The passageway bends to the right, narrowing a little now. Then to the left, and drops away in a slight incline. We don’t slow down. I’m calling to Natalia, but still no reply. We round a slight curve, and I see her.
A small, still form, huddled in a grey cloak, lies a few feet in front of us. I rush to her, crouch beside the motionless bundle. Karl is close on my heels.
“Is she…?” His normally confident tone has deserted him. He is every bit as worried as I am.
“Alive? Yes, I think so. I bend over, place my cheek close to her mouth and feel the slight riffle of air. “Yes, she’s breathing.” I reach for her hand, and my heart sinks. “Christ, she’s freezing. We need to get her out of here.”
Even as I speak I am assessing her ravaged face, the dried blood from a deep scrape on her forehead marring her already bruised complexion. A head injury as well as exposure.Dear Christ.
“Give me your torch. I’ll lead the way, you carry milady.” Karl does tend to forget the chain of command in moments of dire urgency. I see no merit in reminding him at this juncture. I hand him my torch and lift Lady Natalia in my arms.
Karl sets a cracking pace but I have no trouble keeping up. In moments it seems we are at the entrance again. Karl squeezes through the stones first, tosses the torches to the ground, and turns to take Natalia from me. I scramble after them.
Karl sets Natalia down on the rough ground, and I get my first look at her in daylight. She’s pale, her skin almost translucent, with an ominous blue tone to her complexion. Her eyelids flutter, she appears to regain consciousness for a few seconds, then drifts off again.
The first order of business is obvious. “We need to get her warmed up.” I clutch her to me, wrapping her in my own warm cloak, but I know this won’t be nearly enough. “Get back to our camp as quick as you can and get everyone set to boiling water. Find a bathtub—Gerhard has one I believe. I’ll bring Lady Natalia. Hurry.”
Karl nods, and is gone, sprinting through the trees. I pick up my bride and follow his path at a slightly more sedate pace. By the time I arrive back at my tent Gerhard’s personal servant is just leaving.
“The bath, my lord.” He gestures behind him.
I spare him a grateful nod as I carry Natalia inside. The tub is set in the middle of my floor and is already steaming. As I stand there, my bride still cradled in my arms, three soldiers enter, each carrying two buckets of hot water. They empty them into the bath and bow to me as they leave.
“We’ll need more,” I yell at their retreating backs.
“We know that, my lord. More is on the way.” Karl has entered the tent,also carrying pails of steaming water. “There’s enough here to get started though. Shall I help you to undress her?”
The impropriety of my servant’s suggestion is ignored given the dire circumstances in which we find ourselves. Every second may count now. I place Natalia on the bed. “Yes. Could you get her shoes?” Even as I speak I am hauling the useless cloak from her body.
Karl unties her deerskin boots and tugs. Natalia gives a low whimper, as if in pain.
“My lord, look at this.” Karl is cradling Natalia’s right foot, now bared.
I glance at it, wincing at the purples and blues marring her delicate skin.
“Now we know how she became trapped then. She must not have been able to continue on foot.”
Karl murmurs his agreement as between us we turn her over, unlace the back of her woollen gown and drag that off too. Only when we are down to her shift does Karl step back. He bends over the bath and dips his hand in.
“Hot, but not scalding. This should be fine. I will bank up the hot stones, my lord. We need this place to be warm. There will be more hot water when we need it.”
I could insist that he leaves, but I will need his further assistance. If Natalia feels I have compromised her modesty she can take that matter up with me later. If she lives. I untie the loose ribbons that fasten her undergarment at the front, then I lift her from the bed to slide it from her shoulders.
Karl’s eyes meet mine as we both spot the dark bruise extending from just below her right breast around her ribcage. The lump on her head and sprained ankle I might just believe could have been caused by stumbling through the pitch black tunnels. But this? I no longer believe all Natalia’s injuries to be accidental.
There will be questions, lots of them. But first, we need to revive her. I pick up the nude form and with no further ado I place her in the steaming water.
I reach around her to bend her knees in order to ensure that her head is submerged, only her face remaining above the surface of the water. I am aware that heat is lost through the head, so perhaps it can be absorbed that way just as easily. Christ, I hope so.
I position myself at the end of the tub, one hand behind Natalia’s neck to support her. With my other hand I start to rub her chilled limbs, attempting to stimulate her circulation. It is not enough.
“Karl, help me. You massage her legs.”
He utters not a word as he takes his place at the foot of the tub and lends his efforts to mine.
The water is clear and clean, and does nothing to conceal the slender form of Lady Natalia. I observe that she is quite beautiful. Her body is exquisite, perfect, and achingly delicate. I struggle to detach myself from that fact in theface of more pressing concerns. Naturally, Karl does not comment though his expression indicates he too appreciates my future bride’s obvious attractions.
Should I resent this?I cannot find it in me at present. I simply want her to survive and I am glad of my servant’s aid.
