thing.”
“ You knew that you would not be coming with me before we left the camp.” Richard said slowly. “That was what that speech was about.”
Van felt Richard’s eyes bore into her. “I have to take care of this with my father.” She heard the soft cracking in her voice and prayed that Richard did not.
Richard heard the pain in Van’s voice and wanted to offer him comfort, but knew the proud young man would not accept it. He shook his head and tried to smile. It felt wrong so he let it drop away. “You will be careful. Are you certain you do not want us with you?”
Van straightened his shoulders almost defiantly. “Nay, I am not a scared boy anymore, not like I once was. I can take care of myself.”
Richard had no doubts that Van could indeed take care of himself, but he still did not want to see him go. He had spent many years with the boy, first at the castle, then when Van had served under him as squire, and finally as men-at-arms when Van had received the honor of knighthood.
They had spent endless nights talking of anything and everything. He had grown to love the stubborn boy and still loved the arrogant man.
He grasped Van’s arm. It was not the embrace that his liege needed, but he knew it was all the support that Van would accept.
Van surprised him when he reached up and grasped his wrist with a weak smile. Gratitude shone in the normally emotionless eyes. Richard thought of the last time he had seen that look and was suddenly no longer in the warm and cozy cottage as memories of the past swept him away...
***
Wind howled around Richard and the rain pelted down at him as he sat at his guard post. He pulled the thick cloak up around his head and cursed the awful night. Movement to his right brought him lurching to his feet and drawing his broadsword. The rain and cold was forgotten as he prepared himself for a confrontation.
Van stepped calmly through a curtain of rain, glanced at the sword, and stopped.
“ You know pages are not allowed out of the barracks at night.” Richard’s voice was gruff, but not as mean as he had wanted it to come out. He grunted. “What are you doing here, boy?”
“ I could not sleep.” Van’s gaze followed the sword as Richard slid it back into its scabbard then his gaze came to rest on his face.
Richard nodded his head.
“ I needed to talk to you.”
Van’s voice trembled and his body shook, but Richard was sure it was from more than just the cold.
He and Van had spent many nights talking and had grown close over the two years that Van had been at the castle. He had learned to pick up on the boy’s subtle signs of his moods. Right now Van was scared. He could see it in the way his eyes shifted and in the way his body tensed. Yes, he could see the fear, but he knew the boy would never admit to having it.
Richard also knew that he should send him back, but Van had suffered the icy fingers of the frozen night to find him and he could not bring himself to turn the shivering child away. Carefully, Richard lowered himself onto the wet log and pulled his cloak around his head once more.
He looked up at the boy who stood patiently waiting in the pouring rain. His eyes were dark and emotionless, but Richard could almost feel the tension thrumming through him.
He opened the cloak in invitation. “Sit.” Van sat obediently on the log beside him and Richard pulled his cloak around the boy’s head to keep as much of the rain off of him as he could.
One thing he had learned about Van was that you didn’t push him. Van had sought him out for a reason. Richard held his curiosity at bay and waited. He knew that Van would speak when he was ready.
Van looked up at him twice before finally speaking. “I had a nightmare about my father.”
Richard looked closely at Van, but the boy just stared down at his sodden feet. “Dr. Burgess?” he asked gently. Dr. Burgess had been the one to drop him off at the castle. If his mother had been with them
“ You knew that you would not be coming with me before we left the camp.” Richard said slowly. “That was what that speech was about.”
Van felt Richard’s eyes bore into her. “I have to take care of this with my father.” She heard the soft cracking in her voice and prayed that Richard did not.
Richard heard the pain in Van’s voice and wanted to offer him comfort, but knew the proud young man would not accept it. He shook his head and tried to smile. It felt wrong so he let it drop away. “You will be careful. Are you certain you do not want us with you?”
Van straightened his shoulders almost defiantly. “Nay, I am not a scared boy anymore, not like I once was. I can take care of myself.”
Richard had no doubts that Van could indeed take care of himself, but he still did not want to see him go. He had spent many years with the boy, first at the castle, then when Van had served under him as squire, and finally as men-at-arms when Van had received the honor of knighthood.
They had spent endless nights talking of anything and everything. He had grown to love the stubborn boy and still loved the arrogant man.
He grasped Van’s arm. It was not the embrace that his liege needed, but he knew it was all the support that Van would accept.
Van surprised him when he reached up and grasped his wrist with a weak smile. Gratitude shone in the normally emotionless eyes. Richard thought of the last time he had seen that look and was suddenly no longer in the warm and cozy cottage as memories of the past swept him away...
***
Wind howled around Richard and the rain pelted down at him as he sat at his guard post. He pulled the thick cloak up around his head and cursed the awful night. Movement to his right brought him lurching to his feet and drawing his broadsword. The rain and cold was forgotten as he prepared himself for a confrontation.
Van stepped calmly through a curtain of rain, glanced at the sword, and stopped.
“ You know pages are not allowed out of the barracks at night.” Richard’s voice was gruff, but not as mean as he had wanted it to come out. He grunted. “What are you doing here, boy?”
“ I could not sleep.” Van’s gaze followed the sword as Richard slid it back into its scabbard then his gaze came to rest on his face.
Richard nodded his head.
“ I needed to talk to you.”
Van’s voice trembled and his body shook, but Richard was sure it was from more than just the cold.
He and Van had spent many nights talking and had grown close over the two years that Van had been at the castle. He had learned to pick up on the boy’s subtle signs of his moods. Right now Van was scared. He could see it in the way his eyes shifted and in the way his body tensed. Yes, he could see the fear, but he knew the boy would never admit to having it.
Richard also knew that he should send him back, but Van had suffered the icy fingers of the frozen night to find him and he could not bring himself to turn the shivering child away. Carefully, Richard lowered himself onto the wet log and pulled his cloak around his head once more.
He looked up at the boy who stood patiently waiting in the pouring rain. His eyes were dark and emotionless, but Richard could almost feel the tension thrumming through him.
He opened the cloak in invitation. “Sit.” Van sat obediently on the log beside him and Richard pulled his cloak around the boy’s head to keep as much of the rain off of him as he could.
One thing he had learned about Van was that you didn’t push him. Van had sought him out for a reason. Richard held his curiosity at bay and waited. He knew that Van would speak when he was ready.
Van looked up at him twice before finally speaking. “I had a nightmare about my father.”
Richard looked closely at Van, but the boy just stared down at his sodden feet. “Dr. Burgess?” he asked gently. Dr. Burgess had been the one to drop him off at the castle. If his mother had been with them
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