Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (cont'd)

"Sorry about this." The guard lifted Aleth carefully, keeping the cloak bundled around the thinner man and starting up the stairs. The second guard followed behind.

@ShadowVyper

(Thank you!)

Aleth groaned, pain stabbing through his entire body. The man’s hands felt like blades against his sides, sending sharp pain through his torso. He gritted his teeth and leaned heavily against the guard, letting out a pained whimper before he could bite it back.

(No prob!)

The guard grit his teeth in sympathy and continued up the stairs as quick as he could. They reached the third floor fairly quickly, and at the end of the hall the infirmary door was open. The guard who had run off to fetch Sera could be seen within, speaking to someone just out of sight.

“Gods,” Aleth breathed, entire body heaving as he panted for breath that he couldn’t draw for the pain as he was being carried. He hesitated, looking at the open door. “It’s there?”

"Right there. Just a moment." The guard carried him toward it.

"An escaped slave, you say?" Gaius, seated on one of the cots near the door, was rubbing salve on his bad hand as Sera bustled about gathering medical supplies. "And he walked all the way here from the mountains? How?"
"He didn't say, my Lord," the guard replied, glancing at the door to see Aleth and the other two approaching. "Seems you can ask him yourself, though. Here he comes."
"No questions til he's been seen to," Sera reminded them. "He'll likely be in a bit of shock."

Aleth’s entire body was stinging from the shock of the heat of the keep against his frigid skin. His chest felt so tight he couldn’t draw a breath again for the pain. He heard voices from inside but couldn’t tell exactly what they were saying.

Sera strode out to meet the guard. She looked over Aleth's drawn face and nodded once, then gestured for the guard to follow her. They set him down on the bed nearest the door.
"First thing's first. You gentlemen get that fire blazing." Sera pointed to the fireplace. "I need a hot cloth, and someone to tell the cook to get some soup prepared." Gaius, still rubbing his hand, leaned forward to have a better look at the man they'd brought in. He looked like a mess, to be sure--cuts and bruises still healing up, and definitely frostbitten in a few places. The poor man must have had a terrible time if he'd come all the way from the mountains.

Aleth found himself trembling uncontrollably. Was he shivering? He wasn’t sure how he felt so cold and so hot all at once. He pulled the cloak closer around him, laying back on the bed. His voice was barely more than a whisper, “Thank you.”

The fire was roaring in no time, and Gaius watched quietly as Sera set about heating up water and dipping a cloth in it to warm Aleth's body. He knew better than disturb his friend in her work, and hypothermia was a tricky thing. She needed to concentrate. He rose quietly, taking his cane from the cot beside him.
"I'll come back when he's well enough to hold a conversation," Gaius told Sera, then turned to the shivering man. "Be well; you're in the best of hands now." With that he swept out of the room.

Aleth tried to pay attention to his surroundings like he normally was, but he couldn’t seem to notice most things. He watched as the man spoke to him then left before he could answer. He looked towards the woman. “Was that…?”

(I’m eating lunch now so might be a little while before my next response)

(No prob!)

"Lord Gaius Ash himself, yes." Sera wrung out the cloth and sat down beside him, bringing the steaming rag to his chest first. "You may speak with him later; you're very ill right now, in case you hadn't noticed."

Aleth smirked mirthlessly. “I did happen to notice.”

Sera began to methodically bathe Aleth's body in the warm dampness. "Can you try to move your fingers and toes for me, please?"

(Just read an article on medieval treatment of hypothermia and I'm going about this all wrong)

(Haha I have no idea about any of this. I’m just kind of guessing on what his symptoms would be)

He slowly, painfully, wiggled his fingers. He tried to move his toes but just whimpered instead. “I can’t.”

Sera checked them over. "You've got full frostbite on a couple," she said grimly. "Can't keep those, I'm afraid, but we might be able to save the others." She poured some of the water from the cauldron over the fire into a large tub and dragged it over to him. "I'm going to help you sit up, then we're going to dip your feet in here to get some blood flowing."