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Iylaine meets a stranger in the woods

Bertie has some regrets

Iylaine begins to worry

Iylaine discovers the art of blackmail

Iylaine is unwanted

Githa reads a baby's character

Sigefrith awakes

Matilda and Egelric would rather hear from Alred

Matilda sees Egelric laugh

Maud makes a request

Latest Chapters

Iylaine meets a stranger in the woods

Bertie has some regrets

Iylaine begins to worry

Iylaine discovers the art of blackmail

Iylaine is unwanted

Githa reads a baby's character

Sigefrith awakes

Matilda and Egelric would rather hear from Alred

Matilda sees Egelric laugh

Maud makes a request

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Iylaine slid off her weary pony and tried to stand on her own shaky legs.

Iylaine slid off her weary pony and tried to stand on her own shaky legs. She didn’t know how she was going to mount him again unaided, but she simply couldn’t go on any more. What did it matter? She was lost, she was hungry, she was cold, and she was tired. There was nothing left to do but cry—but she would not cry. No. She still had more pride than that.

She wondered what they were having for supper at the castle. No doubt they were eating by now. It was now quite dark.

Bertie tried to hurry with his Latin.

Bertie tried to hurry with his Latin. It would soon be time for supper, and he would have to go down to help get it ready. One of his duties as a page was serving his lord and lady at dinner. He didn’t mind serving the Duke or the Duchess—especially because the Duke always made jokes with him, for he had been a page once, too! But it was tedious to have to serve Dunstan—and especially that bratty little Yware.

He hadn’t had time to finish his Latin this afternoon because Malcolm and Caedwulf had been here. Dunstan had already finished his lesson two days ago—that was Dunstan! Bertie always saved his until the last minute. But he wanted to finish before supper, because he had been granted permission to go visit his family afterwards. Latin or no Latin, he would go, but he hated it when little Dunstan made him look bad before Father Brandt.

Iylaine's head bobbed up and down as her pony plodded on.

Iylaine’s head bobbed up and down as her pony plodded on. She was too tired now to sit up straight, too tired to hold her head high.

She thought she had been making good time at first. Her pony had been full of spirit, and she had chosen to cut across the foothills rather than follow the newly worn wagon-path that ran from the King’s road up along the riverbank to the eastern end of the valley, and on up to the new castle. Her Da had said that it added hours to the trip, but the oxen and their wagons needed a flat road. With her little pony, she knew she could go straight through the foothills as her Da did.

Iylaine ran for the stables.

Iylaine ran for the stables. She had made up her mind. It had taken a good, long cry, curled up in a shadowy alcove in the great hall, but she knew now what she would do.

There was one person in the valley who loved elves. There was one person in the valley who loved her. She would go to him. That was all.

Iylaine shuffled down the corridor at Nothelm castle.

Iylaine shuffled down the corridor at Nothelm Keep. She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t know what she was going to do.

The Duke was busy in his study with the King, and didn’t want to see her. The Duchess was busy in the hall talking to Father Brandt, and didn’t want to see her. Little Gwynn wasn’t busy, but she was annoying. It was fun to be worshipped, for a while, but Iylaine had had enough of that for today.

Githa sighed wearily as she came out of the bedroom.

“Well, Alwy,” Githa sighed wearily as she came out of the bedroom, “the sun’s awake and that poor girl’s finally asleep. She wouldn’t eat a thing, though.”

“Is that all right?” Alwy asked anxiously. “I guess she usually does like to have a little bite after.”

Alred laughed when he came into his study.

“What’s this? What’s this?” Alred laughed when he came into his study. “Is my King waiting for me?”

“That I am,” Sigefrith said, looking up from the book he was reading at Alred’s table.

Alred was glad to find Egelric with his wife.

Alred was glad to find Egelric with his wife. She hadn’t spent the last hours alone. Instead, it seemed she had spent them with her head on Egelric’s shoulder. But he was too heartsick to make a joke when Egelric looked up at him.

“I hate to wake her,” Alred whispered.

Matilda heard the servants beginning to work in the kitchen next to the great hall.

Matilda heard the servants beginning to work in the kitchen next to the great hall. It meant it was nearly dawn.

And she had heard nothing from Alred.

Sigefrith sat before the fire in his wife's bedroom.

Sigefrith sat before the fire in his wife’s bedroom, with one foot on the rocker of the cradle as he soothed Emma to sleep. Maud sat beside him with her tinkling prayer beads and her whispered prayers, soothing him nearly to sleep himself. If he closed his eyes, he could almost believe himself happy.

But mostly he was exhausted. He had scarcely slept for the past six days, and when he had, it had been with the baby close by. Even asleep he could not stop listening to the sound of her breathing, and to that horrifying barking cough. Nor would Maud let him rest, but would wake him anxiously every so often to ask him whether Emma’s coughing had not worsened, and finally to beg him to take her outside again. An hour outside in the cool, damp air was the only thing that seemed to help her breathe more easily, as paradoxical as it seemed.

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