Chapter 126: A Familiar Face
"I need to tend to him. He needs urgent medical attention. You go ahead — we’ll carry him on horseback," Lara said firmly, glancing up at Bener. Her hands were already working, steady despite the urgency that thrummed through her veins. She was applying hemostatic powder to stop the bleeding.
Bener hesitated, eyes flicking over the wounded man.
He’d underestimated the situation. If it hadn’t been for the timely arrival of Prince Alaric and Kane, they could have suffered a devastating blow from enemies hidden in the mangrove forest. A chill danced down his spine, cold and unwelcome, as he realized just how close they had come to disaster.
His gaze lingered on the older soldier sprawled on the ground. Deep gashes marred his skin, dark streaks of blood trailing down his leg into the brown soil. Every ragged breath rattled from his chest, each one a struggle. His face, pale and gaunt, bore the weight of exhaustion and pain. Bener swallowed hard. The man might indeed lose his leg without urgent help.
"You can’t stay in this place. What if those enemy soldiers come back? You can go to our east campsite. There are soldiers there who can protect you, and the enemies could not do a sneak attack."
Lara nodded slowly, acknowledging his words. "You’re right. I’ll follow your arrangement."
As they made their way through the tangled roots and thick foliage toward the east campsite, Lara glanced back to see Alaric following silently. She expected him to return to the main camp with Bener, but he remained at her side, watchful and quiet.
She asked Aramis to carry the wounded soldier on his horse and headed to the east campsite.
Once at the campsite, she worked swiftly, her hands steady despite the fatigue from fighting. She knelt beside the wounded man, carefully cleaning the deep gash in his thigh. Blood pooled around the torn flesh, but her fingers moved with practiced ease, sprinkling hemostatic powder over the wound to stem the bleeding.