Alwy comes for Egelric

“Come in, Alwy – what is it?” Alwy looked upset.

“Gunnie just come back from the keep,” Alwy whimpered. “She said they’re asking for you to come, Egelric. You and Baby too. They said His Grace wants to see you, and she said – said – ”

“Go on, Alwy,” Egelric soothed. Alwy looked as if he would cry.

“She said they don’t think His Grace will last the night. He’s real bad.”

Egelric’s heart sank. Of course they knew this night would come. But he had seen Alred only a few days before, and they had talked – just talked as if it wouldn’t be the last time, or the next-​​to-​​last time. They hadn’t said goodbye. Perhaps that was what Alred wanted now. 

But that would mean that Alred had admitted it was the end. And if Alred had at last admitted it, it truly had to be the end.

“If you see him,” Alwy said, “Maybe you can tell him that old Alwy won’t never forget him.”

“None of us will,” Egelric said. He found that his tears had begun to fall before even Alwy’s did.