Werewolves of Wessex

by J Cameron Boyd

  “We’re okay,” she told him.

  Running to Brunneis, Claire retrieved the water bag. What she learned about the poison from Edyth made her desperate to wash away as much of it as she could immediately. She rushed back to William.

  “This is going to hurt.”

  William cursed, gritting his teeth to keep from screaming. “That doesn’t help. Stop!”

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but those claws have poison on them. I was trying to flush as much of that filth away as I could before it gets into your body.”

  Claire ripped strips of material off of her skirt. Working as quickly as she could, she bound the deep wound in his gut. Then putting his arm over her shoulder, she said, “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

  Chapter 12

  The threat of more unwelcome company helped William stand despite the unbearable pain. That, and Claire’s shoulder under his arm. Her support was the only reason he managed to gain his feet. It was also the reason he almost forgot his pain.

  Instead, he concentrated on the warmth of her body nestled next to his. Her hands, one on his chest and the other around his waist, gave him comfort as well as support. By focusing on that, he was able to move.

  “Get me to Luto,” he whispered.

  Slowly, they moved until they came to the headless body. “Hold on,” he said.

  Claire stopped, still supporting him. At their feet was the man’s bloody hand.

  ‘My blood,’ he thought. That didn’t feel real to him. “Weren’t there claws?” he said. “I thought I saw claws.”

  “I don’t see claws,” Claire said. As she remembered her promise to Edyth and what she had said to William earlier, she was not sure how to respond.

  The man’s body had the look of a body that was long dead.

  “It’s decaying?” William questioned.

  “Good riddance, if you ask me,” Claire said, doing her best to avert further questions about the feran.

  “I’m sure I saw claws.” William gasped through his pain. “They came out through his fingertips.”

  “It was probably just a big knife,” Claire said lamely.

  “You think?” William’s voice was starting to slur. “I thought you said his claws were poisonous.”

  “I think I need to get you back to the keep,” Claire replied, urging William forward.

  They started forward, and as soon as they stepped away from the crumbling beast, the horses came to them. The stallion stood rock still as Claire somehow got William into the saddle. Leaning forward, William grabbed mane with both hands and hung on.

  Claire scrambled onto Brunneis and brought her alongside the stallion. Picturing the two horses hitched together and moving as one, she clicked her tongue. They stepped forward, almost at the same pace. Claire steadied the maimed young man as she tried to keep the horses together. After just a moment, the horses worked it out and moved as one.

  “How you doing?” Claire asked worriedly.

  “Still here,” William said, turning his head just enough to give her a weak smile.

  “Will, you’ve got to stay awake.”

  “I’ll try,” he coughed. “Aagh!” he cried, grimacing with pain.

  “Don’t cough,” Claire said. “It’ll hurt.”

  “It sure does,” he grimaced. “Claire, he didn’t have a knife. I saw claws. And I heard you say the claws were poisonous.”

  “I’ve been told they carry knives dipped in poison,” Claire hedged, trying to honor Edyth’s wish that William not know about this other world that most people had no knowledge of. She was not sure what to say. “That’s what I’ve been told. I’m hoping Jorunn or Edyth will have something for the poison.”

  “It’s okay, Claire. I’m feeling better,” he assured her, struggling to lift his head.

  He looked up trying to focus on his surroundings. There, up ahead, was the keep. Claire was steering them back home without taking her combat lesson. William’s foggy brain swirled in confusion. ‘I know she hates working with the swords, but it’s for her own good,’ he thought.

  “Claire,” he said as sternly as he could, “we have to practice with the swords. Don’t try and get out of it.”

  Claire looked at him in alarm. He was sitting up straighter, but his head was lolling back and forth. He started to slide away from her. She tried to hang onto his arm. His weight was too much for her. He slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the ground.

  With a cry of despair, Claire leaped from her horse and rushed to his side.

  ***

  Unwinding from a long session with Jorunn Thora, Edyth and Harold strolled arm-in-arm just outside the compound. The stream that ran below the hill the compound was located on was a favorite of Edyth’s. She had been delighted with it ever since Earl Godwine had commissioned his son, Harold, and her to oversee the keep’s construction.

  At that time, Harold had just returned from the continent with his new bride. The young man, not yet twenty-two, wanted to please his father—if for no other reason than he hoped this would help the Earl accept the woman Harold had married.

  Their marriage was actually danico, a traditional union during that time, which was not approved of by the Church. It was considered acceptable enough for the common folk but was not the way for those of royal blood. So, Harold, knowing full well who and what his bride was, asked her to help in making the Earl’s new home extraordinary.

  It was likely that this was a needless gesture, for the father was already in his son’s debt. Had it not been for Harold, Earl Godwin would still be in exile. But as the earl’s previous keep had been destroyed, Edyth, well aware that their marriage was not sanctified by the Church, also thought it a good idea to help all she could.

  As a result, the keep became a scaled down version of Piretian architecture. Situated above Edyth’s beloved stream, the compound contained the Earl’s keep, a dozen wooden homes for servants, slaves, and soldiers as well as a smokehouse for venison and boar, a summer cookhouse, and a stable.

  The keep was a magnificent structure. Edyth changed it from the traditional type of structure by extending the stone foundation above the ground, then constructing a wooden third floor on top of that. With stone arches supporting the walls as well as the level above, the structure provided room enough for a dozen guests, in addition to the banquet hall, a main room, and the Earl's private study and office.

  The stable was constructed for Edyth’s love of horses. With room for enough hay to winter twenty horses and stalls for half that number, the building was something never before seen in England.

  The entire compound was surrounded by a five-foot earthen barrier that had, except for the three entrances, a wooden battlement atop it. The main entrance was guarded by a sturdy wooden gate as was the stable entrance leading out to the twenty-acre pasture. The third gate was also fortified. It led to the gardens stretching out alongside the stream.

  Edyth’s beautiful stream also became an integral part of the keep. Immediately upstream from the gardens was an icehouse. Then, once the water flowed past the gardens, the stream was dug out for bathing. Farther downstream was the washing beach, and finally, yet still within easy access of the keep, was the area where the waste was dumped.

  The compound was large, efficient, and well maintained. And with the passing of the earl a year later, it felt as though Harold and Edyth had built the keep for themselves.

  By Piretian standards, the place was rustic. Nevertheless, Edyth was quite content. She lived with a man she loved and had six children with him; all of whom she adored.

  Edyth was enjoying the walk with her husband when the couple came to the south corner of the compound. From there they had a clear view of the road leading to the keep.

  “That’s William and Claire,” Edyth told her husband—her Piretian eyesight being much better than his.

  “Is William giving her a riding lesson?” Harold asked.

  “I suspect … only the girl is sitting much better than Will
iam.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said while trying to discern what was going on.

  Not long after William had come to their home, she recognized a specialness about the boy that spoke to the kind of man he could become. Even on that first day, Edyth detected the spark in the scrawny, dirty, wide-eyed child. As she saw it expand, she brought him in closer until he was part of the family. Even now, ten years later, he was unlike the other men she knew.

  After so many thousands of years, Edyth knew the human condition quite well. A person’s first seven years was all about becoming more. But then, their experience with those around them began to override their connection to their innate knowing. Most would leave behind their promising potential.

  Harold was a wonderful man, but with William, Edyth could see that the promise of more was still strong in the lad. Promise she had hoped to allow to expand naturally until his twenty-first birthday. On her home planet of Piretis, twenty-one was the age Piretians recognized as adulthood.

  It might have been nothing more than an old tradition, but her mind was set on it. Or, it had been when she first set out on this course of letting the lad evolve on his own. But now, after all these years of keeping the truth of who she was and what she knew of the world from him, she had begun to wonder if she was waiting too long.

  But the fear in her heart prompted another reason to delay. What if her holding back the truth backfired on her when she did tell William about herself and the world he lived in? What if he could not accept the truth about who she was. Edyth could not bear to see that life-enhancing spark within him die. So, even with the feran a definite threat, her uncertainty demanded that she keep her adopted son in the dark.

  Observing William ride in with the young woman reminded Edyth of her dilemma. Once again, she started second-guessing herself. Then she looked closer. Something was wrong with William.

  “He’s swaying all over in the saddle,” she said.

  She stifled a scream as William toppled from his horse.

  “Harold, he’s hurt,” Edyth yelled as she broke into a run.

  Chapter 13

  “What happened?” Edyth asked breathlessly, kneeling down at Claire’s side.

  “It was a monster,” Claire said, cradling William’s head and shoulders in her lap.

  “How was he injured?” Edyth demanded, checking William’s bandage.

  “Claws. They sliced right through his belly!” Claire cried, her voice rising to a wail.

  “Can he be saved?” Harold asked, looking at Edyth.

  “If there is an antidote, I am not aware of it,” Edyth said, shaking her head.

  “There’s got to be something that will help. Please, Lady Edyth,” Claire begged, “I would like to try.”

  “Of course,” Edyth agreed. “We shall do all we can. Harold, would you gather some men to carry William up to the keep?”

  “I have some Myrrh soap in my room,” Claire interjected. “Lord, if you would ask a maid to bring it and some clean sheets, we should take William to the bath hole.”

  “I don’t think he should be submerged,” Edyth objected.

  “The men can support him with the sheets, so he is just barely in the water,” Claire explained. “I want to clean the rest of his body as well. Doing so at the bath hole would be the fastest way to do that. I want to get to his wounds as quickly as I can.”

  “Wouldn’t it be sufficient to just clean around the wound?” Harold questioned.

  “I’m afraid not, sir,” Claire answered. “The wounds are deep. Even a little dirt could counter the healing. I think it best to take no chances.”

  “Then get him to the bath hole, we will.” With that Harold left for the front gate at a run.

  ***

  Claire carefully removed the bloody bandages then stood back. She tried not to watch as four of Harold’s guards stripped William of his clothes, but when one of the guards yanked on William’s breeches, she knew she had to behave professionally and oversee the process.

  As she gathered up her skirt to go into the water, she gave herself a lecture. ‘William is my patient. I have to do whatever it takes to see that he has the best of care.’

  She glanced uneasily at the men placing William on the supporting sheets. ‘Let them think what they will. They won’t say anything with Lady Edyth here.’ But she felt her cheeks turning red just thinking about the places she would soon be scrubbing.

  “I’ll support his head,” Lady Edyth volunteered.

  Claire looked at her gratefully. She knew Edyth was giving her the support she needed in this uncomfortable situation.

  Claire walked over to where the men had placed William’s naked body. The sheets were crosswise under his hips and upper torso. Licking her lips nervously, she said, “I need one man at each end of the sheets.” She waited until they were in position. “Now lift, carefully. We want to keep those gashes from opening more.”

  The men hoisted William up, and Edyth moved forward to support his head. Claire followed the procession into the water, a cloth over her shoulder and the Myrrh soap in hand. Watching to see they kept the water out of the wound, Claire moved to Edyth’s side and began scrubbing William’s face and hair.

  Edyth, seeing Claire’s bright red cheeks, recognized the girl’s discomfort and said briskly, “You’re doing fine, my dear. I’ll watch to see that the men keep him steady. You just carry on.” Claire nodded, grateful for her words.

  Determined to find a way to proceed that would keep her cheeks from flaring up again, Claire reached underneath William and began scrubbing his broad shoulders and back, thinking it best to start with the parts that were not exposed. She stepped around the first man supporting William and worked her way down his torso.

  When she reached William’s rounded, muscular buttocks, she found the flaw in her plan. When she bent over to scrub his bottom, she found the parts of his body that she was mostly trying to avoid looking at, staring her right in the face. Quickly turning her head, she studied William’s wound trying to determine how deep the gashes were.

  She was so focused on keeping her thoughts there that she did not notice how long she had been washing his backside until one of the men said with a slight snigger, “I do believe our William’s behind will be as shiny as a burnished tea kettle with that fine job you’re doing there, miss.”

  “Jad,” Edyth said drily, “I would dare to say that you have little to no medical knowledge in that great, daft head of yours. So, since Claire is an accomplished healer, I would say she is the one that is the judge of what needs to be done.”

  “Yes, milady,” Jad apologized, but Claire could still hear the mischief in his voice.

  Resolving to get done what needed to be done, Claire tackled the area of William’s body that was causing her the most angst, then quickly washed the horseman’s long, muscular legs.

  She had left the torso for last as she wanted to take the most care there. Claire cleaned the wounds and dried them before any water could seep into the cuts.

  The guards carried William back to shore and placed him on a litter. Claire loosely wrapped a clean sheet over his abdomen, then allowed herself a quick moment to let her eyes sweep over the splendid body before her. With his wounds covered, it looked as though he was just sleeping and would wake any moment.

  Claire placed a hand over his heart, remembering that moment on the bridge when their hearts had joined. ‘That moment could not have been given to us as our only moment,’ she thought. “Stay with me, Will,” she whispered. “Stay and fill my world with those moments.”

  ***

  The guards carried William to the keep where Edyth had a room prepared for him. The room was filled with sunlight, which Claire was thankful for. She would need all the light she could get. With what she had seen of William’s wounds, she hoped she would be finished before she lost the sunlight.

  Jorunn came up with Edyth and Harold soon after. They gathered together
around William’s bed giving Claire the opportunity to question the three about the poison that now coursed through William’s body.

  While questioning the others, Claire examined William’s wounds. Five, savage lacerations running across the front of his body made for a ghastly sight. Claire pulled the lips of the first gash apart then eased her way deeper and deeper through the muscles, praying that the slash would stop soon. She exhaled with relief when she found none of his organs had been damaged. Claire moved on and was thankful that each of the other four ended before anything that would have been fatal had been harmed.

  “This can be sewn up,” she announced. “Though I’ll have to do it layer by layer.”

  “I’ll get the sheep’s gut and needles you’ll need,” Edyth said as she bustled out of the room.

  “I’ll need some other things as well.”

  “Whatever you require,” Harold promised.

  “I’ll need the ingredients for two mixtures. The first we’ll have to force down his throat. For that, I’ll need mint, thyme, and sage. They’ll need to be boiled, then once cooled, we have to get it in him without drowning him.”

  “What will those three do?” Jorunn asked.

  “The mint helps for venom and wounds. The sage is an antitoxin, and thyme will fight against infection,” Claire answered. “Now for the deep compress, I’ll need—”

  “What do you mean by deep compress?” Harold asked.

  “It’s a mixture of herbs that goes beneath each layer of muscle and then the skin.”

  The Earl’s eyebrows shot skyward.

  “I’ll need rosemary, for infection, rue, an antivenom, and yarrow, which works well for mad dog bites.”

  “The garden has them all, but they are just now coming up,” Edyth, who had just returned with the supplies, informed her. “Would dried herbs work?”

  “If that’s all you have, that will have to do. Oh, and Jorunn …” she said to the Lascion. “I’ll need a cup of your blood.”