Page 29 of Cree & Dawn and the Wolf

Dawn’s arm went to press at her side.

Lynall, seeing her reaction, stepped around Cree. “You felt a pain before fainting?”

Dawn nodded.

“You may have suffered another wound we are now just learning about. Would you permit me to take a look at your side where you felt the pain?”

Dawn nodded.

“If you would step outside the door, my lord, I will let you know when I am done examining your wife,” Lynall said.

Dawn cringed not from pain, but from what she knew her husband would say, and she feared he would frighten the healer.

“Listen well, woman.” Cree scowled and jabbed his finger toward Lynall. “I’m staying right here by my wife, and I will see for myself what ails her and do whatever it takes to see her well.”

“Aye, my lord,” Lynall said, paling.

Dawn thought to chastise her husband for frightening the healer, but he would only elaborate on what he said to the healer and frighten the woman even more, so she kept her hands quiet.

“I will help you slip your garments up,” Cree said before Lynall could offer and she stepped aside.

Slipping one arm under his wife, he lifted her up enough to shift her garments and expose the area she had felt the pain and cringed when he did. The side beneath her right breast wasbruised and he feared what that might mean. He covered her with a blanket up to her waist once he laid her back down.

“A bruise,” he said, turning to Lynall.

The healer hurried over to have a look, her fingers gently probing the area. “I can feel the slight lump there. You must have hit something when you fell since this bruise is not fresh. When you stood so fast, you must have disturbed it, and it made itself known. I will prepare a compress for it that will help with the bruising and pain and a brew for you to take. I advise you to rest for the remainder of the day.”

“She will,” Cree commanded. “Will this delay our departure even more?”

“The fog will do that. When it gets this heavy, it usually takes a few days before it dissipates enough for safe travel. By then, I believe Lady Dawn will be well enough to take her leave as long as she takes care not to think she is fully healed just because she feels a bit better.”

Once again Cree sounded as if he commanded. “Dawn will follow your advice.”

“I will go prepare what is needed and show you how to administer the compresses to your wife’s wound,” Lynall said and turned to leave.

“Lynall!”

She turned, a bit startled by his powerful command.

“I appreciate how you have tended to my wife so wisely.”

Lynall smiled. “Thank you, my lord. It is kind of you to say so.”

Dawn gestured when Cree turned to her, the door closing softly behind Lynall.

“So, you think it was good of me to be nice to her after I wasn’t nice to her,” Cree said.

Dawn nodded and smiled, stretching her hand out to him.

His hand closed around hers, squeezing it, and he sat next to her on the bed. “You frightened me.”

She kept smiling as she patted her chest.

It was easy to understand her gesture. “You frightened yourself as well. Then you need to stop frightening the both of us and rest, so you will be ready to leave here.”

She nodded and she crossed her chest with her finger to promise him.

“This is my fault. I should have stripped you bare once we were alone to make sure we didn’t miss any other wounds you might have had.”

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