Page 30 of The Robber Knight
The only problem withthat, he thought, as the smell of the foul ointmentinvaded his nostrils and made him want to puke,is that there seems to be significantly more rough thansmooth.
“Roll over,” she commanded.
“Why?” Reuben asked, suspiciously.
“Because three guards are waiting just downthe hall, ready to roll you over if you don't do it yourself.”
Reuben nodded to himself. That seemed like agood enough reason. He had to respect someone who knew how to usetheir threats. Slowly, he turned so that he was facing her. She hada very odd expression on her face, one he couldn't place rightaway. There was a little crease between her eyebrows, and her lipswere puckered. Was she angry at him? Well, he thought wryly, shehad reason enough.
As soon as she noticed his look, theexpression vanished, to be replaced by one supposedly far morefearsome. It almost made him laugh, because now he knew what herexpression before had meant. It had only taken him so long torecognize because he hadn't seen that expression on another humanface in a very long time. Silly girl! But it couldn't be, could it?Could she really be concerned for him?
“Now,” she said, holding up a warning finger,“don't move,” and she began to smear the disgusting ointment allover his chest.
“God'sbreath!”[30]He flinched back, away fromher and the mixture on her hand. “What do you think you'redoing?”
“Helping you. And I forbade you tocurse!”
“That wasn't a curse either! You said thatstuff came from a nunnery, didn't you? Well, something must havemade it smell as bad as it does.”
“That's blasphemy.”
“Probably. Get used to it.”
When Reuben retreated further up the wall,Ayla clenched her teeth and said, in a controlled voice:
“Come back here.”
“No! Not if you come near my front with thatstuff again. What's in that mixture of yours, anyway?”
“Nothing really bad. Just some rose oil.”
“Rose oil? I know how roses smell. Definitelynot like that.”
“And some eggs, beeswax, cow fat, pus, andold wine.”
“Pus? What kind of pus?”
“I don't know. You'll have to ask the stablemaster who provided it. Now come here!”
“No!”
The girl glared at him. “I will apply thisointment one way or another.”
“Not right under my nose, you won't.”
“You were the one who suggested I push thearrows out the front instead of pulling. It's your own fault you'vegot wounds on the chest as well as on the back.”
Reuben snorted. “Oh, excuse me for notwanting my insides ripped open by barbs.”
“You are excused. Now come here already!”
Reuben remained where he was, silent.
In reply, she simply put her finger in thepot and scooped out a bit of the foul mixture. She looked at himwith those big blue eyes of hers, seeming to ask:I want to help you, and you don't let me? Just because of alittle smell?
Oh damnation!Before he knew what he was doing, he moved forward, took a deepbreath, and held it. “Do it!” he said.
She began to apply the sticky paste. Her softfingers slid over his chest around the area where the arrows hadpierced the skin, just below his right nipple. Despite thestickiness of the ointment, it felt good for some reason. Reubenfound himself relaxing.
