shelter of his arm with one hand and menacing the wild girl with his other fist. “How dare ye?” he cried. “Leave her be! She was only trying to help.”
The girl pressed herself back into the wall, her eyes blackly dilated, her hands held up before her face as if seeking to protect herself from a blow.
“Do no‘ fear,” Lewen said softly, stepping between his furious father and the wild-eyed girl. “No-one here will hurt ye. Ye are safe, I promise ye. Will ye no’ let us help ye? We mean ye no harm, there is no need to be afraid.”
She lifted her eyes to his face, her hands dropping. He took a few slow steps towards her, repeating his words in a low, gentle voice, and although she leant away from him she did not strike as he dropped to one knee before her. “There, there, ye see? I mean ye no harm. We only want to help. Your poor wrists look so sore. See, the cool water feels good, doesn’t it? It’ll wash away the dirt and make sure your wounds heal cleanly.”
As he spoke, Lewen very gently took one hand and trickled the water over her abused wrist. She crouched very still, not taking her eyes off him. He turned her wrist in his big hand, and blotted it dry with the soft cloth, staining it with streaks of mud and blood. “See, is that no‘ better? Let me wash the other one too. It must be so sore. Look how much it is swollen. Now let me put some lotion on it. Does that no’ feel better?”
She breathed out in a long sigh, and nodded her head.
Then Niall moved, easing Lilanthe away from him so he could examine her scratched cheek. At once the girl shrank back, hands flying up in a protective gesture again.
“Sssh, sssh,” Lewen said. “No need to fear. All is well.”
Niall sighed in exasperation. “It’s your mam who needs the lotion now,” he said. “Do ye see how filthy that wildcat’s claws are? It’s your mam’s cheek that’ll fester, for sure.”
Lilanthe pressed her hand against her cheek. “Nay, I’ll be fine,” she said faintly. “Lewen, let me do that. Ye’re worn out.”
“Nay, no‘ ye,” the girl said. “Me no like ye. Ye go away.”
Lilanthe was taken aback, and Niall was furious. “Ungrateful brat,” he said. “Fine, we’ll go away. I hope ye’re cold and hungry and your cuts and bruises throb all night.”
“Niall, no!” Lilanthe cried.
Lewen protested at the same time. “ Dai-deinl She’s sore hurt and she’s afraid. Do no‘ be angry with her.”
Niall sighed. “Fine. Ye stay and tend to her then. She seems to like ye, at least. I’ll take your mother back to the house and tend to her. I’ll send Merry out with some food for her—”
“Nay, no‘ Merry,” Lilanthe protested at once, looking askance at the filthy, wild-eyed, wild-haired creature crouched in the straw.
“Very well, no‘ Merry, me,” Niall agreed in a long-suffering tone. “I willna be long, lad. Try to keep out o’ reach o‘ those claws. I do no’ want anyone else injured tonight.”
“All right, Da,” Lewen said.
“Make sure ye make up her bed well away from the winged horse,” Niall warned. “That mare is as wild as the lass, remember, and though she is quiet enough now, she may no‘ be so docile once she recovers some o’ her energy. A great beast like that can recuperate surprisingly quickly.”
“Aye, that I ken,” Lewen said, smiling.
“I’ll be back in just a wee,” his father said. Still cradling the pale and shaken Lilanthe in one arm, he rather reluctantly went out into the darkness.
Lewen turned and looked at the wild-haired girl.
“Come, sit down,” he said gently. “I shallna hurt ye, I promise. Ye must be sick and dizzy with that head wound, and aching all over after the ride ye’ve had. Will ye no‘ trust me?”
She hesitated, then very gingerly lowered herself back to the floor. “Me do hurt. All over.”
“Ye must indeed. Here, let me finish salving your wrists. They’re raw and bloody. Those ropes must’ve been tied very
The girl pressed herself back into the wall, her eyes blackly dilated, her hands held up before her face as if seeking to protect herself from a blow.
“Do no‘ fear,” Lewen said softly, stepping between his furious father and the wild-eyed girl. “No-one here will hurt ye. Ye are safe, I promise ye. Will ye no’ let us help ye? We mean ye no harm, there is no need to be afraid.”
She lifted her eyes to his face, her hands dropping. He took a few slow steps towards her, repeating his words in a low, gentle voice, and although she leant away from him she did not strike as he dropped to one knee before her. “There, there, ye see? I mean ye no harm. We only want to help. Your poor wrists look so sore. See, the cool water feels good, doesn’t it? It’ll wash away the dirt and make sure your wounds heal cleanly.”
As he spoke, Lewen very gently took one hand and trickled the water over her abused wrist. She crouched very still, not taking her eyes off him. He turned her wrist in his big hand, and blotted it dry with the soft cloth, staining it with streaks of mud and blood. “See, is that no‘ better? Let me wash the other one too. It must be so sore. Look how much it is swollen. Now let me put some lotion on it. Does that no’ feel better?”
She breathed out in a long sigh, and nodded her head.
Then Niall moved, easing Lilanthe away from him so he could examine her scratched cheek. At once the girl shrank back, hands flying up in a protective gesture again.
“Sssh, sssh,” Lewen said. “No need to fear. All is well.”
Niall sighed in exasperation. “It’s your mam who needs the lotion now,” he said. “Do ye see how filthy that wildcat’s claws are? It’s your mam’s cheek that’ll fester, for sure.”
Lilanthe pressed her hand against her cheek. “Nay, I’ll be fine,” she said faintly. “Lewen, let me do that. Ye’re worn out.”
“Nay, no‘ ye,” the girl said. “Me no like ye. Ye go away.”
Lilanthe was taken aback, and Niall was furious. “Ungrateful brat,” he said. “Fine, we’ll go away. I hope ye’re cold and hungry and your cuts and bruises throb all night.”
“Niall, no!” Lilanthe cried.
Lewen protested at the same time. “ Dai-deinl She’s sore hurt and she’s afraid. Do no‘ be angry with her.”
Niall sighed. “Fine. Ye stay and tend to her then. She seems to like ye, at least. I’ll take your mother back to the house and tend to her. I’ll send Merry out with some food for her—”
“Nay, no‘ Merry,” Lilanthe protested at once, looking askance at the filthy, wild-eyed, wild-haired creature crouched in the straw.
“Very well, no‘ Merry, me,” Niall agreed in a long-suffering tone. “I willna be long, lad. Try to keep out o’ reach o‘ those claws. I do no’ want anyone else injured tonight.”
“All right, Da,” Lewen said.
“Make sure ye make up her bed well away from the winged horse,” Niall warned. “That mare is as wild as the lass, remember, and though she is quiet enough now, she may no‘ be so docile once she recovers some o’ her energy. A great beast like that can recuperate surprisingly quickly.”
“Aye, that I ken,” Lewen said, smiling.
“I’ll be back in just a wee,” his father said. Still cradling the pale and shaken Lilanthe in one arm, he rather reluctantly went out into the darkness.
Lewen turned and looked at the wild-haired girl.
“Come, sit down,” he said gently. “I shallna hurt ye, I promise. Ye must be sick and dizzy with that head wound, and aching all over after the ride ye’ve had. Will ye no‘ trust me?”
She hesitated, then very gingerly lowered herself back to the floor. “Me do hurt. All over.”
“Ye must indeed. Here, let me finish salving your wrists. They’re raw and bloody. Those ropes must’ve been tied very
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