Ravenwood

by Lowell, Nathan

  Tanyth managed to croak but her mouth was too dry to work right.

  Megan brought a moistened cloth and stroked her face with it, wiping it across her mouth, wetting her lips. She pulled the cloth away but returned with a spoon and ladled a few drops of water onto the side of her mouth and Tanyth’s tongue managed to find it and the cool liquid slipped down her throat, loosening and soothing as it went. They repeated the process several times before Tanyth was able to say, “Thank you.”

  A line of fire stitched her up the middle and she let herself escape it by falling back into slumber. She’d been wounded and she needed to heal. Sleep was the great healer and she embraced it willingly.

  The cool water flashed in the failing light of the All-Mother. She left the sky empty longer now, taking to her nest and leaving the sky for All-Father. Her heavy bill crunched several times and a small fish slipped down easily as she swallowed. She needed to find more food and a perch for the night. It would be colder now and she needed her strength.

  She took wing and sailed over the place where men worked the gray soil. No man walked the land so she circled to see if there were any bright things she might take, or perhaps some food left. Small animals visited the place sometimes and they were tasty and warm. Her bright golden eyes raked the ground but nothing moved and nothing shined, she flicked a wing and continued onward.

  The men had carved a path through the trees and she followed it taking pleasure in swooping along and between. She was silent except for a faint whisper in her wings as she sailed rapidly. She checked her speed as the opening appeared and turned with a flare of wing and tail to alight on a branch where she would watch. The meat was buried and even the scent of it was gone from the air. The young were running and making a terrible racket but the large people were tearing at the burned house. It didn’t stink as much any more.

  The man with the bow came up the track and she watched him carefully. Men were seldom a threat but those with bows needed care. They sometimes took sport with her kind and she’d had to dodge more than one arrow in her life. The breeze carried a scent of offal and she perked up at the aroma. If he’d killed, there might be food. She took wing and soared.

  Tanyth woke again. Stronger now and still in pain. She laughed. It was more a panting sound than a laugh but she laughed even though it hurt.

  Sadie leaned over her and smiled to see her awake. “Hello, mum. Welcome back.”

  Tanyth tried to smile in return and it must have worked because Sadie’s smile widened.

  Sadie offered a cup of water and helped Tanyth lift her head to drink it. The line of fire up her belly didn’t hurt as badly and she was feeling considerably more clear headed. The liquid moistened her throat and tongue and she was able to speak more than a simple croak. “William?”

  Sadie nodded her head. “He’ll be ok. He won’t be chopping any wood for awhile, but he’ll recover.” Her face clouded. “They killed Kurt.”

  Tanyth nodded. “Birchwood said that. I didn’t believe him.”

  Sadie made a sideways shrug. “He was telling the truth.”

  “There’s been no more trouble, then?”

  Sadie shook her head. “Thomas killed one of them behind the barn. The other one threw down his sword and ran away.”

  Tanyth nodded. “I should have been quicker.”

  Sadie patted her gently on the shoulder. “There, there, mum. If it hadn’t been for you and your warning, we’d have all been dead.”

  Tanyth took small comfort although she knew it was true. “Everyone else?”

  Sadie smiled. “All fine, mum. And we have a nice soup for you here. Would you like some?”

  Tanyth noticed that she was still in the workroom, although the saw horses and boards had been removed. She laid on a rope-bound cot on a sweet grass tick. A pot burbled gently over the fire and a kettle steamed nearby. Her stomach growled loudly enough that Sadie heard it.

  “That sounded like a yes to me, mum.” She grinned and patted the older woman’s arm once more.

  “Why am I still here?” Tanyth’s voice was weak but still audible in the quiet room.

  Sadie ladled a dipper of broth into an earthenware mug and then broke a hank of bread off a loaf that rested on a cutting board nearby. She brought the food over and set it on a sawed off log that stood on end as a table. “Because this was the easiest place to care for you. You were bleeding a lot and laying in the broken crockery when we found you, mum. We weren’t sure what happened.”

  “Birchwood is dead, though, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, mum. He’s dead.” Sadie walked around the end of the cot above Tanyth’s head and grabbed the frame. “Just a second, mum. Hold on.”

  Tanyth had a moment of disorientation until she realized that Sadie was lifting the cot with her on it. Wood scraped on wood and then the end of the cot lowered a bit, leaving her laying on a slight incline.

  Sadie came back to the side of the cot and settled on another sawed off log. “There. That’ll save you havin’ to lift your head so far, mum.”

  “What’d you do?” Tanyth was unable to turn far enough to see.

  “Put a log under the head to hold it up while you eat.”

  “You lifted the cot and me together?”

  Sadie shrugged. “Well, of course, mum. Won’t have done much good if I’d lifted you and not the cot and I certainly couldn’t lift the cot without lifting you in it, now could I?”

  Tanyth grinned and laughed softly. “I just meant you were strong.”

  Sadie raised an eyebrow and a spoon at the same time. “Strong? Me, mum? I’m not that strong and you’re not that heavy! I think Riley weighs more than you.” She levered the spoon and the rich broth rolled over Tanyth’s tongue.

  Tanyth smiled and swallowed gratefully. “You know, I could probably hold a cup and a spoon.” She lifted her arms and showed Sadie.

  “Can you lift your head so you don’t spill the soup off the spoon before it gets into your mouth, mum?” She smiled skeptically, but seemed willing to try.

  “If we can get me propped up enough to hold the mug and drink it, I won’t need a spoon.”

  Sadie nodded at the wisdom of that. “Ok, mum. But you nursed me. Seemed only right that I should nurse you.”

  Tanyth blushed a bit at the earnestness of the young woman’s response. “I appreciate it. Really, but the sooner I start doin’ things for myself, the sooner I’ll be up and about.”

  They spent a few more painful moments with Sadie trying to push pads of blankets under Tanyth’s shoulders and to lift her up without her having to use her stomach muscles. In the end, Tanyth was propped up, partly by a wad of woolens, and partly through the expedient of getting a taller log to hold up the head of the cot. She started to slide down a bit, but her heels caught on the inside of the frame and she found she could brace her knees without undue strain.

  All through the exercise, Tanyth tried to get a feel for how badly she was damaged but she seemed to be wrapped in strips of bandage from her collar bone to her hips. The line of fire was less precise the longer she tried to concentrate on it and even peeking under the covers only showed her in some kind of shift that she didn’t recognize.

  “Sadie?” Tanyth was hesitant about asking.

  “Yes, mum?” The younger woman settled beside her and handed her the mug of broth.

  Tanyth took the mug and looked pointedly down at herself. “How bad is it?”

  Sadie looked up and down at the older woman. “Well, mum. You did need a few stitches across your chest, but the cut up your belly wasn’t particularly deep. More a scratch. The wrappings you wore around your chest? They were cut clean through and the knife went pretty deep there, but we got you stitched up and wrapped pretty fast.” She looked up at Tanyth’s face, nodding at the mug of soup. “You’ll want to drink that while it’s still warm, mum.”

  Tanyth blinked a couple of times, having difficulty understanding what she’d heard. She brought the cup to her lips and carefully sipp
ed it, working her head forward a bit to get her mouth on the lip of the cup to avoid pouring the soup down her front. The warmth and the moisture felt wonderful and she sipped again. “Stitched me up?”

  “My Thomas was in the King’s Own for a time. He was in a lot of battles and helped with the wounded.” She lowered her eyes. “He was the one that actually stitched you, mum. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Tanyth laid a tentative hand on her breastbone. It was tender to the touch, sure enough, but the padding of the bandages gave her some protection. “Why would I mind, dear?” She was already feeling better and took another small sip of the broth.

  Sadie didn’t look up. “Well, we chaperoned him, mum, but he had to take some liberties with your clothing and all.” Her eyes flickered to her chest.

  Tanyth felt a brief flush of embarrassment that Thomas had seen what gravity and time had done to her body before realizing that she wasn’t thinking too clearly. “I think I owe him a debt of gratitude, Sadie. I’m grateful that he was able to use his knowledge and skills to sew my old carcass back together.” She smiled warmly. “How’s his hemming? Did he run a straight seam?”

  Her comment caught Sadie off guard and she looked up in horror before she realized that Tanyth was joking. “Yes, mum. We made sure he kept his stitches nice and even for you. Never know who you’ll get to show them off for.”

  Tanyth huffed a small laugh and took another sip of soup. She looked over to where Sadie had left the hank of bread on the table. “Was that for me as well?”

  Sadie grinned and handed Tanyth the bread which she dipped into the rich broth and let dissolve in her mouth. In less time that she’d have thought possible the mug was empty and she held it up to let the last savory drops run into her mouth. She handed the empty mug back. “That was very good, Sadie. Might I have a little more?”

  “Are you sure you should, mum?”

  Tanyth shrugged, but instantly regretted it. “Nothin’ was damaged inside. Just a cut. Why not?”

  “Mum, you lost a lot of blood.” Sadie took the cup and crossed to the fire. “But if you want some, I’ll give you a little but then you have to go back to sleep.”

  Tanyth heard Sadie’s solicitous words as little more than a gentle noise in the background as she slid back down the slope to sleep.

  Chapter 29

  Healing Time

  Within a couple of days, Tanyth was ready to get out of bed. “Megan, come help me a moment, please?”

  Megan put down her mending and stepped over to the cot. “How can I help, mum?”

  Tanyth struggled to a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the cot. “Give me your hands, please? I need to stand up.”

  “Mum? I don’t think that’s wise.”

  Tanyth smiled. “I’m not sure either, but if I lay here much longer I’m not going to be able to get up again so please help me.” She gave an apologetic shrug. “Besides, I need to use the privy.”

  Megan looked horrified. “Mum, you can’t be walking all that way.”

  Tanyth gave a small laugh. “Well, then I’m gonna wet myself trying, my dear, so if you’d give me a hand? We’ll see how far I get before I go, shall we?”

  Megan held out her hands and Tanyth used them to pull herself upright. She swayed a bit as the blood that had been in her head rushed to her feet. For a moment or two she wasn’t too sure she’d made the right decision after all. She gripped Megan’s shoulder and held on until the dizziness passed. Her legs were weak, but they held her and she took a tentative step. Her hips groaned at her but soon were moving smoothly and she had Megan turn around and walk toward the back door and the privy beyond. If the steps were slow and sometimes halting, they were steps and she grew more certain as she walked along.

  Megan made it to the back door and pulled a warm shawl down from a peg beside the door. “Here, mum. Don’t get chilled.”

  Tanyth allowed the woman to fuss over her a bit and drape the shawl around her. The longer she stood the less certain she was that she’d make it all the way to the privy and back.

  Megan must have seen the uncertainty in her eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this, mum? We’ve got the pot here for you.”

  Tanyth’s mouth twisted into a sideways grin. “No, I’m not sure, but I’d much rather try this than use that pot again.”

  Megan grinned and turned so Tanyth could grab her shoulder once more. They shuffled out into the daylight.

  The sudden sun stabbed Tanyth’s eyes and she nearly stumbled, but she half closed them and lowered her head against the midday glare. Her feet scuffled her forward over the cold grass and damp soil.

  “Oh, mum. We should have put some shoes on you!” Megan was horrified when she realized that Tanyth walked barefoot.

  Tanyth patted Megan’s shoulder lightly. “Hush, child, we’re almost there and it feels quite pleasant.” The icy fingers of grass stroked her feet and the soft soil beneath cushioned her steps, and each step she took seemed to be stronger, as if pulling strength from the very ground upon which she walked. She whispered a small prayer of thanks to the All-Mother and kept moving.

  In less time than Megan feared and in much more time than Tanyth expected, they came to the door of the privy. Megan swung it open and led Tanyth inside. It took some maneuvering, but after two days of using the pot with the requisite attendances, Tanyth’s sense of modesty had been shredded. Megan saw her charge safely enthroned and stepped out, discreetly closing the door behind her.

  In a moment, Tanyth called Megan back and they retraced their steps back into the workroom. At the cot, Tanyth balked at laying back down.

  “Mum? You need to lay down and sleep.” Megan’s voice was firm.

  “Megan? I need to sit up and get something to eat. Is there any rabbit in that stew?” She nodded at the pot over the fire.

  Megan nodded. “Yes, mum, there is.”

  “Good. Help me get a seat where I can lean back on the hearth and I’ll eat something solid and then, I promise, I’ll be a good girl and go back to bed.” She smiled. She knew she was being impatient but also knew the danger of lying down for too long.

  With the ground rules established, Tanyth and Megan had a pleasant meal of rabbit stew and more fresh bread and even a nice cup of tea. Tanyth began to feel much more human, even as the exertion took its toll on her. With the meal over, Megan helped her stand once more and, as she had promised, went back to bed.

  “Oh, that’s lovely, my dear. Thank you.” Tanyth was already feeling the tug of sleep but struggled against it to speak. “When I wake, do you think we could have some hot water for washin’ up? We should really change the dressin’s, too.”

  “Of course, mum. We were talking about it among ourselves and thought we probably should have done it yesterday.” She looked chagrined.

  Tanyth smiled and reached out to pat her arm. “When I wake. That’ll be soon enough, I think.” Almost against her will, her eyes closed and sleep claimed her once more.

  The raven watched the men tear down the house. They’d been working at it for two passages of the All-Mother through the sky. Some of the wood they saved. Some of it they stacked in a big pile. The logs were taken apart and laid out side by side. She eyed their activities and soaked up the warmth of the sun, but her belly was empty. She needed food. She took wing and soared over the men’s heads unnoticed and out over the open space of the long path. She remembered a fruit tree and flew to it. The ground was littered with fallen fruit, some already soft and some crawling with stinging insects. The insects gave a lovely tang to the fruit, and their stings had no effect on the horny plates of her bill. She gorged herself and had to hop twice to get enough spring to get off the ground. Once aloft, she sailed between the trunks and flapped heavily upwards, looking for a perch high in the fir where she could watch the men and drowse in the warm sun.

  As the afternoon wore down toward night, Tanyth fought her way back to consciousness. The meal had helped and the exercise had, too, but the new
levels of awareness were making her impatient. As she blinked herself awake, she saw that Megan had been joined by Sadie and the pair of them smiled happily to see her stirring.

  “Are you ready to see what’s under the bandages, mum?” Sadie was smiling gently.

  “I am, indeed.” Tanyth was afraid of what she’d find but determined to see it through.

  The two women had a large tub set up beside the hearth and a substantial collection of kettles heating on the fire. They helped her rise and walked her out to the privy and back before beginning. She was already stronger and the round trip took much less time and effort. The workroom felt almost stifling after being out in the cool, fall air.

  They took her to the tub and had her stand in it while they peeled her clothing away. They got her down to bandages and small clothes in almost no time and then had her sit on the edge of the tub while they used sewing sheers to clip carefully up her spine. The cold steel of the sheers gave her shivers as the narrow blade slid under the wrappings and against her skin. With each layer of wrapping released, they carefully peeled it back and dropped it into a pile on the floor beside the tub. The first few layers revealed nothing to Tanyth’s eager gaze but as the subsequent layers were removed, the extent of her injury became more evident. By the time the were up to her navel, the bandage was stuck securely to her and they used a clean cloth soaked in hot water to moisten and loosen it before pulling it gently away.

  It took almost half an hour to get the bandages off her. They gave her a warm shawl to put over her shoulders and hot water in the tub for her feet while they cleaned the long wound up her torso. As Sadie had said, the lower part of the cut, the most vulnerable and softest part of her body was sliced, but it was quite shallow. As the blade drove up the length of her body, it had bit more cruelly. Seeing the scabbing cut in her belly was shocking enough, but when the bandages pulled free of her chest, the neat row of x-shaped stitches in the flesh between her breasts was almost incomprehensible. Age, gravity, and a reduction in her body fat over the years had left her breasts sagging flat against the ribcage with only the slightest sway and the incongruousness of the stitches running up between them left her slightly disoriented.