‘Come now, is that really the best way to ask for our help?’ Amelie chided Lord Dirk.
‘Prince Casper asked for Jim,’ Lord Dirk said shortly.
‘He asked, so you then turned it into an order? I’m sure a nobleman like you was raised with gentlemanly manners. You do know we might be willing to help if you were to ask nicely.’
‘You’re bold for a beast of burden,’ he said coolly.
‘A beast of burden?’ Amelie began and glanced at Daniel; hadn’t he told lord Dirk what she was? Daniel shook his head minutely and she breathed again. ‘I didn’t think I’d turned myself into a draught horse,’ she said instead and calmed her indignation. She was abruptly aware she was not acting as passively as a horse; she’d have to watch it. Certainly Daniel must have had a reason not to tell Lord Dirk. Perhaps it was his way of helping her?
‘I apologise. You did not look like a draught horse,’ Lord Dirk said into the sudden silence. He reluctantly knew she had a point. He’d been speaking to them like his common underlings. Jim might be young but he was a wizard and wizards were due respect. He should really be treating him with a little more caution. ‘Journeyman Jim, would you accompany me to the castle and see if there is anything you can do for Prince Casper?’
‘Certainly,’ Jim said with a gracious nod. ‘We go now?’
‘Yes, if that’s convenient,’ Lord Dirk responded with relief. ‘Would you like to join us?’ Lord Dirk asked Amelie courteously. He noted she looked to Jim before agreeing. He went to the door and spoke to a servant who returned shortly to announce the horses were ready.
Amelie and Jim were each handed a long heavy coat, hat and boots at the door and were soon mounted up. The snow had turned wet and slushy, and would probably disappear later, but for now it was slippery for the horses and they rode slowly and with care.
The road up to the castle had been well trampled and a fairly clear narrow path had been worn through the slush in the centre of the road.
Amelie noted Daniel silently brought up the rear of their party. Questions crowded her mind, but she couldn’t ask them of Daniel. She wasn’t sure where his loyalties lay or whether it was safe or wise to confide anything in him. But he was the first of her kind she’d met and she wondered how he lived here. How were their kind viewed in these parts? Did he have any pointers or warnings that would be useful? Was she foolish to go to the castle? Was it a trap? She had no way of knowing.
Lord Dirk led, Jim just behind. She followed Jim in close convoy. She hastily turned her attention to guiding her new horse, particularly having to keep him from following so close he risked stepping on Jim’s horse’s heels. Soon the gradient became very steep and the road advanced up the hillside in a long series of zigzags. The wind increased too, becoming very blustery and throwing unpleasantly wet sleet at them.
Lord Dirk’s household guard, sent ahead to announce them, reappeared and waved them on. They clattered gingerly over a slippery wooden drawbridge and under the raised portcullis into the lower castle town. The broad road they travelled climbed steadily, looping back and forth and rising quickly above the rooftops. Twice they paused at a guarded gate set in defensive inner walls to be checked over before being allowed to enter increasingly more exclusive upper sectors. Finally they passed through another big and impressive gateway and entered a large courtyard. Grooms appeared; they dismounted and handed their horses over. Lord Dirk led them briskly inside and they hastened to keep up. Servants took their heavy and now wet overcoats and they headed on, following a page sent to escort them.
Finally, after traversing what seemed miles of corridors they were led up a spiral staircase and into a small turret room. The room had a fire and a few hard backed chairs were the only furniture. It was obviously an ante chamber used for visitors to wait their turn to see Prince Casper. A guarded staircase continued on upwards. They stopped before the guard and Amelie noticed the page considering them. They made quite a crowd.
‘There’s too many of us for comfort. I’m happy to wait here for you,’ she said to Lord Dirk.
‘You don’t want to meet him?’
‘I have met him. I thought you said he was ill and only asked to see Jim?’
He nodded; surprised she didn’t seem interested in actually meeting a ruler. She sat on one of the chairs near the fire and Daniel moved to join her. He didn’t sit but was clearly volunteering to stay with her.
‘Very well, wait here for us.’
Jim smiled at her, silently applauding her sense in avoiding Prince Casper. What he didn’t see he was less likely to remember and potentially covet.
‘Won’t you sit down?’ Amelie asked Daniel once Jim and Lord Dirk had gone upstairs. She watched him glance at the two empty chairs, one opposite her, the other beside her. He sat beside her and stretched out his long legs in front of him. His thigh now rested near her as did his arm.
‘That’s better. It was chilly over by the stairs,’ he said conversationally. ‘Why were you looking at me earlier?’ he asked softly.
She stared at his very white and rather sharp looking teeth and he quirked his lips in amusement. His expression was warmly inviting and she knew he found her attractive.
‘I had questions. But perhaps now is not a good time to chat,’ she added glancing around casually.
Daniel nodded; glad she was aware of the hidden watcher concealed behind the wood panelling.
‘Perhaps you could tell me why you’re always watching me?’ she asked.
He let his gaze wander over her openly and was pleased to see her blush but not turn away. ‘Did you see me at the thermal hot spring?’
‘Your head yes; I think you saw me a little better than that,’ she added.
‘Only for a moment. You knew I was watching then?’
‘Of course; you were so busy looking you didn’t recognise me did you?’
He laughed in delight at her boldness. She was correct, she had been naked after all, but he still couldn’t get that all too brief sighting out of his head. Yes she’d been artificially curvaceous but he’d seen toned muscle and strength there too, together with her youth. It was a heady mix of vitality and unconscious sexuality that was irresistible.
‘Why didn’t you tell him about me?’ she whispered in his ear.
‘It seemed the right thing to do,’ he said with a small shrug.
‘You didn’t talk about the Eagle then?’ she whispered again.
‘No,’ he responded in her ear and kissed it.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked rather taken aback.
‘Sorry, it was so inviting,’ he added with a mischievous grin.
She was very aware his warm leg and now arm rested against hers and that he was watching her closely.
‘Are you under orders to court me?’ she asked. He straightened up abruptly, seemingly surprised and disconcerted by her bluntness.
‘Why should you think that? Don’t you think we’d be a good match then?’
‘Possibly.’
‘Only possibly? Why?’
She thought he seemed worried and puzzled. ‘What did I call you when we first met?’
He dropped his head; the scene was engraved in his memory. ‘Dog boy’, he said bleakly.
‘I’m truly sorry Daniel, but that’s still how I see you. You’ve allowed your wolf to be tamed, collared and brought to heel. I cannot live like that.’
‘Then you will probably have a short life,’ he said sharply.
‘Perhaps, but I would rather die retaining my self-respect. Life’s short. Where’s the joy in being collared? You’ve accepted a half life under the beck and call of a master like a dog. Don’t you see that? A wolf needs freedom.’
‘You’re probably right,’ he admitted slowly, feeling completely crestfallen.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said softly and grasped his arm.
The door above opened and footsteps jogging down the stairs. ‘Am, can you join us?’ Jim asked.
‘Of course,’ she said i
mmediately, rising to meet him. Jim glanced curiously at Daniel and Lord Dirk just behind him on the stairs looked at them too. She walked quickly across and ushered the men ahead of her leaving Daniel in peace to compose himself.
Jim took her hand, itching to know what had been happening with Daniel. They’d been sitting together so cosily close yet Daniel had looked distinctly unhappy. Better that than find she’d succumbed to Daniel, Jim thought. She was very inexperienced with men and Daniel was not only a mature man, but an animus too. He’d wondered if Lord Dirk would try to tie her to his household somehow; Daniel was the logical route.
‘These are Prince Casper’s physicians,’ Jim told her.
Three men eyed her closely wondering why she was being brought in.
‘He’s in no state to appreciate your trollop,’ the eldest remarked rudely.
‘She is most definitely not that,’ Jim snapped. ‘Do you want my help or not?’
Amelie was surprised by his vehemence. Had he been having a hard time already with these officious types then? She watched them doubtfully back away from blocking her sight of and access to the bed. She was glad to see, as she approached the bed, that Prince Casper slept. But the cloying smell of sickness and heavy medicines almost overpowered her will to approach the bed. She coughed and winced as Jim threw back the cover to reveal a hideously yellow stained bandage around Prince Casper’s upper arm.
‘We’ll need to get this bandage off,’ Jim said wondering what kind of men they were that would allow things to get this bad. ‘You,’ Jim called to the least surly of the doctor’s. ‘Get this foul bandage off.’
‘He’ll wake shrieking,’ the doctor warned.
‘Men in pain usually do. That doesn’t mean you stop treating them does it?’ Jim asked coldly.
‘He had the last doctor who tried to over-ride his will executed,’ the doctor explained.
‘Then whoever listened to his ravings and carried out such an order is an idiot and should also be shot,’ Jim said in trenchant disapproval. ‘Am, could you put your hands on his head? I’ll need to call on some of your strength,’ he explained apologetically. She simply nodded and placed her hands either side of Prince Casper’s head. Jim rapidly wove a spell to keep Prince Casper asleep and his mind separate from the pain in his arm. He used none of his own magic to sustain the spell. Amelie had ample for the purpose and he needed to be free to work on whatever the problem itself was.
‘Right, he won’t feel anything now,’ he told the doctor. ‘But you’ll need to hurry.’
The bandage was well stuck to the infected wound, which was why the doctors had been unable to free it. Or rather it was why Prince Casper had ordered them to stop causing him further pain.
‘There’s a piece of metal in that,’ Amelie said once the wound was open to the light. The spell she was feeding was specific to his arm and she had a very peculiar sensation of being inside his body viewing the damage.
‘You can see it?’ Jim asked her and she nodded. ‘I need to see,’ he said and waited for her nod of acceptance. He stared into her eyes until she allowed him into her mind. He didn’t realise that his burning curiosity about Daniel was apparent to her, but suddenly the whole scene was replayed for him in a moment. A wave of happy amusement washed over him and he realised it was in answer to his sudden jealousy that another man should make a move on her.
‘Hurry my dear,’ she chided mentally. ‘We have an audience and tricky work to do.’
‘I know. Thank you for this,’ he said, knowing that linked as they were she would also feel his love. There could be no secrets of emotion here. The warm affection and respect she sent back to him made him catch his breath. Now she seemed to take his hand and lead him to her sense of Prince Casper. Jim was reluctant to leave her sparkling mind, but knew he needed to hurry. The spell was feeding off her and sapping her strength.
‘Right,’ Jim said, returning to the outside world. ‘He’s got a barbed arrow-head in his arm, just here and facing down in this direction. What would you normally have to do to get it out?’
‘Arrows are tricky because of the barbs. If the shaft was still attached and the way clear, it’s often best to push it through,’ the doctor replied thoughtfully and eyed the swollen, infected, scabby mess. ‘But we’ll probably have to cut it out, unless you know of a less intrusive way?’
‘I’m not a healer. I’ve not had any training to do this kind of thing,’ Jim said honestly. ‘So, positioned where it is, would it be safest to push it through his arm?’ Jim checked.
‘Well yes. It’s not going to hit the bone if it is where you say,’ the doctor affirmed. ‘What had you in mind?’
Jim pulled at his lip absently. ‘Do you have something like this poker?’ He asked showing them the blackened fire implement he’d spied. They glanced at each other and rummaged in their medical bags but slowly shook heads.
‘Hurry,’ Amelie said. ‘I’m not going to be able to keep him under too much longer. Just heat that in the fire. The heat will kill the worst of the infection and will also cauterise some of the bleeding.’
‘It’s not too big then?’ Jim asked anxiously. It was a sturdy implement and none too slender.
‘It’s what we have,’ Amelie told him and watched him hand the poker to the doctor to clean the worst of the soot off the metal and then heat it in the fire. ‘Jim, help me put him under more before you do that,’ Amelie said anxiously.
‘Ok, but it’ll sap you even more,’ he warned anxiously.
‘I know. But I don’t want him waking part way through. Oh, that was quick,’ she muttered feeling the sudden drain on her strength.
‘Doctor, you hold it,’ Jim instructed eyeing the glowing poker. ‘I’ll guide you, but you’ll need to keep it straight and heading in the right direction. Ready?’
‘Not really, but it needs to be done,’ he admitted.
Jim struggled to keep his external awareness sufficiently to guide the poker whilst also trying to view its progress internally. ‘You’ve got it,’ Jim said suddenly. He adjusted the tip of the poker so it sat centrally on the back of the arrowhead. ‘Now push.’
It seemed ages before the arrow pushed out the other side of the arm. Jim however didn’t rest but took control of the poker. ‘That should take care of the infection inside the arm,’ Jim said finally with grim satisfaction and withdrew his presence. He gradually adjusted Amelie’s blockers on Prince Casper’s pain, reducing them slowly. There was no getting away from the fact Prince Casper would feel a great deal of pain. But it shouldn’t be as bad or as “wrong feeling” as before, now the infection and arrow were gone.
As soon as the doctors had finished examining, cleaning and then bandaging the wound, Jim released Amelie completely. He helped her into a chair so she could rest. He perched on its arm, there not being much in the way of furniture or chairs in this rather bare room.
‘We should go and leave him in peace to rest,’ Amelie said.
‘You would go without waiting for him to wake and express his thanks?’ Lord Dirk asked.
‘Clearance to travel through the pass tomorrow will be thanks enough,’ Jim said calmly.
‘So soon?’
‘If it weren’t snowing we’d be gone today,’ Jim added.
‘I’m sure he’ll want to actually see you,’ Lord Dirk said.
‘You’re undoubtedly correct. But it’ll take several days for the wound to heal enough to begin weaning him off heavy sedation. We’re not planning on hanging around that long or winter will have set in. He has already delayed our journey excessively.’ Jim rose to his feet and Amelie followed suit. They eyed Lord Dirk calmly and, since Prince Casper still slept, he had little option but to lead them from the room.
They collected Daniel and silently returned to Lord Dirk’s estate.
‘You would choose to travel across country in this kind of weather?’ Lord Dirk asked shaking cold sleet off his cloak.
‘It’s not ideal, no. We hadn’t planned on still bei
ng in this high country so late in the season,’ Jim said. ‘But once we get back down on to the plains it’ll be warmer.’
‘Yes, the season won’t feel quite so advanced down there I suppose,’ Lord Dirk reluctantly agreed. ‘They do get heavy rain and floods though before the snows. The trails will be muddy and heavy going,’ he added. He was personally glad of the respite Prince Casper’s injury had given the army and that he wasn’t currently trudging through boggy fields and camping in cold wet tents.
‘True, but my Guild is expecting me back and certainly before winter closes everything I need to be home.’ Jim glanced at Amelie shedding her wet cloak. All this talk of going home reminded him forcibly that she probably didn’t have one. That didn’t of course mean she didn’t have thoughts of her own as to where she wanted to be. But the thought of parting from her and possibly never seeing her again was painful to contemplate. First however they had to get free of Lord Dirk and Prince Casper. They sat in the reception room, gratefully warming their hands in front of the fire with their clothing gently steaming.
‘What about you, dear lady?’ Lord Dirk enquired of Amelie.
‘I will go with Jim. This is not my home country and I haven’t had many good experiences here,’ she added. ‘I take it, now Jim has done as you asked regarding Prince Casper, that we are free to cross the pass tomorrow?’
‘I will have to get Prince Casper’s permission for that. The pass is heavily guarded. But also you should know our enemies may not let you through even if we do,’ he warned. ‘It’ll be dangerous. So too, you have seen just how injured Prince Casper is. That knowledge is dangerous to us if it falls into the wrong hands.’
‘So you’ve set us up?’ Jim asked sharply.
‘No, of course not,’ Lord Dirk assured him quickly. ‘You saw how real Prince Casper’s need of help was.’
Amelie: Wizards of White Haven Page 13