Page 5 of Cree & Dawn and the Wolf

A lone wolf’s howl sounded closer than before, and Cree was grateful for the stone walls that protected them. Humans he was used to battling, not wolves.

“Enter,” the woman called out.

Cree hurried and entered and was surprised at the large size of the room. The woman had lit enough candles to cast a good light over the generous area, and she was setting a fire to burn in the hearth, which added more light as the logs burst into flames.

He hurried Dawn to the bed and saw that the woman had drawn back the blankets and placed a thick cloth on the pillow. He didn’t think he mentioned his wife had suffered a head wound or perhaps she coated the pillow with a thick cloth for a different reason. He placed Dawn gently on the bed and removed her shoes. She wore no stockings. Even in the thick of winter she sometimes would forego her stockings, and yet herfeet were often warm. He gave one foot a squeeze then the other surprised to find them cold and hurried the blanket over her to her waist.

“There is a bucket of water here you may use,” she pointed to one by the hearth, “and some cloths on the chest.” She pointed to a chest near the bucket. “I will bring you another bucket of water and more clean cloths. Is it a large wound or would honey help heal it?” the woman asked.

“Bring whatever you have and whatever you think may help a wound,” he said.

The woman went to the door, Cree’s firm voice stopping her.

“I am Lord Cree, and I am grateful for your generous help.”

“I am Olwen. I oversee the keep,” she said with a bob of her head and hurried out the door.

She left so fast he had no time to ask her the clan that allowed him to shelter and care for his wife. It mattered not at the moment, only his wife mattered. He leaned over the bed ready to turn her to her side so he could examine her wound when her eyes fluttered, fighting to open.

Her hand barely made it to her head, and before it dropped from lack of strength, he caught it in his hand.

“Your head pains you?” he asked.

She tapped his hand once.

“I am going to look at it, clean the wound and bandage it if necessary. The clan’s healer will be here tomorrow, and she can let me know if more needs to be done. We took shelter at a keep. You are safe. I will let no harm come to you.”

Her smile was weak but that she smiled at all eased his worry a bit.

“Easy,” he said as he rolled her gently onto her side and he winced along with her, feeling her pain.

Blood smeared the cloth that covered the pillow, but, to his relief, no blood ran from the wound. He knew from far too manybattles how a head wound could bleed a lot but not threaten life. Then there were those head wounds that would claim the wounded in their sleep. He would need to keep an eye on his wife throughout the night and keep death at bay. He would let no one take Dawn from him, no one… not even death.

“It is not a bad wound as far as wounds go,” Cree said to help ease her worry as well as his own. “I am going to ease you to rest comfortably on your side while I clean it.”

Dawn reached back with a bit more strength, searching for his hand.

He took hold of it. “All will be well. We are safe here.”

Cree got busy cleaning the wound as gently as he could, as well as trying to get the blood out of her hair. He kept talking as he tended to her to keep her at ease.

“I do not know how we got separated from my warriors so quickly. We were so close and then suddenly we were at a distance. The mist. Heavy mist can confuse. We should have no trouble finding them once the mist passes. The wound is small, though it did bleed a lot, and you have a good-sized lump which probably is the reason for your pain. Hopefully, the clan healer will have something to help you with that.”

He watched her body sigh in relief. Though she had no voice, his wife spoke to him in so many other ways; the movement of her body, the expression in her eyes, her gestures that had become like a second language to him. They all forged a voice more powerful than any she could speak, and he often told her that she talked too much, which always brought a smile to her face.

“You would do well to sleep on your side tonight. You do most times anyway since you sleep against me.”

He loved sleeping wrapped around her, loved exploring her beautiful body with his hands or his lips. Loved how eagerly sheresponded and how much joy and pleasure they shared making love.

He felt his shaft begin to stir and hurried to chase the suggestive thoughts away. Now was not the time to dwell on such things, but it was difficult not to since thoughts of making love to his wife often entered his mind. He pushed the stirring thoughts away and just finished placing a clean cloth beneath her head when Olwen returned, a rap at the door sounding before she entered.

She carried a bucket and a sizeable sack and placed the bucket by the bed for Cree. She then got busy emptying the sack. Clean cloths came first, a crock of honey followed, and she pulled a smaller sack out. She removed the few items that she set on the table against the wall to the right of the bed.

“Meat, cheese, bread,” she said, unwrapping a cloth that held the food after placing it on the table. “I will fetch you some wine. It will help your wife sleep.”

Olwen left before Cree could stop her.

“She is fast for an elderly woman,” Cree said and slipped his hand under his wife to adjust her more comfortably in the bed. “Are you hungry, Dawn?”

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