Chapter 17

Sky was worried. The hound who had refused the bone yesterday did so again today and though she tried to coax him to the fence so she could get a better look at him, he wouldn't budge from where he rested. She had told him repeatedly that she would never harm him, only help him, but he continued to keep his distance.

Worried over the hound, she went in search of Slayer after leaving the kitten in the kitchen. Euniss and her workers had taken a fancy to Angel, to Sky's great relief, so she felt comfortable leaving the kitten there at times.

No one paid her any mind as she walked through the village except Glynis. She smiled and nodded at her now and so did Oona, though the woman prevented her daughter from approaching her. But at least it was a start. She spotted Slayer talking with two warriors when a woman's screams brought her to an abrupt halt.

Seeing her husband rushing off, she followed in his direction and again came to an abrupt halt not far behind him.

Some people stood frozen, too frightened to move, women clutched their children, and men shielded their wives with their bodies, and all stared at the wolfhound who stood on one of the paths that wound through the village.

"Fane, back in the pen, now!" Slayer ordered with a fierceness that would have anyone obeying him.

Sky approached slowly to peer around her husband and saw that it was the wolfhound who refused the bone. He stood there growling softly. She was able to get a better look at him. He was ill, drooling profusely and unsteady on his feet. He was looking for someone to help him. She didn't hesitate, she ran around her husband, keeping a wide birth so he could not reach out and stop her.

"Sky!" Slayer yelled, thinking his strong command would be enough to stop her. It wasn't.

Gasps rushed through the crowd when Sky reached the hound and crouched down next to him.

"You're ill. Let me help you," she said, softly and eased her hand out gently to cup his face. He collapsed against her, forcing her to plop on her bottom, and his head dropped to rest in her lap.

Slayer had not waited, he followed her and was at her side. He crouched down next to her.

"He is ill and looking for help," Sky said, then called out, "Are any of the other hounds ill?"

"Nay," someone shouted. "They are fine, though they pace the pen and whine."

"They are worried for their friend," she said and ran her hand gently over him. "He trembles slightly and drools excessively." She had seen such symptoms in a few animals in the forest and had watched them eat something that forced them to empty their stomach. She knew what must be done and turned her head to look at Slayer. "I must force him to empty his stomach. Something inside him is making him ill."

"How can you make him do that?" Slayer asked, seeing how the hound kept himself close to Sky as if he instinctively knew she would help him.

"There are plants that can force one to empty his stomach, but that takes time and I fear if we wait, he might perish."

Anger sparked in Slayer's eyes. "Are you saying the hound was poisoned?"

"Twice now I have offered him bones and he has refused them, and he appears worse than when I only saw him a brief time ago. He ingested something and he needs to purge it."

Slayer's anger flared learning she had visited the hounds when he had warned her not to but now was not the time to debate it. "Do what is necessary to save Fane. He is my best hound, though a stubborn one."

Sky caught the annoyance in his eyes at her for not staying away from the hounds though concern as well. His annoyance would have to wait. Her only concern now was for Fane.

"I must stick my fingers down his throat as far as I can to force him to empty his stomach."

"Absolutely not. He will bite your fingers off," Slayer warned.

"He is too ill, and he knows I mean him no harm."

"I will do it," Slayer insisted.

"Nay, your hand is too large," she said and lifted Fane's head off her lap. "I am going to help you. You must trust me, Fane."

Slayer could have sworn the hound's eyes pleaded for her help.

Sky spoke softly to the hound, letting him know repeatedly as she soothingly stroked along the top of his head that she would never harm him, that he was safe with her.

Slayer understood that she was earning his trust and confidence with her soothing words and comforting strokes, and he offered what little help he could. "I will spread his mouth for you." He did not wait for her to agree, he gently spread the hound's mouth open.

Sky was as quick as she could be about it, the hound not making a fuss as if he understood it was what he needed. She withdrew her hand and he continued to gag until he turned his head away from her to release a bit of what was in his stomach.

"It is not enough," Sky said and did it again. It wasn't until the third try that Fane spewed a sizeable piece of meat. "I believe that is the culprit." She caressed the hound's head. "You did good, Fane, very good. You will begin to feel better. I will get you settled with some water and a soft bed where you can rest."

"He goes back to the pen," Slayer ordered.

"You cannot mean that. He still requires tending if he is to get well. Please, my lord," she said and rested her hand on his arm. "Please let me continue to help him."

In the time since meeting her, she had never shown him an ounce of anger. Her plea was soft, her touch gentle, and he wondered if that, in itself, was what healed.

Slayer stood and cast a glance over everyone there. "There is no more to see here. Return to your chores."

Some hurried a curious look at Sky and Fane, shaking their heads while others whispered amongst themselves. He knew what they thought. What strange powers did this woman with two different colored eyes possess that she could bend a fierce animal to her will?

"Please," Sky pleaded again. "Fane has served you well, please let me care for him."

"Care for him, but when he is well enough, he returns to the pen," Slayer said.

Her happiness and relief shined not only in her smile but her eyes as well. "I wish I could kiss you right now."

He hunched down and scolded softly, "Do not tempt me, wife, or I will be sending you to your bedchamber to do penance."

"I would do it most willingly."

He grumbled to himself, imagining her naked, kneeling at the side of the bed in prayer and what he would do seeing her there.

"Bloody hell, woman," he scolded and scooped Fane up in his arms, to keep his hands from touching her and walked to the keep, swearing beneath his breath as he went.

* * *

Sky had takengreat pains to see Fane made comfortable in the Great Hall, piling blankets so he would have a soft bed to sleep on. She kept a bucket of water close and made sure he drank from it. She kept the kitten with her as well and damn if the small ball of fur didn't go to Fane and lick his face, as if empathizing with his plight, before settling against him to sleep, and Fane was too ill to object.

Slayer checked on the three now and again, spending a good portion of the night in his solar, wondering who could have poisoned Fane. He did not believe anyone in the clan poisoned him and since the hound got sick soon after their return home, he wondered if he had been poisoned before returning home. That seemed the most logical possibility. But why hadn't Boden, the other hound, taken ill? Fane was the dominate of the four and he could have refused to let Boden consume any of the meat. Why the wolfhounds? Unless the meat was not meant for the hounds and how would he ever determine that, not knowing where Fane was poisoned?

He returned to the Great Hall to see his wife had fallen asleep sitting up against the wall, though it hadn't taken long for her to slump to her side, her arm draped over Fane. He had desperately wanted to sit beside her and take her in his arms so she could rest against him, but he couldn't let anyone see them being so intimate. He had reluctantly taken himself to bed after checking on the trio one last time.

In the morning Fane was much better, his eyes alert, his drooling normal, and not a tremor to him. She had gotten to Fane early enough to save him, though it had been Fane who had sought her help. He had instinctively known she would help him. His wife did have a way with animals.

With Fanes' presence in the Great Hall, the servants avoided it. They were too fearful to be near him. Though they were in awe of Sky's courage, but also cautious, not sure if her strange ability to calm and tend the fierce animal came from good or evil. Then, of course, there was the sudden friendship of Fane and Angel that Slayer had witnessed earlier today. He had to admit it was a sight to see the little ball of fur bouncing and swatting playfully at Fane and the hound poking the kitten with his nose to send her tumbling only for her to bounce back on her feet and start the playful game over again. Then, suddenly tired, Angel would curl herself against Fane and they both would sleep.

His wife had moved the unlikely pair outside, the sunny day far too beautiful to remain indoors. He watched the strange pair now curled together sleeping not far from where his wife worked on the small patch of dirt that would become her garden. Those who worked the large garden kept their distance, no doubt, fearful of Sky as well as Fane. She had changed into the garments she was wearing when he rescued her, though they had been freshly washed, and she wore an apron over them. She was bent down focused on something in the dirt.

He approached, keeping his eyes on her. "Did you find something?"

She glanced up at him. "Your healer, do you have one? She would be of help to confirm what I suspect."

"Verina died shortly after my father. I am currently searching for a new one. Why? What have you found?" He stretched his hand out to help her to her feet.

Sky grasped onto his hand, enjoying the comforting feel of his strong touch, and held onto him a bit longer than she should have, but neither did he let go of her.

Wrinkles spread across Sky's brow. "That is odd that she should die not long after your da. Was she ill or simply old?"

"She was not old or young, though she was frail at times. But what is it you found?"

Sky pointed to a green sprout in the ground. "The odor alerted me, though it has yet to grow strong. But if I am not mistaken that is nightshade, a deadly plant that could have been used to poison your father and perhaps your healer as well. Could someone in the clan have poisoned your da?"

"I don't believe so. They all would fear the consequences of such a betrayal."

"But this plant is one you would find in a healer's garden, not the keep's kitchen garden."

"So, a healer would know how to use it?" he asked.

"Aye, a healer would know how deadly it could be if not used properly. How long had your healer been with you?"

"A year at the most. She was here when I returned from a battle and seemed pleasant enough, though she kept her distance from me and my men. We are trained to tend to our wounds and each other's wounds, so we had no need for her."

His brow narrowed and she asked, "You have a puzzling thought."

"Rory, the liar, told me that the man boasting about poisoning my father did so without even meeting him. I wonder if he got Verina to poison my da and she accidentally poisoned herself in doing so?"

"I suppose that is possible. With your father's illness worsening over several days, it seems unlikely that it was someone passing through who sought shelter for only a night or two."

"Not likely at all since anyone seeking shelter is not allowed inside the gates. They are welcome to shelter in the village outside the gates but only clan members are allowed beyond the gates."

"Did he entertain other nobles or chieftains in the Great Hall or in his solar?"

"He did, but none that I would suspect and none that I haven't already questioned. The fear in their eyes alone while talking with me confirmed what I suspected, none had a reason nor the courage to take my father's life."

Sky could only imagine the fear of the men Slayer had questioned. They knew what he was capable of, what horrible revenge he would inflict on whoever was responsible for his da's death. She doubted any one of them would take such a terrifying chance.

Though that had not been her reason for asking. "Would any one of them have hired someone to do the deed?"

"I doubt it since they would know that when I caught the person, I would make sure to get the truth out of him."

"Not if the person was dead," she said.

He was impressed with her questions, for the thought had crossed his mind as well. "As I told each one of the men who I questioned… there is always a link, and I promised them that I would find it."

Sky's concern to solve the mystery of his da's death grew, realizing that if his da could be poisoned so easily so could he and that realization upset her.

"Did your da die quick or did he linger in death?" she asked.

"It was several days before the healer realized it was not an illness that he suffered from but that he had been poisoned." His brow narrowed again. "Though come to think of it, it was Euniss who suggested my da might have been poisoned, not the healer." A puzzling look settled in his eyes. "I wonder why Euniss suspected poisoning when the healer hadn't."

"You cannot think Euniss had anything to do with your father's poisoning?"

"I will not disregard anything," he said.

She tilted her head in question. "Do you trust anyone?"

"Few. Lies fall far too easily from tongues especially when the lie can prove beneficial. Greed can tempt the most virtuous soul."

"And the most desperate and neither apply to Euniss," Sky said and looked past him. "Shall we find out?" She waved, seeing the woman, and called out, "Euniss, a moment, please."

Slayer turned, ready to summon the woman with a snap of his hand but she was already walking toward them.

"Do you need help, Sky?" Euniss asked when she reached them.

Slayer kept tight rein on his annoyance that his wife was not shown the respect due her as his wife, being addressed properly as Lady Sky, even if it was for her own protection. He was impatient to see this matter settled so she could take her rightful place as his wife.

"Was this area of land ever part of the kitchen garden?" Sky asked.

"Nay, this patch of land was for the healer's use. Verina would not let anyone go near it, warning that some plants were too dangerous to touch. It fell into disrepair when she died, and the frigid winter had not helped the few plants she had."

"Her healing garden was small?" Sky asked.

"Far smaller than our previous healer's garden," Euniss said.

"How did my father come by Verina?" Slayer asked.

Euniss shook her head and shrugged. "A question I asked him myself when she arrived. He told me that it was none of my concern. That we needed a healer and we now had one. That, of course, made me even more curious and somewhat suspicious of the healer since she did not seem a knowledgeable healer. But your father continued to dismiss my concerns, so I held my tongue."

"Until my father took ill," Slayer said.

"I did wonder over her healing skills when your father failed to improve no matter what Verina did, and when I suggested poisoning, she did pay heed to it."

"Or so she made you believe," Slayer said.

Euniss's brow rose in surprise. "It did cross my mind, but I and others had expressed concern about Verina not looking well after your father took ill. Do you think Verina poisoned your father?" Her glance drifted off briefly.

"You recall something?" Slayer asked.

"I cannot believe I dismissed it," Euniss said as if disappointed in herself."

"Tell me," Slayer ordered.

"I caught a servant wrinkling her nose at the bedding taken from your father's bedchamber that she was about to wash one day. I went to ask her if the bedding had gone too long before being changed when I caught a whiff of the scent myself. I warned the servant to say nothing that it was none of our concern."

"What wasn't your concern?" Slayer asked already surmising what it was.

"Verina's scent was potent on the bedding. It was an odd, overly sweet scent. I paid it no mind since I was well aware that your father was a potent man who slept with a variety of women and cared little for any of them." Euniss looked with pride on Slayer. "It is good you have not inherited your father's lack of honor and self-serving trait. Your mum had faith that you would be a good, honorable man, and she was right."

"What about Warrand?" Slayer asked, her remark unsettling him.

"She prayed for him but could see from a young age that Warrand would be much like his father, though she was pleased that Warrand had formed a close bond with you. She hoped he might learn from you and become a better man." Euniss turned her head and sniffed the air. "I must take my leave, sir, or your next meal will be served burnt."

Slayer looked at his wife with a mixture of annoyance, concern, and need in his eyes.

Sky felt it more than saw his need for her and she did not hesitate. She spoke loud enough for those in the distance to hear. "Now go and leave me in peace to do as I please. I will not tolerate being dictated to any longer."

Anger sparked in his eyes at her commanding voice until he realized what she was doing, giving him a reason to send her to their bedchamber.

He let his anger surface, knowing his wife would understand it was not directed at her. "Go to your bedchamber and you will remain there until I give you permission to leave it."

The fiery anger in his eyes froze her for a moment.

"GO!" he shouted.

She jumped and hurried off, though not before scooping up Angel and calling out, "Come, Fane."

The wolfhound did not hesitate. He hurried to his feet and with a snarl at Slayer, rushed to follow Sky.