Rhun set his feet carefully on the edge of the ledge where Rhys and Baudoin lay. There was little room to manoeuvre, but he dropped to his knees at his brother’s side and clasped his hand.
“Rhys! I’m glad to see you,” he choked.
Rhys forced a smile. “Not as relieved as I am to see you! I never thought to be happy to see that flaming mop of hair.”
Rhun looked around. “Now, how to get you out of here?”
Rhys pointed to his chest. “My ribs are broken—and perhaps both legs,” he admitted reluctantly. “Look to Baudoin. Does he breathe still? I’m fearful he will tumble off the edge if he wakens.”
Rhun moved cautiously to kneel by Baudoin, listening for the sound of breathing. “He’s still warm, and he breathes. We’ll get you out, and I’ll return for Baudoin. Can you sit?”
It took Rhys several painful attempts to get into a sitting position. He came close to swooning at the sight of the jagged bone sticking out of his right shin. His belly rebelled, but retching would pour oil on the fire burning his gut.
Rhun was saying something. “I’m going to the top to get Rhydderch. We’ll need to bind you to me. You won’t be able to hang on to me as we go up otherwise.”
Rhys watched Rhun climb back up the rope—he’d never felt so alone. He swallowed the lump that seemed to be lodged in his throat. “Annalise, pray for me, my beloved,” he whispered. Beloved ? Did he love her?
Both twins rappelled down. Rhydderch clasped Rhys by the hand, but couldn’t speak. Rhun bound Rhys’s ribs while Rhydderch looked at his legs.
“Rhys, your right leg is broken, and badly. I’ll bind it to this splint. It will be painful. Your left ankle is swollen and looks to be badly sprained, but not broken.”
Rhun offered a rolled up wad of cloth, his face full of concern. “Bite on this.” He grasped his brother’s hand while Rhydderch applied the splint. Rhys screwed his eyes tight shut and bit down hard on the wad.
“Rest now a while,” Rhun said. “You’re exhausted.” Rhys was sweating and feeling very light headed. He prayed he wouldn’t retch. It might kill him. If only he could stop shaking.
“Gather your strength for the most difficult part next,” Rhun said. “I’ll sit in front of you and Rhydderch will bind us together. Clasp your hands around my neck—it will take some of the weight off your ribs as we ascend.”
“I’m too heavy,” Rhys rasped. Could he remain awake through the next part of the ordeal? Waves of pain radiated through him as Rhun used the brute strength in his powerful body to carry the dead weight of his injured brother to safety. Rock and dirt rained down on them from the edge. Many hands waited to take Rhys and lay him on the ground when they made it to the top.
Rhydderch reappeared beside them. “I’ve looked Baudoin over as Mother taught us. He’s still not awake, but I can’t detect any broken bones. If I carry him up over my shoulder we could risk further injury to something that may be damaged inside. Or we could fashion some kind of conveyance to fasten him to and lift him.”
“Conveyance,” Rhys said hoarsely as blackness engulfed him.
***
Rhys woke to the sound of Rhun’s voice. “Drink this. It’s one of mother’s herbals. It will ease your pain.”
Rhys had never experienced such pain. His body was on fire. A sharp-toothed creature gnawed his legs and torso. Someone had made a campfire. Baudoin lay beside him on a contraption made of tree limbs and blankets. His face was scratched and bruised.
“You got him up?” he whispered, his throat dry. Suddenly the situation seemed ridiculous. “Two seasoned riders, two proud men, and we fall into a crevice in the earth! I want to laugh, but it’s too painful.”
“Drink the remedy,” Rhun urged. “We must get you to a bonesetter in a nearby village. You can’t travel back to Powwydd with your leg this way.”
Rhys drank the potion and succumbed gratefully to sleep as
“Rhys! I’m glad to see you,” he choked.
Rhys forced a smile. “Not as relieved as I am to see you! I never thought to be happy to see that flaming mop of hair.”
Rhun looked around. “Now, how to get you out of here?”
Rhys pointed to his chest. “My ribs are broken—and perhaps both legs,” he admitted reluctantly. “Look to Baudoin. Does he breathe still? I’m fearful he will tumble off the edge if he wakens.”
Rhun moved cautiously to kneel by Baudoin, listening for the sound of breathing. “He’s still warm, and he breathes. We’ll get you out, and I’ll return for Baudoin. Can you sit?”
It took Rhys several painful attempts to get into a sitting position. He came close to swooning at the sight of the jagged bone sticking out of his right shin. His belly rebelled, but retching would pour oil on the fire burning his gut.
Rhun was saying something. “I’m going to the top to get Rhydderch. We’ll need to bind you to me. You won’t be able to hang on to me as we go up otherwise.”
Rhys watched Rhun climb back up the rope—he’d never felt so alone. He swallowed the lump that seemed to be lodged in his throat. “Annalise, pray for me, my beloved,” he whispered. Beloved ? Did he love her?
Both twins rappelled down. Rhydderch clasped Rhys by the hand, but couldn’t speak. Rhun bound Rhys’s ribs while Rhydderch looked at his legs.
“Rhys, your right leg is broken, and badly. I’ll bind it to this splint. It will be painful. Your left ankle is swollen and looks to be badly sprained, but not broken.”
Rhun offered a rolled up wad of cloth, his face full of concern. “Bite on this.” He grasped his brother’s hand while Rhydderch applied the splint. Rhys screwed his eyes tight shut and bit down hard on the wad.
“Rest now a while,” Rhun said. “You’re exhausted.” Rhys was sweating and feeling very light headed. He prayed he wouldn’t retch. It might kill him. If only he could stop shaking.
“Gather your strength for the most difficult part next,” Rhun said. “I’ll sit in front of you and Rhydderch will bind us together. Clasp your hands around my neck—it will take some of the weight off your ribs as we ascend.”
“I’m too heavy,” Rhys rasped. Could he remain awake through the next part of the ordeal? Waves of pain radiated through him as Rhun used the brute strength in his powerful body to carry the dead weight of his injured brother to safety. Rock and dirt rained down on them from the edge. Many hands waited to take Rhys and lay him on the ground when they made it to the top.
Rhydderch reappeared beside them. “I’ve looked Baudoin over as Mother taught us. He’s still not awake, but I can’t detect any broken bones. If I carry him up over my shoulder we could risk further injury to something that may be damaged inside. Or we could fashion some kind of conveyance to fasten him to and lift him.”
“Conveyance,” Rhys said hoarsely as blackness engulfed him.
***
Rhys woke to the sound of Rhun’s voice. “Drink this. It’s one of mother’s herbals. It will ease your pain.”
Rhys had never experienced such pain. His body was on fire. A sharp-toothed creature gnawed his legs and torso. Someone had made a campfire. Baudoin lay beside him on a contraption made of tree limbs and blankets. His face was scratched and bruised.
“You got him up?” he whispered, his throat dry. Suddenly the situation seemed ridiculous. “Two seasoned riders, two proud men, and we fall into a crevice in the earth! I want to laugh, but it’s too painful.”
“Drink the remedy,” Rhun urged. “We must get you to a bonesetter in a nearby village. You can’t travel back to Powwydd with your leg this way.”
Rhys drank the potion and succumbed gratefully to sleep as
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