Tales Of Corinthia

Authors note:

This story was written as part of a collection of short stories that occur before my current WIP novel.

STORY 1 – A STUBBORN FOOL AND THE PATIENT DOCTOR 

Wind swept through medical tent tousling the young doctor’s hair as he once again stood over the caravan’s head warrior’s unconscious body. Luckily this bout of unconsciousness was brought along by choice and not a new injury. Unlike most of her visits where the doctor would be rushing around trying to fix a variety of injuries. The most notable being a large surface level gash on the woman’s chest from a training accident.  

The doctor knew it wouldn’t be long until the impossibly stubborn woman would awake. Forcing him to ignore his work as she pranced about the tent asking questions about his equipment. Members of their travelling group watching from outside, as she tormented him for hours on end, with smiles.  

On the occasions that their protector wasn’t holed up in the medical tent after training the children would attempt to distract the man. Often bringing new games or just trying to learn from the new doctor. While he never minded the distraction usually the company allowing him to learn more about his new life with the caravan. He did often struggle finding time in the day to work on his studies.  

Today was one of the few days he would get time no one daring to disturb him when he had a patient. A patient who for the most part had spent the day asleep in his tent but a force to be reckoned with when awake.  

 Realising he was wasting time he roughly rolled up his sleeves and went back to his makeshift desk. The empty crates and pile of cushions and blankets making a somewhat comfortable work environment. A small pile of books had begun to form atop the crates opened to various pages where he believed there to be useful information.  

 Returning to his notes on hemlock and its horrific poisonous attributes he started theorizing on ways to cure it. Each new page of reading bringing more questions as he researched every plant in the family. The fact most of the plant’s family were edible giving him cause for concern.  

His research on the subject started after one of the younger caravan members ate some suffering severe seizures. Luckily, the kid didn’t ingest much and with constant care recovered almost fully. However, this bout of illness forced the usually travelling caravan to stay in one place for over a month.  

The stagnation had been enough to start driving the travelers a but stir crazy a few even making the journey into Ilamont to find some entertainment. One such journey being the reason the mighty warrior was asleep at mid-day instead of out training. Whether from boredom or pure ego she had attempted to win some fighting tournament in the city.  

While she did win, there was no doubt she took a massive risk already being injured from overexertion. She returned to the camp barely able to walk but a trophy in hand and a medal around her neck showed she won. Jace a young warrior in training had been the one to assist her to the medical tent practically having to carry her. The young lad looking at her worriedly before pleading for the doctor to help her.  

“Allen?” The once unconscious woman spoke quietly sitting up on the cot she was napping on.  

“Yes?” He replied turning to her with a smile looking her over to make sure none of the bandages, that covered her like some type of mummy, had slipped. When she had appeared once again covered in cuts and bruises, he had panicked and gone a bit overboard with bandaging her up.  

Before she could respond he had turned back to his work noting nothing out of the ordinary, “What are you working on?” She asked silently approaching him to look over his shoulder.  

The doctor noticed her limp and shifted over on the pile of cushions patting next to him, “A cure for hemlock poisoning, well in theory I am, in practice I’m reading about parsnips.”  

A low laugh filled the air around them as the sturdy woman lowered herself onto the cushioned ground. She sat looking away from the notebook instead resting her back on the crates, “Maybe you should switch to homesteading?” She suggested with a smile as she gazed at the roof of the tent.  

Closing his notes to finally look at her properly the doctor let out a sigh unbuttoning the top button of his shirt, “I’ll try homesteading when you become a monk.”  

The remark took the woman off guard looking at him shocked before bursting into a fit of laughter. Hand firmly pressed to her stomach she looked at the man with a red face and tears in her eyes.  

Despite not knowing each other long they had gotten close through a series of mishaps. Now seeing one another near daily whether because of the prideful guard’s injuries or the doctor somehow finding trouble. Although they still hadn’t quite figured out how she always ended up where he found trouble.  

Throughout their time together, they both learned a lot about each other’s lives and childhoods. Often finding themselves discussing the differences between growing up a traveler and free to do anything compared to the doctor’s life. He and his brothers had been raised by their father alone a retired war general and knight.  

Growing up they were expected to do nothing, but the best and combat training was almost beat into them. But he didn’t really tell anyone about that part just that he didn’t follow his father’s orders. He left home when ordered to attend the royal military academy instead apprenticing under an elderly doctor.  

The warrior was always shocked by the structure the man grew up with always staying in one place. Never meeting new people or going anywhere. Receiving an education in a schoolhouse instead of wherever it made sense to.  

Allen on the other hand was both fascinated and shocked by the way the travelers lived. Usually never staying in one place for more than a week and constantly changing who was with them. Many people joining their journeys to get passage to other countries in exchange for work.  

Their education was also something he was fascinated by the children got the formal education that he did from a young age. With the addition of anything that they would need to survive. Often finding himself listening in on lessons about edible herbs or basic hunting skills. Even the people they picked up around the continent would often give education in return for their passage.  

This wildly contrasted his own upbringing of being sat at a desk for hours reading and writing until his father decided he needed to train the sword. He never was any good with any of the weapons his father taught him, but he did try. Here he never saw a kid be punished for not learning a topic quick enough or not having interest which was new to him.  

 The monk comment had been a refence to an earlier conversation where he had admonished the woman for her violent tendencies. Her response to the lecture being ‘Go work in a temple if you don’t like it.’ and while he had considered it, he much preferred where he was now.  

After her laughing fit, they’d sat in silence for a while just enjoying each other’s company the sun still high in the sky, “Lauren?” The young doctor had eventually said rousing the woman from her thoughts. She didn’t respond but looked over at him waiting for him to continue, “Would you mind joining me in the city at some point I’ve yet had chance to see it.”  

Taking a moment the woman smiled at him brightly, “You can’t go on your own?” she teased in an attempt to get something out of him.  

His face heated up a deep red as he took a deep breath turning to her, “I would like to go with you,” Watching her reaction closely he continued, “In a close way.”  

Laughing at his way of asking the guard patted his shoulder, “You mean a date?” his small nod confirming it as he tried to look away, “I would like that very much.”  

All the tenseness from his shoulders left and he sighed a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. Taking a moment to breath he looked over to her with a smile before busying himself again with his notes.  

Before the guard could say anything about the quick change in focus a bell rang through the camp signaling a meal was being served. Attempting to get up from the spot on the ground her leg cramped, and she buckled forward falling on her knees. A dull thud accompanied by her low groan of pain quickly getting the doctors attention.  

He didn’t hesitate to lift her up and into the cot with a surprising amount of strength a look of worry etched on his face. The bandages were quickly removed from her legs and once sure there were no outer injuries he got to work massaging the muscles. Helping her stretch the injured leg and relieving the tension in the cramping joints.  

Looking down at the exhausted and injured woman he sighed watching as she started to drift off back to sleep. Quickly grabbing the nearby blankets and wrapping her up taking in her peaceful state with a smile.  

The smile never left his face as he realised, she agreed to go out with him, the strong, protective, and skilled woman agreed to go on a date.  

A date that would one day start a life of joy.