The Shaman and the General

The Shaman and the General

Brismor
It was late by the time Brismor had made his way to where the shaman Zeytin lived this time of the year, the blood on his wounds had matted and grown crusty. Brismor was most worried about his eye, the other wounds would make nice scars, but his eye. He hoped it was just swollen shut and sealed over with blood and that was why he couldn’t see still. It has only been earlier that day he had won the battle but still the large stag longed for his eyesight back. He felt on edge, swinging his head wide trying to take in all of his surroundings with his one good eye.

Brismor didn’t call out for the shaman, if he was here Zeytin would find him. If not Brismor would wait. He had come the long way to see Zeytin intentionally, Brismor didn’t want to trust any of the more gossipy healers, if he was to lose his eyesight the fewer fawns who knew about it the better. Carefully he picked his way thru the shrubs that grew on the edge of the glade, just beyond he could see the great bowl shape of Widow’s Hallow, Brismor kept to the edges, working his way around the bowl, there would be others in the hallow grazing and it would be best to avoid them while he searched for Zeytin.

Zeytin
Carefully, the pale stag placed his cloven hoofs on the pile of fallen leaves, covering the forest floor. The pine trees remained strong and green, but the other trees already lost some of their leaves. This afternoon the winds had brought a smell with them. The smell of old blood, iron and sweat; the smell of a stag that was hurt. He did not know where he was. But he needed to help. It was in his nature. He didn’t carry anything with him, he needed to see the injured stag first. Maybe he was dead by now. He did not know.

He started trotting when the smell of the stag became stronger with every step he took. He pinned his pointy ears forward when he spotted a shade in the distance. When he came closer, he recognised the stripes on his hide. Brismor. He had never met the General before.

He immediately saw the eye of the wounded stag. It was heavily swollen. “That looks painful” He said in a monotone voice. He had never been a talkative stag. “Let me wash your wounds”.

Brismor
Brismor heard the healer before he spotted him, he was upwind of Zeytin and didn’t catch the pale stag’s herb infused scent. The pale stag had come up on his blinded side, his eye swollen and painful and totally blind. When the other spoke Brismor turned his head so that he could use his good eye to see.

Zeytin spoke in a flat voice, that looks painful he said, Brismor only grunted in reply there was no more to say and it would be pointless to state the obvious, which Zeytin had spotted so quickly. Brismor couldn’t help but wonder how many others had so quickly spotted his eye.

Let me wash your wounds, the healer said.

“Please, I’ve come a long way for your skills.” Brismor spoke in a soft yet commanding voice.

He took a couple of steps close, careful not to crowd the stag but he was unsure if the other would wish to lead him to a more secluded place or if he intended to work his healing arts right here on the edge of the glade. Brismor hoped he would lead him away, to a place where there would be fewer eyes.

Zeytin
He gave the stag a quick nod after his words. He looked around if there was someone to be seen. A wounded stag and a paleface would make a nice meal for predators, but luckily there was no such creature around. He turned around and started walking back to his cave, where he had plenty of herbs to help the stag.

The orange leaves made crunchy sounds beneath his cloven hooves. The pale stag liked autumn, it was a sign winter, and thus safety, was close. It was a short walk towards his cave. When they arrived, he told the stag to wait outside while he went inside and took a few things from inside: aloe vera and a mixture of varied dried herbs combined with mud.

He dropped the leaves and started dipping the aloe vera leaves in a pool of fresh water that fell in the morning. “This might hurt a little” He said. He gently pushed the leaves on the stag’s wounded eye.

Brismor
For a fleeting moment Brismor feared the shaman would refuse his request for healing. But a quick, short nod a heartbeat later confirmed Zeytin would aid him. Brismor held back the sigh of relief he felt creeping up his chest, if anyone could save his eyesight it was this shaman. The pale stag turned and cautiously lead him away. Brismor followed his exhaustion from the journey and the battle and the constant pain from his wounds, was starting to show. He hardly noticed the journy, happy to let someone else lead and with his head held low he followed.

Brismor did as he was bid and waiting outside of the cave, which he presumed was Zeytin’s den. It wasn’t long before the shaman returned with healing herbs. He did his best not to wince in pain as the leaves were pressed against his eye. He swallowed up the pain and burried it deep inside like he had learned to as a colt so long ago. Someone would feel the full extent of his rage the next battle he fought, Brismor promised himself.

“Do you think my sight is lost?” He had to ask finally, giving voice to his fears.

Zeytin
“Do I think your sight is lost?” He stopped pressing the aloe vera against his eye for a second and sighed as he looked at the stag’s eye. “I’m sorry, but unfortunately I can’t tell yet; you will have to wait a few days to see how the eye will heal. He frowned. “But as for now, it doesn’t look too good. It seemed as if something has cut your pupil. It looks all white and milky through the blood, just like my eye.”

He turned around, bent down and started putting some dried leaves in a hole in the ground. He had dug that hole out for purposes like this. He started stomping the leaves with his hooves until they were nothing but powder. After that, he poured some of the fresh water in the bowl and added a little bit of aloe vera. He then stirred the whole thing with a little twig he found, and started putting the mixture in one of his big leaves again. “This is some sort of clay you have to put around that eye twice a day.” He explained as he gently put some of the earthy mixture around the swollen eye of the stag. “It contains some pain relief, and something that will keep the eye from swelling” 

“You have to avoid direct sunlight” He added.

Brismor
His heart sank at the healer’s words but really Brismor wasn’t sure what he should have expected the healer to say. Still he could have used any hope right now. What kind of General could he be for his people without his sight? Not that he was the best General, he was always away on patrols and not training the fawnlings under him, he left that to his Captains. In truth he found the responsibilities of leadership more stifling than he’d have thought. Still there was no way to go back now. Brismor couldn’t help the disappointed sigh that he breathed.

Brismor watched the movements of Zeytin as he mixed up the healing clay-like mixture for his eye. The stag had no idea how he was going to apply alone, let alone wear it so others wouldn’t notice, but he would find away. Brismor tried not to flinch from the pain as Zeytin applied some of the mud, the swelling had gotten worse and the area around his eye was sore. Brismor’s heart sank.