Home of Beasts and Gentle Ladies

Chapter two

The time moved slowly. Every breath and moan from across the room made Eloise nearly jump towards the ceiling. Miss Ettie promised to be back in a moment, but for some reason, it dragged longer. Of course, it might've been only Eloise's imagination playing tricks with her, but the sky outside got darker and darker. The woman started tossing, turning, kicking the covers just a few minutes ago. Her forehead glistened with sweat.

Eloise was torn between curiosity and common sense. A Lycon Fever! With her luck, she'll never have a chance to see anything of sorts. She'd be stuck here instead - a dull spinster with an uneventful life. Eloise's heartbeat was loud and rapid in her ears, her legs were trembling and she noticed with disappointment that her armpits were damp from fear. And yet Miss Ettie said the woman wasn't dangerous, being a nurse she must know a thing or two. Eloise stood up trying to make as little noise as possible, with her right hand she gripped a still moist towel. It wasn't much of a weapon yet there wasn't anything suitable around, except for the sword, but it even looked heavy. At least she knew how to carry out a mean slap with a wet towel. That was something.

The floor was icy under Eloise's bare feet, she shivered and walked faster. The knight lady laid on her back, her blanket half-kicked to the floor. Her face was covered by one of her hands, but it actually revealed a more interesting picture - a tight bandage just above the elbow smeared with a russet-colored mix of blood and pustule. It smelled vile of illness. The woman sighed loudly, startling Eloise, but she didn't wake, instead moving the hand from the face. Her features were handsome just like the girls said. They couldn't see much from the windows, but Eloise had a full view of a sharp jaw, ample lips slightly parted in sleep, smooth shimmering skin. She couldn't possibly say that her looks were lovely or delicate, those were the words to describe a girl, not a woman and certainly not a warrior. When Eloise leaned closer to get a better picture she noticed a trace of an old scar just above her right eyebrow and a few more recent ones curving from the back of her neck. The woman moaned something softly.

Eloise looked at the bandage. She couldn't believe what she was going to do. Carefully, not taking her eyes, from the woman, she caught the cloth by the ends and undid it. Under it was a mess of yellow ooze and fresh blood. She dropped the cloth and turned away. It was a dreadful sight. Why did she need to expose herself to it? Eloise's stomach froze with terror.

«Water... please,» muttered an unfamiliar voice. Just when she thought she knew terror. Eloise made a step from the bed, but a hand caught her nightgown and tugged. «Nurse-»

Eloise wanted to scream that she wasn't the nurse and curse Miss Ettie even louder for not being here when she was needed. She pulled the fabric out of the woman's grip and turned to find her eyes half-closed, harmless, delirious in her fever.

«Water,» she moaned. A deep wolf's bite on her left hand stood out from the whiteness of sheets. «So hot... 'm burning.»

Eloise moved a little bit closer. The blood was dirtying the sheets when the knight lady was moving, and she moved a lot. She wanted to wrap the wound back, but the woman couldn't keep her hands to herself grabbing her nightgown and hands, moaning and begging. Eloise lost herself in the panic. She dropped the moist towel on the woman's face and raced towards her own bed.

Miss Ettie's lively steps carried out from the stairs. Finally! Eloise gulped down the nasty potion, cringing at the taste and dived under the covers. The sound got closer.

«You're supposed to be sleeping,» said Miss Ettie. Eloise stubbornly pretended to sleep for a minute, but after hearing a screech of the moving chair she dropped the act and opened her eyes.