Chapter 38
Thirty-Eight
Callah
The hunters returned faster than I'd expected. Tobias had told me they weren't going as far, but having Mrs. Worthington pound on my door to let me know I was needed? It startled me. I'd expected it to take them at least another day, not be back this evening!
It was late, but that didn't bother me. I hurried to the infirmary and got to work.
This time, there were so many animal bites.
Some were just punctures. Many were savage wounds that had taken flesh and muscle with it.
The cloth wound around those was still fresh enough to not stick when it was removed.
And I healed. I cleaned, sewed, and removed arrows, but mostly I bandaged.
The whole time, I kept looking for one man: my husband.
But Tobias wasn't here. My pulse was pounding just a little too quickly.
I felt like there was a constant ringing in my ears, but I did my best to tell myself this was fine.
He was likely in our suite already, waiting for me.
Between patients, I moved to wash and gather more supplies. Each time, I asked the others doing the same if they'd seen him. Usually, the answer was no, but one? A young girl, no more than sixteen, nodded.
"The big hunter? I saw him in the hall outside. He didn't stay."
"Are you sure?" I demanded.
And she made a face, telling me her answer before her words confirmed it. "No, but he was big. I was busy so didn't get a good look."
So maybe I wasn't as careful with my work as I should've been.
It was possible I didn't clean all the animal bites the way I could've.
Still, the line of bodies needing attention eventually ended.
The girls were sent to clean up first. Now that I was a wife, I got to stick around and help clean up the mess all these men had just made.
"Mrs. Warren?" The sound of Mrs. Worthington's voice made me turn.
"Yes?"
"You did more than your share tonight." And she moved closer, lowering her voice. "I've heard what you've been doing for the other wives. Take some more supplies for them and go. We'll cite them as used by the men, and I think we all know some women will need you by morning."
"Thank you," I breathed. "I'm just trying to do the Lord's bidding."
"Aren't we all," she agreed, but she sounded exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with how long we'd been working.
I couldn't turn down her offer, even if I wanted to rush back and check on Tobias. I was running low on a few things - mostly suture. So, filling my pockets with as much as I could hold, I double-checked to make sure the wives in here didn't need help mopping, and then left.
The walk back to my suite felt like it was never-ending. With each step, I kept trying to imagine what I'd do if he wasn't there. Would someone tell me he'd been killed, or would I need to figure it out on my own? And if he had, then what?
I'd have ninety days, that was what. Ninety days alone, without his comforting presence. Three months of being watched to make sure my monthly flowering hadn't stopped, and then I'd be married again. This time to someone who might not approve of my healing, let alone my desire to not be touched!
Eventually, I did reach my room. Turning the knob to the door, I pushed it wide, but couldn't quite make myself step in. I listened, hoping for some shuffling or movement. I'd even take filthy clothes strewn across the floor - but there was nothing.
Then a hand landed on my back. A squeak of fright burst forth as I spun to face the toucher - and I'd never been so happy in all my life. Before me, wet and clean, my husband stood - and he was fine. Completely fine!
"I didn't know if you'd returned," I admitted.
"Inside, woman," he grumbled, pressing me the rest of the way into our suite, then securing the door behind us.
But he didn't tell me it was okay. He didn't laugh because I'd clearly been worried. Tobias simply crossed the room to the chair he preferred, then dropped into it hard.
"What?" I begged. "What happened?"
"I had to tell Gideon that Sylis is dead." He shoved a hand across his mouth. "You'll need to let Felicity know. I'm not sure if someone will tell her before then, but I made sure Gideon heard that I'd seen him cut down myself - by the Wyvern."
"What?" No, no, no. That couldn't be right! "They're supposed to help!"
"Callah..."
"He's your friend!" I insisted, turning to pace the room.
And he grumbled under his breath. "Callah! Stop! Listen to me before you fret, okay?"
I stopped hard, shocked at his tone. "I'm sorry."
"That's what we have to say," he told me. "I talk in my sleep, or ranted about it, or something. That's how you know the Wyvern got him, okay?"
"Wait, what?"
He tipped his head at my chair. "Sit. I have a lot to tell you, and we're both tired enough that I don't want to forget anything."
"Okay," I said, but I sat lightly, braced for the worst. "Are there more women in quarantine?"
"Not this time." And he laughed once. "The wild men were ready for us. Reapers, they're called in their language - because they aren't wild, Callah. They're farmers."
"Farmers? Like Ayla wanted to be?"
"Yeah, but Ayla's a lot more than a farmer now.
" With another grunt, he waved that off.
"In order. The Reapers were ready for us.
They had their dogs - so many dogs! Sylis and I tried to go around to the side, hoping we could avoid killing anyone, and I wanted to get close enough to their town to leave your letter, but we didn't make it.
A wild man caught us. I tried to tell him I was there for Ayla, but he didn't care that I had my hands up.
He tried to stab me, and Sylis jumped in the way. "
"No..." I breathed.
"But Ayla was there," he went on. "She sent her dog to help, and the Wyvern pushed the Reaper back before he could finish Sylis off, but it was a gut wound."
I let my eyes close and murmured softly. That meant a long, slow, and painful death. One that came with a fever, and fevers meant he could say too much.
"So what did you do?" I asked.
"I asked Ayla to help him," he said. "Up there, his condition is a minor wound.
She wasn't even worried about it! She said they have medicine to handle it - and they do!
Sylis was given something that made him stupid.
He fell asleep, even with the hole in his belly, and they're going to make sure he heals, but that means he couldn't come back. "
"Wait..." I heard him. I did, but he'd just said Sylis had been stabbed. "So, he's alive? You said he's dead!"
"As far as anyone here is concerned, he died," Tobias told me. "I tried to save him, so I was separated from the main group. That's why I didn't catch up with them until they were nearly back - and I had to run to do that."
"Okay?"
"But," he went on, "as far as anyone here knows, he's dead now.
I have to get promoted, Callah. I have to get the code.
I spoke to the people up there - well, with help.
I told them which women we captured. The Reapers are not happy, but the Wyvern and Ayla are handling it, and now we don't have Sylis to get promoted, so I have to.
I'm already married. I might be 'dumb' to them, but I am good at this, and Ayla told me how to look better.
She told me to think like a woman, and I'm going to need help with that. "
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Planning. Showing them what they want to see while not doing the things I claim.
Ayla said to take credit for the kills of dead men.
She said to smear blood on myself so I look like I was in the thick of things, and to run ahead so no one will follow.
She told me to claim I'm seeking vengeance, because the men would understand that, and she said you'll help. "
"I will," I assured him. "She knows how to let people make their own assumptions. I do too. It's how a woman survives."
"And right now, it's going to be how I survive," he said. "But Meri did have the baby. She gave it to a childless woman to raise because she didn't want to, and everyone is happy. The baby didn't turn, but surgery fixed that, and Meri is completely fine."
"Oh, thank the good Lord," I breathed, using the words of a prayer even if I didn't think anyone was listening to answer it. "Tonight, Mrs. Worthington told me to take more suture to help the women. She said she is proud of me for that, so we have more supplies."
"And the hunters will not be happy," he warned. "We didn't get enough meat, Callah. They no longer care what sort of meat it is. They told us the wild men are beasts of the Devil, so good for nothing but feeding us."
"They aren't..." I gasped, shocked to hear they'd made it so blatant now.
He just nodded slowly. "And we're to capture the women who look like us, but those women? I didn't see as many this time. The ones I did see were armed, often with dogs, and they were not the kind to simply be captured without causing a few deaths. There were Dragons, too. Lots of them."
"And Ayla," I said.
He nodded. "I got the impression the Dragons and wild men are working together now. We made plans, hopefully so we won't catch them unaware again, and I have a device."
He pulled it from his pocket and held it out. The thing was a small tube, hollow, with another hole on the side near one end. I took it, turned it over, but couldn't figure out what it did.
"It's a whistle," he explained, taking it back. "Listen."
He lifted it to his lips and blew, but only the breath sound and a hint of something else came out. It wasn't loud like I'd expected. This? It was barely even audible.
"How's that going to help?" I asked. "If that's meant to whistle, it's not working."
"It is," he promised. "The sound is for dogs. They hear better than people, and they will react. That will tell the people we're coming without me needing to hide it. I've already said this is my trophy. They all know I have those - "
"Like the feathers," I realized.
He nodded smugly. "Yeah. So this? Callah, I'm going to become a very respected hunter, but only because I have to.
I may need to yell at you in front of others, but please know it's only a part of our ruse.
I was told that if I'm not good to you, the Wyvern will let Ayla sting me with his tail.
I believe him, too, but that's not why I'll be good to you.
It's because you are my friend. My wife.
And while we're not doing marriage the way everyone else is, that title still means something to me. "
"To me too," I agreed. "When I didn't see you in the infirmary, I was so scared! Tobias, I thought you'd been - "
A rap at the door cut me off. Tobias and I shared a look, but when I shook my head, making it clear I wasn't expecting anyone, he got up to answer it.
"Callah?" he said, stepping aside without letting the visitor in.
I hurried over - and found one of the youngest wives on the other side.
Blood stained her clothes, and dark red marks were visible across her body.
The girl stood with her hands clasped before her and her head down, but this wasn't just an attempt to be meek.
She looked like she hurt so much she could barely stand up.
"Come in," I told her, shooting a warning look at Tobias. "What's your name, child?"
"Zuriah," she breathed.
"Mrs..." Tobias asked.
"Baird," she mumbled. "I'm sorry, Mr. Warren. I know it's late and you're likely tired, but Mrs. Worthington told me to come."
"Fix her," Tobias grumbled, falling into his role of a proper husband a little too easily.
"Come," I said. "My nursery isn't filled currently, so Mr. Warren allows me to use it to keep our women well enough to care for their husbands."
"I see." She gave me a knowing look, but did follow as I led her into the small side room.
And she was a mess. Her hair looked like it had been knocked loose, bled in, and wrapped back into something close to a bun.
The redness around her eye made it clear she would have a bruise soon, and the sort that covered her entire socket.
Her arm was scraped and bleeding, making me think she'd been dragged across the hard floor, but it was the mark on her throat that scared me the most.
"Are you having problems breathing?" I asked.
"No," she assured me. "It's..." She waited until I closed the door, then eased her dress up enough to show me her belly. "He used the rod, Mrs. Warren. A lot."
"Callah," I corrected. "Now, I'm going to touch, it's going to hurt, and then we'll figure out what comes next, okay?"
"Please don't make me go back?" she begged.
I knelt and began prodding her belly, hoping there wouldn't be internal bleeding.
"Zuriah, there are two ways to keep from seeing your husband again.
First, if he dies. Second, if you die. Neither is a good option, but you can sleep here tonight.
I'll have Tobias tell your husband I need to monitor you closely for the next few hours.
With the need for children, no one seems to mind that I've been healing us women.
I just don't know if staying will make tomorrow easier or harder to deal with. "
"I don't care," she said, lifting her bruised face defiantly. "I do not deserve to be punished because his training wasn't enough. His boys died. His hunters were an embarrassment, and I had nothing at all to do with it."
"I know," I soothed. "I do know, but the hunt was bad. The men are ashamed, and they are not strong enough to handle such things."
"That doesn't mean I should have to!" she snapped.
"No, but it means you should learn when to be busy elsewhere, Zuriah. Laundry is always a good option." And I leaned back. "But you will live. Now, let me get you a blanket before my husband retires?"
"Thank you," she breathed. "I'm sorry to be a problem."
"No," I said. "You have just spared me from the marriage bed. My own husband is angry. He lost a friend. Do not apologize for helping me as much as I'm helping you."
It was a lie, but one that served a purpose. We women needed to stop taking it and start thinking one step ahead. Ayla said to think like a woman. She thought that would help us, so I'd make sure it did - and that I wasn't the only one reaping the rewards of her experience.