The knock at the door woke Zahra from her sleep. Rolling over, she realized the room was still dark. It was the middle of the night. Who could be knocking? The knock was relentless, so Zahra climbed out of bed and retrieved her robe. She wrapped it around herself and knotted the silk belt.

“I am coming.” She called as she crossed the room to the door. Opening it just enough to peek out, she saw Erik, and he looked stressed. “What?”

“A fever has come over Regin. He is out of his mind.” Erik reported. “What do I do?”

Zahra opened the door and quickly made her way to Regin’s chambers. Inside she noticed him trembling terribly. He was white as a ghost and sweating profusely. His eyes were closed, but he was mumbling words she did not understand in Norwegian. Zahra placed her hand to his forehead. He was burning up. She had to break the fever before he lost his mind entirely.

“The tub in my chambers. We need to bring it in here and fill it with cold water.” Erik just stared at her. “Well, go get it.”

Erik bolted out of the chambers, and a moment later, she heard him dragging the huge iron tub out into the hall. The noise woke Cain, and he appeared wearing just his breeches and looking annoyed. “What is all the ruckus?” He growled, still half asleep.

“Your father has been struck by a fever if we do not cool him off he could die.”

“We are filling the tub with cold water,” Erik explained as he dragged it through the door. Cain instantly grabbed the other side, and the two men carried it into the room.

“Go wake the servants and have them bring the water,” Cain ordered, and Erik disappeared out into the darkness of the hall. “What can I do?”

“Help me undress him.” Zahra pulled back the covers, the last thing he needed at that moment were blankets. With Cain’s help, Zahra stripped Regin to his linen shorts. It did not take long for Erik to parade an army of servant girls with buckets of water through the chambers to fill the tub.

Once it was filled, Erik and Cain carried Regin from the bed to the tub and placed him in the water. He shivered from the change in temperature. Zahra took an empty bowl from the tray on the table and used it to scoop and pour the cold water over Regin’s feverish body. With a rag, she wiped his face trying to cool him off.

“Will he live?” Cain asked his arms crossed, trying not to fidget nervously, but she could see it in his eyes. He was greatly worried.

“It is too early to tell.” She could not lie. He deserved to know the truth, besides cooling Regin off there was little she could do.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing.” All they could do now was wait.

“He will be alright, will he not?” Erik asked, pacing the floor.

“Only time will tell.”

***

His father’s fever broke around dawn. His body had stilled, and he seemed to be resting peacefully. There was no telling if he would recover or if the fever had done irreversible damage. They had moved him from the water back to the bed where they redressed him, and Zahra dutifully tucked him in, making sure he was comfortable. Cain watched her with appreciation. Zahra surprised him; she seemed to genuinely care, and for a man that should mean nothing to her. She had a good heart.

With his father resting, Erik returned to his cot to get some much-needed sleep. Cain walked Zahra back to her chambers. She was so tired he could see it in her face. Zahra yawned, covering her mouth to hide her exhaustion. Her door was open, and the morning sun was coming through the shutters. He could not help thinking how beautiful she looked in the soft morning glow. The desire to kiss her startled him. How perfect those full red lips were begging to be kissed.

He could not think of these things. The witch was off-limits. He wanted her fiercely, but he could never have her. Perhaps that only made him want her more how he wanted to brush her dark hair behind her ear. To caress her ivory skin. To take her in his arms.

Cain realized he was staring, but she was staring back. Both were barely dressed. How easy it would have been to push that robe aside and see what it hid. She was utterly enchanting, and she did not even have to try. Cain had never met a woman so captivating. So seductively innocent, it could make a man lose his mind.

They had been watching one another for a long time when Cain cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped back, putting distance between them. “Sleep well… Sweet Siren.” Then he politely bowed and made for his chamber door.

“Cain.” Her voice sounded urgent as she stopped him from leaving her.

Cain turned to face her and could not help but notice her creamy flesh had turned a blush pink. He could spot female arousal from a mile away, and she was hot and ready. “Yes?”

She was quiet a moment as she absentmindedly bit her bottom lip. “I must go into the woods today for more supplies. I will need an escort.”

“I will inform Erik.”

“I would feel safer with you.”

Cain offered her an awkward smile. How could he say no? He nodded his head respectfully. “Then I will escort you this afternoon. Until then, get some rest.” She had earned it.

***

Cain met Zahra that afternoon outside her chambers. She looked fetching in her dark green dress with the gold trim and matching cloak. Over her shoulder, her animal hide satchel. “Good afternoon.”

“It is, is it not?” She smiled. “It is a glorious afternoon. The sun is shining, and the sky is clear. It almost feels like spring.”

“That is if the leaves were not falling and changing colour.”

“Except for that.” She was heading for the stairs with Cain at her side.

“Are we going far today?”

“A fair distance,” Zahra said as they headed down the stairs.

“Shall we take horses?”

“We are going into the thick; a horse would be positively useless. A brisk walk would do us both good.” She said teasingly. “Too much ale, I would say.”

Cain ran his hand over his firm hard belly. What was she talking about? He was in perfect shape. Better than many men. “Conquering new lands works up a mighty thirst.”

“I imagine it must.”

She had a charming sense of humour. The more time he spent around her, the more he enjoyed her. “Why have you not married?”

Her smile faded, and she got very serious. He had said the wrong thing. “Who would want to marry a witch?”

“I cannot imagine a man not wanting you.” He paused, realizing he had misspoken once more.

Zahra looked at him in stunned silence. “I do not think we are acquainted enough to allow such talk.” She scolded.

She was cute when she was flustered. “Then, perhaps we should become more familiar.” Zahra’s eyes were wide with offence. Suddenly she was walking far ahead of him. “Come on. I was jesting.” He teased following her.

“I can see your kind has no decency.”

“My kind? What do you know of my kind?” He snapped as they stepped out into the afternoon sun. She was trying to outrun him, but even at her brisk pace, he could keep up with an easy stride.

“You and your kind are well known. You are saltwater bandits. Boorish men with brutal vices.”

“Bandits?” He laughed; well, he had to give her that one they were known to many as thieves. “We do not steal.”

She stopped with a laugh and turned to face him. “Oh, you do not? What would you call taking things that belong to others?”

“Spoils of war.” She shook her head in disbelief and continued out the front gate following the road. “Conquering nations claim those they have conquered all the time. Everyone does it, even your precious Scots.” She said nothing just kept walking. “Have I silenced you with reason?” Zahra said nothing only walked faster. She was annoyed. “Speak Witch and be heard.” Still nothing. “I see you want to behave like a child.” Zahra stopped short and glared at him, her mouth opened to say something and then shut again without a word. Zahra turned her back to Cain and kept walking. “I am sorry I did not hear that.” He teased, never breaking stride.

Zahra did not speak one word as they entered the forest surrounding the village. She led the way through the thick. Cain followed closely, using his sword to bushwhack. The forest was thick with brush and bushes. He was not sure where she was leading him, and he did not think she would tell him even if he asked. After a long hike, Zahra stopped. She knelt on the ground and took out a dagger he did not realize she had and began to cut a plant hidden beneath a bush.

She placed the plant into her satchel and moved on. Not too far from their first stop, she knelt again and used the dagger to dig up a root. They seemed to be where she wanted to be. Every couple of feet, she was picking something: roots, leaves, berries, mushrooms and other fungi. Zahra continued on through the trees, and they came to a rocky hillside covered in large boulders. Without a word, she began to climb up the hillside carefully. Crawling over one bolder and cautiously picking her footholds.

Cain followed, stepping over one bolder and another. “Proceed with caution,” Zahra said, carefully watching where she placed her own feet.

“She speaks.” He teased.

“I am serious it is still warm enough for-”

“Ouch!” Cain yelped in pain as he felt the jaws of a snake snap shut around his calf. Its sharp teeth punctured through the hard fabric of his breeches. Cain reached down and grabbed hold of the snake by the back of the neck and pried its jaw open, pulling its teeth from his leg. Cain had not seen the snake between the rocks and had accidentally stepped on its tail, provoking an attack. Annoyed, Cain snapped the serpent’s neck and threw the body away.

“I told you to be careful.” Zahra snapped, coming back down the rocks toward him.

The world began to spin, and Cain felt woozy. He stumbled a foot and dropped down into a seated position on the rocks. Zahra was at his side in a flash; she reached down and took hold of his leg, forcing the leg of his breeches up to inspect the wound.

“The poison is spreading.” She said, taking out her dagger. Cain lay back against the rocks, and the world became fuzzy and distant. He hardly felt the dagger blade as it cut into his leg. He looked down to watch Zahra put something in her mouth and then seal her mouth around the wound as she sucked the poison out. His eyes began to close. “Stay awake.” He heard her voice. It sounded a million miles away. Then everything went dark.