by Mark G Heath
Thaindire gave a small smile and nodded his thanks as father and daughter retreated through the doorway and closed the door behind them. Thaindire twisted a little, seeking a position of relative comfort, grimacing as his wounds reminded him of their existence .So, he had arrived in Aftlain, albeit not as he had hoped. His incapacitated state would hinder him for a time and he felt a degree of frustration at this handicap. It would seem although the girl was liberal with her application of remedies to try and alleviate his suffering and advance his recovery. That in itself had raised his suspicions with her talk of tinctures, poultices and sleeping draughts .All likely to be unholy works. Deviations from what the One True God had intended. He had barely been in the village a day and already it was according with what he had been instructed back at the Order in Lancester. She had made mention of an apothecary also. Who knew what concoctions were being prepared there, using what unsavoury ingredients and invoking possibly heathen beliefs? Sadly they had made no talk of a physician, but undoubtedly the village would be too small for one to be in residence. Thaindire yawned, unsure if this was fatigue or the onset of the draught that he had been plied with. Still, he had been taken in, as a stranger and no issue had been made of his circumstances. He tried to relax, listening to the sounds of conversation from the tavern below. Occasionally the general murmur was punctuated by laughter or the slam of the tavern’s front door. He heard an instrument being played and singing, the revels a comforting contrast to the silence of his room. He needed to rest, to recover and to do so quickly, so that he could begin his investigation proper. Already, the first traces of suspicious activity had presented themselves. It would surely not be long before he uncovered the dark arts prevalent in Aftlain as had been reported to his Order. He yawned once again, the heaviness of his eyelids causing him to close them and within a heartbeat he was asleep.
Chapter Three
Sunlight was streaming into the room as Thaindire awoke. Momentarily he was confused as to his whereabouts, his senses dulled by the deep sleep from which he emerged. Whatever Kathryn had added to his wine had certainly the desired effect for he did not once recall awakening through the night, which was all the more surprising as he expected that any movement would aggravate his injuries and cause him to stir, but it was not the case. He was on his back and the ache of his lower back wound soon made itself known. Its sharpness, however, had receded. Thaindire noticed that someone had been in and extinguished the candles on the mantelpiece, but whoever had attended to this had not disturbed him.
His clothing lay over a rack in the corner of the room, his boots placed beneath the tunic and trousers, his purse evident on the end of the mantelpiece containing his gold marks. At least he knew he could afford his stay at the inn. Judging by the brightness of the sunlight the morning was well advanced and he could hear the village beyond, a collection of voices and animal sounds. Grunting, he pulled himself into a sitting position. That in itself was an improvement. He reached around to his back and felt at the cloth wrapped around the wound. Flexing his shoulder produced a stab of pain and he toyed with rising from his bed so he could see what the view from the window afforded him.
Suddenly the door flung open, as if it had been kicked and in walked a young man. He was lean, with long, lank brown hair, which hung across his face.
“ Morning,” he announced gruffly, “ here’s your breakfast,” he indicated by raising a tray and then plonking it down on the chair seat besides Thaindire’s bed. He could see a platter with bread and cold meat, along with a cup of what was probably wine.
“ Thank you,” said Thaindire.
“ My sister, will be with you in a moment to sort out your dressings, she likes playing the nursemaid,” he commented curtly before exiting the room. Thaindire slowly swung his legs around letting his bare feet rest on the wooden floor as he carefully pulled the tray towards him. That was evidently Thomas Dromgoole, whose manner was in contrast to that of his sister. He appeared the younger sibling although he could not be certain. He started to eat the offered breakfast, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his naked back. His body gradually awoke and he had to admit that whilst he was apprehensive about the daughter having given him a concoction without his knowledge, it had certainly had an admirable effect on his well-being. Whilst far from returned to his normal health, the deleterious fatigue of the previous day had been removed by his unbroken slumber. He certainly did not expect to feel as well as he did.
The door opened again, Thaindire noted that none of them ever knocked when entering the room. He looked up to see two young men, in their early twenties walk into his room.
“ Who are you?” asked Thaindire.
“ Quick, check he's one, red blood is no good,” said the first man, the taller of the two. The second man produced a knife from his clothing and Thaindire started to stand, but he was not quick enough. The knife-bearing man grabbed his left arm and made a quick slash with the knife. Thaindire gave a shout of pain as the other man pulled a rag from his pocket.
“ He's a white blood alright,” announced the man who had wounded him, seeing the slit of white blood form where he had cut Thaindire.
“ Get out!” shouted Thaindire.
The knife bearer grabbed his arm as Thaindire tried to stand.
“ Help! Help!” shouted the witch hunter before the rag was stuffed into his mouth. The first man punched him in the stomach and he doubled up. His other arm was grabbed and the two men tried to haul him from his bed. Thaindire slammed his heel onto the floor several times, making a banging noise as he fought to resist the two men. It was a fight he was losing, as in his weakened state he was no match. He was pulled to his feet and they manhandled him to the door as he tried to squirm away from them.
“ Stop arsing around white blood,” grunted one of the men.
“ Oh I don’t think so,” said Kathryn Dromgoole as she appeared in the doorway barring their exit, her hands behind her back.
“ Piss off Kathryn, he's ours now,” said the taller man.
“ This is no way to treat one of my guests,” replied Kathryn calmly. The second man produced his knife and thrust it towards the landlord's daughter by way of warning. She sneered and brought her hands around from her back revealing a perfume bottle; with a small pump attached to effect a spray. She squeezed twice on the pump and Thaindire saw a green cloud spurt from the bottle at the man wielding the knife. He gave a scream, dropping the knife and releasing Thaindire. He clutched at his eyes staggering into a wall. He continued to howl as his companion held onto Thaindire. He plucked a knife from his jacket and slashed the air in front of Kathryn.
“ Some for you?” she asked. She sprayed the perfume towards him but he was quicker and ducked back, dragging Thaindire with him. Thaindire was trying to prise the man's hand from around his arm, with his free hand as Benjamin Dromgoole's large frame loomed behind his daughter. He glanced at the second man who was still crying out in agony, his fists thrust into his eye sockets and Thaindire could see blood trickling down his face. Dromgoole tapped his daughter on the shoulder and she stepped aside, still brandishing the perfume.
“ Let Master Thaindire go, there's a good man,” said Dromgoole.
“ Clear off Benny, I've got him, not you,” said the man. He jabbed the air with the knife. Dromgoole stepped forward and the man thrust the knife at the landlord. Dromgoole grabbed the man's wrist halting the thrust and then punched him in the face and then again. Thaindire was released and he toppled onto the bed. Dromgoole delivered another three punches to the man and then hauled him out of the room. There was the sound of someone falling down the stairs and a groan before Dromgoole re-appeared. He walked over to the other man and grabbed his collar. He whimpered as the landlord dragged him out of the room and there was the similar noise of someone falling.
“ You'd better take him home, his eyes are no good now,” shouted the landlord.
“ Samael, are you all right,” asked Kathryn, darting over to the naked witch hunt
er. Thaindire pulled a blanket across his private region as she continued to stare at him, the blue eyes savouring looking at him.
“ I'm fine, really I am,” he replied.
“ They've cut you,” remarked Kathryn noticing the small wound on his arm.
“ Just a scratch,” he replied.
Dromgoole filled the doorway again.
“ You all right Master Thaindire?” he asked.
“ Yes thank you landlord, what did they want?”
“ Thieves most likely, after your gold. Kathryn will see to you, I'd better kick them down some more stairs. Don't worry, they won't be back to trouble you,” smiled the landlord and he departed again.
“ Who were they?” asked Thaindire.
“ Breen Poole and Merin Goltar, the brick maker's assistants, well, when they can be bothered to work. Usually they just cause trouble about the village with petty thieving,” said Kathryn.
“ They were trying to kidnap me,” said Thaindire.
“ I doubt it, they will have been getting you out of the room so they could search it,” said Kathryn.
“ Well, thank you for appearing when you did,” said Thaindire.
“ I heard the shouting and you banging on the floor. They won't trouble you again. Not after father has dealt with them.”
“ What was in that bottle, it made a mess of his eyes?”
“Oh just something I rustled up to put off anyone who tries to put their unwanted hands on me, there's a few of the village lads who go too far at times. A lady has to remain a lady.”
“ It put him off, most certainly it did.”
“ Now, let me see to your injury,” said Kathryn examining his arm. She looked it over and pressed it.
“ How deeply did you sleep?” she asked as she produced a bag from her side and began placing strips of cloth on the bed along with two small pots.
“ Most deep Miss Dromgoole, it was a just and rich sleep, thank you for your kind enquiry,” Thaindire replied.
“ You are welcome, though you need not be so formal with me Samael.Yes, I thought as such. Alyssia did tell me that the draught would keep you asleep even if demons were coming for your soul.”
“ Why demons?” remarked Thaindire quickly. Kathryn stopped her unpacking of the bag and turned to look at him.
“ No reason. Just what Alyssia told me. I checked on you twice during the night and you did not stir once. So still were you I had to lean over you and check your breath on my lips, just to be sure you had not left us,” she said and gave a slight smirk. Thaindire frowned. Given how, in effect he was unconscious through the night he wondered whether this morning had indeed been the first time she had gazed upon his naked self.
“ Now I am going to change these dressings and bind your arm for that cut. Alyssia explained that whilst her remedy would ease the pain and stop some bleeding, the extent of your wounds is such that the bindings would become fouled. Lie on your front for me please,” she asked patting his right knee. Thaindire hesitated, as he was unwilling for her to look on his wounds lest the nature of them cause her to ask questions. He then realised that she must have seen them and moreover the colour of his blood for she had dressed his injuries when he was unconscious. She had made no mention of what she had seen and this made him uneasy. Being a white blood, one of the Exalted, usually drew comment.
“ Come on, Samael,” she said prodding the bed. Stiffly, Thaindire did as she bid, his head twisted on the pillow as she made her way upto his shoulder. He felt her cool hands glide across his skin and noted how delicate her ministrations were. The thought suddenly bloomed in his mind as to how no doubt those slender hands were well versed in the tease and caress of carnal activity and he fought down the images that floated in his mind. Thaindire felt a knife being used to cut away a section of the cloth and then winced as she raised the strips, which had become stuck to the affected area.
“ Looks like the poultice has been working,” commented Kathryn as she examined the shoulder wound.
“ What’s it like?” asked Thaindire.
“ Nasty,” came the reply “ But I daresay you have had similar.”
“ What makes you say that?” queried Thaindire.
“ This body does not get like this from just sitting about drawing. Besides the scars lower down tell their own tale.” She observed.
Thaindire cursed inwardly having forgotten about the marks on his back.
“ Brigands,” he parried immediately. “ I was attacked some years ago but managed to escape.”
“ I see,” came the reply, although he was unsure as to how convinced she was as he was unable to see her facial expression.
Kathryn reached for the nearest pot and lifted the lid off it. Inside was a mustard coloured paste which she delved two fingers into and gently set about smearing the substance across Thaindire’s wound. Intermittently he winced as she pressed on a particularly sensitive part but soon the cooling, numbing effect of the paste began to take effect and he was grateful for its application.
“ What is it?” he asked.
“ I don’t know the name,” answered Kathryn, “ I just explained to Alyssia that you had deep bite and claw wounds and they would likely be infected, so she provided me with this to use in a poultice. She gave me a tincture too which I will have you drink in a few days’ time.”
“ I see,” responded Thaindire, “ what is it made from then?” he queried as Kathryn began binding his shoulder with fresh cloth, before turning her attention to his back.
She gave a short laugh.
“ Why Samael, as if I would know what Alyssia Thorne uses in her medicines. I know the properties of some flowers and grasses for their perfumes, but beyond that, no. Besides, do you think she would tell anyone?”
“ I don’t know. Is she a physician?” he asked through gritted teeth as the back bandages were raised from his significant wound.
“ No, no, she is an apothecary. She knows how to grow and find all of the ingredients for what she makes. Clever lady is our Alyssia. Knows how to charge for them too, I will warrant you,” commented Kathryn as she began the process of layering the ochre paste across his injury.
“ How much do I owe you for the, the er medicine,” asked Thaindire.
“ Oh nothing, I already took the marks from your purse yesterday while you were unconscious,” answered Kathryn without embarrassment. “ I even returned with some change for you,” she said and laughed.
“ I met your brother earlier,” commented Thaindire, “ he does not say a lot does he?”
“ No, not sure why he works in an inn when he is so unsociable. Still, he does as he is told so that keeps father content. Are you a good boy Master Thaindire?” she quizzed as she finished the application of the bandages to his lower wound.
“ I believe I am. I follow the word of the One True God,” answered Thaindire.
“ I believe you are too. That’s why you came here,” she remarked whilst standing.
“ What do you mean by that?” he queried.
“ Oh you know, the learned man from the city, come to keep us peasants from being too unruly,” she said and laughed once more patting him on the backside.
“ Now, sit yourself up and I can check on your hand,” she commanded.
Thaindire stared at her trying to ascertain what she had meant by her remarks but she avoided his gaze, busying herself with removing the soiled cloth and instead laying out more clean ribbons of material.
“ I got these from Metylda, the seamstress I mentioned, she said that the cloth has been spun from the purest and lightest thread so as to aid recovery,” explained Kathryn.
“ They certainly feel light,” agreed Thaindire as he moved into a seated position, keeping a blanket across himself to preserve his modesty. Kathryn knelt before him and the desirable scent rose from her as she bowed before him, as if paying homage to her better. She slowly unwound the bandage from about his left hand to reveal a crust of dried paste and blood.
; The crust was in four distinct lines across the entirety of the back of his hand tracing precisely where the imp’s talons had raked him.
“ Made a mess of your gauntlet too,” commented Kathryn as she looked over the lines.
“ Does it need washing?” asked Thaindire.
“ No, I bathed your wounds first of all, yesterday. The layer across them is part of the healing process, it just needs more of the poultice placed on it,” Kathryn explained. She took his hand with her right hand and began easing the yellow paste across the lines, following the direction of the wounds. This injury was less painful and as she silently tended to him he found himself snatching the occasional glance at her, admiring the curve of the dress about her comely frame. He shook his head trying to dispel the thoughts, he must still be feeling weakened and it was only natural to form some empathy with a caregiver. Nevertheless, he felt a need to remain vigilant of such feelings, especially with a young lady in the mould of Kathryn Dromgoole.He was aware of those women who were temptresses who caught the unwary with their comeliness. Those who courted darkness to ensnare the unwary specifically sent them. Much of that temptation he had been warned about in his studies with the Order.
“ There, all done,” she remarked standing.
“ My thanks Kathryn,” replied Thaindire. She tidied away her belongings and then turned to him, again smiling.
“ I will let you finish your breakfast and then you must rest. I shall bring you some lunch presently.”
He nodded and remained seated as she departed the room with a twirl, leaving behind the smell of lemons and the heavy feeling of desire.
Thaindire ate the balance of his breakfast and through a combination of grunts and short movements he managed to manoeuvre himself so he was sat on the edge of the bed and able to look out of the window. He had tried to stand but the wave of agony, which erupted from his lower back, prevented him from pushing upwards on his legs. Instead he had to content himself with shuffling along and around the bed until he was gazing through the glass out onto the village beyond, still in a seated position. The day was similar to that of his arrival, with a mainly blue sky allowing the autumnal sun to try and provide a modicum of warmth to the land below. The sun just skirted above the trees massed opposite him and thus he denoted that the tavern was south facing. Thaindire looked to his left and observed that in fact the inn was a three-storey building and he was on the top floor, for he looked down on the buildings that were to the side of the tavern. He counted three fairly solid looking wooden constructions to his left, the east. The houses tapered around until they met a collection of trees. He could see that one property was set back from the fringe of the other buildings and was behind the trees, slightly obscuring it from view. It looked a sizeable building and he noticed that there was no reflection of light from its windows for the shutters remained closed. Continuing his gaze along the trees there then came an opening and Thaindire could see that this was the road into the village and which meandered eastwards to the city of Lancester, several days’ ride away. Across from the break in the trees the forest began again so that the southeastern part of the circle was not properties but instead trees once more. Even on the forest edge he could see that they were densely packed, trunks creating a wall of wood, even with the thinning canopy above, little light penetrated onto the forest floor below. The buildings began again and this time they extended all the way along the southern edge of the village “square”. He could see that one was open at the front, a canopy extending from it and a figure stood over an anvil, arm raised before being driven down to cause a hammer to strike a glowing piece of metal. Orange sparks jumped as the two pieces of metal clashed and Thaindire heard the clang from the collision. Looking up he could see that there were other buildings behind those, which formed the southern edge. The roofs climbed slightly higher than those at the front and there seemed to be three, possibly even four lines of houses, again two storey, indicating that the land to the south was on a gradient. The all encompassing forest once more surrounded the final line of buildings and his eyes travelled up along the wall of trees until eventually they met the skyline. The bank of trees was at least five times as deep as the line of buildings and denoted that the rise beyond was reasonably steep. It was while he was regarding this fortress of branches that Thaindire noticed that there was the top of a roof, quite a way back along the bank of trees. It did not break the skyline for there were other trees behind it but as he stared he was certain that it looked like a conical roof. It was difficult to see give the distance and the massed trees but it suggested that some kind of tower was in the woods away from the village. Perhaps a further road or track led to it from behind the southern side of the village and he made a note that this need to be investigated. It did not belong to the gentry for none resided in the environs of Aftlain and the Forest of Centopani. Indeed, this lack of noble rule was one of the concerns that fuelled the reports of unruliness in this distant settlement, the guard stationed at Lancester and High Quern being too far away to maintain watch on behalf of the Duke. He must ask Kathryn about it when she next visited his room. Thaindire tentatively rubbed at the back of his left hand as the wounds beneath tingled and itched. No doubt the ingredients in the poultice working their way into the openings. He looked back out of the window. Across to the right, the buildings swung around creating a western side, the properties arcing slightly so as to continue the ill-formed circle, which amounted to the village square. Similarly, a handful of the properties had open fronts and a number of villagers milled about in front of them, presumably obtaining produce from them. The houses then abruptly turned forming another roadway away from the square. This slightly surprised Thaindire as he expected the square to be all that there was at the end of the eastern road, but it was clear that another section of road led away. After that he was unable to see any further to the right as the tavern was angled such as obscure any further consideration of the layout of Aftlain.