Chapter 28 Jess #2
How stupid could we have been? The Guardsman in front of me wasn’t asking anything unusual, especially of someone he’d just rescued from bandits.
“I . . . I don’t know. We saw them about halfway from Fontaine, up in the Spires. They tried to steal one of our horses. Danym wrestled the reins away and knocked the man down, but they didn’t give up and chased us all the way here.”
The man nodded but didn’t say anything. He simply stood there staring, waiting for the rest of the tale.
I had no idea what to say and decided to try something Mother once did to get out of a long, boring day at Court.
I put the back of my hand to my forehead and feigned a dizzy spell, then toppled to the ground.
The Healer was by my side in a flash, waving a small bag of something vile under my nose. I sneezed and gagged. As I sat up on my elbows, the Healer checked my pulse and watched my breathing.
“She’s exhausted but otherwise fine. Nothing a good dinner and night’s rest won’t fix.” The Healer stood and brushed off his trousers.
“All right, let’s get them into town. Miss, we’ll want to hear more about your trip, but for now, we’ll settle for your names,” the leader said.
I paused a beat too long. “I’m . . . I’m Petti, and he’s my brother, Gil.”
The Healer and the leader exchanged a glance and a raised brow, then looked back at me. “All right, Petti, let’s get you somewhere safe. My men will bring Gil on a stretcher.”
Though reluctant to leave Danym, the thought of dinner and a bed was tempting.
As I turned to mount Dittler, the Healer extended a hand to steady my climb, then let out a low whistle as he took in Dittler.
“Only Cretian stallion I ever saw was carrying King Alfred through the countryside at the head of a column. Where’d you come by this handsome fella?”
Spirits, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought.
“He was . . . a gift,” was all I said as I mounted.
“That’s a regal gift!” he said in amazement, hitting far closer to the mark than I would’ve liked.
The leader signaled to two of his men to form up as an escort, and a moment later, we trotted through the heart of Spoke, the town often referred to as the Gateway to the Spires.
It was almost dark, and lamps hanging from tall wooden poles were already lit, casting a dim glow across the dusty road.
Most of the buildings and houses were made of rough logs with sharply sloped roofs designed to allow seasonal snows to slide off to the back.
The people milling about were even less colorful than the rough-hewn wood of their homes, wrapped in simple hides and heavy furs.
I was shocked when we stopped at a three-story stone building, the largest I had seen since leaving Fontaine. A sign bolted into the wood above the double doors depicted a large black bird with its wings outstretched, and read, “The Crow’s Nest.”
A boy rushed out from around the side of the building and reached for Dittler’s reins. When I resisted, the Healer stepped forward. “This is my nephew, Ben. He’ll take good care of your horse.”
“I will,” echoed Ben, with a bob of his head so fierce it sent his shaggy hair fluttering. “Promise you that, miss.”
Dittler eyed the boy and snorted.
I patted his neck, then reluctantly passed Dittler into the care of the youngster.
The Healer led me into a wide, open room typical of any inn across the Kingdom. Rough tables and chairs lay scattered about, and a grand bar sprawled across the opposite wall. Rows of colorful bottles lined shelves in front of a mirror mounted to the wall.
The leader stepped to the bar and greeted a short, round woman with enormous ears that reminded me of a comical mouse whose illustration I’d once seen in a book.
The innkeeper gave him a warm smile and giggled.
Then, without warning, she reached chubby arms across the bar, took his face in both hands, and pulled him into a long slobbery kiss.
The man wiped his lips with his sleeve and gave the woman a wink and a smile.
The woman peered over his shoulder at me a couple of times with one brow raised.
When the leader turned back toward where I sat, the innkeeper disappeared through a half door behind the bar and returned through a side door at the edge of the room with a different young boy in tow.
“Miss, follow this lad to your room. There’ll be a hot bath shortly. Come back down in an hour for supper. Your brother should be here soon. I’ll make sure he’s brought up to ya.”
I gave the woman a weak smile. “Thank you. A warm bath sounds wonderful.”
Moments later, I was submerged in steaming water. The heat penetrating my skin and sore muscles was so soothing I’d barely noticed how brown the water had turned. I was about to close my eyes for a long soak when someone banged on the door. “Miss, we have your brother.”
“I’ll be right there,” I called, hopping out of the bath and wrapping a large fluffy towel around my body.
Bath, you stay warm. I’ll be right back.
The guards stared at my towel a bit too long as they carried Danym in on a stretcher, then placed him carefully on the bed. “Healer says he’ll be out another few hours, then he’ll be hungry as a bear.”
I gripped the towel’s edge and held it tight through crossed arms as one of the men snuck another peek.
“That is quite enough,” I snapped, my regal bearing nearly knocking the man down. “Thank you for bringing my brother. You may withdraw. Take your wandering eyes with you.”
Men!
I bolted the door behind them, returned to the tub, and sank beneath the soothing water.