Page 50 of Cherished By A Highlander

“I’ll take him,” Quint offered, seeing the two men struggle, their own wounds causing them pain. With his shoulder beneath the man’s arm and his arm around his waist he got him to the tree quickly.

Shade squatted down beside the man.

“Here is some water.”

Quint took the bucket from the older woman, her shoulders sagging from more than just its weight and her eyes held far too much exhaustion. It concerned him that if he did not look out for his wife, she would look the same soon.

“I’m Ena, the clan healer. I cannot tell you how pleased and relieved I am that you are here. We will talk after you have tended to George.”

“I look forward to it and I suggest you rest until then,” Shade said.

Ena smiled and though tired, the beauty she had once been shined through. “I would if they didn’t need me.” She glanced at the long line and hurried off.

Shade washed the blood off George’s head wound. She didn’t need to look within, though she did, to see the wound was minor and would cause him no problem. It was what else she saw that worried her.

“When was the last time you ate, George?”

“Yesterday, I think.”

“And slept?” Shade asked.

“I don’t want to sleep. I am back in the battle when I sleep.”

Shade glanced at the men waiting to see her and saw the same exhaustion on them.

“You walked home after battle,” Quint said. “You must be exhausted.”

“Lord Torrance had men waiting in the woods for us. We hadn’t recovered from the battle when we were faced with another battle. It was never-ending nearly all the way home.”

“He needs food and rest,” Quint said and nodded at the line of men. “Many of them probably do as well. I’ll find Nug and get the Great Hall set up for them to eat and rest.”

“I can take the message to Nug.”

Quint turned to see a slightly cleaner and less odorous Dru. “You’ve cleaned up some.”

“One of Chieftain Ryland’s rules for allowing me to stay here. I’ll get the message to Nug.”

“Tell him, plenty of food needs to be made ready and an area for men to rest,” Quint said.

“Aye, I’ll see it done, and return with any message he may have,” Dru said and took off.

“I am going to speak with Ena, then quickly look over the men. In the meantime, can you speak with them and determine which ones may require only food and rest?”

“Aye, I can do that,” Quint said. “And I will see that George is helped to the keep.”

Shade smiled. “I knew I could count on you.”

“Always,” Quint said.

“You are in good hands with Quint,” Shade said, resting a gentle hand on George’s shoulder before she stood.

“Bless you, mistress, bless you,” George said teary-eyed and when Shade hurried off, he looked to Quint. “You’re a blessed man to have a woman to love you so much that you can see it in her smile and in her eyes when she looks at you.”

Quint recalled Brother Emmett talking about being blessed, something foreign to him, something he never thought he’d know, but seeing it through George’s eyes he realized that he was blessed to have Shade love him. His only fear was of losing her love when she witnessed more of The Monk’s rage and what he would do to get his revenge.

Shade hadlittle time to speak with Ena with so many men to tend to. She had agreed with Shade when she explained that she would give each man a quick look and send those in need of food and rest to the keep, have those not in immediate need wait, and see to the ones in urgent need first. They each saw to tending to a man, to be able to get through the long line more quickly. It was watching Ena and suggesting an alternative to what the woman prescribed that she realized that while Ena was a good healer, she had not strived to enhance her healing knowledge. Whereas Shade never wanted to stop learning, improving, and gaining new knowledge.

Word must have been passed among those still waiting in line since the men Ena tended to soon began to turn to Shade to ask her what she thought. Shade was relieved that Ena did not seem to mind and began to do the same herself.

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