Page 47 of Cherished By A Highlander

“Please.Please, Shade, you must say nothing or the clan will lose all hope. And please, please, I beg you… help my husband.”

“Of course, I will help Caleb, but first you must tell me what goes on here. Why are you and, I assume your healer, Ena, knows since she tended to him, and possibly Nug, that it is not Chieftain Ryland in this bed. Where is he and why lie about it?”

“I don’t know Chieftain Ryland’s whereabouts. All assumed that the wounded man that was carried into the keep and placed in the chieftain’s bedchamber is Chieftain Ryland. Nug brought me here along with our healer since I assist her at times to discover it was my husband in the bed. I was sworn to secrecyand told to ask no questions. Nug is the only one who will be able to tell you anything, though he may be reluctant to do so. I would guess it is either because our chieftain is dead, and the news would devastate the clan and leave them without a shred of hope, or our chieftain is alive and will make sure Lord Torrance never lays claim to Clan MacLeish. That is why it is imperative that you reveal nothing of what you’ve seen here. Please, Shade, give me your word you will say nothing.”

“Worry not, Ula, you have my word, I will say nothing.”

“Even to your husband?” Ula asked.

Shade feared there were too many secrets to keep, and she worried what would happen when they all came to light, but she did as her friend asked. “I will say nothing to him, but I will not lie to him if confronted.”

“I understand since there are no lies between Caleb and me.”

Shade gave her friend’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “All will be well.”

“I believe that now that you are here, and I was able to confide in you.”

“Time to heal your husband,” Shade said and got busy thoroughly examining him.

To start she took her time running her hands over him while concentrating on the troublesome areas that worried her, deciding how best to treat them. There was a bit of heat in his flesh, another worrisome sign since one of the wounds was nearly putrid.

“When did he last wake?” Shade asked.

“A day or so ago but only briefly. Is that a bad sign?”

“It is better he wakes if only for a while than not at all. Now we need to get him washed and clean bedding put on the bed before I can treat his wounds.”

Ula got busy stripping the Caleb of what little he wore while Shade set a cauldron of water to boil in the hearth and added amixture of herbs. Clean blankets and sheets were requested and left outside the door. Shade helped Ula wash the Caleb, ridding him of the dirt and blood sustained in battle.

Once that was done and Caleb rested comfortably on clean bedding, Shade got busy seeing to each of his wounds, cleaning some, which got a moan from him, though didn’t wake him.

“Are you using yarrow salve on his wounds?” Ula asked, curious at seeing three small crocks of salve Shade had sat on the chest beside the bed. “Ena, our healer, put yarrow on the wounds right away.”

“On some, but I have been finding more success with Lady Mantle and golden rod when mixed with equal parts of St. John’s wort and betony, which hopefully will also help with his lingering fever. I am also preparing a brew of ragwort root for any wounds he may have sustained that we cannot see.”

“He has wounds inside him?” Ula asked, clearly upset at Shade’s remark.

“Some of his wounds go deep and there is no telling what damage they have done inside him,” Shade explained. “It is a precaution to stop anything that may have already started.”

She didn’t tell her that she saw the damage that was done inside him and was hoping this would prevent any further damage and help to heal what he had already suffered.

“Ena never thought of that,” Ula said, as if she herself should have.

“There was a lot for Ena to tend to and you are not familiar with possible wounds within. You and Ena did an excellent job in tending the wounds you could see.”

“But you look beyond, something other healers do not do. That is why I sent for you. I knew if anyone could save him, you could,” Ula said, filled with hope.

“I will do my very best,” Shade continued to assure her, knowing time would tell if Caleb would survive. “Bathe his headwith the wet cloth and his neck as well while I see to preparing two decoctions.”

Shade stretched her shoulders back as she worked to try to ease the ache out of them and wondered what her husband was doing. No doubt he was questioning Nug to see if he could learn anything about the mercenaries who fought for Lord Torrance. She was eager to hear what he may have learned, but she was also eager to help those in need in the village.

Once done, Shade turned to go to Ula and stopped, seeing her sitting on the bench beside the bed holding her husband’s hand and whispering to him. Her heart ached for her, knowing how she would feel if it was Quint lying in the bed. She would work tirelessly to save him and that was what she intended to do for Caleb.

Shade walked over to the bed. “I am going to instruct you, Ula, on how often to give Caleb the two decoctions I have brewed. One is for possible inner wounds as I told you and the other is to keep his fever down and eventually chase it away.”

“I will do exactly as you say,” Ula said, stepping forward anxiously.

Hearing the door opening, Shade and Ula hurried to block anyone from seeing who was in the bed. It made Shade wonder if Quint had ever met Chieftain Ryland and hoped he hadn’t since she knew if she kept him from entering the bedchamber he would grow suspicious.

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