The Silent Highlander by Donna Fletcher
Chapter 29
Elysia couldn’t keep up with her husband as he flew down the stairs and she stopped in shock when she entered the Great Hall. Servants stood clinging to each other crying. Finch and Stiles stood over Lord Fergus stretched out on a table, their hands covered in blood. Cadell stood to the side, his eyes wide in dismay, and Rory stood near him looking on in shock.
Her heart broke when her husband took his father’s blood-covered hand in his and bent with his head bowed over him. “Da. Da, I’m here.”
Silence hung so heavy in the Great Hall that all heard Lord Fergus struggle to speak. “I pass… the leadership of… the Clan MacBridan to you… my son, Odran.” His eyes fluttered rapidly and closed shut.
Odran shook his head slowly, then he shot up and turned, calling out to his wife, “ELYSIA, COME HEAL MY FATHER. NOW, ELYSIA!”
His commanding shout had her jumping and she hurried to the table. One look at what appeared to be many stab wounds warned her that healing Lord Fergus might not be possible.
Odran gripped her arm tight. “You will not let him suffer. You will heal him.”
The sharp sound of desperation in her husband’s voice came as a surprise to her. He never showed fear or did anyone hear it in his words. She gave him what she thought would help, a spark of hope that his da would live. “I will do my best.”
“You will save him,” Odran commanded.
She couldn’t obey such an unreasonable command. She repeated only that which was possible. “I will do my best. Please send for Lendra. She will know what to do to help me, and Berdina as well,” Elysia instructed.
“I’ll get them,” Stiles said and hurried off.
“Dorrit!” Elysia called out and the woman rushed forward. “Buckets of water and stacks of cloths.”
“And Dorrit,” Odran said before the woman turned away. “See that this news does not reach my mother yet.”
Dorrit nodded and ran off.
Elysia looked to her husband. “I need a knife.”
Three hands presented her three knives and she took all three and laid them on the next table over. She took one and got busy carefully cutting away Lord Fergus’s garment to expose the wounds. She half-listened as she heard her husband’s strong voice command with every word he spoke.
“What happened, Finch?” Odran demanded.
“It was growing late and I thought perhaps you forgot that you were to meet with Cowan’s men. I was walking to the keep to find you when I heard groans as I passed the last cottage and I went to see.” He shook his head. “I let out a roar for help as soon as I saw that it was Lord Fergus.”
“Did my da say who did this to him?” Odran asked, fisting his hands, ready to mercilessly beat the man who dared to harm his da.
“Nay, but it is dark in that spot between the village and the keep. He may not have been able to see his attacker,” Finch said. “Search continues in the village for the culprit.”
Anger narrowed Odran’s eyes. “It won’t matter if the person who attacked my father lives among us. There would be no need for an escape. He will simply blend in as he always does and be lost to us.”
Odran halted his questions when Lendra and Berdina arrived together. Both women hurried to his wife, their eyes looming large when they caught sight of Lord Fergus, and their mouths dropped open, though neither woman uttered a sound.
Elysia knew what they thought. There was no chance to save the injured man. She had thought that of many of the men she had tended that had been wounded in battle. Surprisingly, more had survived than she had thought would. The difference was often determined by the severity of the wounds and her skill to save them. She called on that skill now.
“Get all my needles and thread saved for wound mending,” she ordered Lendra and wasn’t surprised to see a warrior trail after her when she fled to see to the task.
“I’ll help you cut away the cloth and clean away the blood so we can see the wounds more clearly,” Berdina said and got busy with the chore.
A strong groan had Odran taking powerful strides to his da. He stood at the end of the table where his da’s head laid, braced his hands on the edges, and peered down at him. “Da, who did this to you?”
Fergus groaned again and shook his head as he managed to say, “Too dark. Knocked me down.” His eyes shot open and he let out a painful cry.
“Elysia tends your wounds, Da,” Odran said.
“I’m dying,” Fergus said, resigned to his fate.
Elysia leaned her head over to look Fergus in the eyes. “If I can fight for your life, then you can fight as well.”
“The curse,” Fergus said, surrendering to it, and his eyes fluttered closed once again.
Elysia hated the curse. It had ruled over far too many for far too long. It needed to end and she prayed Annis would be the one to end it. She also prayed that somehow she could keep death from claiming Fergus.
She gently banished her husband, reluctant to leave his da, and the others away from the table so she could tend Fergus without distraction, then she got busy doing all she could to save him.
The men followed Odran as he walked away from his da, though he cast several backward glances as he did, and they all settled at a table near a corner where their talk would not distract.
“That should have been me,” Odran said, his eyes going to where his da laid.
“Nonsense,” Cadell said, dismissing the claim. “You have a crazy person on the loose, stabbing people for only God knows what reason.”
Finch disagreed. “Lord Odran may be right. He was to meet me and the path where Lord Fergus suffered the attack is the one Lord Odran would have taken. That spot is shrouded in darkness at night and his da could easily be mistaken for Lord Odran in such darkness, especially since he was expected to walk that path.”
“True enough,” Stiles agreed. “There are those who still wish to see Lord Odran dead even though we quelled the unrest among the other clans.”
“How can you so easily dismiss the obvious?” Cadell argued. “You had two previous stabbings. Someone has obviously lost their sanity and is stabbing random people.”
“Two women. Why now a man?” Finch asked.
“Did you not hear me say crazy person?” Cadell asked, annoyed. “This lingering curse has turned sane people insane, Lord Rannick one of them. That same insanity is causing unrest and having wise men make unwise decisions.”
“Cadell’s right about unrest and unwise decisions,” Odran said.
Cadell smiled haughtily that Lord Odran acknowledged that he made more sense than the others.
“There is more to the unrest than the clans demanding my da surrender the MacBridan land that surrounds the small church.” Odran paused, retrieving a memory. “Tavish made that clear before he took his own life, knowing full well he would surrender the names of others under torture. He said that more righteous ones would come for me and my wife. This attack on my da has nothing to do with Glenis’s and Deara’s deaths. It was meant for me and the attempts undoubtedly will increase not only on my life but on Elysia’s life when it is learned that she is with child.”
“How do we protect you and Lady Elysia if the culprit lives among us?” Stiles asked.
“Unless he doesn’t,” Cadell suggested. “Who has newly arrived here and has good reason to strike out at those who brought suffering on them?” He gave a nod toward Berdina.
“Watch who you accuse, Cadell,” Rory warned, his hand going to rest on the hilt of his knife at his waist. “Besides, you have reason enough yourself, constantly complaining about being tasked to find wives for the cursed lords and having to follow like a trained dog after Brogan.”
Cadell was quick to defend himself. “Complaining is one thing, killing is another”
“One look at Berdina and you can see she is not strong enough to repeatedly stab a man,” Stiles said.
“Someone with some common sense,” Rory said with a snort.
Odran listened to the men debate the issue that held merit. Could the culprit have just arrived or was a traitor living among them? Either way the task of finding the culprit would not be an easy one.
“There is also Cowan’s men to consider,” Stiles said. “It could be a retaliation for Cowan’s death.”
“I don’t believe so,” Finch said. “I’ve been speaking to Cowan’s men and it appears that they are relieved he’s dead. Many talked of what a brutal man he was and they wanted Lord Odran to know they harbored no ill will against him and would be loyal to him. I learned that many of them didn’t agree with the decision to battle with Clan MacBridan over such a trivial matter. They saw no reason for it and the objection grew when far too many lives were lost in battle.”
“There is a far bigger scheme to this than first realized. Brogan and Rannick need to be made aware of it and prepared for it.” Odran looked to Cadell. “I will have a message prepared for you in the morning to deliver to Lord Rannick and Lord Brogan, and also my wife has a message for you to deliver to her sister.”
“I intended to delay my departure until I see how Lord Fergus fares. I’m sure Lord Balloch and Lord Lochlann will want to hear news of their friend,” Cadell said.
“You will not delay it long. I will let you know when you are to leave,” Odran ordered. “I want this known to Rannick and Brogan sooner than later.”
“Aye, my lord,” Cadell said.
Odran continued to issue orders. “Rory, go with Stiles, he will assign you a task.”
“I’d like to be one of the warriors who protects Lady Elysia, if that is acceptable to you, my lord?” Rory said. “She is a kind and generous woman and I would give my life to see her kept safe.”
“I’d think twice about that if I were you, Lord Odran,” Cadell warned.
Odran’s hand shot up, stopping Rory when he lunged forward, looking ready to hammer Cadell. “What of your men? Are they faithful to you?”
Cadell bristled. “I can assure you they are.”
“I will be assured when you return to your men and make certain they all remain where camped until you take your leave,” Odran commanded, leaving little room that he was to be obeyed immediately.
“As you wish, my lord,” Cadell said, his anger obvious as he stomped like a protesting child out of the Great Hall.
“Switch the sentinels’ positions frequently,” Odran ordered Stiles. “Fresh eyes may catch something. Also, while I trust Finch’s word about Cowan’s men, to be safe make sure none leave where they camp.”
Stiles bobbed his head and hurried off.
“Finch, you will delay your departure until we learn more of how my father does. Also since you’re here in the keep frequently, you will keep watch over Lendra, freeing the guard assigned the task to better serve elsewhere.”
“A far too easy task, my lord, since I don’t believe Lendra guilty of killing Deara.”
“Then think of it as protecting her, since there is a possibility that Deara wasn’t accusing Lendra of killing her but warning that Lendra could be next to die.”
“Good Lord,” Finch said. “I will see she is kept safe.”
Odran gave him a nod, letting him know he wished to speak to Rory alone and Finch stepped away from them, keeping his eyes on Lendra.
“Battle has taught me a good deal about a man’s nature and I see in you an honorable man. That my wife thinks good of you also helps. That is why I am going to assign you the duty of keeping my wife safe when I cannot be with her. Give me your word you will see no harm come to her.”
Rory drew his shoulders back and stood tall. “I pledge that I will give my life if necessary to see her safe. I will also stay close even when she is with you in case a situation arises where you are too engaged to get her to safety.”
“You will see her safe and not worry about me in such a situation, no matter how much she might object to being whisked away,” Odran ordered, hating to think that such a situation might occur and wanting to be sure his wife and bairn would survive.
Rory laid a solid fist to his chest. “You have my word, my lord.”
Odran turned to look at his wife bent over his da. He silently swore for bringing this suffering down on her, then thanked the heavens for sending her to him. The thought of life without her was unbearable. He’d do whatever was necessary to see her safe, to see them both safe and their bairn born with more bairns to follow, and to a promise of a life filled with laughter and love.
* * *
“There are too many wounds,”Berdina said as she wiped the blood off Lord Fergus’s chest.
“Look again,” Elysia advised. “They barely scratch the skin. They will heal.” She raised his one arm gently, the sleeve having been cut away. “The wounds on his arms are the source of most of the blood on his chest. I think he held his arms up to defend against the knife, the reason his chest wounds are mere scratches. There is only one wound that may cause worry.” She pointed to a puncture in his lower, left side. “I don’t know what damage it may have caused inside, but I do know it needs to be stitched closed. Otherwise, he’ll have no chance at all.”
“Have you stitched a wound before this?” Berdina asked.
“She did,” Lendra said proudly. “Lady Elysia saved many men wounded in battle with her skilled stitches.”
Berdina smiled softly. “Then Lord Fergus is in capable hands, for I have never stitched a wound, but I am eager to see it done.”
“Lendra, get everything ready while I go speak with my husband, and pray that Lord Fergus remains in a deep sleep, though I will ask my husband to stay close in case he’s needed to hold his da down.”
Elysia left the two women to their tasks as she walked over to her husband who hurried toward her as she approached.
“Tell me honestly, wife,” Odran ordered firmly, though she’d never been anything but honest with him.
Elysia took no offense to her husband’s demand, his worry ruling his tongue. “While your da has appeared to suffer many life-threatening wounds, many are minor. There is only one that worries me. I will stitch it closed, then it is up to the heavens.”
Hope. His wife gave him hope. Odran placed a gentle hand to the back of his wife’s neck and lowered his head to rest his brow to hers. “I know you will do all you can and that’s all I ask of you. Whatever the heavens decree, so be it.”
She kissed him softly. “Your da is strong. He has a chance to survive and that is what matters. Now I need your help.”
“Anything,” he said, clinging to the hope she offered.
“He may wake while I stitch him and I need you there to hold him down if that should happen. Also, I don’t want him moved far. Can you have a bed brought here, since it is not safe for him to remain on the table once I’m finished?”
“I’ll have a bed brought here as soon as you’re done with my da,” Odran said.
Elysia took his hand. “Good. Now it’s time to help your da heal.”
