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Pawl: A Fictional Narrative

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Pawl leaned in and examined the cauterized flesh up close. He scrubbed down the wound with a rag doused in a wash of some sort, but Ulrich didn’t stir. “The wound is sealed now,” noted Pawl, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “He’s less likely to get an infection with the cauterization, but I’ll need to keep a close watch on his recovery, especially for the first several days. He’s lost a great deal of blood and his health his still at risk. And there’s the matter of managing the pain, too, which will be… significant.” Perceval glanced around and noted everyone had begun to shiver, as he had he. How had the room gone from stifling to frigid in an instant? With the hearth burning hot it seemed impossible; it must have been the chill of fear and trauma freezing them. While the friends all stood and …show more content…

Perceval and the ladies repeated after Gawain and drank. An hour or more passed filled with imbibing. The event stared out somber, but eventually, the mead loosened tongues. Perceval did his best to restrain his intake, because he did not want to accidentally declare that Ulrich had begged to die. But the combination of Pawl’s tincture and mead made all too easy to relax. An inebriated Gawain said, “Perceval, do you remember when I made that bet with Ulrich?” Gawain moved his tankard around in a wild circle and mead splashed onto his lap. “The one where I bet him ten gold pieces he couldn’t hit that fleeing hair with his arrow. That thing was what, five hundred paces away? But damn, he struck the little fucker, and I was out ten gold coins!” Gawain cackled for a moment before carrying on. “And remember right after he was knighted when I told him he had to wear his boots on the wrong feet for a week? He did it for two days until Lionel told him it was a joke.” Carina giggled. “Ulrich told me he had blisters on his feet for a week after that! You’re mean, Gawain.” “Nah, it’s all in good fun,” Gawain told her. “He knew that… knows

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