Page 45 of Cherished By A Highlander

“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 satat 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.”

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