“They’re both huge,” Gaersa said as she toddled over to the hearth, swung an iron bar out from the fireplace, and hung a kettle of water on it before swinging it back over the roiling coals. “We’ll be needing plenty of boiling water, that’s for certain.”
Catriona stayed by the man with the more severe wounds, smoothing his dark hair away from his face and resting her palm across his burning brow.So many wounds. What horrors have ye seen?The thought of the pain he’d already endured and the agony of healing yet to come grabbed hold of her heart and twisted.
“Ye’re safe now, lad,” she whispered to him. “Safe and warm.” It didna matter that he might no' hear her words. She needed to say them. Perhaps 'twould somehow help him.
She wrung out a cloth in the basin of warm water and set to the task of washing him, cleaning away the blood and dirt from his great hulking body with as gentle a touch as she possessed. She had to ensure they didna miss the tending of a single wound. Even in his disabled state, the man was a wondrous sight indeed. A chest broader than any she’d seen. His entire body so muscular, it felt rock hard to the touch. The silent strength of him beneath her hands mesmerized her as she ran the soft, wet cloth across his ridges of muscle. Catriona swallowed hard, strange warm flutterings surging through her. What was he like when he was whole and awake? What sort of man might he be?
While Gaersa and Elena tended to the other unconscious man, Catriona was quite aware of their glances her way, watching to ensure that she didn’t tend to any part of the man that a maiden shouldn’t touch unless that man happened to be her husband.
“Have ye e’er seen so many scars?” Gaersa asked as she hefted another steaming kettle of water from the fire and sat it on the bench between the two men. She waved for the two maids carrying candelabras with fresh candles to come forward and place the additional lighting on benches at the heads of both men. “These lads have seen their share of battles afore whatever happened this time. Some of those scars are old. And they favor each other. Reckon they’re kin?”
“Hair black as soot and both the size of great hulking bears? Aye. They’re kin. I’d wager maybe brothers even.” Elena covered her patient with a light blanket, then bent with a stiff shuffle and scooped up the cloth sack she’d brought with her. “We’ll be needing a mighty poultice for the both of them once we rid them of their bullets.” She hitched her way toward the kitchen, then paused and turned back, shaking a crooked finger at Catriona. “I’ll no' have ye about whilst we cut out the bullets and cauterize the wounds. I ken you’re the lady of the keep since your mother’s death and ye’ve guided this clan during your sire’s ill health, but ye’re still a maiden and it’s no' proper for ye to witness such.” Elena waved away any possibility of argument as she walked away. “Content yourself to lighting a candle for them and saying the words.”
A fool candle and strange words willna heal this man. Prayers? Aye. But I’ll no’ waste my time mimicking my mother’s dabbling in the ancient ways.Elena’s advice heated her blood, made her resolve to help the man beneath her hands all the stronger. She meant to tend to this poor warrior and Elena's druthers were better directed elsewhere. Catriona drew in a deep breath and eased it out as her gaze settled on the man’s large hand resting at his side. Two of his fingers swelled with a hideous purple coloring and were more than likely broken. With as gentle a touch as possible, she repositioned his arm and propped his injured hand atop a folded cloth. They’d have to splint those later. So many wounds. Braw mighty man or no’, how could anyone survive this? She feared all their care and mending might be for naught.
“Do ye hear my words, Catriona?” Elena repeated in a tired but firm tone. “I’ll no’ have ye seeing such.”
She met Elena’s scowl with a defiant tilt of her chin. “Ye will be in need of my help.” She looked over at Gaersa to include her in the conversation. “Your combined wisdom is great and I respect the both of ye more than ye’ll e’er know but the both of ye are older and your strength wanes. I’ll be helping with the tending of these men. I dinna believe in shirking duties no matter how unpleasant. These two need attention as fast as we can give it.” As if to cement her vow, Catriona pulled the linen back, uncovered the man in front of her, and dabbed away the blood and grime from the wound high on his upper thigh. “And I verra much doubt that the washing of an unconscious man is a grave danger to my maidenhead, ye ken?”
Inwardly, she smiled. Aye, her maidenhead was quite safe, but in all fairness to Gaersa and Elena’s reservations, the sight before her did set her to musing. What might it be like to be wanted by such a comely made man? She blew out an excited breath and swiped the back of one hand across her forehead. The hall seemed overly warm, and she wondered at the prudence in placing the men so close to the hearths.
For the sake of her own temperature, she drew the linen back across the man’s middle and busied herself with tending to his other wounds.
