Page 15 of Highlander’s Quest of Desire

Chapter Five

The clearing had one access point. It was crowded with seven men, a woman, and their horses. They had ridden an hour to find this place, Bruce unconscious on a horse's back. It was as safe a place as any.

Elspeth instructed Sean to lift the lantern a little higher.

It was as she expected. The wound was infected. It hadn't healed in the first; the strain of the escape and contact with seawater had made it worse.

"I need water. Lots of it," she instructed. Within seconds she had three waterskins at her disposal. The men were standing around her like worried mothers around a sick child.

Elspeth cleaned the wound thoroughly. Bruce's body was a tapestry of wounds and bruises, but they were minor compared to the gash on his back. A fever raged through him. He was sweating profusely, which was good. It meant his body was fighting.

"He will need more than minor care," she said to Leo. "I'm afraid he cannae travel without a healer going with him."

"Is he in danger?" Emory asked.

"Other than the English hunting him, the high fever, the welt on his back, and his boorish behavior, nae, I would say he's quite safe," Elspeth quipped.

"He didnae mean it, ye ken," Leo soothed. "It was the fever talking."

"I'll thank ye nae to talk down to me like a child. I'm nae imbecile who can be manipulated like that."

God only knew how much she had talked herself out of believing Adamina was evil in the beginning; so many excuses she had made on her sister-in-law's behalf until it got so bad Elspeth was afraid of her own shadow. Never again would she make excuses for people's words and behavior. It was best to believe them when they treated you with contempt.

But she had not expected this of Bruce Grant. She hadn't anticipated an enthusiastic welcome, but this level of derision and ridicule was uncalled for.

Pounding eucalyptus leaves and lavender into a paste, she slathered it on the wound and covered it lightly with a clean cloth.

"He needs to rest," she said. "We can try and smuggle him to Blair Castle. Domnhall will be displeased at first but he'll keep Bruce safe."

"Nae," Leo shook his head. "Bruce was right. We've risked clan Buchan by bringing ye along. It was an oversight on my part. I should never have involved ye."

"Ye didnae hold a knife to my throat, Leo." Elspeth washed her hands. "I volunteered. But that is in the past. We cannae change it. We must decide how we go forward without putting either clan at risk."

"Go home." Bruce's speech was slurred and groggy. He tried to sit up, but his limbs failed him. "All of ye. Go home. Give yer excuses and keep yer heads down. I'll make my way."

"Ye cannae expect us to leave ye to die," Leo snarled. "We didnae risk our lives for ye to fritter it away on some secret mission."

"It's important." Bruce managed to sit up. "Trust me, Leo."

"It cannae be that important that ye risk yer life and dismiss my counsel."

"Think what ye must. I have made up my mind."

Elspeth watched the tense exchange. Bruce's tight-lipped stubbornness was driving Leo to maddening fury. Leo Sinclair was already under a lot of pressure, and the worry on Bruce's behalf was adding to his frustrations.

"Ye willnae make it far without a healer," Elspeth said, packing up her tools. "Yer welcome to try. After all, every great expedition in history was conducted alone by reckless men, nae?"

Her barbs had hit the mark. Bruce grimaced. His men shifted from foot to foot, trying to look anywhere but at their Laird.

"My motivation is nae selfish glory," Bruce said. "Anyone who knows me well understands that. I do what I do for the love I had for the Bishop and Scotland."

"Ye could have fooled me," Elspeth said, placing her bag back in the saddlebag.

"Do ye doubt my motives?" Bruce's voice was low and dangerous. It didn't scare Elspeth.

"Nae, I doubt yer ability to make reasonable decisions in yer condition. Ye have a high fever, yer body is fighting an infection that needs constant monitoring, yet, ye insist on going on yer journey alone."

"I donae want to risk ye-"