Page 85 of The Robber Knight's Love
Now, however, the rest of his body hadcertainly caught up with his head.
“Don't die on me, do you hear me?” shewhispered, tears streaming down her face. “You stubborn, oldstone-face, don't you die on me!”
“But Milady,” Dilli dared to whisper, “he'sjust got a bruise. He's not even wounded. Why do you think he woulddie?”
Ayla simply shook her head in despair. Shedidn't feel like explaining right now. But she knew. She knew alltoo well that from such a blow as Isenbard had received, a mancould slip into a deep sleep from which he would never wake again.There would be no blood, no screams—only an endless, terriblesilence, and then death.
Isenbard was in a dark hell of his own mindnow, and only the Lord's grace could release him from thatprison.
“Milady?”
Abruptly, Ayla looked up from the stretcheron which Isenbard was lying. She hadn't realized how far they hadcome. Their little party—she, Dilli, and two villagers who werecarrying the stretcher—had reached the outer castle gates, and theguard was looking at her in concern.
“Milady? Shall I open the gates?”
“Of course! Can't you see who this is? Weneed to get into the keep, now!”
The guard's eyes strayed to the face of theman on the stretcher and he blanched. “God have mercy on us,” hemuttered and quickly unlocked the side gate. “Through here, Milady,that's quicker.”
Ayla nodded thankfully at the man and steppedfirst through the side gate.
It seemed to take them forever to reach thesecond gate. On their way up, people crowded around them andblocked their way, badgering Ayla with questions. Women werewailing at the sight of Sir Isenbard on the stretcher, and the menlooked grimmer than Ayla had ever seen them.
He was theirhope, she realized with dismay.Andnow he's fading away. She guessed she had known it allalong, but it was hard to accept nevertheless. Without her onlyreal knight, she was lost.
Don't giveup, she chastised herself.He won agreat victory today. He might wake up at any moment. Don't makeyour life more sinister than it is.
It was sinister enough already.
Ayla tried to be patient with the people whosurrounded her, tried to assuage their fears and give themconfidence. Inside though, she was screaming for them to get out ofthe way.
Finally, she reached the second gate.
“Don't let anybody into the keep who has nobusiness there,” she ordered the guard. “I'll be busy enough thenext few hours.”
He bowed respectfully. “As you wish,Milady.”
At the door to the keep, she met Burchard.His dark frown would have robbed her of her last bit of confidenceif she hadn't known that he always looked like this.
“How is he?” the steward asked withoutbothering with social niceties.
“Not good,” she answered, and he nodded.
“Where shall we bring him, Milady?” one ofthe villagers asked. “From what the others said, every free room inthe keep is already filled with two or three wounded men.”
Ayla thought for a moment, then gestured forthem to follow. “Come with me.” She led them up the stairs and to adoor she knew very well by now. The door to the only room thatdidn't have more than one invalid in it at the moment. Raising herhand, she knocked.
*~*~**~*~*
Reuben's eyes flew to the door when he heardthe gentle knock on the oak wood. The footsteps outside had soundedlike those of heavy men, but the knock... Could he dare to hopethat she was alive and well?
“It's all right,” he heard a familiar, sweetvoice from outside. “He's probably asleep. Come in, but be quiet.He needs his sleep.”
Reuben closed his eyes in an ecstasy ofrelief. She was alive and well! And more importantly, she was stillable to give orders to others. That could only mean that she was noprisoner of another, but still mistress of her own castle. The daywas won!
And he hadn't been fighting.
Well, there would always be anotherday...
