot up from where I was lying, only for the pain of the bruises of my bruises making me bend in pain, followed by a groan and me looking around where I was.
The bedding was not so comfortable, but I had already felt it, and the covers were rough but warm.

The door was somewhat repaired, or maybe it was more like it had been closed completely, shut using nails and wood if what I could see by the fire’s light was enough, while in the middle there was a rising and falling mass of brown hair, surrounded by smaller cubs that I had already seen.

And Ingrid was fine, nothing more than some scrapes, sleeping on one of the other beds, Lucrezia having taken another, probably tired as well.

Damn, I really should have felt bad for the people I let sleep here if it was so uncomfortable, but considering how much it costed to…

“Well, I take that you are awake at last.” An old voice, a tired voice, spoke up from beside me.

I turned and Grandma was there, leaning on her cane and more lines having joined on her face, her breath slower, while Grandpa having taken the last bed here and sleeping there during the night.

“What happened?” I asked, trying to prop myself up, only for pain to flare up again.

Before she could try to move her hand again, I leaned down again, and watched the roof, letting the pain subside while waiting for her to answer.

And, after three breaths, I heard a deep exhale and the tired words came, and I could see her leaning forward tiredly: “Other than a broken bone from the bear, or at least what I think was it’s a broken bone, and your own bruises and cracks, both things I took care of…you are all alive, which is more than can be asked from youngings fighting an heretic.”

I knew that there was more and, looking down towards the still sleeping Ingrid, I asked quietly, tapping my finger, the only thing I could move without feeling the many needles inside and outside my body pin me: “And you, Grandma? How much?”
Grandma leaned forward, gripping her cane, and did not answer for what seemed like minutes, turning towards where Ingrid was for but a moment, her shoulders lowering minutely, and nothing on her face.

And then she continued, like this question hadn’t been important: “I will accompany the alfar to Annesus when Winter passes. I will need to be there for the…after. Then I will have to find a trusted mage to bring here. This hamlet is too important now, and…there are risks. Above all now.”

I hummed at that, not pointing out how she changed the argument, and looked up.

It would probably be her last trip, as well. Lucrezia was going there to either remain, or travel around, and Grandma was tireder than ever.

Turning towards Ingrid, making sure that she knew I was looking at the sleeping dyrgia, I asked quietly: “What about her? Will you say it to her?”

I saw her shoulders tense in that moment, my words hitting her to her heart, and to her own morals.

It was nothing I hadn’t seen before, so I continued: “Why not bring her with you? I know that you already spoke with Grandpa, that he knows, but she does not, not completely. Not having this last thing may be a regret she will have for a long time.”

“Because you know much about regrets, boy? You almost died, and she almost-.” She stopped, inhaling sharply, but her blue eyes spoke of anger, for a moment.

Then she closed them, and thought.

“I will not make her return alone. It’s dangerous, and if Annessus does not have the necessary to avoid a mess coming here, it will be even more dangerous. I will not be so selfish.”

I bit back an annoyed curse, the fire being the only sound coming here, not even wind, and the warmth of the blankets annoying me more, due to also how tightly my limbs had been bound.

Letting her leave like that, letting Ingrid lose her this way, would have been bitter in my mouth, and in my spirit.

But, and it's an enormous but, I had limitations, and the way I could help was by finding others to help, be they spirits or animals, and those animals had a lot to lose.

The queen? If she has really broken her leg, she could be weakened for life, and she couold very well find herself unable to hunt, or to fight for her territory.

Grandma herself was proof of that.

"Do not worry, Victor. I lived a long life. I will end it content, both by duty and by happiness" she whispered, getting up from her sit and going towards her husband, unheeding to my turmoil: "In case I don't return, I ask you to make Ingrid happy, and I ask you to help this Hamlet, as you did and do." she didn't turn towards me, and simply laid beside the person she loved.

I, on my part, didn't let her see how sad I was, how tired I was, but I mentally promised myself, to both my family I had left behind and to the friends I had here, that I would cherish them.

So yes, I would remain here to make Ingrid happy, and I would stand beside her, Erik, Grandpa and the hamlet when Grandma would die, either here or somewhere in these mountains.

This I promised as a Veterinarian, and as a Druid.