Child Of A Guardian And Of The Free (Book 3) (6 page)

Chapter
5

Charie

‘
Are you conscious Dale?’ asked Eibhear. Dale opened his eyes and glared in annoyance at the figure standing against his window.

‘
Do you mind standing in my sunshine?’ he said irritably. ‘Haven’t you got anything useful to do? Otious bastard! I’m sure Kelian could find you something to do if you could get off your lazy behind and ask! And what are you doing in my room anyway?’

‘
Typical! I wasn’t expecting you to say ‘Oh thank you Eibhear for feeding me pelgavik and water for days on end and keeping me alive’, but the least you could do is be civil!’ Eibhear frowned at Dale and folded his arms across his chest.

‘
Oh thank you Eibhear for feeding me pelgavik and water for days on end and keeping me alive, now get out of my sunshine or I’ll have someone defenestrate you!’ said Dale rudely. ‘Where’s the King?’

‘
He left for Tathra nearly a week ago,’ said Eibhear. He-’

‘
What! A week?’ gasped Dale trying to swing his legs over the side of the bed. He failed but managed to roll himself over and he hit the floor with a resounding thud. ‘Rrrrr,’ he growled as he tried vainly to drag himself up onto the bed. Eibhear watched impassively as Dale struggled until the Baron eventually flopped feebly to the floor.

‘
If you ask nicely, I’ll put you back on the bed,’ said Eibhear, not moving from where he leaned against the window sill.

‘
Don’t you dare to even touch me,’ Dale grunted, trying to force his weakened limbs into action.

‘
Fine, I won’t,’ said Eibhear with finality, turning away and looking through the window.

Eventually Dale stopped struggling and lay still.
‘Eibhear?’ he mumbled sadly, without raising his head.

‘
Yes?’ said Eibhear, unfolding his arms and turning towards Dale as he felt an entirely different emotion coming from the Baron. Dale didn’t respond, so Eibhear moved around the bed and knelt beside him. Dale managed to open his eyes briefly and look pleadingly at Eibhear. Eibhear picked him up and dropped him on the bed.

Two days later, Dale regained consciousness once again. He
lay without opening his eyes wondering if Eibhear was in the room. With a sinking feeling he remembered what he’d said to the free warrior. He knew the pelgavik affected his temperament badly, as it did most humans, but since it was the only known treatment for a person touched by Nailmarni blood, there was nothing to do but take the remedy and cope with the effects. He felt a flash of guilt because he knew Eibhear had been the one feeding him and forcing him to drink whilst he was unconscious. He wondered how many times Eibhear had been responsible for saving his life, and he felt the blood rush to his face as he considered how obnoxious he’d been when he last awoke. Eventually he opened one eye a fraction of an inch and saw Eibhear grinning at him from the doorway of his room. He sighed sadly and opened both eyes.

‘
Good! You’re awake!’ Eibhear exclaimed, moving to the chair beside Dale’s bed.

‘
Eibhear...’ Dale began, not quite knowing what to say.

‘
Don’t worry about it,’ said Eibhear, waving his hand unconcernedly. ‘You don’t need to say anything. I already know you’re the most cantankerous, obnoxious, discourteous, rude, and insufferable-’

‘
Rude and insufferable; Dale must be awake!’ a voice said from the hallway and Rudiger appeared seconds later.

‘
Haven’t you lazy bastards got something better to do than torment me?’ Dale muttered. In actual fact, he could tell by the state of Rudiger’s and Eibhear’s clothing and the dust covering them that they’d most likely been working on the city’s new wall.

‘
Lazy? This, coming from someone who’s been in bed for so long we wondered if he’d survive!’ said Rudiger, raising an eyebrow.

‘
I can’t stay here,’ said Dale. ‘I have to get to Emerald.’

‘
It’s a long road to Emerald. You’re not up to the journey yet, Dale.’

‘
Which ships are in the harbor?’ asked Dale.

‘
The White Ibis,’ said Rudiger. ‘Captain Mervin is still here.’

‘
Good. Find out if he’s been given any orders and if he hasn’t, you can tell him I want to leave tomorrow.’

‘
You’re not strong enough. You need a few more days.’

‘
I’ll be fine. Just go and find him Rudi,’ said Dale crossly.

‘
If I could remind you that I’m free, Dale,’ Rudiger growled. ‘I don’t have to do- Oh Supreme Majesty!’ he interrupted himself sounding both annoyed and confused. ‘Fine, pack your gear and we’ll leave. I’ll go and find Mervin,’ he said crossly, turning abruptly and leaving the room.

‘
Eibhear?’ said Dale cautiously as the sound of Rudiger’s footsteps faded.

‘
Do you want me to hold you upright whilst you pack?’ asked Eibhear sarcastically.

Dale raised one eyebrow.
‘No, I want you to pack for me,’ he said sounding a little desperate. ‘Please?’

Eibhear picked up Dale
’s empty pack from where it had been dropped in the corner of the room. ‘What do you want to take with you?’ he asked turning to Dale. He stared in surprise as Dale began to snore. ‘Well, I guess I’ll choose what you want to take,’ muttered Eibhear. He rolled up a bundle of clothing which had obviously been washed, and pushed it to the bottom of Dale’s pack, then he threw in a comb which appeared to have never been used, and a small dagger which he knew Dale usually kept with him. He turned to the dirty clothing which had been thrown into a corner of the room. The snoring stopped momentarily.

‘
Not the stuff on the floor, it’s dirty,’ mumbled Dale. He rolled over without opening his eyes and the snoring resumed.

‘
You know, that’s kind of disturbing,’ said Eibhear, watching Dale uneasily. ‘Either you’re asleep, or you’re not.’

‘
I’m asleep,’ said Dale almost incoherently. He started snoring again and Eibhear shrugged and continued to pick up items and throw them into Dale’s pack. Ten minutes later Rudiger reappeared.

‘
Captain Mervin said he’ll be right to leave by dawn tomorrow if Dale wishes,’ he said over Dale’s snoring which had increased significantly in volume.

‘
I’m sure he’ll jump at the opportunity to go,’ said Eibhear.

‘
He’s not going to be ready to walk to the ship, is he Eibhear?’

‘
Not a chance. But I’ll bet he’s far too stubborn to let one of us carry him.’

‘
We could take him down now.’

Dale gave an extra load snore and then opened his eyes slightly.
‘Can we just see how I am in the morning? If I can’t walk...I guess I’ll have no choice.’

‘
You can check what I put in your pack too,’ said Eibhear.

‘
What you put in will be fine.’

‘
You didn’t even see what I packed.’

‘
No. But I’m sure you know what I’ll need,’ said Dale. ‘You’re probably capable of the difficult task of pushing clothing into my pack and if you mess it up I’ll just steal most of your gear.’ He turned over once again and the snores resumed.

‘
I should put a spider in there, just to see if he ever actually changes clothing,’ said Eibhear, rolling his eyes and turning away.

To Dale
’s annoyance he was still too weak to walk when he awoke the next morning. He managed to drag himself into a sitting position, but knew immediately that he would fall to the floor if he attempted to stand up. He lay back down and waited patiently. It was only seconds before Eibhear appeared.

‘
Are you listening to my thoughts?’ asked Dale indignantly as the warrior entered the room.

‘
Would you prefer to lie here on the bed all day, waiting for the feint chance that I might remember you exist?’

‘
Where’s my pack?’

Eibhear picked it up from beside the bed and dumped it beside Dale. Dale glanced warily at Eibhear without touching his pack.

‘
What’s wrong? I thought you trusted my packing skills,’ said Eibhear.

‘
You wouldn’t really put a spider in there, would you Eibhear?’ Dale looked suspiciously at his pack.

‘
I might,’ said Eibhear with a wicked chuckle. ‘But I didn’t...yet. Are you ready to go?’

‘
I need to go to the dunnigin,’ said Dale. ‘That’s a bit embarrassing isn’t it? I need to be carried to the dunnigin and carried to the ship. I hate being ill,’ he said miserably. ‘Perhaps I should wait another day or two, before we leave for Emerald.’

‘
Dale, you’ve been in bed for over a week and you are relatively clean, your clothing is also reasonably clean and your sheets are fresh,’ Eibhear pointed out. ‘It’s far too late for you to start being embarrassed.’ Without waiting for Dale to complain further, he picked him up, carried him to the dunnigin, waited patiently and then carried the Baron back to his room, placing him back on his bed.

Within seconds of their return
there was a knock at the door and Charie appeared carrying a towel and several wash cloths. She entered without waiting to be invited and two men carrying a tub of warm water followed her into the room.

‘
Beside the bed please,’ she said, and the two men placed the tub on the floor. ‘Oh! You’re awake Baron! Would you like me to bathe you again today?’

Dale
’s jaw dropped open and his face turned a deep shade of red.

‘
I think he’ll be alright by himself today, Charie,’ said Eibhear, trying not to laugh at the horrified look on Dale’s face.

‘
I’ll leave the towel then,’ she said looking quite disappointed. She placed the towel and wash-cloths on the table beside Dale’s bed and left the room, looking back regretfully from the doorway before disappearing down the hall.

‘
Eibhear!’ Dale was gasping in shock. ‘She didn’t! Did she? How could you let her-’ Dale gave one final groan of embarrassment and pulled the covers over his face.

‘
Of course I let her bathe you Dale. I sure as hell wasn’t doing it.’ Eibhear looked repulsed at the thought. ‘Besides, she was quite happy to oblige. In fact, she rather enjoyed it. Of course I had to get Callian to make sure you were unconscious.
Really
unconscious I mean - not just half asleep like you usually are. He said it was difficult, and anyone else would have probably died considering how deeply he stilled your mind, but he was confident you’d remember nothing. Otherwise who knows how badly you might have reacted.’

Dale stayed beneath the covers,
doubting he could ever look Charie in the eye again. He wondered how she’d managed to bathe him as she barely came up to his shoulder even when she was wearing shoes and he knew it must have been a difficult task for her when he was unconscious. He blushed darkly as he imagined her washing him, but he found himself captivated by the thought of Charie’s pretty freckled face leaning over him and her white blond hair tickling his skin as she touched him. Eibhear laughed aloud and Dale flung the covers away in annoyance.

Eibhear shrugged apologetically.
‘I’m sorry Dale. I’m sure you meant to keep
that
thought private!’

Dale stared at him as conflicting emotions rippe
d through his heart. ‘Eibhear, can you call her back?’

‘
That I can do,’ said Eibhear confidently. A minute later Charie appeared once again, looking a little confused but also pleased. ‘I’ll take your pack to the ship, Dale,’ said Eibhear casually. He closed the door as he left.

‘
Are you still too weak to bathe?’ asked Charie.

‘
No. I think I could bathe myself,’ Dale admitted. His heart beat a little faster as he gazed at her. Her hands looked like they had been hastily washed and he could tell she had been working with flour. There were traces of something oily on her apron. He reached up and took her hand, pulling her closer to the bed. ‘I just wanted you to do it,’ he finally admitted, looking warily into her eyes.

She smiled at him and blushed deeply.
‘I’d like that,’ she replied in a whisper. With utmost care she removed his night shirt. She picked up a washcloth, rinsed it in the water and began to wash his body. He watched her intently as she worked. Eventually he reached out and dragged her down until her face was inches from his own.

‘
Now what?’ he murmured.

‘
I should finish bathing you and then I have to go,’ she said, as unexpected tears filled her eyes. ‘Dale this can’t happen.’

‘
Why not?’

‘
Because you’re a Baron and I’m a kitchen maid, and you have to go back to Emerald, and I have to stay here.’