no swelling or tenderness at the site, she slipped further beneath the steaming water, noting somewhat absently, for the first time since her arrival, she wasn’t being watched by guards. However, she was in no condition to escape. Besides, she didn’t want to leave the warm bath.
At last the water began to cool, and the girls produced a dressing robe for her and helped her from the tub. Anna sat by the fire and combed her hair, spreading the tresses to help it dry. Nessa offered her a short chemise and thick blue tunic and she pulled them on with slow, deliberate movements, avoiding any quick moves that made the pain in her head worsen, throwing her balance off.
“Here are trews from my brother. I noticed ye dinnae wear dresses.”
Stepping into them, Anna noted they fit very well, though they were tight across the seat. “I can wear a dress until my clothes are mended.”
Nessa nodded and handed Anna a pale green tunic dress from a large wooden trunk. Unlike the small number of dresses Anna had owned of silk, satin and velvet, the sturdy wool made it a practical garment for everyday use. Anna noticed a lack of judgment in Nessa’s voice when she mentioned dresses. Used to being ridiculed for dressing like a man, she was relieved not have to defend her choices.
“I guess I am not like other women you know,” she ventured.
Nessa smiled sweetly. “May I ask about yer markings?”
“Does your clan not have something similar?”
Nodding vigorously, Nessa replied, “Aye we do, but only for our experienced warriors.”
Anna sat at the table and motioned for Nessa and Isla to sit. Glancing out the window, she winced as the light shot a stab of pain through her head. Turning back to the soothing dimness of the room, she took a piece of bread, hoping her stomach would tolerate it. She’d gone six days with very little food.
“Hundreds of years ago, our people fought the Romans. During that time some women trained in battle along with the men. I am told the pattern I wear is one worn by those women. In my clan, it is a symbol of a warrior.”
“Ye are English,” Nessa responded, puzzlement on her face and in her voice.
Anna breathed a heavy sigh. “Yes, I am half English, and half Scots. I was raised in my father’s keep on the borderlands. My mother’s clan is less than half a day’s ride away. I spent much time around her people. They taught me their language and customs. I fought in two different battles with my mother’s clan and one fighting with my father’s men.”
After a few bites, Anna’s stomach would take no more. Better to eat lightly now, as she had no desire to visit the bucket again. She’d need a week or more before healing enough to attempt another escape. Hopefully they would let their guard down so she could slip out, if she found her horse and possessions. Remembering her last effort, thoughts of escape seemed unlikely anytime soon.
“Please let your father know I will speak with him whenever he wishes.”
Eager to help, Nessa hurried from the room on her errand.
Anna glanced around for her pack and spotted it at the foot of the bed where she’d slept, along with her armor. To her surprise, her weapons lay there also. She rose to fetch hot water from the fire and retrieved two types of tree bark from her pack, placing them in a cup to steep.
She sipped the herbal mixture, and a few minutes later her pain eased slightly. Gazing at Nessa’s polished reflecting disc, Anna took in her appearance, probing her puffy, bruised flesh. She enjoyed a grim satisfaction knowing she looked as bad as she felt. The entire left side of her face displayed various shades of black and blue marks. She barely recognized herself.
Nessa returned as Anna sipped the medicated brew. “My father and brother would like us to join them for the evening meal at sundown.”
Anna nodded her agreement and took her cup to a comfortable chair before the fire. Pulling a small leather roll from her pack, Anna removed a set of needles. She carefully placed the hair-thin steel into her neck and head, inserting them where they would ease the pain and hopefully the nausea. Anna heard a sharp intake of breath. Nessa darted across the floor to her.
“What are ye doing?” Her hand covered her mouth, her eyes wide with alarm.