“What do ye mean?” Bhaltair frowned.
Jamie shrugged. “I couldna help her. She’s dying. In agony. And I could only delay it and ease her pain for a time. My arrogance…” He shook his head, regret in every wasted moment of the last eighteen months. “With more time—but I doubt it. Perhaps only someone with the Lathan Healer’s skill and experience could save her.”
“One of us could fetch her as Rabbie fetched ye.”
“Nay. I’ll no’ risk my mother until we ken more about what the Keith is likely to do. I believe I bought Robena some time. If she survives so long, Aileanna can come then.”
They rode through the Keith gates and gave their mounts to the stable lad.
Bhaltair glanced at the sky. “Ye should rest until the evening meal.”
“Nay, I’ll check on Niall first. I havena finished all he needs me to do.”
“It sounds as though ye have done enough for one day,” Bhaltair said as he opened the door into the keep.
Jamie followed him in. He was nearly asleep on his feet, but he’d neglected Niall today. Had Aftyn been in to care for him yet? Jamie hadn’t seen her all day, either.
He led Bhaltair up the stairs to Niall’s chamber. Niall sat by the fire, reading. Once Bhaltair closed the door, Niall stood.
“Have ye been walking today?” Jamie studied his face. His color was good and he seemed comfortable standing.
“Aye, and with a cane, as ye said.”
“Good.” He gestured Niall to the bed and unwound the bandage covering his calf. “I want to do a little more now, and again tomorrow. After that, ye will be able to ride to the Aerie.”
“Two more days?”
“I thought it would take most of a week, but ye are healing well. When did ye last eat?”
“An hour ago. Fearchar brought enough for all of us.” He gestured at the tray on the bedside table. “Help yerself if ye want.”
Jamie nodded. “Keep on as ye have and we’ll be free of this place sooner than I hoped.” Sooner than he’d promised the Keith, but if Niall could ride, they should go. Jamie didn’t like the impression the Keith gave him, nor his neglect of Aftyn. He made it impossible for her to succeed. Jamie couldn’t imagine why, but the man seemed avaricious—and any laird could be dangerous given the right incentive. His clan needed a competent healer, but Jamie would not be it. Aftyn, suitably trained, or someone else, would have to satisfy the man.
He moved to the tray and sampled the cheese, then cut a slab and put it on a slice of bread. Bhaltair poured cups of ale and passed them around. They ate in companionable silence. Finally, Jamie felt recovered enough to help Niall. This, at least, he knew how to do.
Niall lay back with his head on his hands. “Do yer worst,” he jested.
Jamie’s belly clenched. He’d done that already today, for Robena. Niall’s wound was child’s play in comparison. He shoved the despair to the side and put Niall into a light sleep, then placed his hands on either side of Niall’s wound, closed his eyes and pictured blood and tissue forming where there was none, filling the wound track with healthy new muscle and skin. His leg ached, then pinched and burned as Niall’s wound changed under Jamie’s hands. He took his time, ignoring his pain. They were all eager to get home. The sooner he could make Niall ready for the trip, the sooner they'd leave.
Finally, he sat back and sighed, then reached down and rubbed his own calf. Bhaltair handed him a cup and he drank, not caring what was in it. More ale. As depleted as he was, it tasted as sweet as cider. He held out the cup for more and drank that down, too.
Then he woke Niall and wrapped his leg. “Dinna scratch it,” Jamie warned. “I’ll no’ have ye damaging it.”
Niall nodded and accepted a cup from Bhaltair. “I willna. I want to be ready to ride the day after tomorrow.”
“Walk as much as ye can with the cane tomorrow and we’ll see. And dinna let anyone unwrap it.”
“Anyone like Aftyn or Neve?”
“Aye. I’m for bed for a few hours,” he added and handed the cup back to Bhaltair. “I’ll check on ye later.”
* * *
“Aftyn, where are ye?”
Neve’s voice echoed down the hall and jolted Aftyn from the doze she’d fallen into over the herbs she’d been sorting. After an eventful night, she was too wound up to sleep, and returned to the herbal to begin the work she’d planned for the day. She’d missed seeing Jamie yesterday. Their paths had not crossed, even at meals. She couldn't tell whether he'd spent time with her mother's journal yesterday while she was away from the herbal. The table where he worked on it seemed undisturbed. If he'd been here but frustrated in his attempt, there would be no new notes.
She blinked and glanced down to reassure herself she hadn’t mixed up any of the herbs she’d divided, ready to be bound and hung to dry or steeped in hot water for teas and tisanes. The herbs that doubled as culinary flavorings were nearest to her, ready to flavor medicines, such as the mint she’d used in steam to help Braden breathe through one of his attacks. But Jamie had given them so much, she’d give some to Cook.
