Free The Healer by Allison Butler

by.’
    Edan’s eyes widened a fraction and she heard him swallow.
    ‘My aim is to ease your suffering, not increase it,’ she said. ‘I promise to be gentle with you.’
    Edan rewarded her with a nod and a tremulous smile. She prayed she could uphold her promise.
    ‘I’ll start with your leg,’ she said, and shifted to her knees beside the pallet.
    Deep-voiced conversation sounded nearby, but she closed her ears to its content and focused solely on her task. With fingers that trembled only slightly, she began removing the strips of linen Iona had wrapped around Edan’s left thigh, all the while glancing at Edan to ensure she wasn’t causing him undue discomfort.
    She paused after unrolling half the dressing and drew a fortifying breath. Edan peered up at her and her stomach clenched. She managed a reassuring smile despite knowing this was the easy part. He frowned and focused on his lower limb.
    Sweat beaded between her breasts as she continued unravelling the linen discoloured by the salve the Elliot’s healer had applied to the wound. Finally, she peeled the last of the dressing away and stared at the ointment-smeared wound.
    ‘I need to wash away the salve and apply fresh ointment before I redress it.’ The words slipped out as she spoke her thoughts aloud.
    ‘The water is almost boiled.’
    Lynelle jumped. William stood close behind her, looking intently at his brother’s injury.
    ‘I witnessed Iona’s healing methods when Edan was first injured,’ he said. ‘She bathed his injuries before applying the stitches and the salve.’ His gaze slid to her. ‘I believe she included a pot of the ointment and fresh linens for the journey,’ he finished, setting Iona’s sack down beside her, before making his way back to the fire.
    Lynelle blinked and reached for the sack, relieved she hadn’t known he’d been watching her work. She rummaged and found a small earthen jar wrapped among fresh linen strips, all neatly housed within two wooden bowls.
    She set aside what she needed and withdrew the crushed sopewort from her own assortment of herbs, placing a pinch of the herb into each of the bowls. Following Ada’s adamant advice, she’d wash her own hands before touching Edan’s open wound.
    William returned carrying an iron pot, the steam from the boiled water wafting into the air. Lynelle held both wooden bowls, while he poured hot liquid into each and she set them aside to cool.
    ‘Tell me of your other injuries,’ she said to Edan.
    ‘A bone in my arm is broken,’ he replied, looking at the splinted limb.
    ‘Is any of the skin broken on your arm?’
    Edan looked puzzled and peered up at his older brother who stood watching over him.
    ‘Nae,’ William answered for him.
    ‘Then I will leave it untouched for now,’ she said, leaning closer to appraise the small gash on his face. She would wash the scratch and apply some ointment to it also. ‘Anything else I should know of?’
    ‘He might have broken a rib or two in the fall,’ William informed her.
    ‘May I take a look?’ she asked Edan.
    He nodded, and using his uninjured hand he drew his shirt up for her to see. Lynelle examined his bound middle and spied the purplish discolouration above the dressing on his chest and below his lower abdomen.
    ‘You were certainly lucky to have Iona tend to your injuries. She is obviously a skilled and practiced healer.’
    Gratitude for the learned healer welled inside Lynelle. Edan’s ongoing care had been made much easier because of Iona’s expert initial care.
    ‘I will leave these dressings intact until we reach your home,’ she explained, lowering his shirt back into place. ‘Now to your leg.’
    Dipping the tips of her fingers into one of the bowls, she tested the temperature of the water. Satisfied, she washed her hands as best she could and dried them thoroughly on a piece of clean linen. She lifted the used bowl and placed it before William.
    ‘If you wish to test the cleansing wash, I ask