Chapter 133

Frang started speaking to Ailene while rubbing her hand. "You did so grand out there, lassie. I was so proud of you. Five touches you got before he laid one on you. Tis the difference between practice and actually being in battle. Did you note what he did? He accepted you were going to wound him to get his blow in, but he interposed his arm and took the damage there so he could strike you with the other. Battles are bloody, messy affairs and when getting beaten by a superior opponent, you have to look for any advantage you have. Bjarkë decided to take a wound to the arm to get in a killing return blow. If you find yourself fighting a stronger, better swordsman, you may have to do the same. Take a non-lethal wound to get your own blow in. Bjarkë learned this from years on the battlefield. Fighting is not always pretty. You do what you must to win."

Bjarkë laid his arm on Frang's shoulder. "It's a hard lesson to learn. I'm surprised you've learned it. You've never been in a lot of battles."

"Aye, but I've been in a few duels and I wasn't always the better fencer, particularly when I first started. I was lucky a few times."

Isobel glanced at him, shaking her head. Her husband's past was somewhat unsavory though she was unaware of all the details. She tried the smelling salts again and Ailene groaned and opened her eyes.

Bjarkë said, "Lass, you scared me half to death. I don't know what I would tell Stuart if I killed you."

"What happened," Ailene murmured, still groggy.

"Bjarkë laid his blade against your head and knocked you unconscious," Isobel said. "You've been out for fifteen or twenty minutes. You're our doctor so I wasn't sure what to do other than smelling salts, bathing your head and holding your hand. Before you fall asleep again, what more should we be doing?"

"I can't go to sleep. You must keep me up. If I sleep, I might not wake up if there's internal bleeding. You wouldn't notice from my behavior."

"Not at all?" Isobel asked.

"Not tonight," Ailene answered. "If I make it through the night, you can let me sleep in the morning." She gingerly touched the left side of her head. "Was I hit here?"

"Aye, lass. I whacked you hard," Bjarkë said.

"There's not much of a lump here."

"The helmet protected you some, I think," Frang said.

"Thank you for making sure I wore one," Ailene said. "It's not the outside I'm worried about now, it's the inside. The brain can bounce around the inside of the head from a blow. My father said when they cut open corpses which had died from blows to the head, there was evidence the brains bled and bruised on both sides of the head. Once where hit, and on the opposite side of the blow where the brain bounced against the skull. It's a small chance, but if I can't stay awake or show any signs of bleeding from the ears or eyes. You may need to drill a hole in my skull to relieve the pressure."

"Drill a hole!" Isobel exclaimed. "We can't drill a hole in your head!"

"You may have to, or I'll die."

"How do we do it?" Frang asked, "if it should be necessary."

"Smallest, sharpest bit you have. Best to have a carpenter do it if no surgeon's about. You want to get it through just the skull itself, not into the tissue beneath it. You have to go slowly enough you can stop as soon as blood starts flowing out of the hole. The pressure will be built up behind it and it will come out fast. As soon as the bleeding slows, put a tight bandage around it. The bone will eventually grow back. You can practice on an old cow skull, before you start on me, but you should practice now, because you'll have to start immediately if I have problems."

"I'll have the carpenter start practicing now," Frang said, getting up and leaving.

"What should we be doing before it comes to drilling holes in your pretty little head?" Isobel asked.

"Brew some willow bark tea with meadowsweet in it for this wicked headache. Other than that, keep me awake. If I start having problems with my speech, slurring my words, trouble with movement, any kind of bleeding from the head, or you can't keep me awake, drill the hole," Ailene replied. Isobel sent a maid to start making the tea.

"Where should we make the hole?" Isobel asked.

"The temples are the thinnest, but it would probably be best to do it where I was struck or the opposite side where the internal bleeding would be the worst. If I start bleeding from my left ear, do the left side or right ear, the right. Means the bloods built up on that side. If I'm having difficulty moving a side of my body, remember the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and the right of the brain the left, so drill on the side opposite of where I'm having trouble moving my limbs."

"Do you want me to send for Stuart, Lady Cameron?" Bjarkë inquired.

"No!" Ailene replied. "It will probably be no more than a headache and I'll be fine in the morning, if a wee tired, but if he were here and you had to drill, he'd probably be frantic and try to stop you when I know it's what must be done. Oh, and I wouldn't mind having a bath." She turned to Isobel. "Perhaps you and and Jinny can arrange one for me."

Isobel left and Bjarkë knelt down beside the bed and held Ailene's hand. "I'm sorry I hit you so hard, Lady. I admit I was frustrated at how poorly I was faring against you and became a bit eager when I saw my chance."

"What happened?" Ailene asked.

"You don't remember?" Bjarkë said.

"No, the last thing I recall is us circling each other shortly after your first attack."

"Well, the circling went on a while, both of us trying to get the measure of the other. Every time I thought I spotted an opening, you repelled my attack. Your confidence increased as time passed and you started on the offensive, stabbing me twice more in the process. I got tired of trying to defend myself and went on the attack again, getting stabbed twice more for my trouble. I was pretty much ready to call it quits when you thought you saw a small opening I let you see. You went for me again and I took your poke on me off arm while whacking you in the head with my sword, and here we are."

"So you beat me?"

"Not before you beat me five times. You could probably cover the five bruises over my heart with a tea cup saucer. I knew I was mastered. The one thing battle's taught me is when you're fighting for your life, you look for any chance to save it. I gave up my arm to you so I had a chance to defeat you. Better a wounded wing than a stuck heart. I may have to take up your new fangled blade. You beat my best, lassie. You've nothing to be shamed about."

"Thank you, uncle. Give me a hug."

"Aye, Lady. You gave me a frightful scare." He gently hugged her and Ailene squeezed him back.

Frang returned after ordering the carpenter to practice on a cow skull, and gave her a hug as well, before Isobel and Jinny returned with the tub.

"Make yourselves useful and get some hot water up here and put more to heating," Isobel said.

Bjarkë and Frang left and Isobel got down beside the bed. "You gave me such a fright," she said. "I saw you crumple to the ground and thought you were dead. I hope you'll be okay. I don't want to try drilling into your head."

"I'm sure I will," murmured Ailene. "The only reason I spoke of it at all was because I might not be able to later, but I expect I'll be fine."

The men returned with hot water and dumped it into the tub, putting more cold water on the fire to heat. Isobel tested the water and found it to her liking.

"Please leave us alone now, boys. We have things to do you needn't be present for."

Frang and Bjarkë left and Isobel asked, "Do you need help getting in the tub?"

"Please. I still feel a little dizzy and I'm hoping the tea will be done shortly as I have a horrible headache."

"Clothes off at the bed or at the tub?" Isobel asked.

"Best do it now. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to stand," Ailene replied.

They helped Ailene sit up, removed her shirt, shoes and socks, then Jinny helped her to her feet so Isobel could unlace her pants and slip them down her legs. Slipping Ailene's arms over their shoulders, they walked her to the tub and helped her step in, then lowered her into the water. Ailene sank down with a sigh.

"Thank you. I feel like I was run over by a horse. Don't let me sleep. Keep me talking. Has Bjarkë spoken to anyone about the last couple days at Cameron Keep?"

"No, Lady," Jinny replied, sponging the sweat and dirt off Ailene. "My man's heard naught, nor anyone else, unless he's spoke to Lord Frang since he arrived."

Ailene glanced at Isobel and she shook her head, no. "I'm sure we'll have a meeting as soon as you're dressed, Ailene, and can receive visitors.

There was a knock on the door and Isobel called out, "What is it?"

"The tea, ma'am, for Lady Ailene," the maid said.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Come in then."

The maid entered and set the tray down, picking up a big mug and pouring the tea in. She added a little sugar and handed it to Ailene who gulped it down, hoping it would help her head.

"Another, please. I'll drink this one more slowly."

The maid poured another one, then excused herself and left.

"Just dampen my hair," Ailene said, "get the sweat out. I don't think we should scrub my head today."

"Yes, Lady Ailene," Jinny replied, continuing to sponge off her former mistress.

The continued to talk in the way of women everywhere until Ailene felt able to stand.