Egelric climbed the stairs wearily, counting every scrape-lift-clomp of his hard-soled boots on the stone as he went. He even watched them go, and so he very nearly walked into his lord at the top of the stairs.
“Good morning, Squire.”
Egelric stared at him for a moment. It was only just dawn, and he was already dressed. Unless… “Tell me you’re just getting up.”
“Certainly not. I hope I shall shortly be going to bed. Is there no news?”
“Nothing,” Egelric said in disgust.
“Come with me,” Alred said. “I don’t want to wake anyone.”
Egelric followed him into the arched corridor that ran over the gate and connected the tower where his children slept with the tower where his bedroom lay, along with those of Egelric and other guests. Between the two, no one on either side would hear.
“I waited all night for nothing,” Egelric said.
“As did I, but you will forgive me if I am not as disappointed as you sound.”
“I’m not disappointed,” he sighed. “I have only had a very long, anxious, and pointless night.”
“I wish you had let me join you, in that case.”
“If I had known, I would have.”
“Don’t let us be too relieved,” Alred said. “Perhaps they left you alone because they were out doing evil somewhere else. We shall have to wait to hear whether there was trouble somewhere away from the crossroads.”
“I’ve already seen a few farmers coming in from all directions. No one has seen or heard anything this night.”
“I hope it is the case. But it doesn’t make sense. Why would the elves free those two if they didn’t mean to unleash them on us again?”
“Perhaps they no longer mean to limit themselves to nights of the new moon,” Egelric suggested.
“A good warrior has no habits, as Sigefrith likes to say.”
“Let us hope that they still have that one. I can’t sit out there every night.”
“No one will ask you to do so.”
“I didn’t mean to call after him, but I finally did when I saw how late it was,” he sighed. “He never came.”
“You would rather see him than the woman, would you?”
“I suppose so. I feel as if I know Druze better. He is gruesomely violent, but he lacks the viciousness and cruelty of Midra, I think,” Egelric said, somewhat startled to hear himself discussing the evil of the elves as he would discuss the points of a horse he thought of purchasing. “She was the one who stole my wife’s body.”
“Wait a moment – how do you know her name is Midra?”
Egelric blanched. He hadn’t mentioned his conversation with the creature calling herself the Dark Lady to his lord – he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. But he was so tired… he had let the name slip. Although equally tired, his lord was keen enough to have caught it.
“I don’t know – ” he stuttered. “It’s a name I made up I suppose.”
“How poetic of you,” Alred said dryly.
“Do you suppose we could continue this conversation after we have had a bit of sleep?” Egelric asked, hoping to avoid any further lapses.
“I believe it would be wisest if we did,” Alred said, turning to lead him back into the tower.
“You will wake me if any news comes?”
“I assure you, you shall be awoken at once.”
“I hope you mean to sleep as well.”
“If Matilda is still abed I shall lie down with her for a while.”
“I said sleep.”
Alred laughed softly as they reached their parting of ways. “How well you know me, Squire.”
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