Egelric wakes

“Has he awoken yet?”

It was his lord’s voice. Egelric opened his eyes and found that the dark behind them had gone. He was in Ethelmund’s house – in Ethelmund’s bed. Ethelmund was there, but before him stood his lord, smiling down at him and shaking his head.

“Well now, Sleeping Beauty. I shall send word to the castle and tell our young Prince that he needn’t come kiss you after all.”

Egelric took a breath to speak, but let it out again when he found that it came with a stabbing pain in his side.

“I thought you had broken a rib or two,” Alred said.

“What happened?” Egelric whispered.

“Jupiter, I’m here to ask you the same thing.”

“I saw the elf – ” Egelric began, but he stopped, wincing with the pain.

Alred came to the bed and ran a hand down Egelric’s side.

“Aie!”

“That one? Never mind, you’re still breathing, old man. I’ve had a few of these myself. It hurts like all hell, but you’ll be fine in a few weeks. The other ribs will support the one that is broken. Just don’t start coughing up blood.”

“I shall try not to.”

“Now, why don’t I tell you how we found you, and then you can tell me how you got that way?”

Egelric nodded, feeling down his bare chest for the source of the pain.

“We found you lying on your back in the crossroads with your shirt off and your belt around your neck. Your horse was lying a few yards away, rather thoroughly butchered, and with your knife rammed into its skull through the eye. Sound familiar, any of this?”

Egelric shook his head.

“You say you saw the elf? Which elf?”

“The same.”

“Damn!” Alred said, turning to pace a while in the room. “Did you talk to him?”

“No. My horse – threw me. I think he – fell on me.” Damn! With his shallow breathing he was obliged to talk like the elf now.

“So all of this – the shirt and the belt and killing of the horse – all of this happened while you were out of it?”

Egelric nodded.

“Damn!” Alred turned to pace again. When he returned to the bedside he asked, “So you didn’t talk to him at all? You didn’t learn anything at all?”

“I learned – he lives.”

“If you can call it that! Why didn’t he kill you?”

“Last time he said – he couldn’t.”

“Perhaps the belt around your neck was meant to show you he would like to. I suppose he had to content himself with your horse. Lucky for you! If it had been you I had found out there with a knife in your wooden head, I should never have spoken to you again, and then where would you have been?”

“Damned,” Egelric smiled.

“You have never said a truer word! Now, care to tell me what happened to your sword? And to your shirt, you hairy beast?”

“They’re gone?”

“We couldn’t find them.”

Egelric shook his head. “No one – killed?”

“Only your poor horse, old man.”

“He will – come again.”

“I hope he does. We know when and where to look for him. We shall be rid of him one of these new moons, Egelric. He’s not clever enough. You know, Sigefrith always says that a good soldier has no habits. This creature is simply bursting with them.”

Egelric nodded slowly.

“Don’t fret, Egelric. A horse and a broken rib are a light tribute for the month. Next moon we shall be ready. Now, I have to get me back to my lady and assure her that her favorite squire is still among us, even if he will be confined to bed for a week or two. I shall send Githa and children back to you, Ethelmund, but I should warn you that you had better get a shirt on that man before she sees him, or I won’t be held responsible for any domestic discord that arises.”