Medieval 01 - Untamed

are you afraid?
    I dream Glendruid dreams .
    Of what?
    Danger .
    What danger? Duncan left for the north this morning. The Reevers are divided. Under Rufus, they will soon come to naught. The rest of my knights will soon be here. What danger is left?
    I don’t know. I know only that I dream .
    A peregrine’s distinctive, keening cry sliced through the normal noise of the keep.
    â€œFatima is impatient,” Meg said, amused. “She senses that soon she will trail her jeweled jesses across Blackthorne’s sky.”
    â€œâ€™Tis a fine day for it.”
    Meg looked out through the high, narrow window of the upper keep. Sunlight poured into the keep in a soundless yellow torrent.
    â€œYes,” she said. “’Tis a fine day. Perhaps spring has finally thawed winter’s icy breast.”
    Yet something in Meg’s voice told Dominic that she didn’t believe winter’s grip had been defeated.
    The rhythmic beating of hooves in the bailey announced the arrival of horses and knights eager to go hawking. Dominic and Meg hurried to join them. But no sooner had the lord and lady arrived in the great hall than Eadith rushed up from the well room.
    â€œLady Margaret, wait!” Eadith called.
    â€œWhat is it?” Dominic said impatiently. “We’re off to go hawking.”
    â€œâ€™Tis Marie,” Eadith said. “She’s spewing her breakfast and groaning like a woman in childbirth.”
    â€œGod’s teeth,” he muttered.
    Meg sighed. “I must see to her, lord. You go hawking.”
    â€œNot without my small falcon.”
    When Meg turned to go to Marie, Dominic was at her heels. Silently he watched while Meg questioned the sick woman. There was no doubt that Marie was in unhappy straits. Her skin was pale and dull and her normally red lips had no color in them at all.
    When Meg finished asking about Marie’s condition, Dominic raised one eyebrow in silent question.
    â€œâ€™Tis likely a piece of spoiled fish,” Meg said.
    â€œExcellent. Leave Eadith with her.”
    Meg dismissed the idea with a motion of her hand. “Eadith is useless at sickbed. When the patient vomits, so does she. Go hawking. I’ll join you next time.”
    Dominic hesitated.
    Standing on tiptoe, Meg spoke softly into Dominic’s ear. “Go on without me, my warrior. It distresses Marie for you to see her like this.”
    With a muttered oath, Dominic turned and stalked from the room. Minutes later the clatter and shout of a hawking party leaving the bailey rang through the keep.
    Meg barely noticed. She was busy dripping medicine from a spoon between Marie’s pale lips. The task required patience, for half the time the drops got no farther than the leman’s tongue before she became sick all over again. Eventually enough of the medicine stayed with Marie that she vomited less frequently. Finally she gave a shuddering sigh and slept.
    A glance at the angle of the sun told Meg the hawking party would be too far away for her to catch up with them on her aged palfrey. By the time she reached Dominic, the hawking would be done and they would be on the way back to the keep. Sighing, Meg returned her thoughts to Marie.
    â€œLady!” Eadith cried from the hall.
    The urgency in the handmaiden’s voice brought Meg to her feet.
    â€œWhat is it?” Meg asked as Eadith rushed into the room.
    â€œLord Dominic’s horse fell and he was badly hurt. They fear for his life unless you come quickly!”
    For an instant the world went black around Meg. Then she forced breath into her lungs and thought into a mind gone blank with terror.
    Is this the danger I feared?
    â€œWhat are his injuries?” Meg asked tightly.
    â€œThe squire didn’t say.”
    â€œSend for my palfrey to be—”
    â€œâ€™Tis done,” Eadith interrupted.
    â€œOld Gwyn?” Meg asked as she rushed from the room.
    â€œI sent one of the kitchen girls to fetch her.”
    â€œStay with Marie. If she vomits again, give her twelve drops from this,” Meg said, handing over a tightly stoppered bottle.
    Then there was a wild jangle of bells as she raced down the twisting stairway to the herbal. She grabbed medicines, wrapped them in rags against the hard ride to come, and ran from the room. When she reached the bailey, Harry was there. He tossed her up on the palfrey with a strength that belied his old injury.
    â€œThe stupid squire