Chapter 2 #2
His fever was hotter. The only thing she could do at this point was to continue to wash him down in an effort to cool him.
He’d passed out from the agony caused by the dying tissue in his calf, but his friends refused to let her amputate the leg below the knee, though she’d used every argument she could think of to convince them that it might save his life.
She’d still consider doing it, save for the man standing by the bed, left here to prevent her.
And the promise by his other companion, Rabbie, to ride like the Devil chased him and bring back the Lathan healer.
The glowing way Rabbie spoke of her, Aftyn prayed she could save Niall’s leg and his life.
If Rabbie had been delayed, or worse, never made it back at all, the man before her would die. She stood, hugged her arms to her ribs and fretted. She’d already done everything she could think of, save for the one thing they refused to allow her to do.
“Where is Neve?” Aftyn had left her assistant and friend, Neve, with Niall last night.
“She went for more water a few minutes ago,” Fearchar told her.
She’d asked Neve to search her mother’s journals for anything else that might help.
She had found nothing they hadn’t already tried.
Which made no sense. Surely Aftyn’s mother had treated other festered wounds.
What had she done differently, and why hadn’t she written it down?
Was the cure something so obvious it was common knowledge and not worth recording?
Something she’d taught her that Aftyn forgot?
Or something in the many pages filled with unreadable notations and symbols.
She racked her brain as she paced, but no helpful memory surfaced.
Ach, Mama, why did ye leave me so soon? I miss ye. And I dinna ken all I need to ken to do what ye did for our clan. For this man.
Niall’s groan brought her back to him. He was no cooler, and he’d begun tossing his head like an angry horse.
Surely he’d hurt himself if she didn’t get him to stop.
She placed her hands on either side of his face, holding him still, and spoke to him in a soothing tone.
“Wheesht ye, laddie. Wheesht. Ye must rest to be well.” His agitation eased with her touch, so she released him and dribbled sleeping draught between his lips.
Once he swallowed enough, she continued speaking softly, trying to soothe him.
“I’m doing all I can for ye. Ye must help me.
Ye can do that, aye? Sleep now.” She let him go when he stopped fighting her and settled on a sigh.
He seemed to slide deeper into his fevered dreams.
She straightened and turned to the man watching her over crossed arms, muscles bulging. “Fearchar, can ye trust me with him long enough to find Neve and help her? I need that water now. He’s burning up.”
He looked as though he would refuse, but they both knew there were no blades in the chamber save the ones he carried. He gave a curt nod and left the room.
Aftyn stroked the damp hair off of Niall’s forehead, fighting the urge to cry. Or scream. She hated feeling helpless, and being treated as untrustworthy by these strangers made her feel worse.
The laird’s doubts about her were growing, and losing a visitor from another clan would convince him that his illegitimate daughter was not worth keeping in any capacity, much less as the clan’s healer.
She remained with the clan only because she’d been able to save his heir’s life by continuing a treatment begun by her mother before she died.
Since then, she’d lived in fear of Braden having another spell, gasping for air, but so far, nothing had happened.
Now, for this man, nothing Aftyn tried seemed to help. Maybe her father was right. She was worthless as a healer.
She sank onto the hearthside stool and let her tears run down her cheeks. Niall would not see them. And even if he did, likely he would not live to speak of them to anyone else.
They reached the Keith keep long after dark.
Jamie was glad of Rabbie’s company, and of Bhaltair’s, another Lathan guard Jamie’s father had insisted accompany them.
Rabbie’s shout to the gatekeeper got them into the bailey.
He led them to the stables where a lad took charge of the horses, then into the keep.
The great hall was empty of all save a few servants cleaning tables. Rabbie led them to a set of stairs. “I ken where Niall rests,” he said as he headed up.
Jamie followed, Bhaltair on his heels.
“Where is everybody?” Bhaltair looked around with a frown. “I’ve never seen a keep so quiet.”
Jamie’s chest clenched at that. Was Niall dead? The lack of activity in the hall might mean they kept a respectful peace until his kin could claim his body. Or they’d buried him today and now mourned, since his clan was not here to do it for him.
Rabbie led them down a hallway, dark save for one sputtering torch in the middle, pushed open a nearby door and stepped inside.
Jamie’s breath left him when he saw Niall, his head moving fretfully on his pillow.
He lived! Then Jamie took a breath and wished he hadn’t.
A frisson of unease shivered down his spine as the stench of sickness and rot invaded his nose, sweet and grating over the earthy scent of the peat fire burning low in the hearth. A young lass sat dozing near it.
“Neve!” Rabbie hissed. “Wake up.”
The lass blinked and sat up. “Rabbie! Ye’re here! Ach, Aftyn will be so relieved.”
“Where is she?”
“Asleep, I hope. Poor lass. She’s barely left this chamber the entire time since ye left. I chased her out a few hours ago to eat and rest. Fearchar, too.”
“The hall was all but empty. Where is everyone? And how is Niall?”
“Ye do ken how late it is? They’re all in their beds.” She stood. “Niall, well…” she said, paused, and turned her gaze to him. Then she looked back at Rabbie and continued, “I’m glad ye have arrived. He’s worse.” Her gaze moved to Jamie and Bhaltair. “Which of ye is the healer? We expected a lass.”
“I am,” Jamie said, his gaze shifting from her to Niall and back again. “I am the healer's son and ken her methods.”
“Why didna she come herself?”
“She cares for a woman about to deliver her twelfth babe.” Jamie moved toward Niall, the urge to begin healing him coming on strongly. Even from a distance, he could feel Niall’s distress.
“I hope ye are as skilled as she,” Neve said. “Yer friend needs more care than we could give him.”
He wished he could explain to Calder why he had to go back on his vow.
He would have understood better than anyone why Jamie would have to use his talent.
Neve’s voice distracted him and he turned back to her.
Jamie frowned. “I will see to him. Before I do, we’ve ridden long and hard.
Can anyone prepare some food and drink for us? ”
“Aye. Now ye are here, I’ll fetch what ye need.”
Jamie gestured. “Rabbie and Bhaltair can help ye, then ye’ll need to see to a place for us to rest.”
“I have a chamber,” Rabbie reminded Neve. “Dinna fash. We’ll use it.”
Neve moved toward the open door. “Come with me, then.”
Jamie held up a hand to stop her. “Where?”
“The great hall. I’ll raid the kitchen,” Neve promised.
Jamie gestured them out. “I’ll follow ye soon.
First I want to see to Niall.” He closed the door after them and turned to his patient.
Placing his hands just above and below the bandage swathing Niall’s lower leg, he closed his eyes and felt.
What he found sickened and enraged him. Festering tissue burned and spread.
As much as Jamie wanted to attack it, he knew he would not have the strength until he ate and rested for an hour or two.
He touched Niall’s forehead to put him into a deeper sleep that would blunt his pain, then took his hand and squeezed it.
“I’m here, Niall. I’ll be back soon to help ye. ”
Reluctantly, he left the chamber and rejoined his men and Neve in the hall. The food and ale were welcome, and for Jamie to do what he would be called upon to do this night, necessary. No one spoke save to ask for more.
They were nearly finished when a lass crossing behind Neve from the kitchen toward the stairs captured Jamie’s attention.
He couldn’t take his gaze from her. She glided with the grace of a swan on a still pond.
Her skin glowed with each torch she passed, pale as new cream, yet touched with berries on her cheeks and lips.
Lashes so lush they hid the color of her downcast eyes added to her air of mystery.
She passed beyond their table and fascinated him all over again.
Her dark braid ended just at the sweet curve of her bottom and swayed against her back as she climbed the steps.
She seemed so deeply lost in thought, she hadn’t noticed the strangers in her hall.
Jamie wanted to rise and call out to her, to learn her name and everything about her, but held himself in check. He would discover who she was later. Niall needed him.