Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 5

Alex's shoulder was the only warning he got. Snatching up the short knife Alex turned as he rose to his feet. The sudden heavy blow nearly knocked him straight to the ground, the flat side of the axe hitting him just behind his ear. The world seemed to lurch as stars exploded across Alex's vision. Shaking his head to try and clear his eyes he could just make out the outline of the warrior as he pulled back his arm to strike again. Before the man could bring his arm back towards him Alex took two quick strides towards him, raising his arm and plunging the short knife down into the soft tissue of his neck. The resultant scream was cut off with a bloody gurgle as Alex withdrew the blade and sliced across the front of his neck with as much force as he could. The man fell to his knees, still gasping, as Alex himself stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.
    ****
    The bloodied battlefield was quiet. The last cries of the dying had faded away as the morning sun had broken the clouds. Smoke from the remains of the burnt cattle byres and houses had begun to clear as the fires burnt themselves out. In the surrounding woodland birdsong had started up again.
    Alex was getting colder, though he was sweating heavily at the same time. His chest felt tight, drawing breath was painful. His eyes wouldn't focus and the ringing in his ears was not subsiding. Raising his hand up to his head he could feel the wet warm stickiness of the blood that still oozed from the wound.
    A short distance away, Harald lay on his back, his left hand held over the wound to his chest as though in a futile attempt to stem the flow of blood that seeped over the pale fingers. Exhausted and unable to stand, or even crawl, Alex pulled himself across the grass until he reached him. Lying on his side against Harald's body, Alex reached his arm across his chest and grasped the bloodied hand. The slight squeeze in response was the only acknowledgement of his presence.
    In silence they waited. Not for help, they both knew there was no help coming.
    Harald was no longer moving, only the shallow rasping breaths told Alex that he still lived. Freeing his hand, Alex pushed himself up and leant over him. Softly he ran his hand down Harald's cheek, his thumb brushing over the cold lips which were beginning to turn blue.
    "I wish we'd had more time, I think I could have loved you." A single tear fell as Alex pressed his own lips to Haralds.
    Harald's eyes opened briefly, the slightest smile ghosted across his lips. "I already did," the words were no more than a sigh.
    Neither spoke again.
    ****
    Floating. In silent darkness he was floating. There was no pain, he was warm, he felt safe.
    'So this is death then, just nothing, alone.' Alex thought into the empty silence. There was another feeling, the feeling of absence that something was missing. Just out of reach. Something, someone, he should remember.
    "Harald," the name came unbidden to his mind. Had he said that out loud?
    On the edge of his consciousness he realised could hear quiet hissing noise. Further away a faint regular electronic beeping.
    "I think he's starting to wake, get the doctor." The voice was fuzzy, distant, but somehow familiar.
    "Alex, can you hear me?" Someone took hold of his hand. "Alex, squeeze my hand if you can hear me." Almost instinctively Alex flexed his fingers. He could hear someone crying now.
    "Alex, open your eyes for me," the voice commanded again.
    His eyes felt gritty, the lids heavy as he tried to lift them. The light was blinding, pain shot through his head. Closing them again he escaped back into the darkness.
    How long he floated he didn't know but slowly his senses started to nudge him. The feeling of warmth, the sounds of peoples' voices, a tantalisingly familiar smell.
    "Alex, can you open your eyes for me?" This time it wasn't as painful, his vision was fuzzy but he could make out the pale anxious faces around him. His parents, his brother, Stuart.
    "Gently," his dad cautioned as Alex found himself wrapped in his mother's arms, tears wet on his neck.
    "What happened?" he croaked as soon as his mother released him, the oxygen tube running under his nose had dried his throat.
    "You cracked your head against the pavement when you fell; you've been unconscious for three days." The woman in the white coat standing with his parents said briskly. "Now that Alex is awake I need to run some tests and then he needs to rest. Why don't you all go get some lunch and come back this