Page 77 of Raven's Rise
Rafe took one and almost pressed it to Angelet’s chest when he realized it was her altar cloth. “Jesu,” he muttered, snatching it back. He gave it to Goswin. “Keep that one clean!”
He took the other wad, which turned out to be his only spare shirt. He ripped one sleeve off, then hesitated. He needed to take the bolt out and then block the wound with the cloth. That would hurt her.
“Angelet,” he said. “I’m going to do something now. It will hurt, but it’s necessary.”
“I trust you,” she breathed.
Rafe told Goswin, “Tear the rest of that shirt into strips. Use your dagger. And don’t look if you’ll get sick!”
Goswin nodded, his eyes wide.
Rafe laid one hand on Angelet’s chest, the protruding bolt between his thumb and forefinger. He took hold of the bolt with his other hand, and prayed. Then he yanked the bolt out.
Angelet’s choked off gasp of pain was the worst sound he’d ever heard.
“It’s done, love,” he said, pressing the dry cloth to her chest. “I’m so sorry. But the worst is done.”
“It’s not,” she murmured, her eyes suddenly dark, the pupils widening.
“Listen, you’ll recover. I promise,” he added recklessly.
“Rafe, no,” she said. “It’s not the wound.”
“What is it?”
“I feel so strange. I think I’m about to…” she trailed off.
“Angelet? Angelet. Stay awake.” Rafe said urgently. But she couldn’t answer. Her face took on a slack appearance. Her eyes remained open, but he doubted she could see anything. It was very similar to how she looked when he first found her in the church at Dryton. Angelet told him that the seizures rarely occurred close together, but the violence of her injury must have triggered one.
She stiffened in his arms, her body falling prey to the seizure in her mind. Rafe never felt more helpless, watching Angelet be attacked by something he couldn’t even see.
“Angelet! Say something if you can. Anything. Please!”
She said nothing, and her body twisted further.
Rafe took the new shreds of cloth Goswin gave him, and began to bind the cloth to her body by wrapping the longest strips about her.
“What’s wrong with her?” Goswin asked urgently.
“She took a crossbow bolt in her chest, for God’s sake!”
“That doesn’t explain why she’s staring at nothing and can’t talk. Whatelseis wrong with her?”
“Goswin, shut up.”
“What if they smeared poison on the tip of the bolt? That happens.”
Oh, Lord. Rafe didn’t need something else to worry about. “Goswin,shut up.”
Goswin did for a moment, but then said, “The lady needs help. We must find a physician, or a wise woman, at least.”
“We can’t stop anywhere. You saw someone get away, and we have to assume they’ll be back with more friends. All they need is for us to stop moving. They’ll attack as soon as they catch up.”
“You can defeat them!”
“I don’t know how many there are,” Rafe explained wearily. “One man against many rarely ends well for the one man.”
“But she told me you’re the finest fighter in Britain!”
