Rulers of Westover (Book 1 in the RoW Series)

Chapter Thirty-Five

10:7:13 Light 

Never in all her years, had Tandy Rou seen a girl so upset about becoming a woman. As she poured water over Lady Avery Maynet's head, the girl quietly cried to herself. Tandy had gone to Quentin, bold as she dared, and told him that Avery stank like a rat's nest and needed a bath. She had left out the bloody part. Quentin had stared at her long and hard while the scholar at Fort Bayline wound clean bandages round his left hand. The wound didn't seem to be getting any better. Tandy knew Quentin washed it whenever advised, had the bandages changed whenever advised.... he did everything that was advised yet it stank only hours later after each wash and the bandages became tinted an ugly yellow. Quentin had nodded once the scholar had left the room. "Okay, but I want to see her in my room in half an hour." 

That had been ten minutes ago. "Everything will be alright, my lady," she murmured, combing Avery's hair. It was beautiful again. The grease and dirt was all washed away and it was back to its natural colour. 

"No it won't," Avery replied bitterly. "You don't understand." 

Tandy sighed and kneeled beside the bath and looked at Avery. The younger girl stared back at her shyly, still sniffling. "Has your brother told you what happened to his hand, my lady?" 

Avery shook her head slowly. "No." 

Tandy smiled. "Blake Auber gave him that wound protecting me."

"Protecting you?" Avery echoed. 

Tandy nodded. "My lady, do you honestly think you are the only one your brother has gone after?"

A sudden rage had filled Tandy but now it was gone again and she realised the tone she'd used to say that had not been appropriate to use with a highborn. "I apologise, my lady, I'll be quiet if it please you." 

"It doesn't please me," Avery said, suddenly furious too. "Did he hurt you?" 

Tandy shook her head and Avery relaxed a little. "No, my lady, he didn't. But he would have if Blake hadn't walked into the tent and thrown a knife into his hand."  

Avery was silent. 

"So I do understand, my lady, truly," Tandy continued, destroying the silence. "Blake may not have helped you, but someone else will. And they will protect you from all the harm in the world." 

The young noble actually smiled. "My knight in black armour..."

Tandy did not know who Avery spoke of, but she nodded and smiled and said what servants were meant to say. "Yes, my lady." 

                                                                                *     *     *

Maxwell saw the Vaughan soldiers’ silhouettes in the mist - barely. He almost trampled one man. Irving came trotting over on his destrier, a look of discontent on his face. "Blake sent word, apparently, your majesty" the Vaughan said, making sure to use the honorific. "Aland didn't take too kindly to us showing up. Your scout wasn't being dramatic when he said there's an archer on every inch of the bulwarks, either. Any chance of negotiating ended when arrows began raining down on me." 

Maxwell sighed. "And did you improvise?" 

Irving snorted. "That's why they started firing arrows." 

"Mew." Irving stared past Maxwell, eyes wide, until he saw the source of the mewing, and he suddenly looked bewildered. "You brought the cat," he said. 

Maxwell shrugged. "He followed us." 

Truth be told, Maxwell hadn't much wanted to leave Barnaby behind anyway, but had decided it would be kinder if he did. However the small feline had had other ideas, and had followed the army, unbeknown to Maxwell. He'd only just realised the cat was following a little after Irving had taken the Vaughan soldiers north. Barnaby had come out the mist, purring and confusing the horses and the men. It was a surprise the cat had managed to keep up.