Page 24 of The Robber Knight's Love
“We'll see.”
He could almost hear the anticipation in hervoice and had to hold his hand over his mouth to stop himself fromchuckling. Nothing remained of the anger he had felt a minute ago.This was going to be amusing.
She gripped the first arrow, a lot moreforcefully than the first time.
“Break off the end, first,” he suggestedmerrily. “So that it doesn't get stuck in there. I'd hate to walkaround with goose feathers in my torso for the rest of mylife.”
Without comment, she placed her other hand onthe shaft and tried to break it. The tough wood bent, but only alittle.
“Too much for you?” he asked with asmile.
“No,” she grunted.
“You could get help.”
“No!”
Sighing, Reuben resigned himself to his fate.The girl was stubborn. It was going to take her a few minutes tofigure out that she couldn't do it by herself. He only hoped shewould hurry up with overcoming her pride. The wounds needed to bedressed; he couldn't afford any delay.
Snap!
Snap!
Snap!
Three times he heard the noise, in quicksuccession. It took Reuben a few moments to realize what had causedit.
“Here!”
The broken arrow-ends with fletching landedbeside him on the bed. My, my. The girl actually had some muscle inher skinny arms. He ought not to be so surprised, perhaps. She wasa good rider, and good riders had to have muscle. She had riddenthat horse of hers like a queen—before he had stolen it, thatis.
“Turn on your side. I'm going to push thearrows out now,” she said, as a gleeful warning.
“Go ahead,” he replied. He did as she hadasked, and the smile crept back on his face. The fun was about tobegin.
She gripped the first arrow and pushed. Thetip sliced neatly through flesh for a few inches, then itslowed.
“What's the matter?” he asked in a polite,conversational tone.
“You're hard,” she panted. “This isn'teasy.”
“You have my sympathies. After all, you'rethe one pushing a wooden stick, and I'm the one with three arrowsin my back. Your lot is by far worse than mine.”
“Does it hurt yet?” she asked hopefully,between clenched teeth.
“It's manageable,” he smirked. “Don't stop onmy account.”
“Don't worry. I won't.”
The girl—somehow he couldn't bring himself tothink of her as the lady, she just seemed so young to him—increasedthe pressure and the arrow continued on its slow way throughReuben's flesh.
“Did you have me brought to this particularroom?” Reuben asked.
“Yes,” she grunted.
“Then I must thank you, Lady Ayla. It is abeautiful room, with an even more beautiful view.”
“Think... nothing... of it.”
