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His voice was mumbling, close to sleep.

“Go ahead, go to sleep. I’ll just stare at this wall.”

He fell asleep, while I sat on the floor leaned against the bed and tried to think of what to do.

10

ALEXANDRIA

1308 - AFTER THREE DAYS, TORIN AWAKES

On the third day, almost to the hour, he woke up with a start. “Och, good morn, mo leannan.”

“Good morning! Are you awake?” I dug for the first aid kit.

“Aye, and I am famished.”

He shifted his foot, waking up Dude, who stretched, his tail flicking as if he couldn’t believe his sleep had been interrupted.

I held an antibiotic in my palm. “Take this.” I offered the ale I had saved for him.

“What is it?”

“The antibiotic, it’s keeping the infection away.”

“I daena need it, I am well enough.” He turned his arm around, then winced.

“In our lives, Albannach, I will not yell at you much, but in this, here, I am going to really lose my shit. You take this antibiotic and no arguing.”

His eyes went wide. “Aye, Princess.”

He popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed it with some ale to wash it down. “Dost they hae any food, did they bring any?”

“It’s been a while, I’m hungry too.”

“We ought tae go tae the hall.”

“Am I allowed to be there? I get the impression that women aren’t allowed many places in this monastery.”

“We will go and make them tell us nae.”

“‘Better to ask for forgiveness than permission,’ okay, but before we do anything…”

“What dost we need tae do?”

“Well, first, look down… you’re butt-naked.”

He grinned, looking down as if he had just noticed.

“And I need to check your wound.”

He sighed. “Nae, I daena think we should check it, just help me dress. We ought tae feed me and save the wound checkin’ for later, because if it daena look clean enough I think ye are going tae yell at me again.”

“I won’t yell.”

“Ye will command me not tae die.”

“Commanding you works sometimes. You didn’t die.”