Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 40:
The next 24 hours feel like non-stop motion, but tons of progress is made. The drywall seams have all been sanded. The bathroom, hall, both lofts, and dining room have been painted. The beds have been set up and are in their respective lofts. The walls, windows, doors, and outside wood have been installed for the cabin. So has the roof decking. The pipes have both been run with electrical and plumbing, and the trench has been filled in with the displaced dirt.
Florida, South Dakota, New York, and North Carolina have all arrived.
Kimbal called about an hour ago, asking if he and Sinopa could visit for a bit. When I told him they were always welcome, the phone went dead and I heard a knock at my front door. Answering it, I grinned at them both, then gasped at the sight of roofing shingles being carried from his truck to my backyard.
I went to say something, but Kimbal shook his head, “Remember what I was willing to pay for just 15 minutes of Sinopa having peace? Other than the one instance I told you of, we’re working on 48 hours of peace. It’s been months since she has rested this easy and eaten this well. Please, Bella… let me do this.”
I hug a smiling Sinopa, then gently squeeze Kimbal’s hand and nod without a word.
Currently, Sinopa and I are relaxing in the lounge chairs with bottles of water, enjoying the sight of our mates working on the roof of the cabin as we wait for the last 2 states to arrive.
She asks, “If they arrive before a certain time, are you holding the bonfire tonight? Would you like help with the food?”
I nod and pat her right hand, which is resting on the arm of her lounger, “That would be a huge help, but only if you feel up to it. And yes, we probably will, if they get here before sunset. If not, it will probably end up being a breakfast meeting, and Kimbal linking in by shifting. We’ll have at least one coyote here phased in so that the ones patrolling can be a par--”
A sudden screech fills the air from a New York eagle, a coyote howl following right behind, so I look at Sinopa seriously, “Close your eyes and hold onto me.”
I catch Kimbal’s eye as I pick Sinopa up in my arms, then dash into the house with her. I’m relieved to see both Leah and Jake surrounding Dad as I set Sinopa gently on her feet. She opens her eyes and nods to me, so I say, “Don’t leave their sight. Both are shifters, and they will protect you. If you start to feel sick, try to let one of them know before you dash toward a bathroom.”
After a serious nod from her, then also from Leah, I turn and dash back out the living room french doors. Taha comes to a stop in front of me, so I ask, “Do we know what’s happening?”
He nods, “Kimbal phased in as soon as he saw Sinopa was safe with you. He says we have a mountain lion and a jaguar, both in human form, and both needing healing. Arizona met up with Utah somewhere along the way, and they decided to travel together. They were ambushed when they stopped to hunt. They’ll be here soon.”
I nod then call toward Kimbal, who is currently human and walking in our direction, “What do we know of injuries?”
He shakes his head, “The female has dislocated shoulder from the way she was smashed into, plus at least a broken arm and several gashes. The male’s got a pretty bad gash on his head, and he somehow got a tree limb jabbed through his front paw, so his hand is messed up. The vamps are ash, though, and everyone will live.”
I nod, then go into healing mode, “I need you both to help me prepare, then. Someone get a hold of Will, tell him I don’t know how to set bones, and I need his help right now, please and thank you.”
Taha stops in his tracks as he pulls his phone out, so I have Kimbal follow me to the medicine room. I hand him the basket, then start loading things into it. Medicated thread, gauze, a few bottles of pain reliever, the small case of needles, and a couple of tins of healing salve all get placed inside. Just in case, I also grab the trusty healing journal from the shelf before I stop in front of Kimbal. He’s looking at me in awe, but I assure him, “I don’t understand half of this, and I still need an unbelievable amount of guidance. This… was all my Gran Hurit, and I’m just beginning to learn about it through her journals.”
He nods in understanding but says as he gives me a small smile, “With her as a guide, even through only her journals, I have no doubt you’ll do well. Do you have everything you need?”
I nod, then hear a sharp female cry as a commotion starts upstairs. I turn and run toward the sound, knowing Kimbal is right on my heels.
When I slide to a stop in the dining room, I see that the dining room tables have become the triage area. I nod and note what’s here, then ask, “Has someone got water heating? I’m out of iodine, and will want to clean the wounds before stitching them.”
My Dad calls from the kitchen, “Already on the stove, Bells. Only another minute or two should do it.”
Giving both injured parties a quick once over, I note that the female smells of the uninjured male. They are mates, so I hand him a tin of healing salve while directing, “None of her gashes are deep enough that her body won’t take over, and none have venom in them that I can smell. Put a thin layer of this on each gash; it will staunch the bleeding and promote her body to heal more quickly. I have another healer coming to set her broken arm. I might hurt her more if I try to relocate her shoulder first.”
He nods while opening the tin, so I turn my attention to the male. His head wound is pretty deep and long, and he’s bleeding like a stuck pig. I quickly dunk a washcloth into the hot water, then place it against the gash, saying, “Breathe. Sorry, I know this hurts. I need to make sure there’s no debris in it before I stitch it. You’re losing a lot of blood because it’s a head wound.”
Without stopping what I’m doing -or even turning my head- I call, “Someone needs to hunt for them. They’ll both need the energy to heal, and you know how I feel about injured shifters leaving my property.”
Taha nods, “Been there. It doesn’t happen. I’ll go. You’ll need the energy too, looking after everyone else.”
He kisses my temple, then Aiden speaks up, “I’ll help him, Miss Bella.”
I nod, then thread a hooked needle and prepare the male, “I’m going to stitch this now. We’ll check it in an hour or 2. If your body has taken over and healed enough in that time, the stitches will be taken out. I’ll deal with your hand in just a minute. I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name.”
He winces as I start stitching his head, but says, “Malachi, from Arizona.”
I nod, saying, “Well, Malachi, my name is Bella.”
I look to the female, who says, “Utah. My name’s Skye, and this is my mate Zephyr.”
I nod, then ask, “Are either of you in much pain?”
Malachi shakes his head no, but I can see the pain in his eyes. I pull 2 small bottles of pain reliever out of the basket, then hand one to each of them. “Open the bottle and down half of it. It’s just an herbal pain reliever. You will still have all your faculties, just less pain from your injuries.”
Both do as told before I finish stitching Malachi’s head wound. When I unwrap the t-shirt from his hand, I wince and say, “Okay, explain how this happened.”
He offers as I do an inspection of his wound, “I had just taken down one of the vamps. Zephyr was still fighting off one of his own, and Skye was dealing with a huge brute trying to beat her with half a tree. When I got close, he seemed to sense me. Too fast for me to compensate, he yanked a limb off the tree, turned, and jammed it down into my paw. Fucker was quick. The distraction allowed Skye the chance to take him down, though.”
He chuckled, “Your mate’s badass, Zephyr, taking down that brute with a dislocated shoulder and broken arm.”
Zephyr nods while placing a kiss on her temple, then explains simply, “That’s why she’s the leader.”
I shake my head with a chuckle, then continue to work on Malachi’s hand. It’s only a few minutes before Will is quickly shuffling into the room, Shiloh carrying a large bag for him.
The next 24 hours feel like non-stop motion, but tons of progress is made. The drywall seams have all been sanded. The bathroom, hall, both lofts, and dining room have been painted. The beds have been set up and are in their respective lofts. The walls, windows, doors, and outside wood have been installed for the cabin. So has the roof decking. The pipes have both been run with electrical and plumbing, and the trench has been filled in with the displaced dirt.
Florida, South Dakota, New York, and North Carolina have all arrived.
Kimbal called about an hour ago, asking if he and Sinopa could visit for a bit. When I told him they were always welcome, the phone went dead and I heard a knock at my front door. Answering it, I grinned at them both, then gasped at the sight of roofing shingles being carried from his truck to my backyard.
I went to say something, but Kimbal shook his head, “Remember what I was willing to pay for just 15 minutes of Sinopa having peace? Other than the one instance I told you of, we’re working on 48 hours of peace. It’s been months since she has rested this easy and eaten this well. Please, Bella… let me do this.”
I hug a smiling Sinopa, then gently squeeze Kimbal’s hand and nod without a word.
Currently, Sinopa and I are relaxing in the lounge chairs with bottles of water, enjoying the sight of our mates working on the roof of the cabin as we wait for the last 2 states to arrive.
She asks, “If they arrive before a certain time, are you holding the bonfire tonight? Would you like help with the food?”
I nod and pat her right hand, which is resting on the arm of her lounger, “That would be a huge help, but only if you feel up to it. And yes, we probably will, if they get here before sunset. If not, it will probably end up being a breakfast meeting, and Kimbal linking in by shifting. We’ll have at least one coyote here phased in so that the ones patrolling can be a par--”
A sudden screech fills the air from a New York eagle, a coyote howl following right behind, so I look at Sinopa seriously, “Close your eyes and hold onto me.”
I catch Kimbal’s eye as I pick Sinopa up in my arms, then dash into the house with her. I’m relieved to see both Leah and Jake surrounding Dad as I set Sinopa gently on her feet. She opens her eyes and nods to me, so I say, “Don’t leave their sight. Both are shifters, and they will protect you. If you start to feel sick, try to let one of them know before you dash toward a bathroom.”
After a serious nod from her, then also from Leah, I turn and dash back out the living room french doors. Taha comes to a stop in front of me, so I ask, “Do we know what’s happening?”
He nods, “Kimbal phased in as soon as he saw Sinopa was safe with you. He says we have a mountain lion and a jaguar, both in human form, and both needing healing. Arizona met up with Utah somewhere along the way, and they decided to travel together. They were ambushed when they stopped to hunt. They’ll be here soon.”
I nod then call toward Kimbal, who is currently human and walking in our direction, “What do we know of injuries?”
He shakes his head, “The female has dislocated shoulder from the way she was smashed into, plus at least a broken arm and several gashes. The male’s got a pretty bad gash on his head, and he somehow got a tree limb jabbed through his front paw, so his hand is messed up. The vamps are ash, though, and everyone will live.”
I nod, then go into healing mode, “I need you both to help me prepare, then. Someone get a hold of Will, tell him I don’t know how to set bones, and I need his help right now, please and thank you.”
Taha stops in his tracks as he pulls his phone out, so I have Kimbal follow me to the medicine room. I hand him the basket, then start loading things into it. Medicated thread, gauze, a few bottles of pain reliever, the small case of needles, and a couple of tins of healing salve all get placed inside. Just in case, I also grab the trusty healing journal from the shelf before I stop in front of Kimbal. He’s looking at me in awe, but I assure him, “I don’t understand half of this, and I still need an unbelievable amount of guidance. This… was all my Gran Hurit, and I’m just beginning to learn about it through her journals.”
He nods in understanding but says as he gives me a small smile, “With her as a guide, even through only her journals, I have no doubt you’ll do well. Do you have everything you need?”
I nod, then hear a sharp female cry as a commotion starts upstairs. I turn and run toward the sound, knowing Kimbal is right on my heels.
When I slide to a stop in the dining room, I see that the dining room tables have become the triage area. I nod and note what’s here, then ask, “Has someone got water heating? I’m out of iodine, and will want to clean the wounds before stitching them.”
My Dad calls from the kitchen, “Already on the stove, Bells. Only another minute or two should do it.”
Giving both injured parties a quick once over, I note that the female smells of the uninjured male. They are mates, so I hand him a tin of healing salve while directing, “None of her gashes are deep enough that her body won’t take over, and none have venom in them that I can smell. Put a thin layer of this on each gash; it will staunch the bleeding and promote her body to heal more quickly. I have another healer coming to set her broken arm. I might hurt her more if I try to relocate her shoulder first.”
He nods while opening the tin, so I turn my attention to the male. His head wound is pretty deep and long, and he’s bleeding like a stuck pig. I quickly dunk a washcloth into the hot water, then place it against the gash, saying, “Breathe. Sorry, I know this hurts. I need to make sure there’s no debris in it before I stitch it. You’re losing a lot of blood because it’s a head wound.”
Without stopping what I’m doing -or even turning my head- I call, “Someone needs to hunt for them. They’ll both need the energy to heal, and you know how I feel about injured shifters leaving my property.”
Taha nods, “Been there. It doesn’t happen. I’ll go. You’ll need the energy too, looking after everyone else.”
He kisses my temple, then Aiden speaks up, “I’ll help him, Miss Bella.”
I nod, then thread a hooked needle and prepare the male, “I’m going to stitch this now. We’ll check it in an hour or 2. If your body has taken over and healed enough in that time, the stitches will be taken out. I’ll deal with your hand in just a minute. I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name.”
He winces as I start stitching his head, but says, “Malachi, from Arizona.”
I nod, saying, “Well, Malachi, my name is Bella.”
I look to the female, who says, “Utah. My name’s Skye, and this is my mate Zephyr.”
I nod, then ask, “Are either of you in much pain?”
Malachi shakes his head no, but I can see the pain in his eyes. I pull 2 small bottles of pain reliever out of the basket, then hand one to each of them. “Open the bottle and down half of it. It’s just an herbal pain reliever. You will still have all your faculties, just less pain from your injuries.”
Both do as told before I finish stitching Malachi’s head wound. When I unwrap the t-shirt from his hand, I wince and say, “Okay, explain how this happened.”
He offers as I do an inspection of his wound, “I had just taken down one of the vamps. Zephyr was still fighting off one of his own, and Skye was dealing with a huge brute trying to beat her with half a tree. When I got close, he seemed to sense me. Too fast for me to compensate, he yanked a limb off the tree, turned, and jammed it down into my paw. Fucker was quick. The distraction allowed Skye the chance to take him down, though.”
He chuckled, “Your mate’s badass, Zephyr, taking down that brute with a dislocated shoulder and broken arm.”
Zephyr nods while placing a kiss on her temple, then explains simply, “That’s why she’s the leader.”
I shake my head with a chuckle, then continue to work on Malachi’s hand. It’s only a few minutes before Will is quickly shuffling into the room, Shiloh carrying a large bag for him.