Centaur: Hoofing It Part 12

Peggy managed to sleep fitfully that night. By all rights she should have collapsed in exhaustion when they got the cart to the camping place the herd had used before, but she was too worried about Agid. He was fevered and delirious, mumbling something about foals and how it was too late. She was afraid he was giving up but she couldn’t force Urs and Lenz to go any farther, they’d been running to try and catch up with them for three days and they both needed rest. The two males switched off watching for any dangers while Peggy slept near the cart. They didn’t move Agid from his nest in the cart since they all knew that it was a difficult prospect, especially if the injured centaur stayed unconscious. Thankfully they all had enough food and water so Peggy had a full stomach for the first time in a while. She was also able to get water into Agid, which seemed to help the centaur. His wounds were red around the edges and although Peggy wasn’t a healer she knew that couldn’t be good.

The morning dawned fresh and clear and Peggy did her best to change Agid’s bandages. He stirred and looked at her, the whites of his eyes sort of yellowish. “Peggy. Why are you still bothering with me?” His voice was tired and gravelly, despite the water Peggy kept giving him.

“You know why, I’m not going to justify it.” She stroked his hair and tried not to cry at how weak he looked. “We’re a day away or so from the herd. We’re going to get you to Jori and she’ll make you well again.”

Agid coughed. “You are putting a lot of faith in one healer. What if I am too far gone when we get there? There is only so much she can do.”

She glared at him, tears pooling in her eyes and threatening to fall. “Don’t. Just don’t, Agid. I need you not to give up, for me. Please?” She took a deep breath in to try and get herself under control. “Just rest and keep hydrated and we’ll get you there and you’ll be fine.”

He reached up and pulled her hair tie out so he could run his fingers through her hair. “You are more determined than anyone I have ever known. Do not cry, I cannot stand how sad you look.” He coughed again and smiled. “I will do my best to not give up, gods willing, I will live to fulfill our deal.”

She sniffled. “Damn right. You also have to stick around to see who wins the bet.” She rubbed her eyes and smiled at him.

“Yes. That is right, I forgot.” He grinned weakly at her. “You will have to make me something.”

“Only if you win.” She snorted and then kissed him tenderly. “So there. You have a lot to live for and no reason to just die. So pull yourself together, Agid.”

He pulled her down into a more prolonged kiss and looked at her sadly when they were finished. “Let us be off then, I do not wish to languish in this cart any longer than I have to.”

Lenz had come up behind the two of them and was listening to the conversation curiously. He’d never seen such behavior before but he found it strangely moving. He cleared his throat, “If you two are done we can be off. Urs and I are well rested and ready. We might even manage to go a bit faster if Peggy pushed the cart from behind.” He smirked at the female.

Peggy nodded, “All right, I’ll do it. Anything to get to the herd faster.” She smiled and positioned herself behind the cart, ready to push when the males gave her the word.

*****

It was zenith when the sound of a cart moving quickly towards them came to Felix and Gerard. They both moved over, wondering who in the world would have managed to get a cart into this area given how close the trees were and how soft the ground was. Wizard Gerard went to the side with a curious look on his face, followed by Felix. The cart in question came into view and both the travelers from Redcliff gaped. It was being pulled by two centaurs with another in the cart and a third smaller one pushing from behind. Felix found his voice first, recognizing the centaur in the back. “PEGGY! BY THE GODS! STOP!”

Peggy turned at the sound of Felix’s voice and nearly fell when she tried to stop. She quickly yelled up to Urs and Lenz to stop as well. They came to a gradual stop and turned to look in surprise at the female centaur who was rushing up to a pair of humans on horseback coming up behind them. “Felix! I’m so glad to see you!” She grinned at him then stared, “You’re riding . . .”

“Yeah, I got a little tutoring. What’s going on, Peggy?” He looked at the centaur in the cart and his stomach lurched when he saw who it was and what state he was in. “By Gallraen’s Bow! What happened to Agid?” Before anyone could stop him, he leapt off his horse and ran toward the cart.

“He was hit with two crossbow bolts and several sword strikes as far as I could determine.” Peggy followed quickly. “Can you do anything to help him or can you tell us if you know where the herd is?”

Felix hopped into the cart with the wounded centaur and started examining the wounds. The worst by far was the one in Agid’s abdomen. No one had a real grasp of centaur anatomy so that bolt could have hit anything. They weren’t badly infected and he could smell the alcohol that had been used to disinfect them. He shook the centaur’s shoulder, “Agid. Wake up.”

The white haired centaur groaned and opened his eyes blearily. “Felix? I thought I heard you. What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you lot. Hang in there, the rest of the herd is up a ways.” He looked thoughtful as he took in Agid’s symptoms. It didn’t look good. He wished he knew where the closest healer was.

Peggy looked relieved. “If we can get him to the herd then Jori can heal him!”

Felix looked over at Peggy, “Who’s Jori?”

Urs came up and loomed over Felix, “She’s our healer, Storyweaver. I ought to kill you where you are for being here.”

Peggy came between Urs and Felix, “Urs! Stop it. Felix had nothing to do with the initial attack or anything else at the manor during the battle. I know it.”

Felix looked up at the large, angry centaur. “She’s correct, Urs. I was as horrified at the initial attack as you were and the minute it happened I went to try and determine who was responsible. We found who it was and he is being held right now by King Albern.”

“Then whoever it is needs to be handed over to the centaurs for justice!” Urs snarled and Lenz nodded in agreement.

The Wizard Gerard piped in, “You are completely correct. He will be held until he can be handed over to you, but for now we need to get this wounded centaur to your healer.”

Felix looked at Agid and then at Peggy, “It would be faster if someone could go get the healer while you continue to travel toward the herd. The healer could meet you halfway.”

Peggy, Urs, and Lenz all looked at Felix in surprise. Peggy smacked her forehead. “Why didn’t I think about that?!”

Lenz shook his head, “You have been trying to keep Agid from just giving up, you weren’t thinking of much else.”

Felix looked at Agid and then Peggy and put two and two together. All right then, looked like Little Peggy Centaurfilly had found herself someone. He smirked despite the seriousness of the issue. “All right then. I think one of you centaurs should be the ones to go . . . I’m not exactly welcome by the lot of you at the moment.” He knelt down in the cart next to Agid. “Can you tell me how you feel?”

“You mean other than utter manure?” Agid groaned. “I’m thirsty. Really thirsty. And tired. I just keep falling asleep.”

“We’ve been giving him water . . .” Peggy came over looking worried.

“That bolt in his abdomen hit something internal, don’t know exactly what, but we’ve got to get a healer fast.” Felix looked at Peggy. “The males can pull him faster if there’s two of them. I’ll keep an eye on him for you and you get the healer, okay?”

Peggy nodded and pointed at Felix, “Don’t you dare let him die, Felix, or I’ll never forgive you!” She leaned over and kissed Agid in a way that made Felix suddenly uncomfortable for watching. “I won’t forgive you either, Agid. Hang on, I’ll go get Jori.” She suddenly leapt away.

Felix yelled after her, “Follow the trail! It should lead you straight to them!”
Peggy nodded and sped away at a speed that impressed all of them.

Felix gave Agid more water then looked at Urs and Lenz. “Well? We’re not doing any good just sitting around . . .”

Urs growled and looked like he wanted to smack Felix but Lenz held the other centaur back and spoke, “You get out of the cart first. We will only pull Agid.”

Felix nodded and hopped back on his horse in a way that surprised even him, especially since he managed to do it without injury to himself. “Fine. Shall we go then?” He looked over at Gerard who was smirking at him. “Lead the way, my fine centaurs.”

Urs and Lenz gave the two men dirty looks and then started off at a good pace. Felix found it fairly easy to keep up since his horse was still well rested. Agid groaned quietly and looked up at Felix, “I think . . . I should try to stay awake. Every time I fall asleep I have dreams that make me not want to wake up.”

Felix winced. That wasn’t a good sign. “Well, perhaps we should talk?”

Agid smiled. “Tell me about Peggy. She doesn’t talk much about herself. She said you helped her when she was driven from her home, tell me how and why Storyteller.”

Felix looked at the centaur and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Agid was obviously in love. It wasn’t a state he’d ever seen a male centaur in. Lust, certainly, but this was definitely love. He chuckled, Peggy certainly was a bringer of change. “All right. Pay attention and don’t fall asleep and I’ll tell you the whole tale.” He told the story fully and loud enough for the two centaurs pulling the cart to hear him too. It was a good tale, best for the audience in fact. Agid was riveted by every bit of information that Felix gave about Peggy and her struggles before she ended up at Dravin Manor. Felix even noticed that Gerard was paying attention to his tale. The storyteller grinned, it felt good to be tale telling, it had been so long.

***********

Peggy ran like her life depended on it. Actually, Agid’s life depended on it, which made her run as fast as she possibly could. She was winded and gasping by the time she got to the place where the herd was settled. Gitta had decided that they were all too tired to move and needed more of a rest. Some had been sent off to find food to supplement what Felix had left and Nik was standing guard with his axe just as Felix had seen him earlier. He looked up when he heard Peggy approaching and smiled until he saw how exhausted and worried she looked, “Peggy? What’s going on?”

“A . . . Agid . . . hurt . . . need . . . Jori.” Peggy gasped out trying to catch her breath as she stood in front of the red centaur.

Nik immediately went into action, rushing to find the healer. Within moments both Jori and Fedde were in front of Peggy. Jori looked around. “Where is Agid?”

Peggy had managed to catch her breath slightly though she was leaning over to try and breathe better. “He’s back that way heading this way in a cart. It should be a shorter run between here and him now than before. Hop on, Jori, I’ll carry you.”

Jori gave her a skeptical look, “No, you won’t. You’re foaming around your legs and you’re in no shape to carry anything but my supplies.” She tossed a bag to Peggy to sling over her shoulder.

“Then how are you going to get there?” Peggy was desperate to get going quickly and she didn’t like even this slight delay.

Fedde pulled himself up proudly, “I’m going to carry her. Lead the way, Peggy. This way there will be two of us to help Agid.” Fedde looked determined.

Peggy nodded as Nik helped Jori onto Fedde’s back. She hoped the young centaur could keep up with her. “All right then, let’s go.” Peggy took off and watched as Fedde went into a quick gallop behind her, his mother hugging his chest tightly.