Chapter Fourteen #2
“Good,” Jareth said, grunting in pain as Orion took a sharp dagger and cut the wound where the arrowhead was barely protruding. “Get this over with. Be quick about it.”
Orion tried. He truly did. But the arrow shaft came out in pieces and he was forced to dig for a big chunk that had come off in Jareth’s shoulder.
Fortunately, the projectile had missed anything vital, and once he dug out the piece of wood that made the arrow whole, and a piece of cloth that had been torn from Jareth’s tunic, he doused the wound repeatedly with wine and let it bleed heavily to wash out any further impurities before binding it tightly with the boiled linen.
Through the entire event, Jareth never uttered a sound.
When it was over, they moved an exhausted Jareth to a chamber with a bed in it belonging to the garrison commander. It was messy and smelly, but the bed was a good one. Desdra headed off to the kitchens to find Jareth something to eat as Orion and Stefan and Aidric carefully settled him in the bed.
“Now,” Orion said, “you must rest. You can stay here for a couple of days, time enough for the wounds to heal over a little and for you to regain some strength, before we move back to The Feast. How do you feel?”
Jareth eyed him. “Like you dug pieces of wood out of my back,” he said. “I’ve had arrow wounds before. That one was not simple.”
Orion shook his head. “It was not,” he admitted. “If the piece of wood had not remained in you, it would have been much easier for us both. As it was, it was more complicated than I had anticipated. I am sorry for that.”
Jareth laid his head back on the pillow. “You could not have known,” he said. “But there is more chance of poison getting into my blood now.”
Orion nodded faintly. “Time will tell,” he said quietly. “I cleaned it out heavily with the wine, but sometimes that does not work. We can only pray for the best outcome.”
That was the truth. Given how Orion had been forced to dig into his back to find the wood, it was very possible that Jareth would end up with a fever, but they would have to wait and see. For now, the situation was stable and Jareth could begin healing.
All thanks to that annoying, arrogant knight.
And Jareth knew it. He watched Orion as the man tightened up his bandages.
“Orion,” he said hesitantly. “Your care has been exemplary. And for the conversation we had, I appreciate that it must have been difficult to tell me, but know that after this, I will do better where you are concerned. We all will.”
A wry smile crossed Orion’s lips. “You mean that I have earned my way into the group by digging wood out of your shoulder.”
“You have shown a side to you that we did not know,” Jareth said. “You’ve been something of a buffoon up until this moment. Now, we know differently.”
It was a fair statement, one Orion couldn’t disagree with. With a simple nod, he excused himself, leaving Jareth lying flat on his back, surrounded by the remainder of the Six.
“What was that about?” Aidric asked, moving over to the bed to check the bandages. “What was difficult for him to tell you?”
Jareth sighed faintly. “He confessed that not one of us has really been kind to him since Henry decided he was to be part of the Six,” he said.
“He feels that we have such a tight group that there is no room for anyone else, and the only reason he’s been irritating is because it is the only time we notice him. ”
Aidric’s brow furrowed. “That is not true.”
“Truly?” Jareth grunted. “Think about it. Have we ever truly embraced him like a brother? Like someone who belongs? I do not think so. I do not think he was wrong.”
Aidric was forced to reflect on that, remembering Orion since he became part of the Six and the interactions they’d had with him.
Had they ever gotten to know him? Probably not.
The man had been such an arrogant boor that Aidric, personally, hadn’t really tried to befriend him.
He was simply there and they accepted that.
Perhaps there was a grain of truth to what Jareth said.
“Then we shall have to examine our behavior and make amends,” Aidric said. “Especially since he used his skill on your shoulder. I think we owe him something for that.”
Jareth reflected on that. “His opinion was that a man wasn’t truly accepted into the Six unless he proved himself,” he said. “I think he just did.”
Aidric gave him a lopsided grin. “I will agree,” he said. “He performed admirably.”
“He did.”
That was about all Jareth could manage at this point. He closed his eyes after he spoke, clearly exhausted from the injury, and Aidric took it as a hint.
“Rest,” he told him. “We are going to check the woods in the area to see if there are any more outlaws. I shall speak with the garrison commander on the matter, and any other security matters he might have. Do you wish to speak with him as well when you are feeling better?”
Jareth peeped an eye open. “Let me sleep tonight,” he said. “I will speak with the man on the morrow.”
“I will bring him to you when you are ready,” Aidric said. “We’ll come back later to see how you are faring.”
Jareth simply lifted a hand in acknowledgment.
As Aidric, Stefan, Dirk, and Britt headed out, Desdra headed in.
She was carrying a tray with a cup and bowl and a few other things on it.
Behind her was a servant carrying a heavy coverlet, and she had the woman put it on the bed while she set the tray down.
As the servant scurried out, Desdra shook the folds out of the coverlet and draped it over Jareth.
“There,” she said. “This should keep you comfortable. I’ve brought some stew for you. You should probably eat something.”
He just lay there, looking up at her. That magnificent woman with the marvelous hair. After a moment, he held out his right hand.
“Come,” he said softly. “Sit next to me. I must tell you something.”
Desdra complied, thinking he was going to share something important with her. “Of course,” she said. “Are you in pain? I do not have anything here, but Lord Chester kept something for pain that was quite effective. He called it the healing flower. It is back at The Feast.”
Jareth shook his head. “I am not in any real pain at the moment,” he said. “But I wanted to commend you for your actions today. It was a serious situation that could have gone badly, but you kept your head. That was very helpful and I appreciate it.”
A faint flush crept into her cheeks. “To be truthful, I was scared to death,” she admitted. “But I was scared for you.”
“Me? Why?”
She eyed him, exasperated. “Because an arrow had pierced you,” she said, stating the obvious. “I thought it might kill you.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “And you were afraid for me?”
“Of course I was.”
“What would you do if I died?”
She scowled. “That is a terrible question.”
He laughed softly. “Why?” he said. “Just tell me that you would miss me. That is all I wish to hear.”
An expression of confusion rippled across her face and she pulled her hand from his. He watched, his smile fading, as she stood up and turned for the food.
“You should eat this while it is hot,” she said. “I cannot vouch for the meat in it, but I am told it is mutton. They tried to give me some kind of fish pie that smelled very strongly, so I refused it. Do you like fish?”
“Desdra,” he said slowly, “why can you not tell me that you would miss me should I die?”
She had the bowl in her hand. When she spoke, her back was to him and her head lowered. “It is a silly question.”
“Mayhap so, but answer it. Please.”
She sighed sharply. “What do you want me to say?”
“The truth.”
She considered that. Her head came up and she looked at the wall, anything but him. “I suppose…” she began, stopped, and then started again. “I suppose, if you must know, that I have never had a friend like you.”
“Oh? What would you miss about our friendship?”
She shrugged. “I would miss our conversations,” she said. “The way you like to tease me. You have become a great friend, Jareth, and I am very grateful.”
That was as close as she could come to a confession and he didn’t push her.
She was being braver than he was in even voicing such a thing.
Their relationship had come about so organically that it wasn’t something to be fleshed out or discussed.
It simply was. Therefore, he was careful with his next question.
“But you do not want me to be more than a friend?” he said. “If you do not think me attractive or a potential suitor, you need only say it once. I will never bring it up again.”
She still wouldn’t look at him. “That is a strange thing to say.”
“Why?”
She grunted irritably. “This is not suitable conversation, Jareth,” she said, grabbing the bowl and standing up. “Now, do you want some nourishment or not? You really should eat something. You have been through a great ordeal.”
“Nay, I do not want to eat,” he said. “I want to know why this is unsuitable conversation.”
“Because it is.”
“That is not an answer.”
“It is the only answer you will receive.”
She came over to the bed with the bowl of stew, but he turned his head away. He wouldn’t look at her and he most certainly refused to eat. Realizing that, Desdra pursed her lips irritably and sat down next to the bed, still holding the bowl. She watched his profile for a moment before speaking.
“Any woman would be very fortunate to have you as a suitor,” she said quietly. “But let us be completely honest with one another. When you asked me that question, you did not mean suitor.”
He turned to look at her, brow furrowed. “I didn’t?”
“Nay,” she said. Then she took a deep breath to summon her courage. “Jareth, I am glad to be your friend. I am happy to tell you everything I know about the de Long empire so that you know it, too, like I do. I have enjoyed our time together. But I will not become your concubine.”
His eyes widened. “Concubine?” he repeated. “Is that what you think I meant?”