She heard their conversation as she approached.
“I’ve never seen anyone wield a sword or an axe like he does. I watched him take three men down with one powerful swing. He is a brutal warrior. His brother begged him to help him on the battlefield and what does he do?” The fellow shook his head. “He kills him. Drives his sword straight thought his brother’s heart. How do you surrender to such an evil man? The enemy will die fighting him rather than surrender and innocent men like us will perish with them.”
The other man spoke in a hushed whisper. “I heard he wears a metal helmet that conceals a good portion of his face, his features too ugly to look upon.”
A shiver hurried through Elysia. Bliss had said once that some men and women alike were simply born evil. Had that happened to Lord Odran? Had he been born evil? Or had the curse robbed him of his sanity, turning him evil?
She worked on the two men with a pleasant smile and asked them what she had asked every man she had worked on. “Did by chance you see my husband, Saber?”
“A big fellow who doesn’t say much?” the one man asked.
“Aye,” she said anxious that she might finally hear news of him.
The fellow shook his head. “Heard he joined the fight, but I didn’t see him.”
The other man shook his head as well. “Didn’t see him, but there were more warriors than I ever thought I’d see in my life. The field was littered with bodies, the dead ones belonging mostly to our foes.”
“It’s the Clan MacFarden’s own fault, Mayer,” the fellow accused. “They think they can lay claim to land that doesn’t belong to them. If the Clan MacBridan doesn’t stop them, they’ll keep taking more and more and the next thing you know they’ll be riding in here claiming the Clan Loudon belongs to them.”
“Aye, you’re right, Waller, and the fools are paying for it, but so are we,” Mayer said, his head drooping in sadness.
“Let me tend to your wounds and have you ready for when the food and drink are brought out for you brave men,” Elysia said.
“Aye, we could certainly use some of both, preferably a good amount of drink,” Waller said, and Mayer laughed.
It was the first laughter she had heard since entering the keep and it was a nice sound to hear. She only wished it lightened her heart. With no word of Saber, she was beginning to fear the worst. And the thought of losing her husband felt like a knife to her heart, twisting and turning until she didn’t think she could bear any more of its horrendous pain.
Once she finished seeing to the two men, she circled around to where she had started. Clyde was sound asleep in his cottage. A group of women taking turns looking in on him and others who required attention. Thurlow was the man she had stitched that she feared would not make it, but his wife Edrea had followed Elysia’s every instruction precisely and Thurlow was sleeping comfortably, his face not as pale when she had last seen him, a good sign.
Elysia gave Edrea further instructions which she listened to as intensely as she had the previous instructions. Elysia left their cottage hopeful that with Thurlow in such good hands that he would probably do well.
By the time she was done it was past mid-day and Elysia dragged herself to her cottage. Every part of her body ached and she wished Saber was there so she could fall into his strong arms and let her worries drift away.
Lendra was waiting at the cottage and Elysia feared she didn’t even have the strength to speak with her.
“Food,” Lendra said, holding up a basket. “Then you rest, for no doubt you will be needed again.”
Elysia’s eyes went wide. “More wounded have arrived?”
“Word has been received that they are on the way. They won’t arrive until after dark. Eat and sleep while you can,” Lendra said and handed the basket to her. “I will see to the needs of the wounded men.”
“Where is Bram? I haven’t seen him. I thought he would help with the wounded,” Elysia asked.
“I tripled that brew you give to help the wounded rest easy and he sleeps soundly.” She shook her head. “I had no choice. He intended to return to battle.”
Elysia sighed, her shoulders drooping with fatigue. “You no doubt saved his life. A short time with swinging a sword and his chest would have pained him too much to even lift the weapon. He would have never survived the battle.”
Lendra paled some. “Then I’m glad I did what I did. Now go eat and rest while you can.”
Elysia thanked her and once inside sat without removing her cloak. She thought she was too tired to eat but after taking the cloth off the top of the basket and seeing the assortment of food, her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she had not eaten all day.