Kerlak Enterprises - Reading Room

Siege Warriors: A Fantasy Anthology by Brian G. Murray

   'Healer! Healer!' scream the injured and those nursing the wounded. 'Healer!'
   We have the most thankless task during any battle. We are the forgotten heroes, the people you want around, but do not want to see. With stretcher-bearers, we race into conflicts, armed with only a dagger to help the injured and wounded and to comfort the dying. Some of us are priests or priestesses, but many are just every day citizens wanting to do our bit to help the cause.
   My name is Jarrack, a junior priest at the Temple of Peace, where we learn to love everyone and everything. I have spent my entire adult life being a priest and every day I don my earthy brown robes with pride. My temple, my home, is deep within the Northern Mountains. But when the request came from our king for healers, our High Priestess quickly dispatched those who possessed the necessary talents and skills. So here I am - knee deep in blood, gore, anguish and death in a small place known as Bergon. Bergon is actually an outpost, a small fortress town, on the southern edge of the Bainon Kingdom that stretches from the Northern Mountains to the southern borders with Evezia. It's the Evezians who are invading our lands, causing so much pain, torment and death. Why… a feud over 'sacred' lands dating back generations - pointless. So, ducking arrows, dodging the odd reckless lunge and avoiding the bloodthirsty enemy, I race back and forth helping the injured. I usually run along the battlements, during and just after the fighting ends, plying my trade, the craft of saving lives. I will give you my typical day…
   At dawn, I leave the hospital where, if I'm lucky, I have grabbed a few hours sleep. However, that's not always the case and today was one of those days. I say my prayers then make my way to the wall. For the last couple of days, the ritual on the wall has been the same. An hour or so after dawn, the enemy will charge. After a few bloody attacks, they will retreat. Then just after noon they will launch another series of attacks until dusk. Luckily, the enemy has not launched an evening attack.
   At the wall I meet up with the other healers and stretcher-bearers. I feel how most of the men and women who had volunteered for this thankless task look: utterly exhausted. But not just physically, I mean mentally exhausted as well - you'll see why. I walk through the gathering and warmly greet everyone by name. It's shocking to see just how few people there are left. Many have been killed helping people. One priest was actually stabbed by an injured Evezian he was trying to help. Times like that, my faith wanes but not for long. So now only half our original number have survived to help.
   The captain in charge, an older warrior named Raddos, calls us together and allocates stretcher-bearers to healers. I am allocated two teams of two men. I offer the men a blessing and they nod their thanks and kneel. After, I find out their names - Somin, Pharon, Vladon and Owyn - and introduce myself. A horn blares signalling the start of the day's events. Raddos quickly allocates us areas to cover. Today, my team and I have been given the left side of the gate where most of the fiercest fighting occurs - the worst location.
   We reach the wall just as the battle starts. Here I require a sharp eye. I always wait in the stairwell for a break or lull in the fight - then we're off. I am no expert with the intricacies of battles, but since this siege started I have learnt to read them and recognise safe lulls in the fighting.

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