08

Roban opened the door and went into the room first. She pulled Mairyn in after her and closed the door. The room was very warm. The fire place had a blazing fire in it. In front of the fire place was a large tub for bathing. Mairyn went over to the tub and it was full of warm scented water. A clean sleeping dress lay on the cover of the bed. A soft warm large towel lay beside it. Mairyn couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than a bath but she didn’t think she’d be able to climb in the tub. Once again, Roban came to her aid.

Roban took the blanket from around her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. She untied the rope belt from around Mairyn’s waist and added it to the blanket on the floor. She had Mairyn sit on the edge of the bed and she lifted Mairyn’s dress over her head. Mairyn was sad at her ruined dress. She had only had the beautiful garment for one day and it was ruined and she didn’t even do any work. Roban tossed it on the pile. Roban looked at Mairyn’s naked body and shook her head at all of the black and blue bruises all over Mairyn’s body. Roban took Mairyn by the hand and took her over to the bath tub. She let Mairyn lean on her so that Mairyn could slowly climb her way into the tub. The water was very warm. Mairyn sat in the steaming water and leaned back. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of lavender and rye. Her limbs were already beginning to relax. Mairyn submerged herself completely, holding her breath and letting the warm water wash over her head and sooth the bumps on her scalp. She stayed under water until she couldn’t hold her breath any longer and then she surfaced in a sputter exhalation of breath. She sat back up and leaned against the back of the tub. Roban was by the fire ladling some liquid into a cup straining it through a cloth. Roban gathered the cloth and took it off of the cup. She brought the cup to Mairyn and put the cup in Mairyn’s hand. She indicated for Mairyn to drink. Mairyn sniffed the cup. There was warm wine in it and she could smell honey and cloves and something else she couldn’t quite identify. Mairyn pointed to the cup and gave a questioning gesture. Roban brought over the straining cloth and opened it for Mairyn to see what was inside. Mairyn saw the cloves which she could smell and there was also bits of licorice and willow bark. The wine and cloves would help her sleep. The licorice would keep the swelling down and the willow bark would take away some of the pain. The wine was hot but Mairyn took a big gulp anyway. She wanted to get some of the soothing drink in her so she could feel better. The shook was beginning to wear off and questions and thoughts were beginning to come into her head and she did not want to think. She could feel the wine spread warmth throughout her body, soothing muscles and taking away the pain. Her brain was becoming dull and thoughtless and her body was becoming numb. She finished drinking all of the wine and almost dropped the cup as she was handing it back to Roban. Roban put the cup down and came back to the tub with the drying towel and the stool. She helped Mairyn stand and climb out of the tub. Roban wrapped the towel around Mairyn and had her sit on the stool in front of the fire. As Mairyn sat there dozing, Roban combed out her hair and dried it with another towel. She wrapped Mairyn’s hair in the towel then helped Mairyn over to the bed. She pulled back the blankets, took the drying towel and helped Mairyn put on the clean sleeping dress. Mairyn climbed into bed, Roban covered her and held Mairyn’s hand until Mairyn fell asleep.

Mairyn woke during the night sweating. She sat up in bed, not sure where she was. She looked around and remembered she was in her room at Wulfhall. Roban should have been in the bed next to her but she wasn’t. Mairyn tried to get out of bed but it wasn’t easy because she was so sore. She moved slowly and carefully because her head began pounding again. Mairyn got out of bed and slowly made her way around the room. Roban was not there. The tub still sat in the room, the water now cold. The fire in the fire place was a pile of burning embers. Mairyn added a couple of logs so they could flare up and add some light to the room. Mairyn found her shoes and put them on. She had no idea what time of day it was r how long she had been asleep. She was still very tired so she didn’t think she had been asleep for very long. It was afternoon when she had gone to bed. It was possible she had only slept for a couple of hours. She didn’t want to go into the hall but she did want to know what time it was and she hoped to get more drugged wine and maybe some bread. She was hungry but more than anything she was in pain. Mairyn went to the door and opened it a crack and peeked out. The evening meal was in progress. It was a very quiet affair compared to the midday meal. No one was laughing and joking right now. Every one ate quietly. Someone noticed Mairyn peeking from the door and pointed in her direction. The bedroom doors were behind the head table. Wulfgard and Petre turned around and looked at her when the man pointed in her direction. Her chair sat empty between them. Gideon’s stool was empty next to his father’s chair. Wulfgard and Petre got up at the same time and came over to her.

“How are you feeling?” asked Petre.

“My head hurts along with the rest of my body. Could I get some more of the mulled wine Roban gave me earlier? It helped me sleep. Is it still the same day or did I sleep through a day?”

Wulfgard ordered one of the serving girls to fetch Mairyn some wine.

“It is still the same day,” said Wulfgard. “Come sit down at table and eat some thing while we wait for your wine.”

“I am not dressed.”

“We will not worry about that today. Come.”
He took Mairyn’s hand and walked her to his own chair and had her sit there. He had some one bring her an extra cushion for her back. Wulfgard sat on her stool and gave her choice soft pieces of meat. He tore up bread into pieces and soaked them in the meat juices to soften the bread. She ate slowly and delicately as her one front tooth and her lips were very sore. Petre sat to her left in Gideon’s chair. Someone brought her a cup of warm milk which tasted particularly good. She drank the whole cup in one long swallow. There was some applesauce sweetened with generous amounts of honey that she ate instead of the meat. The meat was too hard to chew. She stuck with the applesauce and the soaked bread which tasted really good with the meat juices. She didn’t eat a whole lot but she had enough to make her feel somewhat better. Everyone in the hall whispered quietly to each other, occasionally looking her way. She felt bad to cause so much trouble. Finally Cook herself came out with a cup of the drugged wine.

“I have added some Valerian to this cup to give you a long, deep and relaxing sleep. It is the best thing for you. This cup full will keep you asleep all night long. You should go to the toilet now before you go back to bed so that a full bladder does not give you bad dreams. Roban will go with you and Petre will stand guard along with Haas so you feel safe. We will be taking better care of you in the future.” Cook looked pointedly at Wulfgard.

“Cook is right. You will be guarded at all times from now on until this matter is settled.”

Mairyn did not want to consider what they were talking about. She just wanted to go back to bed and have a dreamless sleep. She drank the drugged wine. This time it had a very dry grassy smelled to it under all of the other smells. She drank it all down despite the smell. If it made her sleep it could smell like rotten eggs for all she cared. Roban joined her and together they went to the toilet room followed by Petre and Hass. She was glad they had reminded her to go. She needed it. They all trooped back to her room. She felt like she was asleep on her feet. Supper was over. People were clearing away the platters and cups from the tables. People were trying not to look at Mairyn. She was in such a daze she really didn’t even notice or care. The herbs and wine were starting to work really well.

At her door, Petre said, “There will be a guard outside your door all night long. You must sleep well and let nothing trouble you this night.” Mairyn mumbled her thanks, not making much sense in her sleepiness. She and Roban entered the bedroom. A couple of men were in there placing hot rocks under the skins of her bed to warm it up. The heat would help take away the pains in her body. Once again Roban helped Mairyn to bed. Mairyn wondered briefly how she had become so helpless in a mere two days but she was lad there was someone taking care of her. If Roban and Petre and Wulfgard were not there for her she would just curl up in a corner somewhere and die. There was nothing else she cared abut except getting into bed and going to sleep. She wanted to sleep forever. She never wanted to wake up again. Her life had gotten so much better and yet something was terribly wrong and she just didn’t understand it. She actually wanted her life to go back to the way it was. Her days used to be so simple. Now she felt like there were traps every where and she did not know where to go to avoid them. She did not understand this life. She was silly to think she could live among these people. She was just some cleaning drudge who someone had mistaken for a princess, but tomorrow everyone would know better. She had enough of everything. She would climb into bed and maybe she just wouldn’t wake up every again. She thought that might be possible as her body felt heavy like it could seep into the ground and meld with the earth. Her mind felt sluggish and dull like a light that could be put out by covering it with a bowl. Mairyn laid her head on her pillow and whimpered quietly. Roban covered her with the soft wool blankets topped with the sheep skins. Roban stroked Mairyn face until she quieted and the frown left her face. When Mairyn was breathing steadily, Roban got into bed next to Mairyn and rolled on her side to get some sleep too. Roban was very worried about Mairyn. It seemed Mairyn had lost some of her spirit when Gideon attacked her. After a good night’s sleep, she hoped Mairyn was more herself although she knew what an attack such as the one Mairyn went through could do to a girl. Roban took a few deep breaths and relaxed. They would see what tomorrow would bring tomorrow.

Mairyn rose early with the rest of the household. She had no opportunity to think about yesterday. Today was the day she would receive her dowry from Madame Gertrude and it would take place in the town square in front of the people of the town as witnesses as the law required. The sun was just skipping across the lake surface when the people of Wulfhall gathered in the hall to break their fast. Roban had gotten Mairyn up and dressed early enough to join them. Roban had brought Mairyn a cup of warm watered wine with willow bark steeped in it to ease Mairyn’s aches and help her through the morning ceremonies. Roban had gotten Mairyn a new dress from somewhere, Mairyn did not ask. Mairyn only ate a few pieces of bread soaked in warm milk with honey. She wasn’t very hungry and her mouth hurt, but Wulfgard and Petre insisted she eat something to keep her strength up. People talked around her but she didn’t respond or pay much attention to them. She moved through the morning in a daze, performing what she knew was expected of her. After breakfast was over, Wulfgard took her hand and lead her out of Wulfhall. Petre followed behind them and the rest of Wulfgard’s people followed after Petre. They left the hall and walked the short distance through town to the town’s center where Lauryn and Gideon’s betrothal had been announced. Most of the rest of the town’s people were already gathered there. Wulfgard, Mairyn and Petre went up onto the stage, where Jondan and Izabo stood waiting. As the town’s Druid, Jondan was responsible for remembering all contracts made between the people of the town and he also enforced the laws and rules that the town’s folk agreed upon. Jondan also had the task of meeting out justice and punishments for those people that did not follow the rules. He was very smart and he had a prodigious memory. He could recite stories at length for hours and each time he told the same story the story was told the same way. He could recite long lists of people and their ancestors and how everyone in the town was related. Izabo, as his apprentice was learning everything Jondan had to teach her. She was as smart as he was and had a very great memory too. It was unusual for a woman to become a Druid priest but it was not unheard of among their people. Women were usually the healers among their people, like Flora. Flora was also at this gathering as an important witness to the proceedings. The only people who were not there were Madame Gertrude, Lauryn and Gideon. While they were waiting, people spent their time taking secretive glances at Mairyn and whispering amongst themselves about how she had received her injuries. Some thought they had come from when Madame Gertrude had beaten her but that was two days ago and her injuries looked fresh. Others whispered that maybe Wulfgard had beaten her for some reason, but no one really believed that because they did not think Wulfgard would hit anyone let alone a girl and especially one he seemed to like as much as he seemed to like Mairyn. No one had ever heard of Wulfgard striking anyone. Except for fighting on the battle field and training for his soldiers he did not believe in physical violence, even against his animals. Instead of beating or killing law breakers, Wulfgard believed the criminals should pay back their victims or make up for what they did wrong. Some speculated that maybe Mairyn had fallen down some stairs but nobody believed that either. Wulfgard’s people were very loyal and they liked Mairyn so no matter how hard people tried to pry the truth from someone from Wulfhall or how they tried to trick someone into talking no one told anyone what had really happened to Mairyn. As far as they were concerned the situation had not been settled so they would not speak of it. Once Gideon had been caught and brought back from where ever he was hiding and Wulfgard had brought Gideon before Jondan for judgment and sentences, Wulfgard’s people would not talk. They also wouldn’t talk because Mairyn wasn’t talking.
Madame Gertrude was late. Jondan would have Izabo tell a story about the town’s history t entertain the crowd while he sent a messenger to the Lindwurm to remind her that she was obligated to be here. Jondan called over Franc and Llood. He gave them instructions to go to the Lindwurm and speak with Madame Gertrude in his name. They were to remind her that she was obligated to attend this gathering and bring the proscribed dowry for Mairyn. They were to accompany Madame Gertrude to the gathering. They left to do his biding. Jondan then instructed Izabo to recite the history of how the salt mines were discovered. Izabo began the tale and everyone paid very close attention. Izabo was a very good storyteller. She had a way of telling the stories that was almost like she was singing the words. While she told her story, stools were brought for Jondan because of his age and for Mairyn because she was not feeling very well. The day was turning very hot and there was no breeze coming off of the lake today. Even though everyone was paying very close attention to Izabo’s tale, everyone knew that Madame Gertrude was not coming and she should have been here by now with the messengers going for her. Just before Izabo was finished, Franc and Llood returned. Izabo stopped before the end of her story because she saw that Llood had a cut over his eye and Franc was leaning on Llood for support even though no one could see any sort of injury. The crowd expressed a collective gasp. Franc and Llood went over to the stage where Jondan was sitting. The town’s people were completely quiet, all straining to try to hear what was being said up on stage. The people up front could hear Franc and Llood’s recital of what had happened when they went to the Lindwurm to see after Madame Gertrude. They passed the information back to those people behind them as they heard the information.