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“I need help, now,” Tor called out, banging on the door. It was opened by a small elderly lady.
“What is your hurry?” she asked in a more forceful voice than Tor expected to come from such a frail looking figure. Then her eyes fell on the still form of Seth in Ban’s arms and she moved out of the way as she ushered them in.
“Take him to the second door on the right,” she instructed then called out loudly, “Tumo, you are needed.”
Ellen opened the door they were directed to and Ban entered. There was a large wooden table in the middle of the room, so he laid his burden down on it.
“What happen?” a man asked as he limped into the room. He was a tall slim man with short brown hair, a neatly trimmed beard and large, enquiring hazel eyes.
As soon as Tor heard him speak he looked up. He recognised the voice, but thought he must be mistaken. He stared at the man, who he assumed was calling himself Tumo, unable to believe what he was seeing.
“Our friend was stung by a krait,” Ellen told him when it was evident that Tor was not going to answer. “We managed to remove the sting, but the venom had already entered his bloodstream.”
“How long ago?” Tumo asked.
“Two days.”
He nodded. “Then we may still be able to save him.”
“Mud or steam?” the elderly lady asked.
“Mud.” The old woman left the room and could be heard calling down the corridor.
“Tumo needs a mud bath taking to room 2. Get off your lazy behinds and take a bathtub to him and start collecting buckets of hot mud.”
“Help me undress him,” Tumo instructed Ellen. As they set to work he continued speaking, not taking his eyes off the task in hand. “Stop staring Tor. You can hit me later.”
“Save Seth and we will talk. Let him die and I will kill you.”
Ellen was shocked. She had never heard Tor threaten anyone’s life before. “Tor!” she exclaimed. “That is not helping. If you have an issue working with this man, go outside and leave us to it.”
Tor remained where he was, arms crossed, and glared at Tumo’s back. He noted that he was only using one arm to tackle Seth’s clothing, leaving the other dangling by his side, which meant Ellen was doing most of the work.
Two teenage boys walked into the room carrying a large metal container. It appeared to be a bathtub, but was long enough for the bather to completely lie flat in it without having to bend their knees.
Tumo instructed them where to put it then looked up at Ban. “Will you please give these two a hand. We need hot mud and lots of it.”
Ban nodded and followed the boys from the room.
“If you are planning on staying here Tor, make yourself useful. You will find clean towels on a shelf to your right. Cover the bottom of the bath with them.”
Tor grunted, but did as he was asked. When he was done Tumo asked him to place Seth’s naked body into the bath while Ellen made a pillow for him out of more towels. Another towel was placed over his groin and when the first bucket of mud arrived Ban was instructed to pour it over Seth. It was steaming and Tor blanched at the suggestion.
“You have got to be joking. That stuff is so hot it will kill him,” Tor objected.
Tumo turned around to face him. “I think it is going to be almost impossible for you, but you have to trust me. If we are to save your friend’s life, we have to make him sweat the venom out of his system. This is the quickest way. The mud will not burn him. I promise.”
Ellen could see that Tor was filled with indecision. He obviously knew this man and whatever had happened between them had not ended well, but Seth’s life was on the line. Bracing herself, she rolled up her sleeve then plunged her arm into the bucket of hot mud.
Surprisingly, it felt really nice. It was on the verge of being so hot it would be uncomfortable, but not quite. This would do Seth no harm at all and she told Tor so. He nodded his head and Ban began to pour the contents of the bucket into the bathtub.
It took more than twenty buckets to fill the bath and the two lads carrying them were exhausted by the end of it. They were extremely heavy and even Ban had built up a sweat. Tor sent him to the inn he hoped Patrick had been able to find rooms in so he could bathe and change into clean clothes.
“So what happens now?” Ellen asked. Tor’s face showed he was still too angry to speak.
“I have to keep an eye on him, make sure his head stays above the mud, try to get some water into him, that sort of thing. In a few hours the mud will cool and will have to be replaced. It is going to be a long night.”
“Would it help if I put a warming spell on it?” Ellen volunteered.
Tumo’s face lit up. “Help? That would be fantastic. I cannot thank you enough.”
Ellen placed her hands above the mud and quietly sang a spell. It did not take long and when she had finished she informed Tumo that it would last for at least twenty-four hours.
“Go to the inn,” Tor told her. “I will stay here with Seth. This person and I have things to discuss.” It was an order not a request and the fact that Tor would not even speak Tumo’s name told Ellen it was one she would be wise to obey.
“You are not dead then,” Tor said once he and Tumo were alone.
Ignoring the question, Tumo limped over to a table and pulled out a chair with his right hand. His left one still hung by his side. “Take a seat,” he said as he sat down.
“I prefer to stand.”
Tumo shrugged one shoulder. “Suit yourself. How is Molly?”
Tor rushed over, raised his fist and only just managed to stop himself from using it on Tumo’s face, making him flinch. “How dare you even mention her name,” Tor snarled.
“Will you at least let me explain?”
Tor snorted. “You deserted her just before your wedding. You left her heartbroken. Do you really think you will be able to talk your way out of me wanting to kill you?”
“No. I am not looking to do that. I want to give you my reason, that is all.” He remained calm. He knew Tor well and he did not have it in him to follow through on his threat.
Tor sat down, but did not relax. “Alright then. Talk. Convince me you are not the bastard I believe you to be. Justify your cowardice in not telling my cousin to her face why you abandoned her, choosing to leave her a note instead.”
Tor looked like he was not prepared to listen, but Tumo knew otherwise. The Tor he knew all those years ago was a just and fair man and he could not bring himself to believe that had changed, no matter how angry he was.
“I have Silvius sickness.”
Those four words told Tor everything he needed to know. No further explanation was necessary, but he wanted more details anyway. The fact that Tumo was not using the left side of his body indicated that he was telling the truth.
“When did you find out?” Tor’s voice was no longer filled with anger. While he could not bring himself to feel sympathy for the man, he could almost understand his actions. But only almost. Tumo should have handled things differently.
“A week before the wedding. I started to get numbness in my left arm and went to visit a healer. When he gave me the diagnosis I did not believe him at first. As you probably know, the sickness is hereditary, but nobody in my family suffered from it. I confronted my mother and she admitted that it could be true. It turns out that my father is not my true father. She had a brief affair and only later learned that this man had Silvius sickness. She had no idea whether he or her husband was my father so she never saw the need to mention it to me.”
“You should have told Molly.”
Tumo shook his head. “We both know what she would have done. She would have married me anyway. She wanted children, we both did, but I can never have them. How could I subject my own flesh and blood to what I am going through?”
“She would have made the sacrifice,” Tor insisted.
“And that is exactly why I did what I did. Yes I hurt her. I hurt her badly, but what would watching me slowly deteriorate have done to her?”
“She would have coped.”
“But I would not,” Tumo snapped. “I would have deprived her of a family and then I would have put her through years of suffering. I could not live with myself if I had done that, so I took the easy way out. Is that what you want to hear? Well I admit it. I was a selfish prick and thought about myself just as much as her, but I still believe I did the best thing for her. I hear she has children who are almost grown now and that she has had a happy, fulfilling life. What sort of life would she have had with me?”
Tumo had risen while he spoke and when he had finished he fell back into his seat, panting.
“It should have been her decision.” Tor spoke softly. He understood what Tumo was saying, but he could still not accept that he had done the right thing.
“She would have made the wrong decision and we both know it. If I had told her instead of leaving her a note, she would have found a way of changing my mind. Leaving her was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.” He, too, had calmed down and his volume decreased.
Knowing that the discussion was getting them nowhere, Tor changed topic. “I am surprised you are still alive. I always thought the sickness killed within a few years. How long do you have?”
“I do not know. I should have been dead years ago, but I found a healer who suggested I come here. The combination of the hot mud baths and steam treatments has slowed the progress, but not cured me.” With his right hand he lifted his left arm then let if fall to his side once more. “As you can see.”
“You changed your name,” Tor observed.
“I thought it wise. Lord Michael Charcot is a well-known name, even in these parts, and I did not want any rumours getting back to Molly. As I have to have regular treatments, the healer who owned this place taught me everything he knew and I took over when he died. It is his mother and sons who help me out.”
“You could have let me know. We used to be good friends.”
Again Tumo shook his head. “You would have told Molly.”
Tor could not deny this. “She is a widow now. Her life is a lot different than it was nearly two decades ago when you left. She would want to know the truth. She is entitled to know the truth.”
“Please do not tell her,” Tumo begged. “Why open up old wounds. It is not as if we could now have a life together. She is better off not knowing. I am sure she has forgotten all about me.”
Tor knew this not to be the case. He and his cousin were close and she still mourned the loss of Lord Michael Charcot. He made no promises to Tumo. It was something he would need to think about, but right then other matters were more important.
“Will Seth live?”
Tumo decided to be honest. “I do not know. If you had arrived here yesterday, I would have said yes. If you arrived tomorrow, I would not have even bothered starting the treatment. The venom will not have done any long term damage yet, so it is a case of waiting to see if Seth can sweat it out of himself before it does.”
“So I guess we wait.”
Tumo tried to persuade Tor to go to the inn and get some sleep, but he refused. Seth was more than just a friend to him and he wanted to be on hand should anything happen.
Time passed as the two men talked. At one point the old woman brought in a jug of steaming coffee, but other than that they were not disturbed.
At regular intervals they checked on Seth, who had sweat pouring from his forehead, and they managed to get him to swallow some water each time they tried. As the hours passed Tumo became more and more hopeful of a successful outcome.
While Tor and Tumo worked on sorting out their differences, the rest of the team were at the inn, drinking ale and wine. Patrick had managed to procure enough rooms for them all, as long as they shared, which they were all used to doing.
Ellen looked worn out when she arrived. She could not help blaming herself for what had happened to Seth and felt guilty that she was not able to help him. The others all assured her that it was not her fault, but she refused to listen. They also tried to explain that she was a gifted healer, but some things were just beyond her control.
As the evening progressed tiredness began to overcome worry and people slowly headed off to their rooms.
Soon only Ellen and Patrick were left at the table. There was no point in going to their beds; they both knew they would not be able to sleep. Of everyone on the quest, other than Tor, Seth was the one they knew the best. Ellen looked upon him like a younger brother and knew she would be devastated if he did not make it through.
She felt helpless and it was a feeling she was not used to. She needed to be doing something, but there was nothing that she could do, other than wait for news.
Patrick stood up. He knew that going to his room was not a good idea, but it would be better than staying where he was. He had not drunk much, but could foresee that that would change as the evening dragged on and he would be of no use to anyone if he got drunk.
He bid Ellen a good night, but she grabbed his arm before he could move away.
Knowing that she was probably making a huge mistake, her voice trembled as she told him, “I do not want to be alone tonight.”
“I understand,” he said, taking her hand and helping her to her feet.
She suddenly had second thoughts. “No, I...”
He placed a finger over her lips, silencing her.
“I understand,” he repeated. His voice was soft and soothing, but lacked the seductive undertone she had been expecting. His eyes, when he looked into hers, were wide and bright, but he had tamed their usual fire. “I know what you are asking of me and that is all I will give. You have my word.”
Her legs were trembling as he led her up the stairs to the room he would be sharing with Tor, if he returned. He closed the door, but did not lock it. He knew that Ellen did not believe what he had told her and leaving the door unlocked so Tor could enter at any time would go a long way toward making her trust him.
He turned his back so she had some privacy as she undressed down to her underclothes and did not turn around again until she told him she was under the covers.
He stripped off most of his clothes, not caring that she was watching him. He knew she secretly desired to know what he looked like without his clothes on and now seemed the perfect opportunity to satisfy her curiosity. His body was in good shape and he knew she would not be disappointed.
He debated whether to remove his undergarments, but decided it would undo any trust that had developed by leaving the door unlocked.
She rolled away from him as he slipped under the covers, but he pulled her back to him and enveloped her in his arms. She needed comfort not just company and he intended to give her everything she needed.
They stayed like that for a while, not talking. She felt warm and protected in his arms as she lay against his smooth bare chest, listening to his heart beating. Under different circumstances she would have been tempted to explore with her hands, but her mind was on Seth, not her own desires.
He removed one arm from around her and gently lifted her chin so he could look at her. Then he kissed her, his soft lips touching hers. It was filled with compassion rather than passion and when it was over he cradled her head against him once more.
“Try to get to sleep,” he advised, then closed his eyes. She did not hold out much hope, but she felt so secure in his arms that her eyelids soon became heavy and she drifted off.
He was already dressed by the time she awoke the next morning. There was no sign of Tor and they were not sure if that was good news or bad.
“I am going to get some breakfast,” Patrick told her, then lent over the bed to kiss her forehead.
“Patrick,” she called out before he could leave the room. He turned to look at her. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “You are more than welcome. I think that is the first time I have spent the night with a woman and just slept, but do not think for a moment that I will be letting you keep your clothes on next time I get you into my bed.” He paused before leaving the room. “Can you do me a favour? Do not mention what happened last night to anyone. After all, I do have a reputation to uphold.”
––––––––
Tor was dozing in his chair and jerked awake when Tumo gently shook him.
“How long have I been asleep?” he asked.
“A few hours. I thought I should wake you. Your young friend is showing signs of stirring.”
Tor leaped from the chair and walked over to the bath full of mud. Seth’s eyelids were fluttering and he was starting to twitch his face.
Taking a clean cloth that Tumo handed to him, Tor wiped Seth’s forehead, drying off some of the sweat and softly called his name.
Seth’s mouth opened, but no sounds came out. He closed it again, then licked his lips. “Tor?” he managed to croak.
“I am here. How are you feeling?”
He opened his eyes and looked about him. “Hot. And hungry. And what is that smell?”
Tumo laughed. “That is a good sign.”
“You are in a mud bath,” Tor explained. Then he looked at Tumo. “When can he get out?”
“Whenever he likes. Let me get some clean towels.”
He placed them on the floor then called for a clean bathtub and hot water. Seth was forced to remain where he was, in the mud, while a bath was prepared for him. Tor stayed beside him, explaining what had happened.
When the bath was ready Tor helped Seth stand. He was getting mud all over his clothes, but he didn’t care. Seth barely had the strength to support himself, so Tor carried him over to the water and gently laid him down. He then proceeded to wash all of the mud off him. It took a long time and jugs of clean water were provided so he could wash his hair.
Once Seth was clean and dried Tor and Tumo helped him to dress and sat him in a chair.
“May I suggest that you stay here for the rest of the day?” Tumo said kindly to the younger man. “I can provide you with food and a warm bed and I would prefer you to be close by, at least for a while, in case you have a relapse.”
Seth glanced at Tor, who nodded his head.
“Will you stay and eat with us, or head back to the inn?” Tumo asked Tor. “I think that nice young witch you brought with you will be very pleased to hear the news.”
Tor wanted to stay with Seth, just until he could be certain that he would not have a relapse, but he knew Tumo was right. Ellen would be worried sick about Seth until she learned that he was on the mend so he decided to leave the patient with the healer.
“I will be back later,” he promised before leaving.
“You look a mess,” Patrick observed when Tor entered the inn’s dining room. Breakfast was still being served and Tor was so hungry he decided to eat before changing.
“How is Seth?” Ellen asked before he even had time to take a seat.
“Awake and asking for food.”
“Thank the heavens,” she said. “Will he make a complete recovery.”
“That is yet to be ascertained. Once I have eaten and changed into something a lot less mud-caped I will go back to Tumo’s place to get an updated prognosis.”
While he ate, Tor explained to everyone what had happened with Tumo. He also told them who he really was and how he knew him.
“Lord Charcot?” Patrick said in surprise. “That is a name I was never expecting to hear again. Molly is sure going to be surprised when you tell her.”
“I am not planning on telling her,” Tor informed him, though he was not sure if he was telling the truth or not. Patrick looked like he was going to argue, but then he just shrugged his shoulders. Tor knew his cousin better than anyone, so if he thought it best to keep Tumo’s secret from her, Patrick would not go against his wishes.
Before Tor had finished eating most of the group drifted off. They would not be leaving any time that day, so they went exploring the village and the surrounding countryside.
“I am going to get changed then check on Seth,” Tor said as he stood up.
“Give your clothes to Patrick and I will clean them while you bathe,” Ellen volunteered.
“I was not planning on bathing.”
“Think again.”
Tor knew better than to argue. Patrick went with him, depositing his muddy clothes in Ellen’s room before returning to the dining room. He found Ellen alone and sat down beside her.
“Now that you know Seth is going to recover, we should head to your room and do what we should have done last night.” The fire was back in his eyes and Ellen had to quickly look away.
“I have work to do,” she told him and made a hasty retreat.
Tor returned to Tumo’s home and was pleased to be informed that Seth had eaten a lot of broth and was now sleeping soundly.
Leaving his patient in the safe hands of the old woman, Tumo took Tor to the inn opposite and purchased two mugs of ale. It was much too early in the morning to be drinking alcohol, but neither man decided to mention this.
“How often you do need your treatments?” Tor asked as he sipped the dark liquid.
“Every few weeks,” Tumo replied. “Why?”
“Enough time to visit Molly for a short while then.” While he was still debating whether he would tell her that he had met her ex-fiancé the next time he saw her, that did not mean Tumo could not take the initiative.
He shook his head. “We both know I am not going to do that. I have hurt her enough as it is.”
Tor looked him directly in the eye. “Tell me you no longer love her and I will let the matter drop.”
Tumo broke eye contact and refused to say anything.
“I thought so,” Tor said.
“Not a single day goes by when I do not think about her. Is that what you want to hear? Well it is true. But what good does admitting it do?”
“Have you ever considered that you might be good for her? Her children are getting close to marrying age then she will be all alone. You could give her life meaning again.”
“No, all I can give her is years of misery as she watches me slowly die.”
It was an argument that Tor was never going to win, so he gave up. “Thank you for saving Seth. He would have died without your help.”
“I was only doing my job.”
The two men finished their ales in silence, then ordered refills. Conversation began to flow again and by the time they left the inn they had become friends once more.
When they returned to Tumo’s residence Seth was out of bed and sitting in a chair with a blanket over his knees.
“You should be in bed still,” Tor told him. He tried to sound stern, but he could not keep the smile from his face. Seth looked a lot better and relief surged through him.
“I hate being in bed,” the young man grumbled. “When can we leave?”
Tor glanced toward Tumo. “Tomorrow,” he said. “I will make sure he eats properly and rests. Come back in the morning to collect him and you can be on your way, providing he takes it easy for a few days until he has recovered his strength.” Tumo smiled before adding, “And make sure he does not play with any more kraits.”