"Are you all right?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered plainly.
"What happened?"
Soth took a deep breath and began explaining how the knights came upon the encampment, rescued the elfmaids and routed the offending ogres. As they walked through the keep, several other people including many knights followed, all keen on hearing the details of his foreshortened journey.
"And her?" Korinne asked when Soth was done with his story, nodding her head in the direction of the healer's chambers.
"Who? Isolde?" said Soth.
Korinne inhaled a slight gasp at her husband's mention of the elf-maid's name. There was something too familiar, too personal about it. "Yes," she said. "Isolde."
"I found her face down on the ground. She'd been savaged by an ogre, or at least the attempt had been made.
According to her account of what happened, she put up a respectable fight. And her wounds bear her out."
Korinne suddenly felt foolish for doubting her husband's intentions.
Although the elf-maid was quite beautiful and she was instinctively jealous of her youthful appearance-what human woman wouldn't be?-
Korinne concluded that her husband had acted as any Knight of Solamnia would have in accordance to the rules of conduct set forth within the
Oath and the Measure. It was in his power to help the elf, so he did so.
There was nothing more to it than that. "The poor creature," she said at last, her voice edged with pity.
"Indeed," answered Soth.
For some reason, the word sent a chill down Korinne's spine.
"Lord Soth," said the healer. "You may see him now."
Soth rose up off the bench, his legs made stiff from the hours he'd sat there waiting.
Waiting for the birth of his son.
He entered the room. It smelled quite foul, much like a battlefield, tinged with the scent of blood and other bodily fluids. The healer's assistants were busy changing the sheets on the lower half of the bed while the child itself was being cleaned behind a curtain in a shadowy corner of the room. His wife lay still on the bed, sleeping after what was no doubt an exhausting ordeal.
He waited.
His body hummed with anticipation.
At last the healer approached, a small bundle in his arms.
He handed the bundle to Soth and the knight rumbled with it as if all his fingers had been replaced by thumbs. When he had the child steady, he raised a hand and lifted the part of the blanket covering the child's face.
Soth awoke with a start, his body shivering despite the fact that several warm blankets were covering him. He looked to his left and was grateful to see that his abrupt awakening hadn't disturbed his wife. She was still sleeping as soundly as ever.
He closed his eyes and reflected upon the dream, then did his best to block it from his mind. He hadn't been bothered by his dreams in months.
This one, he decided, had been an aberration. He would not dwell on this dream as he had done with the others in the past.
He opened his eyes once more and slid out from beneath the covers, leaving Korinne to sleep because it was still well before dawn. Then he got dressed and headed down to the keep's kitchen for a quick bite to eat.
He was met there by Meyer Seril who would be joining him on the journey back to the Knights' Meeting. Although it was unlikely that Soth would run into trouble on the way-running into the band of ogres had been an extraordinary circumstance as it was-he preferred to have company on such an extended trip. If the Council didn't like the fact that he'd brought an extra uninvited knight to the event, then they would have to send them both back to Dargaard Keep.
After eating their fill of fruit, eggs and cheese, Soth sent Seril to prepare the horses for the journey while he went to the healer's chambers to check on the condition of the elf-maid.
When he reached the healer's chambers he stepped quietly up to the door and was about to knock when the door suddenly opened up before him.
Istvan was standing there, his right index finger pressed against his lips suggesting that Soth should keep quiet.
"She's asleep," he said in a whisper.
Soth nodded. "How is she?"
"She suffered bruises to her body, mainly to the extremities, but I suspect there were also injuries on the inside, ones which I could not see but nevertheless require an extended period of healing."
Soth smiled. His knights suffered such injuries all of the time and were required to get along with their daily routines as best they could while they healed. Obviously, Istvan was making a big deal about the elf-maid's condition, certainly more than was required for her to make a complete recovery.
"You've done well, Istvan," said Soth. "I look forward to seeing her completely healed upon my return."
Istvan looked at Soth for several seconds, running his bony fingers over the coarse white stubble of his beard.
And then his face brightened, as if the gist of what Soth was saying had just dawned upon him.
"I understand completely, milord."
"Good," said Soth. "Is there anything you are lacking that I may be able to pick up for you in Palanthas?"
Istvan smiled, then stroked his chin once again. "Let me think," he said. "I've heard they have ground blue hyssop for sale in some of the finer shops in Palanthas." "Is this a rare herb?" asked Soth.
Istvan nodded. "One of the few I have done without."
"Then you shall have some."
Soth quickly left Istvan and joined Meyer Seril just inside the keep's gate.
"All ready?"
"Yes milord, except for…" Seril gestured behind Soth with a nod.
Soth turned. Lady Korinne was standing there, a deep rose-red robe wrapped around her nightdress. Soth went to her.
"You've come to see me off," he said.
"Yes."
"You didn't have to, but the gesture is greatly appreciated."
Korinne smiled.
Soth kissed her goodbye.
As she watched her husband ride out through the keep's gate and over the drawbridge, Lady Korinne pulled her robe more tightly around her body.
Although it was the middle of Holmswelt, the mornings inside Dargaard Keep were still quite chilly.
She contemplated the good-bye kiss her husband had given her. Like the morning, it had been cold and passionless, a kiss one might expect from a brother, cousin, or uncle.
Was her husband's love for her waning? The thought made her shiver.
As she watched him descend onto the plain heading for Palanthas, she realized that for the first time since their marriage, Soth had left without once asking her if she was with child.
Apparently he'd meant what he'd said about not speaking of children until she was sure.
With that thought, the morning air seemed even colder.
Once Soth and Meyer Seril were out of sight of the keep, Lady Korinne postponed returning to her chambers and made a trip to the healer's chambers instead.
When she arrived she knocked lightly on the wooden door, making sure to be careful not to disturb anyone who was not yet awake. After a short wait she knocked again.
When there was still no answer, she tried the door. Much to her surprise, it opened.
Korinne looked down the hall in both directions before entering the chambers. Inside the sunlight that was usually shining brightly through the windows at this time of day was blocked by fabrics that had been draped over the openings. The deep reds and greens of the fabrics gave the room a soft and comfortable glow.
Korinne waited just inside the door for several moments, waiting for Istvan to appear from the shadows as he was sometimes known to do. But as time passed, it became obvious that Istvan was not here. Perhaps he had gone for breakfast, or was preparing some mixture.
Whatever the reason, he'd left the elf-maid alone.