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her naked out of his head. Shaking the thought from his head he cursed at himself for coveting her body in her condition.
    Looking down at her asleep before him, h e enjoyed the look of his plaid against her skin, something about the image made something inside him shift. He owed her so much for stopping the fight between Duncan and himself all those years ago. He was still ashamed at the rift it had caused; he and Duncan never fully regained their friendship after that day. That was something that still haunted him till this day; he never fully understood why they hadn’t. He felt ashamed and embarrassed a woman like Fiona could cause such a divide between him and his friend, they had been on the brink of war over a whore.
    Beside him Conn stood up and looked at the door and gave a low growl to alert his master of someone approaching, petting his loyal wolfhound’s head he heard his elderly healer approaching. His dogs had never really liked the healer, they often growled at the old woman when she approached. Signaling for his dogs to stay, he got up from his seat and opened the door for the craggy old healer
    “Good eve Caitriona, I have need of your services most urgent. Her wound is grave ; we must do whatever we can. ” Broderick requested as she shuffled past him and walked directly across the room to Elisabeth. The healer said nothing to him as she walked in.
    The thin silver haired healer knelt beside Elisabet h and hovered her hand over Elisabeth’s body f or several moments before she stood up and turned back to look at him.
    With a knowing smile she rattled, “A touch of destiny!”
    Crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes he looked back at the frail healer, “Old Rhona said the same, what ye mean woman?” He demanded , irritated at the bat-brained healer. She was well known for her odd ramblings, but her healing powers made up for her addled nonsense.
    Nodding her head she smiled and turned back towards Elisabeth, opening her pouches she pulled salves and herbs from her clutch and leaned over to retrieve the hot water by the fireplace, “Ye des tiny is entwined with this lass.” S he said cryptically , lookin g back at Elisabeth .
    Walking over to Caitriona, he knelt beside the elder and looked at her in the eyes, “Will she live?”
    Mixing up hot water with a foul smelling paste, the silver haired healer nodded, “Oh ye s, she will live. She will live . ”
    Broderick watched and assisted Caitriona long into the winter night . The slash started high on her left shoulder and angled across her chest, missing both breasts. The scar left would be substantial; a wound that deep would permanently leave a mark. There was no herb powerful enough to take away a scar of that magnitude. The beauty before him would be scarred.
    Many grueling hours later Elisabeth’s wound had been closed by the skillful hands of Caitriona, assisting when needed , he was dead tired . He had been awake for almost two days now.
    Treated and wrapped in soft linen bandages, Broderick helped Caitriona slip a lig htweight chemise over the lass once she had finished her work. They covered her in another thick blanket before the roaring fireplace after they were completed.
    During the entire time she was being worked on , Elisabeth neither moved nor spoke; she contin ued to lay dead to the world. Broderick had dismissed his healer for the eve after her work was done , allowing her to seek her bed late into the night. Her job had been done, she would not be required to keep vigil over Elisabeth, that chore would fall to him alone.
    Stoking the fire until it roared, Broderick lifted Elisabeth and carried her to his bed. He couldn’t let her sleep on the hard floor or a straw pallet. The woman would sleep in his bed until she awoke. He w asn’t sure if the Douglas clan knew she was alive, he wasn’t about to be separated from her . He would watch her, or have Rhona next to her at all times until she woke. Laying her on his soft bed, he