Chapter Ten
The Scot’s Reckoning
Thea and Willum
Brenna tends to her granddaughter’s wounds and more…
Thea didn’t have any trouble waking up once her grandmother found her some warm broth to drink. She sat up while the sweet woman poked and prodded her relentlessly.
“I’m fine, Grandmama.” She took another long sip of the broth, allowing the warm brew to stay in her mouth for a bit before swallowing it.
“Ye may think so, but ye must calm yerself. Ye are riled because yer pet is hurt and ye watched Drystan battle. He’s capable, trained by one of the best in all the land, so ye must put yer worry about him off to the side.
Ye will heal quicker if ye arenae upset.
Tell me about Bo,” Grandmama instructed, poking at Thea’s face.
Thea winced a few times as certain spots were pressed.
“Ow,” she muttered, a bit embarrassed she couldn’t stop herself from complaining.
“It hurts? How badly?”
“Just a wee bit. ’Tis the spot near my cheekbone that hurts the most.”
“Bo?” her grandmother prompted, getting up from her stool to mix a potion.
“The villain stabbed him, though Torrian thinks it is a shallow wound.”
Her grandmother turned to her with a wide smile. “And ye know ye have the best in all the land to tend to him. Are ye learning yer mother’s ways so ye can help her when she gets older?”
Not as much as she should be, but the question did make her think. What would they all do if anything happened to prevent her mother from tending all their animals?
“I trust yer mother will fix Bo. And Gerland is fine?”
“Aye.”
“Here, drink this. ’Twill take away some of yer pain.”
“I dinnae wish to sleep.”
“Ye have my word that I’ve just put in enough to numb the pain a bit.
Should ye wish for something to help ye sleep in the next few days, come find me and I’ll give ye a stronger potion.
Now I must ask ye. Were ye hurt in any place that I canno’ see?
Did he attempt to molest ye?” Grandmama sat on the stool and gazed straight into Thea’s eyes.
She shook her head. “He wished to, but he didnae get the opportunity.” Her grandmother was the sweetest person alive, she thought, though her mother was nearly as sweet.
How she adored both of them. Being this close to her grandmother made her realize how much the two looked alike.
Their eyes were the same shade of brown, filled with enough compassion and wisdom to cause her to wish to have just a wee bit of what they both had.
But she didn’t. Drystan and Lorana were more like her mother. She favored her father. “May I go? I’d like to see how Bo is doing.”
“Aye.” Her grandmother leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
“Ye may take yer leave as long as ye have someone with ye. Have yer sire or Willum go with ye. I dinnae think ye have any permanent damage, but yer face will be sore for a few days. And ye shall see so many colors of the rainbow that ye’ll think ye will never be the same again.
” She patted her hand and then moved over to the center table. “When is patrol leaving?”
“Either the morrow or the next day.” She climbed out of the bed and set her clothing to rights.
“I hope no’ until the next day.”
“I must go, Grandmama.”
She whirled around to face Thea and put her hands on her hips. “Ye will no’ go looking for the bastard. ’Twill gain ye nothing. Ye will patrol as Maitland and Dyna instruct ye. Promise me ye willnae go off on yer own, lass.”
Thea rolled her eyes.
“Dinnae roll yer eyes like Isla does. I hate it.”
“Sorry, Grandmama.” She let out a deep sigh. “I am grateful ye will allow me to patrol, and of course I will only do as our leaders wish. I wouldnae go against them.”
“And dinnae think of convincing them that ye must chase after this man. Did he take any injuries?”
“Aye, I put an arrow in his shoulder.”
“Then know that he could be dead in a few days. He’ll rip the arrow out, and it will surely fill with the green poison and kill him because he’ll no’ go to a healer. Forget about the one man. Vengeance will no’ serve ye well. I’ve seen it destroy some.”
“I promise to follow their instructions.” She stood and made her way to the side of the door.
“Good. Please stop and see me before the patrol leaves so I know ye are healing the way ye should be.” Her grandmother bent over her jars of poultices and ointments, fussing as she often did, brushing her gray hairs back from her face.
Her shoulders were beginning to round a wee bit, a sign of advancing age.
Thea didn’t wish to ever live without the dear woman, and she refused to think on it.
The door opened and Dyna entered. “Ye are hale?” Thea nodded, and Dyna raised her voice so her grandmother would hear her question. “She can go on patrol with us, Aunt Brenna?”
“She may go, but only if she does no’ chase after the one who punched her. When are ye leaving?”
“One more day. Our plan is for a longer journey, nearly a moon this time. King Edward is headed to Berwick Castle, and King Robert wishes to gain it back. We’ll be traveling between Berwick and Edinburgh to protect our people. We’ll have no time to chase a rogue Englishman.”
“Good,” her grandmother said. “A rogue who could be lying on the ground somewhere fighting the fever. He’ll probably lose the battle, so no reason to search for him.”
Dyna looked at Thea, her hands on her hips. “Canno’ argue that reasoning. We head straight south. No distractions, Thea. And we have a full group. Eight of us.”
“Who?” Grandmama asked. “Besides Maitland, Willum and ye two. That’s four. Alaric is here and I hear Eli is going. Who am I missing?”
“Tevis and Wenna.”
“A fine group. Thea must check with me before she goes, Dyna. I wish to see her healing well. I’ll see ye tomorrow eve, lass.”
“I promise, Grandmama.” She kissed her grandmother’s cheek and left with Dyna.
Dyna whispered, “Dinnae worry, we’ll find him.”
“But I promised not to,” Thea explained.
Dyna grinned. “But I didn’t.”