Blind Impulse Read Online Free PDF Page A

Garin’s hea vily muscled chest a long time ago.  The ragged wound festered badly.
    Garin groaned and stirred.  Alyna gently smoothed his hair away from his face.  He blinked open his eyes, struggling to focus on her.
    “ Easy, Garin, you need to lie still.”
    His brow furro wed.  “No need to worry, Alyna.  I will be fine in a moment.”  He struggled to sit up.
    Alyna clamped her hands on Garin’s shoulders and forced him to remain.  Fortunately, he was too weak to fight her.  “Hold still,” she said sternly.
    He slumped back and c losed his eyes.
    “ Why didn’t you tell anyone, Garin?”
    “’ Tis nothing a little food and rest at home won’t cure.”
    She tore her gaze from him and looked at her father.  “We must get him in bed now.  I’ll need clean bandages and hot water.  Have one of the serv ants fetch my herbs.”
    Her father, the knight, took orders from Alyna only in matters of healing and he did it with the ease of a veteran.  Geoff barked instructions to the servants then he at Garin’s head and Simon, at Garin’s feet, gently lifted Garin fro m the floor.
    “ I didn’t mean to,” Juliana whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.  “I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
    Alyna had no time to comfort the girl.  True it wasn’t her fault, no one knew about the awful wound but Garin.  But Juliana should have never tried to strike her brother.  Alyna hurried upstairs, ignoring the shocked stares of the others who had no idea why their guest of honor had collapsed.
    Alyna quickly rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands as her father and Simon settled Garin in his b ed and stripped him.  Servants quickly brought the supplies she needed and Garin’s mother appeared at the door.
    “ Sweet Jesu, what happened?”  Eleanor asked.
    Alyna quickly explained the altercation.  “I fear the wound is festering.  That’s why Juliana was a ble to topple him.” 
    Eleanor paled.  “I will fetch Brother Martin.”
    “ No need,” Geoff said.  “My daughter is the best healer in the barony.”  He paused and offered Eleanor an encouraging smile.  “I should know, she’s patched me together more times than I c an count.”
    Alyna approached Garin, her heart in her throat.  His body was sheer perfection.  His bulwark neck molded smoothly into his huge, well defined shoulders and chest.  He had arms greater than the village blacksmith and his stomach was flat, as if laid with stone.  His long legs seemed to stretch forever, buttressed with large muscle.  Despite his obvious power, he had kissed her with such wonderful gentleness.
    But Alyna’s examination of her husband to be caused her to frown.  Garin’s ribs were plai nly evident and his waist much too narrow for his massive frame.  Alyna cursed under her breath.  “Do they not feed their crusading knights?”
    Simon looked at her startled.  “Food was in short supply, my lady.  We all did our best.”
    “ No wonder his wound won ’t heal.”  Alyna picked up a clean cloth soaking it in the hot water and held it to the wound.  While it bled, she needed to take the opportunity to clean it and remove as much of the infected tissue as possible. 
    “ Alyna,” her father said softly.  “Is the re anything else you need?”
    She bit her lip, suddenly fighting tears.  “Heat a dagger so I may use it to cut away the infection but have the blacksmith ready an iron just in case.”  Alyna prayed it would not come to that, but as she stared at Garin’s wound , bleeding copiously and the ragged flesh around it - fear assailed her.  She didn’t want to cauterize it but if the bleeding did not stop, Garin would die.
    ****
    Simon stood back, his stomach knotting in worry as he gazed at his best friend and brother i n arms l ying so still in his bed. H e had one comfort in watching Alyna.  Her hands moved with gentle surety.  Simon had seen many healers in the Holy Land.  Some were the finest this age had ever