existed.
Erec walked through the room and began to sever the ropes connecting all the women, cutting the thick twine, freeing them one at a time. Several jumped up and ran for the door. Soon the entire room was loose, and they all trampled for the door. Some were too drugged to move, and others helped them.
“Whoever you are,” one woman said to Erec, stopping at the door, “bless you. And wherever it is you are going, may the lord help you.”
Erec appreciate the gratitude and the blessing; and he had a sinking feeling that, where he was going, he was going to need it.
CHAPTER TEN
Dawn broke, spilling through the small windows of Illepra’s cottage, falling over Gwendolyn’s closed eyes, and slowly waking her. The first sun, a muted orange, caressed her, waking her in the near silence of dawn. She blinked several times, at first disoriented, wondering where she was. And then she realized:
Godfrey.
Gwen had fallen asleep on the floor of the cottage, lying on a bed of straw near his bedside. Illepra slept right beside Godfrey, and it had been a long night for the three of them. Godfrey moaned throughout the night, tossing and turning, and Illepra had tended to him incessantly. Gwen had been there to help any way she could, bringing wet cloths, ringing them out, placing them on Godfrey’s forehead, and handing Illepra the herbs and salves she’d continually asked for. The night had seemed endless; many times Godfrey had screamed out, and she’d been sure he was dying. More than once he had called out for their father, and it had given Gwen a chill. She felt her father’s presence, hovering over them strongly. She did not know whether her father would want his son to live or to die—their relationship had always been so fraught with tension.
Gwen had also slept in the cottage because she did not know where else to go. She felt unsafe returning to the castle, to be under the same roof with her brother, and she felt safe here, in Illepra’s care, with Akorth and Fulton standing guard outside the door. She felt nobody knew where she was, and she wanted it that way. Besides, she had grown fond of Godfrey these last few days, had discovered the brother she had never known, and it pained her to think of his dying.
Gwen scrambled to her feet, hurrying over to Godfrey’s side, her heart pounding, wondering if he was still alive. A part of her sensed that if he woke in the morning, he would make it, and if he did not, it would be over. Illepra roused and hurried over, too. She must have fallen asleep at some point in the night; Gwen could hardly blame her.
The two of them knelt there, by Godfrey’s side, as the small cottage filled with light. Gwen placed a hand on his wrist and shook him, as Illepra reached up and placed a hand on his forehead. She closed her eyes and breathed—and suddenly, Godfrey’s eyes opened wide. Illepra pulled her hand back in surprise.
Gwen was surprised, too. She did not expect to see Godfrey open his eyes. He turned and looked right at her.
“Godfrey?” she asked.
He squinted, closed his eyes, and opened them again; then, to her amazement, he propped himself up on one elbow and looked at them.
“What time is it?” he asked. “Where am I?”
His voice sounded alert, healthy, and Gwen had never felt so relieved. She broke into a huge smile, along with Illepra.
Gwen lunged forward and embraced him, giving him a big hug, then pulled back.
“You’re alive!” she exclaimed.
“Of course I am,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I be? Who is this?” he asked, turning towards Illepra.
“The woman who saved your life,” Gwen answered.
“Saved my life?”
Illepra looked down to the floor.
“I only helped a small bit,” she said, humbly.
“What happened to me?” he asked Gwen, frantic. “The last I remember, I was drinking in the tavern and then…”
“You were poisoned,” Illepra said. “A very rare and strong poison. I’ve not encountered it in years.
Erec walked through the room and began to sever the ropes connecting all the women, cutting the thick twine, freeing them one at a time. Several jumped up and ran for the door. Soon the entire room was loose, and they all trampled for the door. Some were too drugged to move, and others helped them.
“Whoever you are,” one woman said to Erec, stopping at the door, “bless you. And wherever it is you are going, may the lord help you.”
Erec appreciate the gratitude and the blessing; and he had a sinking feeling that, where he was going, he was going to need it.
CHAPTER TEN
Dawn broke, spilling through the small windows of Illepra’s cottage, falling over Gwendolyn’s closed eyes, and slowly waking her. The first sun, a muted orange, caressed her, waking her in the near silence of dawn. She blinked several times, at first disoriented, wondering where she was. And then she realized:
Godfrey.
Gwen had fallen asleep on the floor of the cottage, lying on a bed of straw near his bedside. Illepra slept right beside Godfrey, and it had been a long night for the three of them. Godfrey moaned throughout the night, tossing and turning, and Illepra had tended to him incessantly. Gwen had been there to help any way she could, bringing wet cloths, ringing them out, placing them on Godfrey’s forehead, and handing Illepra the herbs and salves she’d continually asked for. The night had seemed endless; many times Godfrey had screamed out, and she’d been sure he was dying. More than once he had called out for their father, and it had given Gwen a chill. She felt her father’s presence, hovering over them strongly. She did not know whether her father would want his son to live or to die—their relationship had always been so fraught with tension.
Gwen had also slept in the cottage because she did not know where else to go. She felt unsafe returning to the castle, to be under the same roof with her brother, and she felt safe here, in Illepra’s care, with Akorth and Fulton standing guard outside the door. She felt nobody knew where she was, and she wanted it that way. Besides, she had grown fond of Godfrey these last few days, had discovered the brother she had never known, and it pained her to think of his dying.
Gwen scrambled to her feet, hurrying over to Godfrey’s side, her heart pounding, wondering if he was still alive. A part of her sensed that if he woke in the morning, he would make it, and if he did not, it would be over. Illepra roused and hurried over, too. She must have fallen asleep at some point in the night; Gwen could hardly blame her.
The two of them knelt there, by Godfrey’s side, as the small cottage filled with light. Gwen placed a hand on his wrist and shook him, as Illepra reached up and placed a hand on his forehead. She closed her eyes and breathed—and suddenly, Godfrey’s eyes opened wide. Illepra pulled her hand back in surprise.
Gwen was surprised, too. She did not expect to see Godfrey open his eyes. He turned and looked right at her.
“Godfrey?” she asked.
He squinted, closed his eyes, and opened them again; then, to her amazement, he propped himself up on one elbow and looked at them.
“What time is it?” he asked. “Where am I?”
His voice sounded alert, healthy, and Gwen had never felt so relieved. She broke into a huge smile, along with Illepra.
Gwen lunged forward and embraced him, giving him a big hug, then pulled back.
“You’re alive!” she exclaimed.
“Of course I am,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I be? Who is this?” he asked, turning towards Illepra.
“The woman who saved your life,” Gwen answered.
“Saved my life?”
Illepra looked down to the floor.
“I only helped a small bit,” she said, humbly.
“What happened to me?” he asked Gwen, frantic. “The last I remember, I was drinking in the tavern and then…”
“You were poisoned,” Illepra said. “A very rare and strong poison. I’ve not encountered it in years.
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