Highland Healer

by Florence Love Karsner

  Jack carefully picked the young lad up and carried him outside. He nodded to Caitlin as he passed her. He still wasn't sure about her, but was thankful to have Ian back with them. And he wasn't so sure Alex's thinking was clear where the healer was concerned. Jack had never known Alex to care for any woman, especially one like this one, prone to speaking her mind.

  Alex and Hector helped hand Ian up onto the litter bed on the horse's back. Ian grimaced but tried to keep his groans to a minimum. He was ready to go home also and had to endure this in order to get moving.

  "Now then, I do believe this work fairly well." Caitlin was impressed with the "traveling" bed. It would certainly make the boy much more comfortable than trying to ride a horse. She just hoped that he didn't begin to bleed. She had spent time yesterday instructing Alex on what do if that occurred. Alex was experienced in tending wounds, but listened just the same. This healer had a wealth of knowledge he welcomed.

  Ian seemed as comfortable as he might be. He felt secure in this contraption and smiled down to Caitlin. She took that as his way of saying thank you and returned a smile to him as well.

  "Do what your brothers tell you now, young Ian. They care for you, lad."

  Hector and Jack mounted and waited as Alex walked back over to where Caitlin and Willie were standing at the cave entrance.

  "Caitlin, if ye ever need us, just head north, past the Black Isle. After ye cross Cromarty Firth, travel on, always north, and go on across Dornock Firth. Ask any crofter and they’ll know where to find us. We live far up in the forest and it will take ye some days, but if ye ask anyone in the area, they'll know where the MacKinnon land starts, and word will get to us that ye be looking for us. Then we'll find ye. I'm indebted to ye, healer, and I like to pay my debts."

  He quickly turned away from her, mounted up, and they all started down the long path toward home. Ian waved and Caitlin smiled again, calling Willie to come as he as trotting beside the group, maybe hoping he could go, too.

  CHAPTER 14

  Commander Bernard Campbell rode hard, until his poor horse was about to collapse, as was he. His mind would not stop replaying the sight of his son, Bradford, lying on his bed, his life having ended before his father could get to him. All the others were already buried, because the bodies were deteriorating and some local men had helped her complete the task.

  "They can't be dead! They survived worse than this! What did you do to them?" He ran from one empty bed to the other, as if he must convince himself they all were indeed dead and gone. He could still remember her voice, so soothing.

  "Please, Commander, come with me," said the healer as she pulled him away from the last bedside, that of his son.

  "This disease, this fever, leaves few alive in its wake. It's a most terrible illness and one that has no treatment that seems to make much difference. As it is, it appears these soldiers all picked it up in the bogs and some even before them had already died in the local villages. It's more common in warm climates, but we have it here occasionally, too."

  But now, after riding all night, consumed with his grief, the commander could not accept this fever had killed them all and as he lay on his cot, covered only with a light blanket, waiting for morning to come, he spoke to the empty room.

  "I know she must be some kind of shaman or witch. She worked her evil on all these young men, and she'll pay for this!"

  He had ridden all night, stopping only briefly to rest his horse. He was now in his home village, and he was calling on the families of the dead soldiers, trying to explain to them their sons would not be coming home.

  "And she buried them also!" The families were most distressed to learn they could not even retrieve the bodies of their loved ones and bury them properly.

  "She said it was done in order to keep other diseases from spreading, and that the bodies were deteriorating quickly. But I don't believe her. I tell you she's a witch and I'll make sure she burns for this!"

  At the home of the Frasers, he told his sad tale and, as he as leaving, Mrs. Fraser touched him on his sleeve.

  "Commander Campbell, sir, we've already had the fever here in the village, just a short time ago. And it did bring much death just as the healer told you. We've already buried a number of our village folk and now the sickness seems to have gone. I don't believe it to be the work of a witch, ye ken, for a few of us that are older have seen it before and we believe it to be the same disease, that malaria. It is a most awful illness, Commander. Don't let your grief keep you from seeing the truth of it."

  But Commander Campbell jerked his arm away, stomped down the steps and left, as he had several more stops to make. His grief was the only thing that was keeping him going at this time, and he would hold onto it and he would see that witch punished.

  After delivering the last of his frightful news to all the families, he started out immediately, back the way he had come.

  He mumbled to himself, "Call it malaria. Well, they can call it whatever pleases them, but I know her to be evil, what with that head of fiery hair and soothing voice of hers. I know she's a witch, and her days are numbered!"

  With that, he lashed his horse with his whip and sped off with even greater urgency. He was sure he would be able to find her. He needed some purpose to keep going, and she was it.

  CHAPTER 15

  Caitlin had not realized how quiet and desolate her cave was without the young lad being there. He was a quiet one, but his presence offered her a chance to understand she needed to get herself more acquainted with others in the village. She had pretty much kept to herself, believing to stay in the cave as much as possible would prevent her three "enemies" from discovering her.

  But, her skills were welcomed, and she did go to the village and tend the ones who were in need. She was also concerned that she wasn't able to check on Uncle Wabi. They always kept up with each other's events, as it were, and she missed talking with him. He had, jokingly, always told her that all she had to do was think about him and he would know it. Leave it to Uncle Wabi to be so fanciful! Yes, he was eccentric, which she found delightful.

  She walked back outside as somehow the cave was too lonely just now. It was twilight, more quickly now this time of year, and she heard the great owl "hoo hoo" at her as she looked up in the tree. She liked knowing he was there. He and Willie were about the only permanent things she had at the moment. Willie had been with her since she arrived here, as had the owl. Something about the owl was comforting as he made her think of the old owl that had always resided in the hawthorn tree at Uncle Wabi's. Uncle Wabi appreciated nature more than most people and had passed on his beliefs about the animals to Caitlin.

  Lately, she had dreamed of Uncle Wabi, and it was always the same dream. He was walking in the woods with one of his dogs, which is probably exactly what he would be doing. She hoped he didn't worry about her and knew she would return one day when some of this confusion worked itself out.

  But, was it a dream really? She had awakened in the night several times and felt a presence in the room, almost as if Uncle Wabi were right there with her. She could actually smell that scent she associated with him — leather and some cinnamon with orange. But, she had to have been groggy and still dreaming. But the feeling was something she couldn't quite shake.

  CHAPTER 16

  The MacKinnon brothers had been traveling for most of two days now, headed north, and young Ian had managed to stay in his bed and kept his complaints to himself. After all, MacKinnon men didn't whine, or at least that's what Jack told him. Jack took a bullet on the same day that Ian had been slashed, but Ian never once heard him complain about his pain. But it surely must be there, thought Ian. In his opinion, his three older brothers were fine men, and he so wanted to be like them, except that sometimes he wanted nothing more than to strangle Jack! Sometimes he started stomping and ranting about something when Ian knew that, if he would just listen for a moment, he would understand what was happening. Jack was the closest in age to Ian, but even so, there were
ten years between them. Ian had been a "late life" baby for Mam. She would always say "he might be late, but he's my fine baby boy, he is." Ian missed her, as he knew the others did also. All their lives were different without her. It seemed that a bright ray of sunlight had gone out of their lives when she died.

  Hector, the negotiator, had been watching Alexander most of the day. Alex was never one to be excessively talkative, but Hector found this brooding for two days a bit unusual. This amount of time was even more than Alex usually took when he was trying to figure out some problem or another. He had a suspicion as to what was on Alex's mind, but decided to engage his older brother if he could. He brought his horse up next to Alex and walked alongside him.

  "So, Alex, what is it that has ye so wrapped up yer not even giving us orders or shouting as usual?"

  "Humph. Giving orders to the bunch of ye is like trying to herd kittens. Useless. But, when I resort to shouting, that seems to get yer attention." Alex rubbed the back of his neck.

  "Ah, I don't know what to tell ye. I didn't like it then, and I still don't like it now."

  "What is it ye don't like, brother?"

  "Eh? Oh, well, leaving Caitlin, the healer, back there in the cave all by herself."

  "Well, if I remember rightly, she made it pretty clear she preferred to stay there, and it seemed she meant what she said. She didn't beat about the bush, I don't believe. It seems to me she was getting along very well, actually. It was a cave, but somehow she had managed to make it a bit of a comfortable place, candles, flowers, and it was really clean! Did you notice that?"

  "Yes, she had put some womanly touches on it, I give her that. But there's more to her story than ye three know."

  "Then, dear brother, tell us all!" Hector grinned at his older brother. He figured this might be an interesting story and getting Alex to open up with his worries might be good for all of them.

  "As it is, ye see, Caitlin is in a situation much like our own. It seems that someone, actually three people, are trying to catch up with her. And, these three, all men, would like nothing better than to get rid of her permanently. And one of them is particularly worrisome."

  "What? Why would someone, a woman, be running from three men? Did she promise to wed them and then run off?" Hector laughed, but Alex didn't.

  "Nae, I wish it was just that simple. Nae, it seems she overheard a local innkeeper, a pub owner, and an English lord discussing which villagers were working for the Prince. These two were turning their names in to the Redcoats for rounding up and taking in. Knowing that Caitlin had heard them talking and knew what they were planning, they need to silence her. But, now after Culloden, perhaps that information isn't as important as it might have been beforehand. I'm not so concerned about those two. But, now the other. That's the one that causes me to worry. This man, a Commander Bernard Campbell, has accused Caitlin of being a witch. It seems there were a number of soldiers, returning from battle, who were stricken with the fever and who came by her cottage for treatment as she was known to heal many illnesses. Caitlin thought it was malaria. Well, as it stands, most of them died, including the son of this Commander Campbell. Naturally, he wants to blame someone for his pain, grieving as he rightly is, and has decided that Caitlin is the person responsible. And he has labeled her a witch, ye see. So, there's a reason for my worry, and as yet, I haven't quite decided what to do about relieving my worry and her danger."

  "She didn't let on that she was in any danger, or not that I could tell. She seemed to have made some sort of home and is allowed to practice her skills in the village. On the outside, it seems like a fair arrangement for everyone there. But as you say, she is all alone," Hector responded.

  Hector backed off as he knew Alex would ponder on this until such time as he was ready to share his thoughts with his brothers. Then, as they were brothers, they usually tried to help each other with whatever the problem was.

  "Well, ye know we stand with ye, Alex, even Jack. He's very glad to have Ian back, and he knows who's responsible for that. He may mumble and complain about her, but he feels the healer has done this family a great service. He'll do his part, whatever that needs to be."

  Alex walked his horse away from his brother, coming to a halt just at the top of a ridge where they were to camp for the evening. Looking out over the countryside, he couldn't quite remember feeling this way about any woman, witch, healer, or local village woman, not one.

  He could still see her smiling as they rode away, throwing up her hand as they left. He had looked back just at the last moment and saw her bend down and put her arms around the wolf's neck.

  "What woman in her right mind would have a wolf for a companion? And an owl who lives in a tree close by?" he asked himself. He decided to think on it a bit more, but he had an inkling what he would do in the end. Just convincing his brothers, however, would be a monumental task.

  CHAPTER 17

  Caitlin had only been outside a few moments when the wind began to pick up. The moon had risen brightly in the east and the sky was littered with thousands of stars, lighting up the darkened canopy. Caitlin pulled her plaid closer to her body and stood there thinking about the four MacKinnon brothers. What a special family that must be. So many of them! Having been an only child, raised by older grandparents and an eccentric uncle, Caitlin wondered how that would feel, to have so many family members to share a life with, to lean on, and to be with.

  Turning to go back inside, Caitlin heard a rustling behind the trees some distance away. In the past she would never had heard this, but with this new ability she seemed to have, this acute hearing, she stopped and listened again. Suddenly, as if someone were standing next to her, she heard a voice.

  "Get inside, hide! Run inside! Hide deep down in the cave! Now!" She hardly knew what to think. She could see no one, but her intuition insisted that she obey the voice, wherever it was coming from.

  Just before she ran through the cave entrance, the owl zipped past yer as if leading the way. He had never come inside before! Having no other thoughts that made any better sense, she followed the owl far into the cave, back to one of the chambers where she hardly ever went. That being the case, she had no candles there either, so it was very dark.

  "Now be very quiet! Don't move a muscle!" The voice was there in the cave also! Caitlin knew no one else was in the cave, only she and the owl. She hadn't seen Willie in the last few minutes but he hadn't come in with them. So, where was the voice coming from? As she was still pondering this question, feeling her heartbeat with every breath, she heard a noise coming from the front of the cave. Apparently, she was wrong. Someone else WAS in the cave. Whoever it was must be in the kitchen area. She could hear them. They must have bumped the edge of her table for they let out a short groan and a curse — it was obviously a man. The voice told her that much. She wished now she hadn't run back here as there was no way out. She was a sitting duck just waiting to be discovered.

  "Quiet, I tell you! He will leave if you remain quiet!" That voice again!

  "Who are you? Where are you?" Caitlin whispered loudly and hoped the man up front couldn't hear her. She had to know who was speaking to her! She knocked over some bottles of herbs on a table and gasped at how loud the noise was. He would surely find her now! Shortly after she heard the cursing, she could actually feel him coming closer. Her skin began to tingle and her hair felt like it was lifting off her head. Her breath was coming in short bursts and she looked about for some kind of weapon. She didn't have a gun or a sword, but as she got to the corner of the room, against the wall, she felt about. This was where she stored things she didn't use very often, some extra bandages, herbs for ointments. This was also where she kept her hooded cape. Next to that she felt the crooked staff she had taken from Uncle Wabi's closet. The one with the etchings on it.

  Suddenly, the quietness was shattered by a deep, male voice.

  "Well, well, so I've finally found you, little witch. Did you really think you could hide in this cave?" He laughed at
her, a loud echoing sound in the cave.

  "He must have better night vision than I do," she said inwardly.

  The silhouette of the man finally came into view as he got closer. Caitlin could see that he was holding a lighted candle up high. Actually, she knew the voice, but even if she hadn't she would have remembered the smell she associated with this man — henbane, an herb that she used in creating one of her more vile smelling concoctions. It had a most offensive odor! And, he was wearing that most imposing uniform again, as though he never took it off. She remained quiet and tried not to move. He kept coming, slowly.

  "Thought I would forget about you? Not likely. I will say you have given me quite a bit of a chase though. You would have made a good soldier. But, then, I am a better one it seems. So, now you will pay the price all witches must pay when they are found out. They all eventually become ashes! I always keep my promises, wicked lady, and this one I have looked forward to.

  "My son was the only person I have ever care for! Not his spiteful, hideous mother. But him! He was my life and you took him from me! Burning you will bring me great satisfaction!"

  With that statement, he took a large step forward and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her up close to him, her toes barely touching the floor. She was so frightened she was trembling and desperately trying to not call out, letting him know how scared she was.

  Just as he was yanking on her hair, bringing her to her knees, she felt every fiber of her body was on fire! Something or someone was coming, she could feel it. With one giant leap, Willie came flying through the air and reacting in the fashion of his ancestors, immediately went for Commander Campbell's throat, his great canines digging deeply into tissue and bone! The soldier dropped Caitlin, causing her to fall on all fours. He then let go of her hair and tried to pry the wolf from his throat. He struggled to breathe. He reached for the knife that he wore on his belted uniform, pulled it out of its sheath and began to strike at Willie. Caitlin heard Willie let out a cry, but still he did not let go of the soldier's throat. The instant she heard Willie's cry was when she lifted her staff and, with all the strength she had, she struck the Commander's head with such a thud that it sent ripples of pain up her arms. She never knew she had so much strength! She quickly gave a command to Willie to release the soldier, which he did, but not readily. He was still growling as he let go of the man, every muscle still taut, hackles standing tall and baring his great teeth.