Rabbie must have read his hesitation on his face. “Yeswitherwhile he suffers? Ye’d let him die?”
Jamie frowned at Rabbie, insulted, then shook his head. He’d do everything he could before employing his talent, but deep down, he knew he would do what he must to save Niall’s life. He’d made the vow after failing to save a friend, but it was worthless weighed against the life of another.
Then he turned back to Aileanna. A vision sickened him again of her writhing in pain as her body fought the poison in Niall’s blood and the festering wound. “Ye canna go, Mother,” he told her.
Surely delivering Marcail's twelfth child would be less taxing. And she knew, above all else she’d asked of him, that he refused to serve as a midwife. It was not natural for a man to know all that happened during delivery from within a woman’s body. He could not bring himself to experience that. “Ye stay and tend Marcail. She’ll be better served having ye beside her.”
“Aye,” she told him, though she shook her head at the same time.
His mother knew the source of his objection to caring for Marcail, and disagreed with him. They’d argued about it many times. To her, knowledge was knowledge, and any that helped heal or save a life was worth having.
“She’d be disconcerted to be attended by a man. Even though ’tis ye.”
Relieved that she’d agreed, Jamie turned to Rabbie. “Clan Keith, ye say? How do I find them?”
“I’ll return with ye. I ken the way.”
“Nay,” Aileanna objected. “Ye rode through the night. Ye must rest.”
“I must go. ’Twill be dark before we near the keep. Jamie will need a guide or he may arrive too late.”
Jamie nodded. “Ye rest for an hour while I gather what I need. Then we’ll go.”
“Very well.”
Aileanna crossed her arms. Her frown told Jamie she did not think all was well, but she’d acquiesced, and that was enough.
“I’ll tell the stable master to ready three fresh horses,” she volunteered and left them.
“Three?” Rabbie asked.
“To carry supplies. And in case we lose a mount. We willna lose time riding double.”
“Aye.” Rabbie rubbed his face. “I must be tired or I would ken that.”
“Go. Find yer chamber and sleep while I make ready.”
When he left them alone, Aileanna turned to Jamie. “Ye ken ye canna heal everything. Ye havena learned or done enough yet. Ye must be careful. Niall’s wound sounds worse than any ye have attempted.”
“I hear ye. I do,” he added in the face of her frown. It was an old argument between them. One of many. “’Twill be much like any battle wound.”
“Gone bad,” she reminded him. “Ye must take care of yerself as well as Niall.”
“I will,” he assured her, kissed her cheek and left her to gather the herbs, simples, and poultices that he would use to help Niall—or use to disguise how he really helped Niall, if nothing else worked. In a strange clan, they’d be his most important means of concealing the effects of his talent, as well as valuable tools. He couldn’t expect the healer there to have everything he used or might need. Rabbie said she’d tried her cures three times and failed. Jamie would not fail.
* * *
Aftyn Keith wastedno time after rousing from her bed where she’d collapsed for a few hours of much-needed rest. Niall Lathan was in bad shape and getting worse.
Yet when she realized no one had fetched her during the night, she felt marginally better. She dressed quickly and made her way to Niall’s chamber, nodded to his companion, Fearchar, who remained with him night and day, and lifted her hand from Niall’s brow.
His fever was hotter. The only thing she could do at this point was to continue to wash him down in an effort to cool him. He’d passed out from the agony caused by the dying tissue in his calf, but his friends refused to let her amputate the leg below the knee, though she’d used every argument she could think of to convince them that it might save his life. She’d still consider doing it, save for the man standing by the bed, left here to prevent her. And the promise by his other companion, Rabbie, to ride like the Devil chased him and bring back the Lathan healer. The glowing way Rabbie spoke of her, Aftyn prayed she could save Niall’s leg and his life.
If Rabbie had been delayed, or worse, never made it back at all, the man before her would die. She stood, hugged her arms to her ribs and fretted. She’d already done everything she could think of, save for the one thing they refused to allow her to do.
“Where is Neve?” Aftyn had left her assistant and friend, Neve, with Niall last night.
“She went for more water a few minutes ago,” Fearchar told her.
