Three of them stopped at Owen’s croft to see if they could learn anything more and stumbled upon the woman in labor. They devised a quick plan. The others were fetched, twenty men waited in the woods surrounding the cottage and two waited inside to kill Rannick’s wife when she entered. They had not been sure it would work, but they had been willing to take the chance, since they were committed to seeing the curse finally brought to an end.
Rannick kept his fury contained as he asked, “Has Owen and Maura been harmed?”
“The man suffered a beating trying to protect his wife and the woman suffered some bruises trying to stop the men from hurting her husband,” the young man said.
“While she labored in pain?” Rannick snapped.
“Aye,” the young man admitted as he agonized in his own pain. “Please. Please allow your healer to help me.”
“My wife will help you,” Rannick said, “after she helps the woman who labors in pain.” He turned to Lawler. “Secure him and his mouth and leave him. We will pick him up on our return.”
“The blood, my lord, the wolf I heard will smell it,” the young man pleaded.
“Then he is welcomed to you,” Rannick said and walked away, the man having no chance to plead for mercy, a rag once again shoved into his mouth.
Bliss had heard it all. “I could wrap his hand,” she offered when her husband approached.
“He came here to see us dead, and you wish to help him?” Rannick asked, shaking his head.
“It would help keep him alive so that you can question him more,” she said.
Rannick capitulated. “A warrior will see to his hand while other warriors will see to the men in the woods before they can raise their weapons. That leaves the men in the cottage.”
“They may attempt to hurt the couple once a warrior enters,” she said, worried for both.
“I will not give them the chance,” Rannick said and took her hand in his. “We walk from here.”
“You will be careful,” she said.
“Keep silent,” Rannick ordered.
“That was not a request, husband,” Bliss said in a hushed whisper.
Rannick turned a scowl on her when he spotted the touch of a smile on her lips and at that moment, he wanted desperately to kiss her. To make matters worse, he could see that she felt the same.
“Tonight, wife, tonight our vows get sealed,” he whispered.
CHAPTER 19
“Maura, it is Lady Bliss, I am here to help you,” Bliss called out, standing a short distance away from the cottage door.
The door barely squeaked open when her husband stepped in front of her, and three warriors rushed in one right after the other. Bliss waited anxiously, worried for the woman inside. It wasn’t long before two men were dragged out of the cottage, still Rannick would not let her enter until he saw for himself that it was safe.
“Please… help my husband,” Maura pleaded, sitting on the floor, her husband’s bloody head resting in her lap.
“Nay, my wife. Help my wife,” Owen said, his one eye badly bruised and swollen shut.
Bliss took charge and silently blessed her husband for following her instructions without question. He helped Owen up to sit in a chair while she got Maura to her feet and to the bed, the woman pleading the whole time for Bliss to tend Owen.
“I promise I will tend your husband, but first I must see to you,” Bliss said gently and turned to her husband. “I need water at least three bucketsful.”
Rannick had a warrior fetch them, having no intentions of leaving his wife alone.
It didn’t take long to ascertain that Maura was doing all right, having suffered a bruise or two to her face and her labor having progressed without incident through the ordeal.
Once Bliss had Maura settled comfortably, she turned to Owen and was surprised to see that her husband had already cleaned the head wound, though blood still lingered on the young man’s face.
“All the blood is from the head wound,” Rannick informed her.
“Thank you for helping me,” Bliss said and examined Owen’s wounds.
It did not take long to let Owen and his wife know that he would be fine. The bruises would heal, as would the wound. Afterward, she sent both men outside, though both men were reluctant to leave.
“Maura needs her privacy, and you will be right outside if I should need you,” Bliss said to her husband, her hand on his upper arm as she escorted him to the door.
Rannick turned to her when they reached the door. “I will not move from outside this door.”
“You have responsibilities out there as I do in here. See to them so we may return home as soon as this is done,” she said with a soft smile.
He thought about the night ahead. “Aye, there is a responsibility I must see to this night.” He looked to Owen, who stood by the bed holding his wife’s hand. “Let’s go, Owen.”