Egelric returns

Alred awoke laughing—he must have been dreaming. But he grew serious at once when he realized that it was Osric, his valet, who had awoken him, and Osric looked troubled.

“What is it?”

“The Squire has returned,” the man whispered.

“The Squire!” Alred was up at once.

“He’s very ill,” Osric said as he handed him his pants.

“What’s the matter with him?”

“He may have what the children have. He doesn’t have the spots, but he has the fever and the cough. His cough is quite bad. It seems he walked here, all through the night.”

“Forget that,” Alred whispered as the man attempted to hand him his tunic. He took Osric by the arm and led him to the door. “Where is he?” he asked.

“He went to lie down in one of the guards’ rooms.”

Alred trotted down the stairs to the lowest level and found the room Egelric had chosen by following the sound of his coughing.

Egelric was sitting up on the edge of the bed—the better to cough, Alred thought. He remembered how that could be.

“Well, well, old man, I’m happy to see you home. Now what’s your story? I spent the last two days combing the woods for you.”

Egelric coughed again and then looked up at him, a vague half-​smile on his face. “Alred,” he said.

“Very clever of you or very bold of you to call your lord by his name tonight of all nights, Squire. Where have you been?”

“Would you believe me if I said I had been walking on the moon?” he asked softly.

“No, I would not, although that would explain why I never found a trace of you out there. You look dreadful, Egelric. Are you very ill?”

“Are the children ill?”

“Quite a few of the peasant children are. There have been deaths. None of ours. Well, the Ashdown boy is ill.”

“My Baby?”

“No, no, Baby is fine, although she has been crying her eyes out over you, Egelric. I told her you might have gone up to Thorhold—told her you had mentioned that you needed to go one of these days. I do not think she believed me, but I recommend you tell her that’s where you’ve been if your best explanation is that you’ve been on the moon.”

Egelric coughed again, a deep cough that Alred knew to be grave.

“Never mind, we can chat tomorrow. Why don’t you get undressed and get some sleep? You don’t want a warmer room?”

“No, I shall remain here,” he said. He rose and slowly removed his cloak and his clothing.

“Can I have some hot wine sent?”

“No, nothing, I thank you,” he mumbled. He seemed to be drifting away—farther away even than he had been when he had given him that vague smile and called him uncharacteristically by his name.

“Your lady will be overjoyed to hear that you have returned. It will be a pleasure to tell her.”

Egelric sat again. Now that he was undressed, Alred could see how painfully he breathed. He could also see his ribs. Egelric looked almost wasted, and Alred wondered suddenly how long he had been ill.

“Anything you need, old man?”

He shook his head slowly.

“Afraid you’ll cough if you talk?”

He nodded.

“All right, I understand perfectly. Simply try to get some sleep, and none of your nonsense! as Gunnilda would say.”

Egelric nodded silently.