Episode FIVE
It’s springtime in May, five years after her life started over, Elouise is out in a lush forest, dragging a large stag from a successful hunt behind her. A tall dark-haired boy on horseback is trotting towards her smiling and waving.
“I see you’ve also been successful Mother!” he blurts out while pulling up behind him from a basket, he holds up a line with several fish attached, “I have too!”
Ellie chuckles and stops, waiting for him to reach her, “Looks like we’re all having surf and turf tonight my dear Joseph!”
Dismounting Peter, Joseph helps to tie the rope to the saddle, “Would you like to ride from here back, I have no problem walking now.”
“No thanks,” Ellie ruffles his hair and gives him a gentle kiss on his forehead, “You still need to rest that ankle of yours, that’s why you sat the whole-time fishing, right?” She jokingly says in a stern voice.
Peter brays almost as if agreeing. Joey smiles with a huff, “Yes ma’am I did as you said, propped my foot up and let the fishing rod do the work.”
“Good!” She exclaims poking his nose, “For once, doing as you’re told” she chuckles, patting his rear, “Come, up you go, I can…” she stops and both their heads look to the left, “…did you hear that?”
“I think so, it sounded like a girl.” Joey agrees and gives his hand to Elouise to help pull her up. They’re both on Peter now. She starts him off in the direction, hurrying the trot to a gallop as the cries for help continue. “It sounds like it’s coming from the ravine down from the bridge!”
As they get closer the cries for help continue to get louder. Until they are on the water’s edge. They both scan a disastrous scene. Crates, boxes, and luggage floating along the edge of the river while a small girl is slumped over an unconscious man, still halfway in the water, crying and shouting for help.
Elouise quickly pronounces to Joseph, “Hop in the water and start grabbing what you can and bring to the shore!” He bolts for the water while Ellie runs over to the girl, “Hey there sweetheart, it’ll be okay, we’re here to help.”
The girl snaps her head up as soon as she hears Ellie speak coming down the embankment and blubbers out hoarsely, “PLEASE! HELP MY FATHER!” She moves her hand away from her father to reveal a grievous wound to his abdomen, her yellow dress stained in blood, “I…I’ve tried to stop the blood from coming out, but it won’t stop!” Continuing to cry, she wipes the tears from her face only to smear the blood across her cheek.
Ellie, embraces her in a quick reassuring hug and places around her a cloak to keep the girl from shivering anymore from being damp, “It’s okay, sweetheart, we’ll help him…” she tears off the hem of her sleeve and presses it into his wound, “…See that horse up there,” Ellie points towards Peter who is grazing on the nearby foliage, “Go to the back saddle pouch, you’ll see a white bag, it’s a first aid kit, bring it here.”
The girl nervously shouts, “Okay!” and off she runs up the embankment,
“Sir!? Can you hear me?” Ellie shakes the man and places her hand on his bruised cheek, “Sir?” But it is of no use, he is unconscious, badly beaten up. His white hair stained in blood, from cuts and bruising like he was in a bare-handed brawl with knives or even a sword. He’s very pale from the loss of blood.
She peers over her shoulder to look for Joseph to be sure he is fine. He’s several hundred yards down the river, boxes and luggage thrown to the embankment, “Joseph are you okay?!” She yells, extending her arm to retrieve the bag from the young girl who has made her way back to Ellie.
Faintly she hears him reply, “Yes, I almost got everything, but I’ve found a few dead bodies!”
“Are you sure they’re dead dear?” she responds towards him, hoping to give some hope to, what she assumes is traveling companions to this girl.
“Yeah, their throats are slit!” He says swimming up to the ladies.
“It’s true.” Says the girl, they hurt them to get to my father. They were our carriage driver and two of my father’s patrol officers, Fredrick and Abraham.” She sniffles, “I liked them, they were nice…Mister Alan was okay, just cranky because father took his ale away yesterday afternoon.”
“What’s your name dear?” Ellie says finishing wrapping the bandage around her father’s waist since Joseph held him up,
The girl sorrowfully looks at her father while answering, “Lillianne Ruthann. Is my father going to be, okay?”
“Joseph, help me pull him the rest of the way out of the water and up there.” They pull the man out and carry him up the embankment where they lay him down on fresh grass. Ellie says, “Now take Peter and run as fast as you can and bring the small wagon against the shed.” He then bolts off for Peter after nodding in understanding, Ellie shouts after him, “And bring everyone along, we need as much help as we can!”
Cradling the man’s head, Ellie leans over towards Lillianne and places her hand on her bloody cheek, “Yes, I’ll be sure he’ll make it, my son is going to get more help.” She smiles reassuring her. She lays his head onto the white bag and stands up, “While we’re waiting, why don’t we both go down along the water’s edge and start to gather all the luggage Joseph was able to salvage, and you can tell me what happened, but only if you want to.” She offers her hand to walk with Lillianne.
Lillianne accepts her hand while looking back at her father, “Will he be okay if we do?”
Smiling sweetly, Elouise nods, “Yes, I’ve stopped the bleeding…” She pauses and pulls a handkerchief from her pocket and dips it in the water.
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