Bertie is not scared
“Don’t be scared about your Ma, Bertie,” Iylaine whispered earnestly.
“I’m not scared!” Bertie protested. “Wynnie is scared because she’s a girl.”
Latest Chapters
Githa comes early
Theobald smiled tenderly at his wife, who had come waddling into the twilit barn.
“Am I making supper late?” he asked. “I thought I had time.”
Alred rises
Egelric stood straighter than he had in many weeks. Baby had come bouncing out of bed that morning and demanded an egg as if she had never been ill. Better still, shortly afterwards Matilda herself had come galloping up to his door on her tall Ruby, and when he had gone out to find the source of the commotion, she had cried, “He woke this night! He speaks! I’m off to tell Sigefrith!” And, laughing with joy, she had raced up the hill towards the downs.
Now Egelric stood at his lord’s bedside, and though Alred slept, Egelric’s heart was easy, because it was plain to look at him that the fever had passed, and he slept peacefully.
Egelric watches
Egelric spent many hours at Alred’s side over the following week, sitting or pacing. Alred never woke, but his face glowed red with fever like an ember on the pillow.
No one could explain where he found the fuel to feed that fire. The wise woman shook her head and burned sage and told Egelric that Alred was wrestling with the De’il himself, and it was that kept him so hot. Egelric asked her what business the Devil had with Alred, and she only shook her head and shrugged.
Egelric goes for news
Sigefrith came down to meet Egelric in the hall at Nothelm. Egelric could see that Sigefrith hadn’t slept either, but he supposed that the King’s night with Alred and Matilda had been worse than his own, sitting quietly next to the fire with Baby.
“I thank Your Majesty for seeing me,” Egelric began.
Gunnilda comes with news
It was Gunnilda that brought the news in the morning, and not a servant.
“He still lives, Egelric. I was up to feed baby Gwynn and—you watched all the night, did you?” she asked when she saw his face more clearly.
Iylaine sits before the fire
“Baby, why don’t you go to bed?” Egelric asked for the third or fourth time.
They sat on the floor of their house, Egelric with his book, leaning against a chair, and Iylaine cross-legged before the fire in her nightgown.
Egelric goes to say goodbye
Matilda looked stronger than he had seen her in many months. Sadder and stronger. He saw that she had admitted it too.
“I’m so happy you could come, Egelric,” she said in her low voice. “He’s been asking to see you.”
Alwy comes for Egelric
“Come in, Alwy—what is it?” Alwy looked upset.
“Gunnie just come back from the keep,” Alwy whimpered. “She said they’re asking for you to come, Egelric. You and Baby too. They said His Grace wants to see you, and she said—said—”
Githa tells the latest news
“There you are, Githa!” Theobald cried as he came into the kitchen in the winter twilight. “I had thought the house was empty. Where are the children?”
“I left them at the castle. It was snowing so hard I didn’t want to take them out into it.”
Chapter Archives
Subscribe
Chapters“Which Sigefrith?”
“The old, ugly one.”
“You’re not ugly!”
“But I am old, is that it?”
Latest Comment