Chapter Thirteen:
The Touch
Chapter Thirteen:
The Touch
Wulf called for Grim when they got inside the castle. The boys, with Wulf in the lead and Tolas chugging after them, brought Rainer up the spiral staircase that led to the third floor and Rainer’s bedchamber. There they laid him on his own bed. Wulf told them all to go.
Hlafnest was the last to leave. He turned to Wulf. There was a look of shock and sadness still on his face. “I’m sorry, Wulf. I let him push me to it,” he said. “I didn’t think anything like this would ever happen.”
Wulf nodded. “I understand,” he replied. “Now get the cold hell out of my sight.”
As Hlafnest left, Saeunn and Ravenelle entered the bedchamber, almost running into him. Ravenelle glared bloody murder at Hlafnest as he passed. Behind them, Grim arrived with two other servants and Fedder, the castle arms keeper, who was a Tier, a badger man.
Badgers were one of the Tier who looked very similar to humans. Only the shape of his face and his black, wet nose showed what he was.
With Wulf’s help, he removed the armor from Rainer while Rainer lay motionless on his bed. Fedder had been Koterbaum’s assistant and equipment handler for years. He worked off Rainer’s mail shirt, moving Rainer’s body the least amount that needed to be done to get the shirt over Rainer’s head.
“Did this quite a few times in the Little War,” the arms keeper said. “It’s never easy on a body, but has to be done or you might not spot all the wounds.”
The two left, and Tolas was about to speak to Wulf when he noticed something over Wulf’s shoulder and made a deep bow.
Wulf turned to see his mother, Duchess Malwin.
She stepped inside and hugged Wulf. “My child,” she said. He was surrounded by the familiar clean scent of her fresh linen and silk dress. “What’s happened to you?”
“I’m all right, Mother,” Wulf said. “Just a little banged up in a match. It’s Rainer we’re worried about.”
Duchess Malwin reluctantly let Wulf go. She stepped over to the bed and gazed at Rainer for a moment. Then she sat down beside him.
“Oh, my dear one,” she said. She touched his forehead gently. Then she pulled up an eyelid and saw that he did not respond. “He’s completely insensible, I take it,” she said. She looked to Saeunn. “Can you help him?”
“I think so, my lady,” Saeunn replied softly.
The duchess stood up, held a silken handkerchief under her chin, and took a long look at Rainer lying there in his quilted arming shirt. There were several deep bruises and patches of blood on the cloth from wounds underneath.
“I swore to his mother to take care of him,” she murmured. “And we do love him.” She turned to Saeunn. “I’ll leave maids for errands, and call for the physician, but until then, do what you can, Saeunn.”
“Yes, m’lady,” Saeunn answered.
Wulf’s mother shook her head. “I have inquiries to make into this matter. I’ll be in my chamber. Send word if you need anything, anything at all.” She started to leave, then turned once more to Wulf. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“A headache and some bumps and bruises, Mother,” he said. “The boys in the yard, they came to my rescue, believe it or not.”
“As well they should,” the duchess replied. “I want to hear the whole story of this. But first, let’s make sure Rainer is all right.”
“Yes, Mother.”
The duchess left. Her trusted lady’s maid, Kinvis, who had been outside in the hallway, followed her, but three other maids remained in the hall, awaiting instructions. Wulf ducked his head out into the hall and saw Grim standing by for orders.
“Keep visitors out,” he told the servant, then closed the door.
Now with Tolas and the three fosters in the room, Wulf noticed how small Rainer’s bedroom really was. It was maybe a quarter the size of his own. There was a desk and chair, a wardrobe, and two chairs for sitting by the fireplace. One of the chairs was pushed toward the fire. It had a pair of boots resting on it. Wulf recognized these as Rainer’s hobnail boots he’d worn the night before. He’d left them to dry and worn another pair today.
Wulf took the empty chair and moved it over to the side of the bed for Saeunn to sit down. She gave him a worried smile. Then she sat and looked at Rainer for a moment, like she was sizing up a problem to solve during one of Tolas’s lessons.
Wulf meanwhile took the hobnail boots from the other chair and set the chair at the foot of the bed for Ravenelle. At first she didn’t take it but pushed the chair to the side and remained standing, staring down at Rainer.
“This is my fault,” she said in a low voice. Wulf stepped up beside her, touched her arm. She looked up at him. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“You didn’t do anything, Ravenelle,” Wulf answered softly.
But red tears were forming in her eyes. “You don’t know,” she said fiercely. Then she shook her head furiously and turned her gaze back to the bed, saying no more. Wulf took her arm and guided her into the chair, which she let him do this time. He went to stand beside Tolas on the other side of the bed.
Rainer was more battered than he’d ever seen anybody. Wulf looked across the bed to Saeunn. The last light of the day streamed through the single window of the room and struck her face with a golden glow.
“She will help,” said Tolas.
Saeunn got to work. She expertly examined Rainer’s body, finding bruises, following them to the worst point of injury and probing deeper, looking for, Wulf supposed, broken bones, damaged organs, things like that. People were like animals on the inside. He knew that was true. But it really hit home when the person was someone you knew and they were not moving except to breathe.
Is he going to die? Is he already on the way?
Saeunn looked up at Wulf. “I’ve called him back,” she said. “It did not take a large effort. He’s strong. He’s here with us again, fighting to wake up.” She passed a hand over Rainer’s eyes and he lost tension in his face and seemed to rest easier. “Sleep a little longer,” she said. Then Saeunn quickly moved her hands together, placed fingers on either side of his split and broken nose—and, with a quick twist, reset it. “There.”
She daubed away a spray of blood she’d released and handed the handkerchief to Wulf. “Give that that to your manservant and tell him to burn it. And while you’re out there, have one of the maids bring me warm honey and fennel in a compress. Tell her to ask Betani, the cook’s assistant, for these things. She knows her herbs. This will help the cuts on his legs.”
Wulf had totally forgotten about the gashes Gunnar had slashed across the back of Rainer’s thighs.
Wulf rose and took the bloody rag away. He found Grim and gave the maids Saeunn’s instructions. When he returned, Saeunn was speaking to Tolas.
“—bleeding under the skull is what worries me. I’ve stopped it, I think, but he has to rest for two or three days until he heals enough to keep the vessels from starting to bleed again.” She looked to Wulf and Ravenelle. “That means we’ve got to make him rest.”
“That’ll be a challenge,” said Ravenelle. She blurted out a short, nervous laugh, but the worried expression stayed on her face.
“He may want to get up and finish what he started,” Wulf said.
“Then he’s a fool,” Tolas said. “And so are you if that’s what you’re thinking of doing.” The gnome tugged at his chin, which was beardless but pudgy enough to let him get hold of a flap of skin. “That prince has gotten into his head a dislike of this boy for some reason. It would be a good idea to find out why.”
“It was me,” said Ravenelle. “He got the idea from me.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but bit her lip instead.
“What do you mean, Princess Ravenelle?” said Tolas.
“I—I can’t tell you.”
Tolas looked at her curiously. “I can only think you are you talking about Talaia communion.”
Ravenelle looked up, startled. “How did you know that?”
“I have heard that the Kingdom of Krehennest has established a regular trade in slaves and sugar with the south,” Tolas said. “With such close relations between countries, it stands to reason the Talaian faith has spread north. Perhaps the Krehennest royal family has converted?”
“But that can’t be the truth,” Wulf put in. “Gunnar is a Kalteman.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what happened,” Ravenelle replied, ignoring Wulf’s comment. “He told me so himself. The first time he and I…when he tried to commune with me.”
“So you two talk—inside your heads? Or is it something worse?” Wulf asked. He couldn’t believe she would do something to purposely harm Rainer.
“The communion is not like talking,” Ravenelle replied. “It’s more like when you finally understand something you’ve been trying to figure out. The meaning just comes to you.”
“What happened?” Tolas asked.
“He wanted to know about Ulla. I wouldn’t tell him anything. But he was strong. And he kept trying, kept pushing at me.”
“I still don’t get how it’s your fault, then,” Wulf said.
Ravenelle frowned. “He had to have gotten something, some thought, from me. How else would he have known Ulla is in love with a commoner?”
“She’s not—how do you know that?”
“Come on, Wulf. It’s not exactly big news around the castle. Everyone knows.”
“But Rainer isn’t the one after Ulla,” Wulf continued, “It’s someone else, it’s—” He almost finished the thought, but did not. He would keep Ulla’s secret.
“Perhaps the princess’s explanation makes some sense, however,” Tolas put in. “If Prince Gunnar learned from her that a commoner was after his bride, the prince may have decided to take out his rival.”
“Stope’s the only commoner any nobleman could believe would have the nerve to go after Ulla,” Ravenelle said. “Anyway, Stope gets tangled up in my thoughts a lot.”
“What does that mean?” Wulf asked.
Saeunn smiled the slightest smile and removed her hands from Rainer’s head. “Once we get the dressings applied, I think he’ll be all right,” she said softly. “We should get word to the duchess.”
Wulf barely heard her. He’d just realized something else that shocked him.
“Are you in love with Rainer?” he asked Ravenelle. “Is that it?”
Last night is enough to deal with, he thought. Is everything going to turn upside down now?
Ravenelle was crying. Little droplets of blood ran down her cheeks. She swiped fiercely at her tears with her sleeve.
“I hate this place,” she said. “I hate everything.” She stood up. “When I get out of here, I’m never coming back.” She ran to the door and flung it open, then slammed it shut behind her as she left.
Nobody spoke for a moment. Wulf turned to the others.
“I don’t believe it,” he said. “Talaia is mumbo-jumbo, not real.”
“It’s real,” Saeunn said. “And more evil than Ravenelle can possibly imagine.” She touched a single finger to Rainer’s forehead. “He’ll sleep until tomorrow night.”
“Why don’t you have your man stay outside on watch,” Tolas said to Wulf. “He seems very competent.”
“Yes, I’ll tell him,” Wulf said.
“You’ve been through a lot. You must get yourself looked after,” said Tolas, touching Wulf’s arm gently. “I have my duties at the university, or I would see to it.”
“Look, Master Tolas, I want to stay,” Wulf said. “The doctor will come here anyway. I’ll sit by the fire.”
“Very well,” Tolas said. He walked to the door, then turned and considered the three who remained in the room.
“It seems I did not wholly fail with you three,” he said. He seemed like he was about to add something more, but then bowed slightly and went out.
Wulf sighed. He slumped down into the chair he’d pulled up for Ravenelle.
“I’ll stay with you,” said Saeunn. “There is more mending to do for Rainer.” She looked at Wulf with her usual calm and serene expression. “And for you, Wulf.”
“Tolas,” he said. “Who would have thought he’d be so awesome—you know, today when we needed him.”
“He’s one of a kind.”
“And do you really think it’s real, Talaia mind reading? Red-cake and the holy host and all that?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Okay,” he said, and yawned. “But you’re friends with Ravenelle.”
“Yes, she’s my friend.”
“Are you my friend?”
“Yes, Wulf.”
“Just friends?”
Saeunn cocked her head and looked at him with the slightest of smiles. “Don’t ask me that, Wulf.”
So. Now he knew where he stood with her. At least that was settled. Just friends it was, and would be. But he still felt like he wanted to tell Saeunn his doubts, his worries. He felt like he could tell her anything.
“I fought a draugar last night.”
Saeunn nodded. “I’m worried,” she said, “There are three of them, you know. The draug are terrible beings.”
“Yeah. And they stink.”
Saeunn didn’t answer. She moved her chair toward him and reached out and touched his arm. Wulf jerked up, suddenly alert, but then he felt a calm trickle over him. There was a sound in his ears like a mountain stream falling over rocks.
“Rest for a while,” Saeunn said. “Your servant outside will take care of anything that needs tending to.”
“All right,” Wulf said. “I guess that would be okay. To rest, I mean.”
“You need to heal, too,” she said.
Wulf wanted to reply, but he was so tired, so ready to let it all go for a while. Saeunn was here. She was staying. That was a good enough reason to remain just where he was.
And when he had almost dropped off, when he was more asleep than not, and there was no climbing back to wakefulness, not for a good long while, Saeunn leaned closer.
“Ravenelle and Rainer,” Wulf muttered. “Didn’t see that one coming either. They’re doomed.”
“They’re not the only ones,” Saeunn whispered. But Wulf was already asleep.
Saeunn quietly stood and went to stand by the window and gaze up at the sky, which was now dark enough for the stars to appear for the evening.
Her star.
What does it mean, my star, my own? Can one of the draug really be here in Raukenrose?
It’s a time of turmoil, my child my own. Do you doubt what the young men saw?
No.
Then a terrible shadow is falling.
Which draugar is it? It can’t be all three, can it?
I do not think so. Geizul is in Rome. Gauss works in the south. This is probably Wuten.
Who can stand against a draugar?
Yet someone has.
They said they killed it…him.
They have forced him to change forms. He won’t like that.
We can’t stand against something like this. We need help.
Her star did not answer for a while. She twinkled in consideration.
There is one who might aid you. He was once a draugar. He may know what to do.
Eifer? The Gray Company? But I thought that was just a story.
It is just a story. That happens to be true.
Can he help?
His ways are strange. We will ask. The star’s voice softened. But you have enough worries for now, my child, my own. Tend to your wounded. Look after your heart.
I will do what I can, my star, my own. My heart…seems to have its own will.
Gentle, sparkling laughter. Tend it like a garden and you will find your answers, my child, my own. And remember, I love you.
And I love you.
Rest, my child. We are being useful and we are together with people who care about us. That is enough for today. Rest.
Wulf woke near dawn. A single candle burned on the bedside table. Saeunn was still there, and still awake.
“How is he?”
“Better.”
Wulf sat up in his chair and looked at Rainer. Sometime in the night, Saeunn or someone had put on ointment and several bandages. His legs stuck out from beneath the covers. They were wrapped around the knees with strips of cloth that must’ve held in the honey and fennel mixture Saeunn had ordered.
He turned and looked at the window. The faintest of gray morning light shone through the chinks between the boards in the closed shutters.
“What time is it?” said another voice in the room. Wulf and Saeunn were both startled. They turned to see Rainer, his eyes open, sitting up in bed. “What are you two doing, anyway?”
Wulf followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at Saeunn’s and Wulf’s hands, holding on to one another. Saeunn smiled and gently withdrew her own.
“Waiting for sunrise,” she said.
Rainer nodded. He winced and put a hand to his head. “I didn’t win, I guess?”
“It was pretty much a draw,” Wulf said.
Rainer let out a ragged breath, but followed it with a smile. “That prince is going to wish he’d killed me,” he said.