“Wait.” I found several long branches, and lit one with the matches I had brought. I moved
some of the rocks away, widening the gap.
The cave seemed empty at first glance, save a trail of red droplets, which formed a path and
disappeared towards the back of the cave. “Is anybody here?” I asked, preparing to retreat.
Suddenly, a cold palm grabbed hold of my ankle, and inserted a thin piece of metal in it.
I yelped, dropping the branch. Blood was trickling down to my foot, slimy and treacherous. “I
mean no harm!” My voice resonated. “I’m a doctor.”
Heavy breathing. “Are you?” the man wheezed, his voice croaky and harsh. It probably made
scratches in the man’s mouth as it was forced out. “Ah well,” he let go of my ankle.
“I have supplies.“ A rosy glow illuminated the room. “So keep quiet.”
He had streaks of blood all over his body, like red stripes on a wild animal, and a dislodged
armour that clung to his torso. I removed it gingerly, and started to look for his wounds. “What
happened to you?”
There was no reply.
He remained quiet for the rest of the night, only flinching and yelping occasionally. By the
time I put on a few ‘finishing touches’ on my patient, he was asleep. He was too badly wounded
to leave the cave, I thought as I wiped the sweat off my face. Staring at him, I cursed mentally for
my discovery. The man had disrupted all my plans!
That was my first encounter with the General.
He woke up the next day, sullen and weak. Once, while asleep, he mouthed words that I didn’t
understand, words that were crude, yet conveyed in a gentle manner.
I poured water into his mouth. “Feeling better?” I asked. He sat up groggily, squinting.
“Where am I?” He grunted.
“A cave somewhere. Go on, have breakfast.” He gazed at me warily.
“Where are the rest of them?”
I spluttered. “You can’t have good food in this situation. I could hardly-”
“I meant my troops. Where are the rest of them?”
“What troops?”
He stared. “So, you aren’t…well, that would explain this.” He undid his blouse and pressed
onto the bandage, now soaked in blood. “So, you’re just…a doctor.”
“Yes. If you want assistance, I could find some for you.”
The sunlight moved past the entrance proudly. He traced the glimmering rocks, allowing his
hand to bathe in the warmth. “Assistance? Why?”
“Well, look at you. You won’t be able to leave the hill without a stretcher, or something similar.”
He furrowed his brow, finally staring at me. I felt his glance brushing against my hair, my
cheeks, but lingering at my eyes. “I want assistance.” I nodded, but he grabbed my wrist. “You see
the army out there? The large one at the siege?”
I stiffened, my insides growing cold. “You mean, the Mongolian army?”
“Yes. Bring them here, tell them the General’s still alive, but in a severe condition.”
Eyeing him up and down, I refused. “No, I’m…I don’t want to.”
He was bewildered. “Why not?” His bandage smelt of salt and domestic waste. Words swirled
in my head, making me dizzy, and I started to feel sick. “I thought that a doctor must heal a
patient, no matter who he is.”
“That’s why I’m going to help you recover.”
