"Forgivethem on the morrow. You have shown a true skill at healing and the word hasbeen carried throughout the army. There will be many a time when you can showthem the depth of your mercy."
Hesmiled when she stayed awake long enough to laugh, and then he sighed. A largeweight had been lifted from his shoulders when she had finally agreed to bemore cautious. Drogo knew she had not really heeded his warnings and pleasbefore. He was going to make sure that one man capable of defending her with asword was always close at hand, however, for he suspected that while she mightnow hesitate before running to answer cries for help, she would not hesitate forlong.
Afterone last check that she was warm and completely covered by the blanket, heslipped quietly out of the tent. The first sight that caught his eye as hestretched in front of his tent was the three children she had brought into hiscamp. They sat huddled together as May served them each some stew. He felt atrue sympathy for the orphans, but he also wished they were not in his camp.
"Moremouths to keep filled," drawled Serle as he stepped up next to Drogo.
"Iwas just thinking on that." He shook his head. "God alone knows howmany more there might be before we reach London."
"Mayhapwe can find a monastery or nunnery where we can leave them."
"Themonastery will not take the girl-child, and the nunnery will not take the boys.I may wish they were not added to my number, but I cannot separate them."
Serlewatched May gently wipe the smallest boy's chin with a corner of her skirt."And soon you will not be able to tear them from that woman's arms."
"Maydoes have a soft heart concerning children. So does Ivo. When I gain my lands,I think I shall have to make sure that they have a very large house." Hesmiled when Serle laughed then bent to pat Eada's hounds before they slippedinto his tent.
"Andhow fares Eada?"
"Shewill be fine. Her wounds were small."
"Butthe hatred Sir Guy now holds for her is large."
Drogogrimaced and scratched his head. "Maybe even greater than the hate heholds for me." He told Serle everything Eada had told him about her fightwith Sir Guy. "She humiliated him before his companions. She may have evencost him one or two of the very few followers he has."
"AndI am sure that his uncle observed most of his humiliation as well, and I knowLord Bergeron well enough to promise you that he will never let Sir Guy forgetit. He may save the fool for the sake of his sister, but he makes no pretenseof liking his nephew and the man can have a biting tongue."
"Sonow I must watchherback as well as my own."
"Andyou had better get her to be more careful. If she keeps running headlong intotrouble, someone might begin to wonder how she knows where that trouble is. Shecan only perform so many sudden rescues before people will begin to ask how sheknows who is in danger."
"Iknow. And I shudder to think what trouble Sir Guy could stir if he discoveredthat she hears voices."
"Isthat what she does?" Serle asked in honest curiosity.
"Thatis what she calls it—her voice or voices. The cries she hears are in her headas is the truth she can sometimes say without warning."
"Ah,I had thought that she had dreams."
"Iknow of only one—the warning she gave me about Sir Guy." He started towardthe fire where the others had gathered. "I think we had best get somethingto eat before May pours it all down the throats of those children."
"Howare the children?" Eada asked the moment Drogo entered the tent.
Shefelt that she had been lying awake and alone for hours even though May had cometo see her briefly and Godwin had slipped away from Sir Guy long enough toassure himself that she was all right. Once she had gotten up to relieveherself, and it had proven to be a painful chore, every inch of her bodyprotesting the movement. Although she had cursed her weakness, she had quicklyeased her aching body back down onto the soft sheepskin.
"Thechildren are fine," Drogo replied as he sat down beside her and offeredher a goatskin filled with wine, frowning when she groaned as she proppedherself up to have a drink. "You are in pain?"
"Yes.Being thrown to the ground and having a fullgrown, armored knight fall on youclearly causes one's body to suffer." She rubbed her throat; swallowingthe wine painfully reminded her that Sir Guy had also tried to strangle her."I had better feel less of this pain on the morrow or I think I shall bevery unhappy."
"Andwill make others most unhappy as well, I suspect."
"Youcan cease to suspect it. It will be a fact hard to ignore. I have never enduredpain or illness with any grace."
Heshed his jupon, boots, and hose and, still wearing his shirt, eased his bodybeneath the blanket. Very gently, he turned on his side and slid his arm aroundher waist, edging closer until their bodies touched. Her ill humor both amusedhim and relieved him. It showed that her injuries were not serious.
"Itwill be a few days before the aches and pains fade, but they will fade."
Shesighed and slowly snuggled closer, the warmth of his body helping to ease someof her aches. "You said the children are fine?"
