Adrenaline rushed through Epifany's veins as she raced over the grass toward Hapak and Carlyn, frantically wondering what was happening. They were near a great old tree that had fallen over during a recent storm. Hapak had talked about chopping it up and setting it aside for firewood. She had almost reached him when she saw the snake, and it did not look friendly. "Gods!" she exclaimed. Carlyn continued to bark and growl at the unwelcome trespasser.
In a moment, Epifany took in the scene - the sharp fangs, Hapak holding onto his lower leg, and the heavy ax lying on the ground next to him. She could see that he would not be simply getting up, and she feared he would be bitten again, or the dog, or herself. She quickly stumbled over and grabbed the long-handled ax, looking for her chance to strike and praying the snake wouldn't. "Gah!" Hapak exclaimed in pain, "Pif, be careful!" His tone was hushed, in hopes of not further provoking the angry snake. It hissed and glared with its beady eyes at him, then at her. Not my man, she thought, raising the ax, and not my baby!
Carlyn ran around to the other side of the snake, still barking, and it turned toward her instead. She was dangerously close when it lunged for her throat. Epifany swung the ax, hoping her aim would not fail, and clumsily struck the snake several inches below its head. She'd hit it, but it took a few more swings to sever it from the rest of its body. "And not my dog," she breathed, pushing the head away with the ax, watching in horror as it continued biting for what felt like a very long time.
When she turned back to Hapak, he was beginning to sweat. He looked at her, but didn't say anything, and rather seemed to be focused on breathing. "We need to get you back to the house," she said.
"I know," he answered, wincing, "and nice work there," he added with a strained laugh, nodding toward the snake's roughly severed head.
Epifany nodded and was glad to see him laugh even a little, but she was too preoccupied with the seriousness of the situation to laugh herself. He'd been bitten by a Kharman brush serpent. The deadly species wasn't anything anyone expected to see in this part of Kharma, but she'd heard of it and knew she needed to work fast. "If I help you, do you think you can get on the horse?" she asked him.
"I think so," he groaned.
So she called the horse, and he came galloping up from the creek down the hill from them, while she took a look at Hapak's leg. It was already swollen and red, and to her dismay, she discovered six puncture wounds. He had been bitten three times. With difficulty, he stood up, leaning on Epifany and trying not to move his injured leg. After the harder task of getting him up on the horse, Epifany led him slowly to the house while even that gentle movement was more than Hapak could take without yelling in pain.
Viggo, who had obediently stationed himself in the doorway watching, was startled to see his dad hopping into the house leaning on his mother, obviously hurt. "What happened?" he asked, very troubled as he followed them into the kitchen, where they stopped.
"Your dad is very sick," Epifany answered, helping Hapak to a chair, "but you can help. Remember that jar of black stuff we use when people are sick?" she asked, getting soap and water.
"Yeah," Viggo answered, somewhat calmed.
"Go get that for me," she said, and as he turned to do so, she removed Hapak's bloody pant leg, placed a tub under his foot, and began to clean the wound. As planned, it didn't look quite as bad when Viggo returned with the charcoal. She quickly made a poultice with almost the entire contents of the jar and applied it to the wound to draw out the poison. Then she sprinkled the rest in water and gave it to Hapak to drink. "I'll make you some strong tea to help with the pain," she said, "but first let's get you to bed."
"No!" he answered, gritting his teeth in agony, "I need the tea now!"
"Alright, I'll do it now," she answered, preparing to boil the water.
"Can't you go any faster?" he snapped.
"It won't be long," she answered, biting her lip as the fear began to overwhelm her. She blinked, fighting off the threat of tears, unwilling to have Viggo see how afraid she really was (or Hapak for that matter). Suddenly she felt very alone, with a dependent child and a sick man in the room with her. A dying man, the thought haunted her. No! she stopped herself, pushing back the fears that presented themselves to her mind, determined not to start the process of anticipating life for herself and her children without their father. He may yet live. I can save him. Gods, help me save him!