I entered to find a servant with a blood-covered apron and a healer I didn’t know. I cursed myself for not carrying my medicines with me. The room smelled of illness and incense. Madelaine was sitting at Tavis’ bedside, his hand in hers.
“Tavis,” she whispered. “Tavis, can you hear me?”
“Why is this room closed?” I asked. “Open the casement and freshen the air.”
The servant and priest looked up at me, both pausing to stare.
“Oh…Your Majesty,” the servant said, dropping a curtsey.
“Your Majesty,” the healer repeated.
I waved a hand dismissively. “No time for that. The windows,” I said then went to Tavis.
“Corbie,” Madelaine whispered, moving aside so I could see.
As she had with me, Ute relayed to Madelaine what had been happening.
“Tavis?” I whispered, setting my hand on his head. He was burning with fever.
I went to the washbasin and cleaned my hands. I then returned to the bed. I pulled back the coverlets to see the wound there. It was neatly dressed, but the scent of rot wafted from the bandages which were tinged yellowish from the liquid that had seeped from the wound.
“Fresh water,” I told Ute.
Working gently, I removed the bandages to see the festering wound underneath. Someone had carved into Tavis’s side. By now, the wound should have begun to heal, but it hadn’t been properly cleaned.
“Tavis?” I said, gently touching his shoulder. “I will try to clean your wound. Can you hear me? It will be painful. I’m so sorry,” I said then motioned for Ute to hand me the pitcher of water.
“My queen—” the healer began in protest.
“Send him out.”
Madelaine moved quickly to remove the others.
Working carefully, I washed Tavis. Again and again, I cursed myself for not bringing along any of my herbs or medicines.
Frowning, I worked hard at cleaning the wound while Tavis winced and groaned. It soon became evident to me that the infection was severe. Dark, spidery veins had crept across his chest. If the poison was already in his blood, it could kill him at any time. Working as best I could, I cleaned the wound then applied what paltry medicines the healer had brought with him. There were medicines that could help, that could slow the infection, but none were on hand. Wordlessly, I redressed the wound once more.
“Corbie, will he be all right?” Madelaine asked through a mask of tears.
I rose and washed my hands.
“Corbie?”
“I must ride out at once. Either Druanne will come, or I will tie her to a horse and make her come.”
“But Corbie…”
“Madelaine, we need Druanne,” I said, forcing myself to be strong, but in spite of myself, my voice cracked. The truth of the matter was, Tavis was dying. Unless I got Druanne there in time, he would not live.
Madelaine caught the sound in my voice. A sob escaped her. “All right,” she whispered. “Then go. Quickly.”
I turned to Ute.
“I’ll go get help. Please, watch over them both,” I said, motioning to Madelaine and Tavis.
Once more, I turned to Tavis and set my hand on his forehead. “Old friend,” I whispered. “Please hold on. Help is coming.”
Tavis let out a soft groan but did not open his eyes.
Without another word, I turned and left the chamber.
Moving quickly, I returned to the stables where the blood bay was getting his fill of oats and water. I pulled my saddle from the wall and began readying him to ride once more.
“Queen Gruoch?” a voice called.
I turned to find Killian there.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“To fetch a healer.”
“It’s dark,” he said in confused alarm. “Can’t you send someone?”
“No. I cannot. I must go.”
Without another word, Killian fetched his own horse and began saddling him.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Coming with you.”
“No, you may not.”
“Forgive me, my queen, but Standish made me promise that no harm would come to you. I don’t intend to falter on my promise.”
Frowning, I nudged the bay away from the oats then finished saddling him.
“Then you must learn to keep secrets.”
“Secrets? I… Of course, my queen.”
“And you need to start calling me Gruoch, or I may lose my patience with you. Come. We must hurry,” I said then slid onto my horse.
“As you wish…Gruoch.”
We rode off into the night. Part of me wanted to let the bay run the way I knew he could, but the other part of me remembered how fragile my womb was. I had lost Macbeth’s child. Banquo’s child was more precious to me than anything on Earth save Lulach and Crearwy. Yet Tavis’s life was at stake. I had to hurry.
We rode deep into the night, finally reaching the stream where Tavis often camped. When we arrived, I debated what to do. I had never agreed with Madelaine’s reluctance to bring Tavis to the coven. He was not a practitioner of our faith, but he knew what the coven was and had even befriended Uald. There would have been no harm in bringing him, yet he never came. I glanced at Killian. He had proven himself loyal, and I knew he worshipped the old ways. He was not the problem. Crearwy was. No one from the outside could ever see my daughter. Not even a man I trusted to protect my life.
“What is it?” Killian asked. “Do you need to rest?”
“No. We are nearly there, it’s just…this place I’m going to is special. It is closed to the outside world. I will ride ahead but will return soon with holy women, healers, who must be taken back to the castle at once.”
“I should ride with you.”
“I assure you, I am safe here. Make camp here. I’ll send word or come myself within the hour.”
“Gruoch,” Killian protested.
“By the Great Mother and Father God, I ask you to trust and obey me,” I said, and with a twitch of my fingers, I pulled a bit of magic from the aether, wrapping glamour around me.
Killian flexed his brow then inclined his head. “As you wish. I see there is an old fire pit here. I will camp… for now.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Killian huffed a laugh. “Secrets then, Lady Gruoch?”
“Don’t we all have our secrets?”
“I suppose we do. Your secrets are safe with me,” he said then bowed. I couldn’t help but catch the glimmer in his eyes. Maybe Banquo was right. Perhaps Killian did hold some affection for me. It was a love I could never return, but if he admired me, he would be more inclined to keep my secrets.
“Thank you,” I said then turned the horse and rode into the night.
I moved through the dark forest, guided only by the moonlight. An owl shrieked, and animals moved through the woods, unseen. At that moment, I wished I had Thora with me. She had been a constant comfort and protector. I keenly felt her absence.
I pushed through the woods, finally arriving at the coven when the moon was high in the sky. I was surprised to find the place quiet. No one had risen to greet me.
The fire was out in Sid’s house. Her windows were dark.
Frowning, I tied the bay then went to Uald’s smithy. I crept quietly inside to find her in her sleeping chamber, snoring loudly.
“Uald,” I whispered, gently shaking her shoulder.
She woke with a start and sat bolt upright. She grabbed a dagger from her bedside and brandished it in front of her.
I stepped back. “Don’t kill me.”
“Cerridwen?” Uald asked, her eyes clearing.
“Yes.”
“What…when did you arrive?”
“Just now.”
“Epona didn’t tell us to expect you.”