Highland Lover

Highland Lover by Hannah Howell

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Authors: Hannah Howell
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and cheeks and then frowned. She definitely had a fever, and a dangerously high one, if he
    judged it right. He told himself that the fear knotting his insides was born of a natural concern for a lass too young to die and one who had been a good companion as well.
    He rose and walked to the bed. Deciding that until he could gather more wood, he would be unable
    to build the fire up high enough to heat the whole room adequately, he moved the mattress close to
    the fire. When he took the blanket off Alana to spread it over the mattress, he studied her for a brief moment.
    “She is a bonnie, wee lass, cat,” he murmured as he settled Alana’s limp form on the mattress and
    tucked the other blanket around her. “Wee enough to play the child, although I dinnae ken why she
    couldnae trust me with the truth.”
    The cat gave him such a disgusted look, Gregor suspected it was a female. “I shouldnae be
    surprised if I have a fever. Thinking ye ken what I am saying has to be a sign of delirium.”
    Recalling one thing he had seen done for someone with a fever, Gregor fetched the bucket he had
    set out to catch rain. He searched out the other shift he had seen in Alana’s pack, took it out, and
    tore it into strips. Heartily wishing he knew more about healing, Gregor began to bathe Alana with
    the cool water in the hope of bringing down her fever.
    “Artan?”
    Startled by that unexpected voice and the sharp annoyance he felt over her calling out another
    man’s name, Gregor stared into Alana’s fever-glazed eyes. “Nay, ’tis Gregor.”
    “When did the Gowans allow us to have a light in our pit?”
    “We arenae in the pit now, lass. We escaped, remember?”
    For a moment, she frowned and glanced around her. “Oh, aye. We escaped. Did we get verra far?”
    “Far enough for now, and I think this will prove to be a good hiding place.”
    “Ah, that is good to hear, for I am feeling verra tired.”
    “Who is Artan?” Gregor heard himself ask and inwardly cursed.
    “My brother. Thought ye were him for a moment. Foolishness, for he didnae e’en ken I was
    following him.”
    “Why were ye following him?”
    Even though her eyes were closed again, Gregor waited for her to speak. He sighed when, after
    several minutes had passed and she made no effort to say anything else, he realized there would be
    no answer to his question. She had apparently gone right back to sleep. Although he knew sleep was
    best for her, he regretted the lost chance to get some answers to the many questions he had.
    When he finished washing her down, Gregor fetched himself something to eat. He ended up sharing
    nearly half of his meager ration of meat with the cat and decided he was much too soft of heart.
    After stepping outside just long enough to relieve himself, he wiped off the small amount of rain
    that had fallen on him and returned to Alana’s side.
    He had never felt so helpless, and he hated the feeling. Fever could be a deadly thing, and he did not even know how to tell if her fever was of that ilk or just a natural reaction to being exhausted, cold, and wet. Even if he was able to find some herbs to use, he did not have any idea which ones would
    heal her. In his ignorance, he could easily poison her. Gregor was not even sure wiping her down
    with cool water and forcing her to drink whenever possible did much more than give him something
    to do. As he began to bathe her fever-flushed face yet again, Gregor promised himself that he would
    take the time to learn a little more than how to ease the bleeding of a wound until a skilled healer
    could be fetched.
    “I think we must fetch Grandmere,” Alana said. “I dinnae feel weel.”
    “I cannae fetch your grandmere, lass. I dinnae ken where she is.” When Alana became a little fretful, Gregor decided it might have been wiser to lie to her.
    “Then ye must find my sister Keira. Mayhap Cousin Gillyanne or Cousin Elspeth. I truly dinnae
    feel weel and they will ken what to do.”
    “I

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