Page 76 of The Robber Knight's Love
It was interesting, he observed, how,although he was supposed to be the one with the fever, it was herface that now turned red with heat. That just went to show that youcould never trust this medical stuff.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” shemumbled, avoiding his gaze.
“Oh yes, you do.”
“I... that... that was totally innocent. Itwas nothing.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary?”
“Exactly.”
“So you go around doing it witheverybody?”
“No! I... oh just turn over! I need to changeyour bandages and cataplasms.”
“As you wish, Milady.” Reuben turned around,grinning. He didn't exactly know whether he was delirious or not,but he was having fun, so why the hell should he care? “Enjoy theview,” he added, and felt her fingers twitch back, just as theywere about to roll up his trouser legs.
Oh yes, he was most definitely havingfun.
Sometime during the procedure, the hot woolfilling his skull seemed to grow out of his ears and cover hishead, slowly casting the world into darkness. Before, he hadn'tbeen able to think clearly. Now he had lost the ability to think atall. Just a few words stuck in his mind before he slipped off intounconsciousness.
Commander of enemy army...
Threatened to kill...
To kill...
Kill...
Ayla...
*~*~**~*~*
Ayla stood on the battlements of LuntbergCastle looking out over the valley, when behind her she heard theclinking of chain mail.
Turning halfway around, she saw Isenbardapproaching, his helmet held under his left arm.
“Studying the enemy?” he asked.
“Yes,” Ayla told him. What she didn't tellhim was the secondary reason for coming up here—namely letting thewind cool her face which had been very hot indeed from spendingtime with Reuben. And not because the man had a fever. It should beillegal for a man of low birth to be exuding such deviousattraction while he was just lying on his back, unconscious, notdoing anything!
“Ayla?”
“W-what?” Ayla looked at Isenbard again. “Didyou say something?”
Isenbard had a serious frown on his forehead.“I just asked you what you were staring at. Twice in fact. You havebeen staring down into the valley for the last five minutes withoutsaying a word.”
“Have I? Well, I was thinking, I guess.”
“About the enemy?”
Exactly the opposite had been the case, butAyla grasped the excuse gladly. “Yes, about the enemy,” she said,and tried not to sound too relieved.
You need to concentrateon what is really important, she admonished herself.You have a responsibility to yourself and toyour people. So she let her eyes wander once more outtowards the enemy camp on the other side of the river.
The river.
It had always seemed so broad and swift toher. Growing up, she had wished it might be smaller and the currentless strong, so she could swim in it. Now she wished it might bethree times as wide and fast-flowing.
