attending one of those ill. “Sara,
how is Rolly?”
She shook her head. “He won’t last
the night, my lord.”
Hel disguised his pain at the news.
The man was a friend. “I’ll come
sit with him. Give me a moment.”
He turned to Bernard. “I got your
message. I came directly.” Hel
pulled one of the squat,
upholstered stools close to the fire
and sat holding his hands out to the
warmth. The icicles in his heavy
black beard dripped onto the floor
as they began to thaw. Bernard
hovered over him radiating
anxiety.
“We must have a skilled medicus
and more brite-weed. I am
unlearned in the healing arts, my
lord—all of us are. We do our best,
but…” The elderly man closed his
eyes and seemed to shrink. “We
lost Edgar today—another good
man who was hale and hearty two
months ago. The perimeter you set
last month on the western border
has failed. I don’t understand why.
We could always count on at least
eight month 2