She stilled instantly and turned to look at the man. His head remained twisted to the side, his face plastered to the block by a booted-foot.
“Tongue, eyes, limb, take what you want and be done with it,” Rem said with a laugh that turned to a cough until he choked and could not stop.
Elsa suddenly appeared and looked from Dawn’s blood-soaked blouse to the choking man on the block. She turned to Cree. “Dawn needs immediate attention, my lord, and that man is about to choke to death. Do you wish his death to be that swift?”
With a signal from Cree, Rem was yanked to his feet and dragged away as Cree hurried Dawn to her cottage, it being the closest place.
“Sit her in a chair,” Elsa ordered following them inside.
“Shouldn’t she be in bed?” Cree asked.
“Not yet, now leave me to do my work.”
“No!”
Elsa’s eyes rounded at his sharp retort and she wisely nodded, “As you wish, my lord.”
He helped her remove Dawn’s blouse, his eyes narrowing when he saw that blood not only covered her shoulder and arm but her lovely breast as well.
“It is worse than it appears,” Elsa assured him after a quick perusal.
“It must pain her,” Cree said and then shook his head. He was doing what everyone did to her, talking as if she wasn’t there or could not hear. He hunched down in front of her and was about to ask if she was in pain, though didn’t bother, her eyes answered for her. He stood. “She’s in pain do something.”
He hunched down again when he felt her hand slip around his and he squeezed it lightly. “Elsa will take care of you, she will stop the pain, and you will be fine.”
She blinked and scrunched her face when Elsa touched her shoulder and she quickly laid her head on Cree’s shoulder, gripping his hand more firmly.
“Do something for her,” Cree demanded.
“I am doing all I can and the wound is minor. Her pain comes from the blow to her bone where the blade struck it. I have tended many such wounds and the abrasion will heal long before the soreness leaves her shoulder.”
“What about the bleeding?” Cree asked seeing that blood still dripped down her arm. “Does the wound need to be seared with a hot iron?”
“Am I the healer or are you?”
Cree sent Elsa a scathing look.
“I am sorry, my lord, but I need to focus on Dawn, not your endless questions.”
“That you do, but watch your tongue with me, Elsa.”
“Again my apologies, my lord.”
Dawn had enough of their bickering. She threw her head back, slipped her hand out of Cree’s and waved it from one to the other and then brought her hand to an abrupt halt in the middle.
“I believe she’s heard enough from the both of us,” Cree said.
Dawn nodded and then dropped her head against Cree’s chest.
Elsa worked in silence after that, Cree remaining hunched in front of Dawn, his hand firmly wrapped around hers.
“It is as I first thought,” Elsa said after a while. “It is not as bad as it seems and the bleeding has stopped. I will apply a poultice of herbs to help the wound heal and I have something that will help ease the pain a bit. First let me clean the blood away.”
“I’ll take care of it from here,” Cree said.
Elsa looked ready to protest, but when she met his intense eyes, she simply nodded. “As you wish, my lord. I will leave the wrapping for you and will set water to heat along with the brew.”
She hurried to complete the few tasks before gathering the bloodied cloths and with a quick bob of her head she said, “I will return on the morn, though if you should need me…”
“I will summon you,” Cree assured her. “And, Elsa, go tend the prisoner.”
As soon as the door closed behind Elsa, Cree went to work. He had seen his share of blood on the battlefield, had tended many of his own warriors when necessary so tending Dawn was no chore. He was relieved that the wound had been minor, though he was still angry that she had interfered with his decree.
The blood had dried in a few spots so it took a bit of scrubbing to remove it. When it came to her breast, he held it gently as he wiped it clean going over it twice to make certain not a spot remained. He wanted no taste of blood to linger there, for when his mouth settled on her nipple he did not wish to be reminded that he had been the cause of her pain.
He applied the poultice to the wound and then wrapped clean cloth around her shoulder tying a strip around it to keep it in place. Then he poured the brew that Elsa had left in a tankard and handed it to Dawn.