Threatened [W&W Book 2]

Chapter 2

Anya was in her workshop behind the house when she heard wheels clattering up the drive. Apparently she had more company. Two visitors in one day. Must be her lucky day.

Not too lucky, though. Whoever owned the conveyance on the drive, it was not in good repair. But a poor customer was still better than no customers. Sometimes she accepted barters instead of money. The twins still needed to eat, after all.

Anya wiped her hands on her apron, and went out to meet the newcomer.

It was an older man she did not recognize, driving a wagon hitched with a horse. She felt nervous, wondering what he might want with her. She told herself there was no reason to be afraid, but she still felt a cold foreboding fear slide through her.

She was being ridiculous. Still, she was glad that the twins were safely out in the woods.

The man on the cart grew closer. "Do you know of Gage?"

"Gage?" she asked cautiously, her voice in her throat at the mention of her brother's name. She wondered if she should acknowledge that she knew him.

"Come here and see if you know him," the man instructed and gestured to the back of his cart.

Was Gage inside? If he was, he would surely make himself known to her. Was it a trick to lure her to his vehicle?

"I was paid to bring him here. The description was most clear. Do you know him?"

Was Gage dead? Anya's stomach knotted with fear. She clutched the vial in her apron pocket and she ran forward to the cart.

At first, all Anya could do was stare at the man lying in the cart unconscious. He looked like her brother, but her brother did not have horrible scar across his face that ended under a patch covering his eye. Her brother was full of energy and life, not still and quiet.

But it was Gage and he lay there, still as death. For a moment she really did think that he was dead, but then she realized that the rough grating sound she heard was his quick, ragged breathing. He was horribly ill. The wounds on his face looked too old to be what was making him so terribly sick.

"What happened to him?" she cried.

"I don't know. I was just paid to bring him. I suggested a healer, but he insisted he wanted to come here. Seemed to think that more could be done."

"Where did you pick him up?" she gasped.

"Just outside the capital. Don't rightly know how he got there. He was staggering, feverish."

The capital was about a day's walk from the village, or so she had heard. Gage must have suffered terribly.

She wished he had gone to a healer. What could she possibly do? She only knew the simplest healing charms. Whatever was wrong with him was almost certainly out of her range of expertise.

"What shall I do with him?" the man asked, bringing Anya back to the matter at hand.

She shook her head helplessly. "Could you help me get him inside?" she asked.

"Sure can."

Anya and the man moved to either side of Gage. Anya was shocked when she touched Gage's skin. He was burning with a fever. She would have to try to bring the fever down.

They managed to half carry, half drag her poor brother into the cottage. A few times Anya thought he seemed to be helping them, but was afraid it was only wishful thinking.

They lay him on his side on Anya's bed. Anya did not know what to do. She feared the cause of his fever. His heart was pounding frantically. She noticed that there was blood on his back. Being careful not to jostle him, she leaned over to look for the source.