understand his curse and the magnitude of her compassion.
“I am the most blessed man in the kingdom,” he said softly to her. A blackened tear trickled down his cheek.
Eunice went to him and put her head on his shoulder. Carliss then understood that these brief moments of loving gratitude were compensation for Eunice’s seemingly unending patience and adoration and that she cherished those moments greatly.
“Um, I hate to interrupt”—Salinas voice held a taut note of impatience—“but we need to leave as soon as possible.”
Her words brought the reality of Dalton’s danger and the captivity of Salina’s family pressing back upon them, and they were shortly in thethroes of hasty preparation. Ganoaf seemed to understand the sense of urgency and followed Carliss about wherever she went. “Ganoaf help,” he would say from time to time.
Carliss took a moment to sit down beside Dalton. She felt his forehead. The fever seemed to have left him completely. She studied his face, then closed her eyes, pressing the imprint of his image into her memory while trying to quell the ache in her heart. It seemed so cruel to be caught in this web of yearning and desperation. At its very best, she imagined saving Dalton’s life to see him riding into the sunset with Lady Brynn. She opened her eyes, sat tall, and took a deep breath.
“You are a fellow Knight of the Prince and the friend of my brother. This is why I go,” she said, steeling herself for the mission. When she stood, she stood strong, having recaptured the heart of the woman the Prince had called her to be… a warrior of the King.
When all was ready, Salina mounted her horse, and Carliss waited to say farewell to Eunice and Petolemew, who had just exited the hut, each carrying a bundle. Petolemew’s face was mostly clean by now, though smudges of black soot remained about his eyes and nose. Carliss thought he looked a bit like a raccoon.
“Eunice,” he said with excitement, “we have visitors!”
“Yes, dear,” Eunice said. “But they are only passing through.”
“What a shame.” Petolemew shook his head. “It seems we never have visitors stay with us a spell anymore.”
Eunice gave him a patient smile, then handed Carliss a battered knapsack. “I’ve packed some food for you—nothing fancy, but it should keep you awhile. Will you be stopping in Brimwick Downs? It’s not too far off the way, isn’t it?”
Carliss glanced over at Salina, remembering their conversation on the subject. She had proposed stopping for reinforcements from Sir Norsington at the Brimwick Downs haven, but Salina had insisted they would save time by keeping farther to the west and hugging the foothills of the Northern Mountains. Though still concerned about her family, Salina seemed willing to postpone a rescue in the interests of saving Dalton, and Carliss was deeply grateful for her unselfishness. They hadagreed to locate Salina’s family in Moorue and then come back with reinforcements once they got the antidote to Dalton.
“We will stop in Brimwick Downs on our way back,” Carliss said to Eunice as she secured the knapsack of food behind her saddle. Then she turned back and put her arms around the older woman.
“Thank you!” she whispered, then released her embrace. “We are in your debt.”
Eunice put a gentle hand to Carliss’s cheek. “Don’t you worry, child. We will take care of your young man. You take care of yourself.”
“Yes, madam.”
Eunice stepped aside. “Petolemew has something he would like to give you as well.”
Petolemew stepped forward. “Here you go, dear.” he said and handed a bundle to Carliss with a big grin.
“What is it?” she asked.
Petolemew thought for a moment and then smiled even bigger. “I have no idea!”
“It is some of the exploding mixture you saw earlier,” Eunice said. “I asked him to mix up a batch for you. It seems like it might come in useful where you are going.”
Carliss couldn’t
“I am the most blessed man in the kingdom,” he said softly to her. A blackened tear trickled down his cheek.
Eunice went to him and put her head on his shoulder. Carliss then understood that these brief moments of loving gratitude were compensation for Eunice’s seemingly unending patience and adoration and that she cherished those moments greatly.
“Um, I hate to interrupt”—Salinas voice held a taut note of impatience—“but we need to leave as soon as possible.”
Her words brought the reality of Dalton’s danger and the captivity of Salina’s family pressing back upon them, and they were shortly in thethroes of hasty preparation. Ganoaf seemed to understand the sense of urgency and followed Carliss about wherever she went. “Ganoaf help,” he would say from time to time.
Carliss took a moment to sit down beside Dalton. She felt his forehead. The fever seemed to have left him completely. She studied his face, then closed her eyes, pressing the imprint of his image into her memory while trying to quell the ache in her heart. It seemed so cruel to be caught in this web of yearning and desperation. At its very best, she imagined saving Dalton’s life to see him riding into the sunset with Lady Brynn. She opened her eyes, sat tall, and took a deep breath.
“You are a fellow Knight of the Prince and the friend of my brother. This is why I go,” she said, steeling herself for the mission. When she stood, she stood strong, having recaptured the heart of the woman the Prince had called her to be… a warrior of the King.
When all was ready, Salina mounted her horse, and Carliss waited to say farewell to Eunice and Petolemew, who had just exited the hut, each carrying a bundle. Petolemew’s face was mostly clean by now, though smudges of black soot remained about his eyes and nose. Carliss thought he looked a bit like a raccoon.
“Eunice,” he said with excitement, “we have visitors!”
“Yes, dear,” Eunice said. “But they are only passing through.”
“What a shame.” Petolemew shook his head. “It seems we never have visitors stay with us a spell anymore.”
Eunice gave him a patient smile, then handed Carliss a battered knapsack. “I’ve packed some food for you—nothing fancy, but it should keep you awhile. Will you be stopping in Brimwick Downs? It’s not too far off the way, isn’t it?”
Carliss glanced over at Salina, remembering their conversation on the subject. She had proposed stopping for reinforcements from Sir Norsington at the Brimwick Downs haven, but Salina had insisted they would save time by keeping farther to the west and hugging the foothills of the Northern Mountains. Though still concerned about her family, Salina seemed willing to postpone a rescue in the interests of saving Dalton, and Carliss was deeply grateful for her unselfishness. They hadagreed to locate Salina’s family in Moorue and then come back with reinforcements once they got the antidote to Dalton.
“We will stop in Brimwick Downs on our way back,” Carliss said to Eunice as she secured the knapsack of food behind her saddle. Then she turned back and put her arms around the older woman.
“Thank you!” she whispered, then released her embrace. “We are in your debt.”
Eunice put a gentle hand to Carliss’s cheek. “Don’t you worry, child. We will take care of your young man. You take care of yourself.”
“Yes, madam.”
Eunice stepped aside. “Petolemew has something he would like to give you as well.”
Petolemew stepped forward. “Here you go, dear.” he said and handed a bundle to Carliss with a big grin.
“What is it?” she asked.
Petolemew thought for a moment and then smiled even bigger. “I have no idea!”
“It is some of the exploding mixture you saw earlier,” Eunice said. “I asked him to mix up a batch for you. It seems like it might come in useful where you are going.”
Carliss couldn’t
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