“I should have left a chamberpot here overnight...I didn’t even think of it. I’m sorry.” I murmured as I carefully ladled some of the hot water into the wash basin. “It’s been a long time since I had to be a nursemaid.” That caught his attention and I could feel his eyes on my back.
“You are 20 summers. How have you found any time at all to learn surgical skills?” He asked, his tone growing more curious and less gruff. He shifted a little, trying to sit upwards in relative comfort as I rounded behind him, sitting down with the basin of soapy water and a cloth. I pulled the bandages off, surveying the scabbing to ensure they were still holding.
Slowly and methodically I began to wash him, dabbing carefully over his wounds as I spoke. “I spent part of my fifteenth year and most of my sixteenth in the Healing Ward in Perinthas. I was...interested in a young man who happened to be the Head Surgeon’s son. At first I just helped Gawan study, then began helping out some around the Ward. Soon enough, his Father realized I had some aptitude for it, so he began teaching me, also. Apparently the important parts stuck with me.” I smiled slightly.
Ben was silent for a moment, leaning on one of his hands placed against the floor. “Why are you not still a surgeon then?” He asked quietly, the confusion evident in his voice. “If you were good at it, why quit?”
I wrung the cloth out in the soapy water before continuing to wash the rest of his back. “Well…” I started awkwardly. This wasn’t the part of the story that I liked to tell, but I wouldn’t hold it back from him. “His father and my father had been talking about arranging a marriage between Gawan and myself, which would have been a great match. It was prestigious and he and I shared a lot of interests and connected well...and he and I were both happy with the prospect.” I wrung the cloth out again and scooted around to begin washing the grime from his chest and shoulders.
I dabbed gently at the wound while I kept talking. “When I was a child Father was accused of doing something that he didn’t do, and around the time of our betrothal discussion, the old rumors resurfaced and Gawan’s father reconsidered this arrangement, deciding in the end that he didn’t want to be attached to our family and its dishonor, so the marriage arrangement was canceled and he thought it best that he no longer instruct me. And thus, ended my brilliant career as a surgeon before it even started.” I smiled faintly, though in truth, that rejection had stung. It could have been something I was great at, but all hopes had been smashed because of that horrible woman and her accusations.
I wrung out the cloth before continuing on to wash his arms and sides, though he reached out to take my wrist, wincing and pretending not to. “And now you are being given over to one who deserves you even less? When are you going to see that you are entitled to more than what little he can offer you?” He growled lowly at at me.
His grip on my wrist was remarkably tight for a man in such poor shape, though it caused me to stop and think. It wasn’t about entitlement, it wasn’t about what I deserved, it had come down to who would have me.
All the reasons I shouldn’t have feelings for the man before me tickled my memory, and I thought of Brynmor. I didn’t love him and the life he would offer would be dull and monotonous, but it was a life. And for the fervency I saw in Ben’s eyes, I couldn’t have this conversation with him again. I pulled my wrist from his grip, a sharp pain accompanying its freedom, and I dropped the rag into the soapy water.
“We are not having that conversation again. You can finish washing yourself, I will make you some lunch.” I said flatly, rising to my feet. Why did he have to say things like that? Things that made me think he cared? Things that made me wish for more than I could have?
I knew he was watching me as I fixed his lunch, though he said nothing. I could hear the water splashing in the basin as he slowly washed the grime from himself, the occasional grunt as he tried to shift his body in ways it didn’t want to move. As the soup cooled in the bowl, I went to the linen closet to get him some extra pillows, bringing them to him as he finished washing.
Applying more salve and new bandages was done in silence, and finally I helped him lean back against all the extra pillows, allowing him to sit up a little without requiring the muscles. He looked no happier, though at least he seemed more comfortable. As he devoured his soup, he continuously eyed me until I finally turned, my exasperation speaking for me. “What?”
His eyes narrowed slightly and his jaw tightened, and I half expected a knife to fly at my head again, though they were thankfully placed out of his reach. I must have looked faintly apologetic, because he only murmured quietly. “Don’t make yourself less of a person to please your family.” With that he looked away and ate the rest of his meal in silence.
I hated that he could see through me. I hated that he knew. I really hated that he was right, and even more than that, I really hated that I couldn’t do anything about my predicament without offending all the people that I loved. I left the house to pace outside, wandering all over the yard because I couldn’t decide where I wanted to be.
Derryth’s head eventually poked around the corner and her graying brow lifted as she pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders. “Lady Carys, are you alright?”
I huffed, but nodded. “I might head into Lund for a bit, Derryth. I need to….go somewhere else.” I said, seeing her smiling faintly.
She bobbed her head with an understanding look. “Of course, dear. Being cooped up in a house with an injured male is very taxing. Particularly a bear like that one in there.” She gave me a crooked smile and said. “I will make sure he stays put, don’t you worry.” She cackled a little as she turned around to head inside.
The stable keeper started preparing Ffion for me as I watched absently, trying to decide what to do in town once I got there. I didn’t intend to be gone long, and there were a few things I could pick up and I would be back in good time. I mostly just needed some space to think. Or perhaps to stop thinking, I wasn’t even sure anymore.
CHAPTER 51
Lund was quiet, and my errands were done in a matter of half an hour. I wasn’t ready to go back quite yet, and I found myself wandering up towards the Stag, very much in need of a glass of wine. The brief thought of replacing the rather fine whiskey of Father’s I had used to disinfect Ben’s injuries niggled in the back of my mind, but I decided that would have to wait. It wasn’t cheap, and we were not exactly rolling around in piles of coin anymore.
The common room was empty, which was a surprise even at this time of day. I considered that a small gift of mercy from the gods and found both a glass of wine and a seat. I pulled out the letters we had gotten in the mail and I began to peruse them, though the small mercy of an empty room was quickly shattered when the door opened and a tall man walked through, his boots scraping softly across the stone floor as he made his way to the counter. He wore a coat and hood, both covered in road dust and worn. I could hear his and Jack’s voices echoing in the room, though their conversation was quiet. From what I could tell, Jack was sharing the town’s latest news with the man.
Nothing about their exchange seemed particularly interesting or notable, so I simply continued with sorting our latest mail. It might have only been another minute when the tall man was suddenly looming over my table. I looked up to see him smiling warmly down to me, extending his hand out towards mine. He was handsome, more handsome than most men I had seen, and despite my present mood, I smiled back.
“Hello.” He said, the rich baritone of his voice as warm as his smile. “I apologize for interrupting your quiet time, Lady Carys, but I was wondering if you might spare some time for conversation?”
I arched a brow up to him, surprised that he knew my name. “I...Um, how is it that you know who I am?” I asked warily, suddenly questioning my choice of coming here alone.
He chuckled and gestured back to Jack. “I apologize. Jack told me your name. He is an old friend.” I glanced back to the bartender, who was craning his neck as he watched us. As I looked over, he
gave me a toothy smile and waved. The tall man chuckled softly and dipped his head as he gave his own name. “I am Taliesin.”
I let out a faint laugh and dipped my own head, starting to relax slightly. “You are welcome to join me, in that case.” I motioned for him to sit before folding up the letters and tucking them back into my satchel. “So what is it I can do for you, Taliesin?” I took a sip of my wine, studying his face, curious as to what this stranger would want to converse about.
He shook his head lightly as though it really was no matter at all. “I come through town only every few months, and so that is when Redding fills me in on the latest happenings. He just mentioned that your family had gotten stuck here after some troubles in the Badlands, and that your younger sister had been abducted and thankfully returned unharmed. I simply wanted to ask how she was faring after such an encounter?”
I let out a short, slightly awkward laugh. Of course, the whole town would know of it, despite our efforts to keep it out of the voracious rumor mill of Lund. I nodded and said, “She is doing surprisingly well. She was fortunate that she wasn’t harmed, other than a blow to the head to knock her out.” I eyed him with a hint of suspicion, wondering why he would feel the need to check in on her.
Taliesin nodded his agreement with a relieved smile, his finger tapping lightly on the side of his mug. “Were the abductors caught and brought to justice, then?” He asked curiously, finally lifting his ale to his lips. He was watching me intently, his concern evident in his green eyes.
I hesitated, not sure how to answer this. I didn’t want to needlessly worry people with claims of enemies in their midst, but I didn’t want to lie either, particularly if speaking the truth might help us find the Azkaelomin responsible. My internal debate continued as I studied the man, trying to decide if he could be of any help.
“Not caught, unfortunately. We thought better of making that attempt, deciding at the time that my sister’s safe return was good enough.” He perked a brow, pausing mid-sip to give me a profoundly curious look.
I continued, answering the question that I knew burned in his mind. “They were clad in robes and hoods that appear to belong to the men of Azkaelom, and their language was that of their people.” I said softly. “It could be a ruse, a way of casting blame to another, but with elves in town searching for those same men, I suspect they are who they seemed. Our guards did not feel prepared to face them in combat and so they remain at large.” Why was I telling him this? He was a complete stranger, though like Owain, he had a warmth about him, and out of my own instinct, I found myself trusting him.
Taliesin lowered his drink, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. “Elves and Azkaelomin? How interesting. It almost sounds too outrageous to be true, doesn’t it? Things like that don’t happen in Lundham.” Shaking his head, he surprised me with his comment. “Though I’m afraid I have had my own experiences with Azkaelomin, so I am well acquainted with their kind.”
My brow shot up at that particular bit of information, studying Taliesin’s face as he studied mine. He began to absently rub at his leg, nodding his head slightly as he chose to continue. “We were ambushed by a pair of them years ago, they...left me with a souvenir.” He smiled vaguely. “Thanks to them, I will never walk properly again, though my wife and I were fortunate to escape the encounter with our lives.”
I glanced downward, peering around the edge of the table to his formerly injured leg and my thoughts returned immediately to Ben. “My guard may very well be joining the limping club also.” I said softly, my face displaying my regret. “He was attacked a few days ago and was very badly injured. It was fortunate that I arrived home when I did.”
Taliesin’s expression turned apologetic and he murmured. “It seems your family life is quite eventful. What happened to your guard?” He lifted his mug to his lips for a sip, eyes holding to mine as he awaited my explanation.
I snorted softly, shaking my head. “Perhaps cursed is a better word.” I went quiet for a moment, fingers winding around the stem of my goblet as I considered the wording of my answer. “He was attacked by the elves for no apparent reason and without provocation. Ben said they believed he was someone else and didn’t even allow him a moment to convince them otherwise before they set to attempting to murder him.” My own growing dislike of the elves was apparent in my voice, anger towards their kind blooming in my chest.
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, head tilting slightly. “Ben is your guard?” He clarified before adding. “And the elves have been known to kill first, ask questions later.” He grunted softly, causing my brows to lift. Most seemed to be in awe of the elves, speaking of them as though they were gods on earth, yet this man seemed to be of a like mind to Ben, which I found surprising. Taliesin took another quick sip before inquiring. “What were his injuries, if you don’t mind my asking?”
My jaw tightened as I thought to Ben’s grievous injuries, stomach twisting into a knot with the memory of how I found him, replying softly. “He is bedridden currently and will be for awhile. He suffered a long cut across his back, another slash across his chest from here…” I pointed to my left pectoral and drew a diagonal line down towards my right side. “To here. His thigh was slashed and was the most grievous of his wounds, the artery had been nicked, though he had the sense to tie a tourniquet and fortunately it became packed with mud as he fought, both actions giving him just enough time and strength to get home.” I looked down to my hands wrapped tightly around my goblet. I couldn’t help the weary sigh that left my lips.
His brows knitted in growing concern as he listened, nodding a little as he offered. “I have some skills in healing, Lady Carys. If you like, I could come by and have a look at your guard and make sure he is mending well?” He offered me another warm smile. “It would be interesting to meet someone who survived a fight with an elf as well. I doubt that happens often; he must be a guard of some skill.”
I nodded and returned his smile. “I would appreciate that. I am not a healer or a surgeon and having another who knows more than I coming to check in on him would be helpful. Perhaps give him a day or two to rest, however. He was...in a mood this morning.”
Taliesin’s head tilted back a little as he laughed, nodding in amusement. “I’m sure he was. Rarely does a man take well to convalescence, and I would imagine your guard is not one of them.” He had no idea how true his statement was and my laughter echoed his, though mine was considerably more tired.
“No, he is not. I suppose I should return home to ensure he hasn’t decided to terrorize our elderly cook. She is a tough bird, but I think a battle of wills between them would get very ugly very quickly.” I smiled with my jest. I pulled out a parchment from my satchel as well as a pencil, scribbling our address down onto the paper.
He chuckled softly again and nodded, watching as I folded the parchment up. “I can only imagine.” He said lightly, taking the paper as I handed it to him. He rose to his feet as I did, offering me a gallant nod. “Thank you for the conversation, Lady Carys. I look forward to our next meeting.”
I smiled back down to Taliesin and dipped my head. “As do I.” I left the Stag with a much lighter step than what I had arrived with, finding that entire exchange curious. Of all the people to walk into the Stag that day, I found one who had experience with Azkaelomin and elves. I suspected he was Velynesian like Owain, the two men very similar in their bearing and coloring. With all the Velynesians I was meeting lately, I was beginning to believe the remnant of their people was not as small as the world believed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I returned home to a sleeping Ben and a knitting Derryth. She smiled and lifted her finger to her lips to shush me, pointing then to Ben who was snoring gently in his bed in front of the hearth. I nodded to her, setting my things down and heading right to the fire to place another log on it.
Derryth gathered up her things, after gesturing to the stove. She had cooked up some stew and baked some small loaves of bread for our dinner, and I waved her of
f with a tired smile. I built up the fire until the warmth poured out of it, eying Ben to see how he was. He was still propped up, half sitting, though he was fast asleep.
He stirred as I leaned over to very gently touch the back of my hand to his forehead, trying not to wake him. No fever, though he still felt cooler to the touch than I thought was healthy. His eyes fluttered open and he let out a long groan. Slowly his eyes found and focused on mine, a slow blink followed by a grunt. “Whiskey…”
I snorted, pulling my hand away. “I am not giving you whiskey. You practically bathed in it already, and it’s hardly what you should be drinking during your recuperation.” I wouldn’t admit it, least of all to him, but his request for whiskey brought about a profound relief that he was healing. “Water.” I said, heading into the kitchen to get him something to drink. “There is some stew and bread, if you are hungry.” I turned to look at him over my shoulder.
He shifted on his bedroll, trying to push up to a sitting position, though judging by the grimace on his face, it was not going to be successful. He gave up and lay back on the several pillows tucked in behind him, letting out a defeated sigh without answering me.
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