by Fiona Faris
As Sophia walked towards the great hall, she found her mind wandering. So much of her life had changed, just as the season had changed from summer to fall. She had experienced so much loss, she had gained a new path in life with the healing—and now, she had kissed the laird of the estate and found herself desiring more. Sophia had to shake her head to keep from all the “what-if’s” and “but why’s” from rushing at her all at once. She needed to see if Fanny had returned and to talk to her about the sudden onset of little Ava’s fever. Thankfully, the cool linens, the poultice, and the tea seemed to be doing their work, but who knew how long that would last?
Sophia entered the great hall, and her mouth immediately dropped open. She looked around and found groups of people waiting near the healer’s corner—so many more people than they had seen that week. The number of patients had finally dwindled to a reasonable, normal number, but now, she found herself again overwhelmed by all the needy faces.
Beyond the people, she saw a pile of gray braids and short brown hair that meant Fanny had returned with Gilbert by her side as well. Why were so many people here? Sophia looked around and saw that some carried buckets because they found themselves emptying their stomachs as they waited. There were many others who seemed to shiver in the same way that Ava had shivered.
Many had the same pained and fevered look about them: shut eyes, hunched-over body, chills, and sweats. There were more than she could count. It seemed as if Sophia had found the cause of Ava’s illness in these people around the keep. One of them must have contracted it and spread it to the others nearby. But where did this illness come from? How had it spread so fast? It was as if it has spread seemingly overnight without any reason.
Sophia rushed over to some of the castle staff and asked them to begin boiling as much water as they could. They were going to need to make a large cauldron of tea to pass around to all those who were affected. Sophia knew they would be needing enough herbs for poultice as well, but she needed to get the tea brewing first.
“And can ye bring down some cool water as well, with some linens please?” she asked kindly before the man rushed off, ready to follow any orders she gave. There were some other children who were affected, but Sophia was glad not to see too many. It was always rougher when the children were fevered. Adults tended to recover much easier, but children had difficulty recovering from a high fever, especially the one this illness seemed to be spreading.
Sophia moved past the groups and made her way to the back corner without making eye contact with anyone. She knew they would be in need of help, and would want to get her attention, but for now, she was unable to help anyone but Ava, and anything else that Fanny and Gilbert might need from her.
Sophia was able to reach Fanny without anyone asking her for anything. She could see a dampness on Fanny’s forehead that meant she was hard at work and focused. Sophia tapped her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned around quickly, ready to snap at any patient who might be rushing her or pushing into her healing area.
“Sophia, I am mighty glad tae see ye. Gilbert and I just returned from the town, and there are many who need our help, it seems!” She gestured around her at the large group of waiting parties.
“Yes, tis why I came looking for ye. Ava has fallen very ill. Seems tae be what these patients have as well,” Sophia said.
Fanny stood still in response. Her hand came to her mouth. “No, not little Ava! Well, we’ll need tae get her fixed right up, I am sure that has worried Logan greatly.”
Sophia nodded, but felt a blushing spread across her cheeks at the mere mention of the laird’s name. “I’m worried about this illness, Fanny, it has spread so quick! Just yesterday, everyone seemed tae be doin’ well.” Sophia looked away from Fanny and took in the number of affected people.
Fanny patted her on the shoulder. “Dinnae fret, little one, tis a sickness is all. Nothin’ strange, simply something that spread quick because of how many people we have in the keep now.” She nodded and looked away from Sophia.
But Sophia could see something else in her eyes, a sense of uncertainty, and she knew Fanny was saying those words to convince herself more than she was to convince Sophia. Both of them knew this had spread far too quickly for it to be simply a close-quarters illness.
“But we will get everyone taken care of,” Fanny added. “And Gilbert here has been doin’ a great job keepin’ track of everythin’.” She gave Gilbert a pat on the back, and he tried to conceal his instinctual grin.
“I’ve been keepin’ track of all who are gettin’ ill, and if it has affected the whole family. Seems many came down with some of the effects just late last night.” He held up a small slate, where he was jotting down his information. “So far, I’ve seen about twenty different people with these symptoms. But I’ll add Ava tae the list as well!” He began scribbling maniacally.
Sophia could not help but pull away from him. She, too, could value a dedication to the work, but the way he spoke about the numbers was less like he was dealing with people and more like he was dealing with the numbers of ill crops. She did not like it one bit, but her and Gilbert had always had a different mentality when it came to healing.
Fanny seemed frantic with all she had to do, and Sophia wanted to help her, but a larger part of her wanted to get back upstairs to Ava. She needed to make sure the little girl would be alright.
“Fanny, I know ye need a lot of help here, but I am worried about Ava. She’s so young, I dinnae want this to harm her growth.”
Fanny turned and shook her hand at Sophia. “Gilbert and I will be just fine here without ye. Dinnae fret.”
Sophia patted Fanny on the back. “I can see ye two have it all under control.”
Fanny smiled as she organized the tinctures and poultices and fresh herbs.
“Aye, and I’m more worried ‘bout Logan’s little Ava. After everything the lad has been through losing his wife and all, I cannae think of him losing his own kin.” She shook her head at the thought of Logan’s potential loss.
“Nae can I, Fanny.” Sophia fumbled with her apron.
“Before ye go, there are some things I need tae tell ye. What have ye done fer the girl first? I need tae make sure ye can treat the wee ones; we havenae had a moment tae do any real training!”
“Well, first I stripped off her layers, had her aunts remove much of the bedding. I had them apply linens dipped in cool water. I wanted tae bring her heat down first. Then I went off tae the kitchen, made the wee one a tea, and returned with a poultice as well. I applied it all over her skin and wrapped it in a cool linen. She fell asleep shortly after, and that was when I came down here tae talk with ye.”
Fanny nodded along as Sophia spoke. She seemed to be happy with her method of medicating the young girl. “Good, ye did vary good, Sophia.” Fanny looked around. “Many people dinnae know that tea is good fer the fever. But I also want ye tae do a few other things fer her. First, here, take this,” Fanny handed Sophia a small glass vial with an amber-colored liquid. “Tis a tincture; tis strong as many tisanes. Give her a few drops beneath the tongue as soon as ye return. She willnae like it, but it will help her quicker. If her fever continues to heat, then ye may need to submerge the poor girl in a basin of cool water. Tis not a pleasant sight, putting a fevered wee one in a bath, but it might be needed. But only if she keeps gettin’ hotter, aye? Ye ken? And when ye go up, take these herbs with ye. Make another poultice fer her chest. Seems many of these people are havin’ trouble breathin’. If Ava isnae yet, she will be. Use the mint tae help her keep her lungs clear, and it will help with her belly troubles.”
“Aye, I will do exactly as ye say.” Sophia recounted all of the steps and advice in her head. She placed the small vial in her pocket as well. “Tis so worrisome, Fanny. I would hate tae see Logan lose her. He seems tae be doin’ so well these days. I wouldnae want to throw another stone in his path with a loss as great as this. And little Ava is so young.”
Fanny agreed. �
��Tis one of the hardest things of bein’ a healer, the fear of losin’ the wee ones.” Fanny patted Sophia on the shoulder, trying to encourage her.
Gilbert, who had been standing nearby silently shuffling through the supplies, decided to finally speak. “Well, if the laird can become weakened just by the loss of his daughter, seems he isnae so strong at all.”
Fanny, shocked, turned suddenly to face him. Sophia’s mouth hung open in surprise. “What are ye sayin’, Gilbert?” Sophia could see Fanny was giving him the benefit of the doubt, but Gilbert didn’t seem interested in taking that as a second chance to rephrase his sentiment.
“Well, what kind of Laird would fall apart at a loss? Logan’s already proven he cannae handle the grief too well,” he added without looking at Fanny.
“Grief is a hard disease we carry through life, Gilbert. If ye were married and lost yer wife, ye’d ken, but ye dinnae ken at all,” she said bitingly, throwing a linen down on the table.
“Well, Fanny, maybe we need someone stronger tae lead the clan if Logan cannae bear tae live with such loss!” Gilbert had had it with the conversation; he threw his arms up.
Fanny, shocked and bewildered by any ill mention of the laird in front of her—the main healer of the estate—could not bear to listen any longer. She closed the distance between her and Gilbert and stood on her tiptoes just to smack him across the face. The sound of her palm against his cheek made Sophia’s breathing still. Anyone who was nearby turned to look. Gilbert turned bright red.
“I will have no ill speaking about Logan here. Ye forget who is yer laird, Gilbert. In this estate, we respect our leaders fer all they have done fer us. As the healer I will nae allow ye to speak so terribly about such a great man. A man ye will never be.” She turned away from him, scowling to herself.
Sophia looked back and forth between the two of them in utter disbelief. She had never seen Fanny so emotional and enraged. She knew Fanny was fierce, and would have no issue doling out her own punishments when necessary, but she didn’t expect her to do so in the open.
Gilbert, surprisingly, added nothing else. Sophia was shocked that he stayed there in that moment, though he had always seemed willing to do whatever necessary to prove himself a true healer. It was likely he considered himself bound to his work and was willing to ignore his embarrassment to sit and heal these people. There was definitely a spark of change in the air. The pressure of the fires and now this sudden illness was beginning to weigh heavily on everyone’s hearts and minds.
In a way, it seemed to be bringing people closer. Like her and Logan, or her and Fanny, but with all tragedy came the unavoidable separation. Like the yolk from the egg, some people were just going to pull away, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.
There was a silence that hung in the air like the heavy morning fog. Sophia was unsure what to do. She was going to go back to Ava, but given what just happened she thought it best to linger a short while.
“Little Ava is resting fer now. Why dinnae I help ye two make some poultices fer these patients?” she asked. Fanny only nodded once and said nothing else. Sophia could not bear the silence of a recent fight. When she was younger, she always hated them between her parents.
She looked around and took in the number of patients. “There are so many who are ill,” she said to no one in particular.
“Tis what happens when so many live so close,” Fanny responded quietly. Sophia started counting the individuals but stopped after she hit fifteen.
“Aye, but it happened so quick, quicker than I’ve seen any other illness spread before. It just seems odd.” She couldn’t place the feeling she held. A small sense of dread, a worry about the future, a leftover anxiety from the fires; whatever it was, it had its hold on Sophia. “Seems like too many. I hope we dinnae lose even more people.”
She thought about her father, but shook the thought from her head. She had to learn to focus her mind as a healer; she could not risk feeling emotional and nostalgic every time she was worried about the possibility of death. She needed to grow accustomed to the fear, to respect and understand it, but not be torn apart by it.
Sophia added herbs and small bits of water to the mortar and began kneading with the pestle. Gilbert’s soft mumbles caught her attention and distracted her from the work. She listened and focused on what he said.
“Might be a nice change nae tae have so many people in this estate,” he grumbled.
Sophia could not understand what had gotten into him. He was doing fine until she showed up. Maybe it was her fault. She knew he didn’t like her, and maybe he was jealous that she was caring for the laird’s family.
“Gilbert, how dare ye say that? What in the hell has gotten in tae ye? Why are ye talkin’ nonsense?” Fanny was near shouting at him again. Sophia could see that she didn’t want to send Gilbert away because she needed the help, but she was also confused and angered by all he was saying.
After he said nothing, she added, “Ye have become too bitter.”
Finally, Gilbert had had enough with the moment. He took off his apron and threw it on the table. “I am worn and spent as a mule. I willnae have me words measured so carefully when I am so exhausted. I dinnae need this.” And with that, he turned and stormed away from the healer’s corner. Fanny shook her head and she watched him walk off.
“Fanny, I am so sorry. Was it something I did?” Sophia asked.
“Nae, he’s been in moods lately. One moment, he is gleeful; the next he is bitter as a root skin. I cannae say what is causing it, but it sure as hell cannae be ye.”
Sophia watched Gilbert storm off. She didn’t know if she should go after him, but she decided against it. It seemed he needed to be alone. There was no explanation for why he was acting in such a manner. Sophia had to assume it was exhaustion and nothing else. Why else would he turn so suddenly and say such cruel things?
Chapter Sixteen
As Sophia left the great hall, she worried about what it would mean for the illness to continue spreading through the keep. There were already so many people who were in recovery, and the clan needed people to be well so they could go out hunting and turn the fields to plant fresh winter wheat. If more people fell ill, there would be few who could help get the crops started, which could spell disaster come wintertime. Sophia needed to do all she could to help the people recover quickly; the clan depended on her, as did Logan. She needed to focus, just as she had in the first few days after the fires. The people needed her.
As she climbed the steps towards Ava’s bedchamber, Sophia heard Logan’s soft voice murmuring words of comfort to Ava. When she entered the room, she found little Ava in Logan’s arms as he rocked her gently. She stood in the doorway, unsure if she should interrupt them. It seemed the moment was as much a comfort for Ava as it was for Logan, who seemed to be holding on to his daughter as if she was giving him breath. From the doorway, she could hear Ava’s soft whimpers of pain. Logan seemed to be patting her hair down, murmuring soothing words to her, hoping to calm her heart and mind. But the little girl was clearly upset and uncomfortable.
Logan looked up after a few moments and saw Sophia standing in the doorway.
“I’ve been giving her small sips of water.” He pointed his chin in the direction of a vase holding clear liquid. “She doesnae want it, but I have been trying. She feels warm, but nae warmer than when ye left.”
Sophia noticed a sheen on his eyes and a shiver in his hand. Logan was worried beyond what he would verbally express. Sophia wanted to offer him words of comfort, but she had none; all they could do was wait and see if the healing had any effect.
In the time that Sophia had known Logan, she had seen how hard he tried to keep a serious and strong face on. He was most definitely a good leader, and much of his brutishness likely came from the fact that he was forced near constantly to pretend he was not as frightened or worried as he truly was. With everything that had happened to him, and now, all that continued to happen to his clan, it was unders
tandable that he was having difficulty being as kind and gentle as people hoped he would be. He only needed an opportunity to do well, but as he continued being presented with issue after issue, a break didn’t seem to be coming to him.
Sophia thought about going to his side and saying, “I ken, Logan, I ken. Ye’ve been doin’ yer best, and yer not a brute, yer a good leader.” But she decided against it. She saw now why Fanny was always so defensive of Logan. And Fanny had seen him grow up, seen what he was like before all the heartache. Sophia hoped to one day see those sides of him, too. For now, she needed to be understanding and do what she could to ease his worry. She needed to focus on the care of Ava and the care of the people in the keep.
“Tis good ye’ve been givin’ her water. Even sips will help.” Sophia walked over to one of the dressers against the wall. She placed her mortar and pestle and the pile of fresh herbs along with the tonic and linens along the top. Logan watched her but said nothing.