Page 64 of The Robber Knight's Love
“Oh, that's a shame.”
“Idon'tthink so.”
“Why won't you get me some honey wine? Iheard from a healer once that a bit of alcohol now and then is veryhealthy.”
“It is,” Ayla said, raising an eyebrow. “Forthe digestion. So I'll get you your honey wine when you've got theruns. At the moment, water is better. A lot of water—and fennelsoup.”
He scowled and she scowled back. How couldanybody be so obstinate? More to the point, how could anyone be soobstinate and so endearing at the same time?
“I'm not going to lie about what I'velearned,” she told him. “Those are the things that will make youbetter, and you're going to have to stomach them, whether you likeit or not!”
Slowly, his scowl disappeared. What remainedwas an inscrutable expression that lent a mysterious touch to hisruggedly handsome features. She felt a sudden impulse to reach outand touch his face—without an excuse, this time.
“How am I?” he asked. “How am I, really? Thetruth. All of it.”
Hurriedly, Ayla shook off the strange feelingand replied in a voice that was softer than she intended it to be,“I'm not entirely sure. Last night... I think it was close. Youcould have... could have...” She couldn't bring herself tocontinue.
His face softened and he nodded. “Iunderstand,” he said. “Go on.”
Grateful, she continued: “It isn't over. Thewounds are still infected, the fever is still there. I mustregularly change your cold cataplasms.”
“My cold what?” Reuben looked confused, as ifhe hadn't known he had such a strange body part.
Ayla simply had to laugh at his facialexpression. “Cold wraps around your legs. Don't you feel them?”
“Now that you mention it, something has beenitching down there.”
Ayla tried hard not to let the thought of“down there” distract her. “Um, yes, well. Those are called coldcataplasms, or cold wraps. But I think I already mentioned that,didn't I?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Um, very well. I'll have to change thoseregularly. They help to keep the fever down, and that's the mostimportant thing at the moment. There's various other things I cando to help.” Ayla's voice became steadier again as she returned tofamiliar ground. “I won't lie to you, Reuben, it still looks grim.But I swear to you, I will do the best I can.”
He nodded. “I know you will.”
Ayla smiled. His trust in her warmed herheart like nothing else had ever done before. “Thanks, Reuben.”
“I've got just one question.”
“Yes?”
“In my current condition...”
“Yes?”
“Can I leave?”
“No!”
*~*~**~*~*
“No!”
Was it only his own imagination that turnedthe word into an anguished outcry?
Ayla leaned towards him, her face fierce.“You wouldn't get a hundred feet,” she said, urgently. “Reuben, youcouldn't even get up on a horse. And even if you could, even if youcould get away, the effort would kill you.”
He knew it was true. He could feel thesickness eating away at him. He needed to stay here. He neededher.
