The Robber Knight's Love

07. Down, Down and Away

The heavy footsteps stopped at the top of the stairs. Ayla retreated another step—but when the cellar door was pushed open, the figure appearing in the doorway was no enemy soldier. It was one of Ayla's own guards, and a grin of joy and excitement lay on his face.

“Milady,” he called down into the cellar. “Milady, I just passed the chamber upstairs, you know, the one we put this merchant in when we found him...”

Ayla’s heart went from hammering to frozen in an instant. What had Reuben done?

“And...?” she asked, her voice quivering.

“And I heard voices! Sir Isenbard is awake! He's finally awake, Milady, isn't that wonderful?”

Joy flooded Ayla’s heart, warming it, bolstering it, for the moment making all her sorrow and heartache forgotten. Isenbard was awake! Finally!

“How is he?” she demanded eagerly, stepping around Burchard, who did not stop her this time. “Is he hurting? Is he able to move? How does his speech sound? Is he completely conscious or only half aware?”

“I do not know, Milady. I only heard him utter a few words, then I ran fast as my feet could carry me to inform you of his recovery.”

“You did right,” she assured him.

“Will you go and attend to him?” The soldier sounded hopeful. He was obviously burning with the desperate wish to have his old commander back on his feet and in fighting condition. “Shall I inform him of your coming, Milady?”

She wanted to say yes; she had already opened her mouth and formed the first syllable with her lips—then she remembered Reuben. Abruptly, she shirked back. No! She couldn't be in the same room with him. Not now. Not after what he...

Quickly, she shook her head. “No. I, err... will have to constantly keep an eye on him and am too busy right now to be always climbing stairs. Send a few men up there and have him brought to me in the main hall immediately!”

*~*~**~*~*

“Bring the convalescent to Lady Ayla? Which one?” asked the guard. “This fellow, Reuben?”

Reuben's grip tightened around the iron candlestick. Swift as a panther he jumped to his feet and raised his makeshift weapon, prepared to strike down the first man who dared to enter. The old knight at the other end of the room blinked at him, obviously not quite understanding what he was doing, standing behind a door with a raised candlestick in his hand.

Well, Reuben thought wryly, he would understand soon enough.

“No,” replied the other guard. “Not that one. Sir Isenbard. Lady Ayla is very desirous of speaking with him.”

Relief flooded Reuben's body and he let the candlestick fall. They hadn't come for him! Not yet, anyway.

“Here I am, my good men,” Isenbard called, apparently all too eager to leave the company of his strange roommate.

One of the guards opened the door and the soldiers filed in one by one. Reuben retreated into a corner, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Not an easy task for a man six foot seven inches tall and with a curved scar on his forehead, but still, he thought it best to do all he could to not attract the attention of the guards. If they didn't pay attention to him, they would not try to kill him. If they did not try to kill him, he would not have to kill them, which would be a good thing. Killing her guards was definitely not the right thing to do to regain Ayla's affections, and Reuben was determined to do exactly that.