Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

S hade saw defeat on every face that glanced her way when she and Quint arrived at Clan MacLeish. Tears threatened most eyes while others shed them openly. Most every man there wore bloody bandages and some women as well. Children clung to their mum's garments, afraid to leave their side and all eyes stared at Quint and her suspiciously as they proceeded to the keep.

A man whispered something to the lad at his side and he took off running.

"He sends him to alert the keep," Quint whispered.

"There is so much suffering here," Shade said, eager to do what she could to help.

"You need to be watchful and suspicious," Quint warned. "You don't know who lurks among these people."

A man waited on the steps of an unimpressive keep and with the small size of the village itself, Shade wondered what the significance was for Lord Torrance to lay claim to Clan MacLeish.

"Stay beside you." Shade spoke his demand before her husband could after he lifted her off the horse.

"You learn fast to obey without a word spoken," he whispered.

Shade spoke with a whisper as well and a soft smile. "It's not that I obey. It is that I know my husband well."

"I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing," Quint said teasingly, pleased to share a moment of humor with his wife.

"Shade!" a tall, lean man called out and hurried down the stairs.

"Nug," Shade shouted and stepped forward, Quint stopping her. "I know Nug. I met him and a few others from the clan when Ula wed Caleb at her parents' croft."

Quint let her go but followed alongside her.

"You received Ula's message," Nug said anxiously when he reached her. "We prayed that you would and that you would find a way to get here. I wish I could have sent warriors to escort you here, but it would have been too dangerous for you with Lord Torrance still hunting MacLeish warriors."

"I understand, Nug, but not to worry, my husband, Quint," she said, turning to him, "made sure I arrived here safely."

Shade made no mention of her husband being the infamous Monk. They both agreed it would be safer that way with someone hunting him.

"You're wed. How wonderful. Congratulations," Nug said. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Quint."

Nug extended his hand and Quint gripped forearms with him. He was impressed with the man's strength even though he wore a dried bloody bandage on his arm, and his face bore several bruises and abrasions, he stood tall though the slight slump of his shoulders betrayed his exhaustion.

"You must be in need of drink and food," Nug said. "Thanks to Chieftain Ryland's wise planning we have plenty of both for the winter ahead, though if Lord Torrance raids our stock the winter will be bleak."

"My wife will want to tend to your chieftain first," Quint said.

Shade turned a raised brow on her husband.

"That would be much appreciated, Shade," Nug said, and signaled to a lad standing nearby. "William will care for your horse. Please follow me. I will take you to the chieftain. Ula is with him while our healer Ena does what she can for the wounded."

Quint's arm went around his wife's waist to help her up the stairs, so he would be close enough to whisper, "I know my wife well enough to know she would see to the care of others before herself."

It touched Shade's heart to hear him say that and she held tight to his words, knowing this would not be an easy day.

Quint entered the bedchamber close behind his wife and almost pulled her out, the stench so overwhelmed. He shouldn't have been surprised to see his wife barely react to the foul odor, her nose wrinkling briefly. She had experience dealing with the odors of the ill.

The room was far too dark, the hearth's glow the only light, leaving the lone woman sitting beside the bed bent over as if in prayer appearing a mere shadow.

"Ula?" Shade called out gently.

The young woman sprang up and her eyes rounded at the sight of Shade, and she rushed to her. Shade spread her arms in welcome. They hugged each other tight, Ula sobbing.

"Everything will be all right, Ula, I'm here now. I will help you," Shade assured her, her heart heavy for her friend. She wanted to ask about Caleb but with her friend's heavy sobs she feared she had her answer.

"I knew you would come. I knew nothing would stop you from helping me."

"Not even a marriage," Nug said.

"Marriage?" Ula asked, stepping away from Shade. "You are wed?"

"Aye, I am." She turned with a smile. "Quint, my husband."

"I am thrilled for you, Shade, and so happy you have found someone," Ula said, and she looked at Quint. "You will be good to my friend."

It was more an ultimatum than a question and Quint admired the young, slim woman who looked about to collapse from exhaustion for bravely looking out for her friend.

"You have my word on it," Quint said.

"Then it is a pleasure to meet you, Quint, and I look forward to getting to know you," Ula said. "But if you don't mind, I badly need your wife's help."

"The reason I brought her here," Quint said.

"Quint and I will be in the Great Hall. If you need anything just send word to us," Nug said.

Quint pressed his cheek against Shade's and whispered, "I am here for you."

A spark of happiness broke through the sorrow she felt for her friend. That Quint let her know she was not alone, that he was there for her meant the world to her after years of being on her own. But guilt also sneaked in to chase her moment of joy when her friend was suffering so badly.

The door had barely closed when Ula tried to hurry her to the bed, and just as she suspected, there wasn't sufficient light for her to examine the chieftain. She could barely make out the shape in the bed and the stench was stronger around the bed. That worried Shade since she feared his wounds had turned putrid.

She did take a moment to run her hand over the chieftain to see if she could detect how bad his wounds were. There were two that worried her, the others, once treated, would heal. But first…

"Before I can tend to the chieftain, this room needs more sufficient light and a thorough cleaning."

She had learned through the years that healing not only came from treating the person but what surrounded them as well. Grime and foul odors didn't help.

"I will do whatever you ask, but only you, me, Ena, and Nug will be allowed in the room Chieftain Ryland would not want anyone to see him so near death. They would lose all hope."

"I understand, but my husband can be quite insistent and will not be kept from the room."

"Can he hold his tongue?" Ula asked.

"He minds his tongue well," Shade said, thinking of the secrets he kept.

"Then we have no problem," Ula said with a sense of relief.

The two women worked well together. Shade had Ula request certain items be brought to the room before they got busy cleaning it. Candles and a tall, iron candelabra were brought and left outside the bedchamber door for the women to place where sufficient light would be provided for her to tend to the chieftain. Numerous candles were lit, and Shade was finally able to see that the room was a far more generous size than she had thought. She immediately had Una help her clean off a narrow table and move it across the room away from the bed.

She scrubbed it down, making use of one of the many buckets of water that servants had been instructed to leave outside the door. While she began emptying her healing pouch and arranging it all on the table, Ula gathered the bloody and dirty cloths piled in a corner to place outside the door for the servants to take and wash. Una swept the floor, then the two women began removing bowls and tankards that had piled up around the room.

When all was finally done, Shade said, "Now it is time for me to thoroughly examine the chieftain. Then we will wash him and replace the soiled bedding with fresh bedding."

Shade now had sufficient light to finally see the chieftain and her eyes turned wide when she looked down at him. It took her a moment to speak. "This is Caleb. Where is Chieftain Ryland?"

Quint sat at one of the tables in the Great Hall with Nug, his wife heavy on his thoughts. He would not chance her falling into danger. There was no telling what might be waiting for them in this keep.

"Ale!" Nug called out as he sat on the bench opposite Quint.

A jug and tankards were quickly brought to the table and Nug dismissed the servant to fill the tankards himself.

"Shade and I ran into some of your warriors on the way here," Quint said. "I gave them the cart we rode in so they could collect other MacLeish warriors who were wounded."

"Thank you. That was generous of you."

"You should also know that the group of mercenaries Lord Torrance sent to oversee your clan met foul play and are all dead."

Nug grinned. "A fitting end to them and news the clan will be relieved to hear. But Lord Torrance will waste no time replacing them."

"Still, it gives you time."

"For what? With so many wounded, there are few left who can fight."

"I heard that Chieftain Ryland is a wise leader. You should ask his advice when he is able to speak with you."

"Believe me, I wish I could speak to him," Nug said, frustrated. "He would know what to do."

"Are you familiar with any of the mercenaries who fought for Lord Torrance?" Quint asked, wasting no time in finding out any information that might help him locate the man who hunted him.

"They are all the same to me. Men who care for nothing but coins and hold allegiance to no one. There is a group of mercenaries who often do work and favors for Lord Torrance. They are led by a man named Asher, and I pray he doesn't send him here. Lord Torrance can be cruel, but Asher," —Nug shook his head— "I have never known of a man who gets such pleasure from causing others pain, except maybe The Monk. It is said he is a madman and kills with no remorse or regret. Our clan could use his help, but I believe everyone would be too fearful to have him here."

Quint was glad he kept that he was The Monk a secret upon his arrival. He didn't want his presence to cause any more problems than Clan MacLeish already had. What caught his attention was the man, Asher. Dru had mentioned him, and he believed there was a good chance that he was the man he was searching for and who was hunting him.

Quint didn't intend to discuss The Monk with him so to avoid any more talk about him, he asked, "Would you know if a ragamuffin of a woman called Dru has arrived here yet."

"You mean the little thief," Nug said, shaking his head. "I don't know why Ryland lets her stay here. She can be a pain in the arse."

Quint couldn't help but chuckle. "That she can be."

"You know her?"

"Aye, I saved her arse one time."

"More the pity," Nug said.

"You bloody hell know why Ryland lets me stay here. Go on and tell him."

Nug cringed and scrunched his shoulders as if the sound of her voice was too irritating to bear.

"Go on, tell Quint," Dru said, emerging from the shadows and plopping down beside Nug on the bench. She didn't wait for Nug to answer. She grinned. "I did for Nug what you did for me, Quint. I saved his sorry arse, and Ryland was so grateful he told me I could stay here whenever I wanted as long as I didn't do any thieving, and I gave my word I wouldn't."

"Dru saved your life?" Quint asked, looking from the tall, lean-muscled man to the petite, grimy woman. "How did she do that?"

Dru elbowed Nug in the arm. "Go on, tell him, unless you want me to."

"Nay," Nug snapped. "You always elaborate and make it more a tale than the truth."

Dru tilted her head to look at him, her eyes wide with glee. "Did I or did I not save your life?"

Nug looked at Quint. "I got into an altercation with a traveler who stopped here for the night. I didn't see his dagger. Dru spotted it and threw herself at the guy just before he was about to stab me in the back."

"Suffered a slash on my arm, I did. I even have the scar to prove it," Dru said ready to pull up her sleeve.

"Quint doesn't need to see it," Nug said.

"A mystery solved," Quint said, holding back a chuckle. "I wondered why your chieftain let her stay here, though I will say that when Dru gives her word, she keeps it."

"Ryland reminds me of that often enough," Nug said.

"Admit it, Nug, you like me. You're just upset a woman, a petite one at that, saved your manly arse."

Nug turned, jabbing Dru in the chest. "One of these days I am going to give you what you deserve."

"A kiss for saving your life?" Dru roared with laughter.

"I'd rather kiss a pig," Nug snarled.

"With some of the women I've seen you kiss, I'd say you already have," Dru said and continued laughing.

Quint couldn't hold back his laughter. He had forgotten how entertaining Dru could be with her quick retorts.

Nug stood. "This is no time for laughter. If Chieftain Ryland dies, you will have no place to stay, and when Lord Torrance's mercenaries arrive it definitely won't be safe for you to stay here. Though your foul stink will probably keep the men away."

Dru chuckled, "I don't know about that. Some of the men stink worse than I do."

Quint half listened to the banter between the two, his thoughts on his wife. He would give it a while longer than he intended to go see how she was doing, though it was more that he missed her, and that revelation surprised him.

"Please. Please, Shade, you must say nothing or the clan will lose all hope. And please, please, I beg you… help my husband."

"Of course, I will help Caleb, but first you must tell me what goes on here. Why are you and, I assume your healer, Ena, knows since she tended to him, and possibly Nug, that it is not Chieftain Ryland in this bed. Where is he and why lie about it?"

"I don't know Chieftain Ryland's whereabouts. All assumed that the wounded man that was carried into the keep and placed in the chieftain's bedchamber is Chieftain Ryland. Nug brought me here along with our healer since I assist her at times to discover it was my husband in the bed. I was sworn to secrecy and told to ask no questions. Nug is the only one who will be able to tell you anything, though he may be reluctant to do so. I would guess it is either because our chieftain is dead, and the news would devastate the clan and leave them without a shred of hope, or our chieftain is alive and will make sure Lord Torrance never lays claim to Clan MacLeish. That is why it is imperative that you reveal nothing of what you've seen here. Please, Shade, give me your word you will say nothing."

"Worry not, Ula, you have my word, I will say nothing."

"Even to your husband?" Ula asked.

Shade feared there were too many secrets to keep, and she worried what would happen when they all came to light, but she did as her friend asked. "I will say nothing to him, but I will not lie to him if confronted."

"I understand since there are no lies between Caleb and me."

Shade gave her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze. "All will be well."

"I believe that now that you are here, and I was able to confide in you."

"Time to heal your husband," Shade said and got busy thoroughly examining him.

To start she took her time running her hands over him while concentrating on the troublesome areas that worried her, deciding how best to treat them. There was a bit of heat in his flesh, another worrisome sign since one of the wounds was nearly putrid.

"When did he last wake?" Shade asked.

"A day or so ago but only briefly. Is that a bad sign?"

"It is better he wakes if only for a while than not at all. Now we need to get him washed and clean bedding put on the bed before I can treat his wounds."

Ula got busy stripping the Caleb of what little he wore while Shade set a cauldron of water to boil in the hearth and added a mixture of herbs. Clean blankets and sheets were requested and left outside the door. Shade helped Ula wash the Caleb, ridding him of the dirt and blood sustained in battle.

Once that was done and Caleb rested comfortably on clean bedding, Shade got busy seeing to each of his wounds, cleaning some, which got a moan from him, though didn't wake him.

"Are you using yarrow salve on his wounds?" Ula asked, curious at seeing three small crocks of salve Shade had sat on the chest beside the bed. "Ena, our healer, put yarrow on the wounds right away."

"On some, but I have been finding more success with Lady Mantle and golden rod when mixed with equal parts of St. John's wort and betony, which hopefully will also help with his lingering fever. I am also preparing a brew of ragwort root for any wounds he may have sustained that we cannot see."

"He has wounds inside him?" Ula asked, clearly upset at Shade's remark.

"Some of his wounds go deep and there is no telling what damage they have done inside him," Shade explained. "It is a precaution to stop anything that may have already started."

She didn't tell her that she saw the damage that was done inside him and was hoping this would prevent any further damage and help to heal what he had already suffered.

"Ena never thought of that," Ula said, as if she herself should have.

"There was a lot for Ena to tend to and you are not familiar with possible wounds within. You and Ena did an excellent job in tending the wounds you could see."

"But you look beyond, something other healers do not do. That is why I sent for you. I knew if anyone could save him, you could," Ula said, filled with hope.

"I will do my very best," Shade continued to assure her, knowing time would tell if Caleb would survive. "Bathe his head with the wet cloth and his neck as well while I see to preparing two decoctions."

Shade stretched her shoulders back as she worked to try to ease the ache out of them and wondered what her husband was doing. No doubt he was questioning Nug to see if he could learn anything about the mercenaries who fought for Lord Torrance. She was eager to hear what he may have learned, but she was also eager to help those in need in the village.

Once done, Shade turned to go to Ula and stopped, seeing her sitting on the bench beside the bed holding her husband's hand and whispering to him. Her heart ached for her, knowing how she would feel if it was Quint lying in the bed. She would work tirelessly to save him and that was what she intended to do for Caleb.

Shade walked over to the bed. "I am going to instruct you, Ula, on how often to give Caleb the two decoctions I have brewed. One is for possible inner wounds as I told you and the other is to keep his fever down and eventually chase it away."

"I will do exactly as you say," Ula said, stepping forward anxiously.

Hearing the door opening, Shade and Ula hurried to block anyone from seeing who was in the bed. It made Shade wonder if Quint had ever met Chieftain Ryland and hoped he hadn't since she knew if she kept him from entering the bedchamber he would grow suspicious.

"You managed to chase away the foul odor of lingering death," Quint said, surveying the room.

The room was clean, a healthy fire burned in the hearth, and from what he could see of the bed, the chieftain rested comfortably upon clean sheets with a blanket covering him. No doubt his wife had cleansed the wounds and applied clean bandages. The freshly cut, small pine branches placed around the room had done a good job of repelling what was left of the foul odor.

Quint was impressed though not surprised by all his wife had accomplished and thought there might be hope for the chieftain after all.

"How is Chieftain Ryland doing?" Quint asked.

"He has not escaped death yet, the next week or so will tell us more," Shade said, not moving away from the bed.

"I will be in the Great Hall with Nug when you are finished. Come and have some food and drink before you rush off to help others," Quint said and turned to leave then stopped. "Dru is here."

Shade smiled. "I am so glad she made it safely."

Quint's glance lingered on her as if he found it difficult to leave her.

"I won't be long now," she said, preferring he stay but knowing it was best that he left.

Quint nodded, then closed the door.

"He is not afraid to show his love for you," Ula said. "It shines in his eyes when he looks at you. I am glad you got such a brave and loving man."

"He is a good man and husband and though I have not known him long I feel as though I do." Shade smiled. "Loving him came easily."

"Oh, Shade, I am so happy for you."

A knock on the door had Ula hurrying to it while Shade blocked Caleb from view. Shade couldn't hear the whispers at the door and worried what the message might be.

"Ena sent word asking for your help," Ula said. "Word has spread that the healer I have talked so highly of is here and many plead for your help."

"Then I will go to them," Shade said. "I have done all I can for Caleb," —she shook her head— "for the chieftain. I will go and help any others in need."

"But you have not eaten or rested since your arrival," Ula said, worried for her friend.

"There will be time for that later," Shade insisted and hurried to the table to gather what she might need in her larger healing pouch.

"Your husband might not agree. He said you were to eat before helping others," Ula reminded.

"He'll understand," Shade said, her husband knowing how important her healing was to her.

Unfortunately, he didn't understand.