Don't Forget to Dream (39 page)

“
The bleeding has stopped,
”
she said clearly relieved, a soft rumble of released breaths and thankful exclamations filled the clear
ing. She had forgotten just how sincerely the men
cared for their Prince, and how his safety had been their responsibility. Looking to Lieutenant Tomlin she continued more confidently,
“
I will require help wrapping a dressing around his chest to secure this in place. I won
’
t risk moving the wadding further for fear the bleeding will return.
”

“
Tell us what you want us to do,
”
the lieutenant replied respectfully.

Rhyla lent down to look at Callum
’
s wane face again.
His
eyes were closed but his breath came more easily.
“
Callum, the men are going to lift you up while I hold the wadding in place and wrap a bandage
around you to hold it.
Do you think you can sit up for a while?
”

He opened his eyes and managed a weak smile, but even that made her heart pound again.
“
I can sit there as long as you need, but I may need some help,
”
he conceded.

“
I will be as quick as I can. All right lieutenant,
”
Rhyla said firmly as she straightened.
“
Can you and ...
”

“
Guardsman Bolan my lady,
”
the young man who had been holding Callum
’
s other shoulder down
,
said at her pause.

Rhyla smiled at him briefly,
“
Thank you guardsman Bolan. Would you two be able to
lift Callum onto his knees and hold him there
?
.
”
She carefully moved over to give Lieutenant Tomlin room. Cautiously the two guardsmen lifted their Prince by the shoulders until he w
as kneeling. Callum was deathly pale.
His
head
was
hanging limply on his chest. Rhyla quickly che
cked his
pulse.
It
was fast and weak, Callum barely stirred as she began wrapping long lengths of dressing around his chest to secure the wadding in place.

“
You can lay him down again,
”
she said to the guardsmen when she was sure the dressing was secure.
“
On his back would be best.
”
She
helped them get him comfortable.
A
blanket
was
folded up under his head for a pillow and three blankets
they were able to find covered
him to his chin. Rhyla checked his breathing was not restricted by the bandage. For all thei
r fussing
Callum didn
’
t stir.
She
wanted to think he slept peacefully but feared the truth. As she sat back and washed her hands in the bucket of water Rhyla couldn
’
t stop the tears from welling up. Soon they spilled down her cheeks and despite a few deep breaths to try to calm herself Rhyla quickly collapsed into sobs.

Lieutenant Tomlin knelt by her side.
“
He will be alright my lady,
”
he said gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Rhyla lent into him and the l
ieutenant had little option but
to hold and reassure her.
“
You
did all you could. He is strong.
He
will come through this.
”

Rhyla sobbed softly, releasing the fears she had held so tightly inside since she had first seen the agony on Callum
’
s face and the shaft protruding from his shoulder. Their relaxed happy morning seemed to have been days ago rather than little over an hour past. Slowly Rhyla calmed her breathing and her tears.

“
Please forgive me,
”
she said softly to Lieutenant Tomlin, pulling away and wiping her face.

“
For what
,
my lady?
Caring?
”
he said gently.
“
You have nothing to be ashamed or sorry for. I spoke out of line earlier but I know you would defend Callum
’
s life as I would. And you did.
”

“
I only
kept one of those men occupied.
Callum did the rest.
”

“
What you did prevented
him being captured or killed, a
nd I shall make sure the King knows that.
”

“
Thank you but that won
’
t be necessary. The King doesn
’
t need to know...
”
Rhyla broke off and any further discussions were halted by the thud of hooves and the creak and rattle of carts coming up the lane.
“
At last,
”
she added under her breath.

Lieutenant Tomlin stood and started issuing orders to his men. Six came to
wards
Callum and between them carefully lifted his still blanket wrapped form, bearing him gently and swiftly to the hay filled cart as it drew to a halt.

Rhyla attempted to stand as the men lifted Callum from her, but she didn
’
t quite manage to get fully to her feet before her legs buckled under her and she collapsed to the ground. The world was reduced to
white flecks on a field of blac
k;
a profound dizziness stripping her of all thoughts and memory for several minutes.

“
My lady.
”
She distantly heard a voice.
“
My lady. Rhyla.
”
It was Lieutenant Tomlin calling to her.
“
Rhyla can you hear me? Are you alright?
”

She could hear him but it took a long moment for her thoughts to clear and even longer
for
her vision
to slowly return to normal
.
“
I
’
ll be alright in a minute,
”
her voice whispered seeming no longer
to be
a part of her.

“
Nonsense, you fainted, h
ardly surprising after what you
’
ve been through. Come
on;
let
’
s get you back to the Palace.
”
Before she could protest
,
Lieutenant Tomlin scooped her up and carried her to the waiting wagon where he gently placed her on the tailgate.
“
You should ride back here with Prince Callum. I don
’
t want to risk you falling off your horse and you can keep an eye on him as well.
”

“
Thank you Lieutenant. I don
’
t mean to be a bother,
”
Rhyla said embarrassed by her weakness.

Lieutenant Tomlin smiled but his expression soon turned serious,
“
You just keep focused on looking after our Prince and don
’
t concern yourself with the rest. We shall be back at the Palace soon enough.
”

Rhyla carefully crawled
over the bed of hay to Callum
’
s side. She checked his dressing was still in place and no blood was seeping through. His breathing was steady but he still slept on, his face pale and cold. Wrapping the blankets tightly around him she sat in the hay and held on to the backboard of the wagon as the hastily recruited farmer turned his team around and made his way down the lane under guardsmen escort. The three dead bandits were still being loaded into the second wagon,
to be brought to the Palace.
They
would not be allowed to delay
the
returning
of
the Prince.

Chapter 15

The return to the palace was made in haste and silence. The
cart horses were kept at a trot;
the farmer urging them to a steady pace without the encouragement from Lieut
enant Tomlin once he learnt who
he was transporting. The guardsmen flanked the wagon with two riding ahead and another pair as rearguards. Gone was their relaxed, quiet conversation
of the morning;
a leisurely day
’
s ride to exercise their mounts. Now they rode in silence, one hand on the hilt of their swords with their heads constantly swivelling, searching for any sign of an impending attack.

Rhyla too sat
in silence, every few minutes checking Callum
’
s dressing, his pulse, his breathing or his colour, but he remained unconscious no matter how hard the cart jostled them. With the fervour of battle and the subse
quent nursing of Callum beginning to abate,
Rhyla began to feel her own aches and the sting of her undressed wounds. She had several lace
rations covering her upper body;
some would need a few stitches she was sure. Rhyla was more than grateful to the layers of loose fabric to her riding dress that had protected her legs from anything worse than b
ruises. Looking at the tatters of
what had once been a fine silk dress that morning s
he tried to find an explanation; an apology to
Lady Emelia for ruining such a gift.

As Lestran came into view
,
Lieutenant Tomlin instructed one of the guardsmen to
ride ahead.
Seeing
him urge his mount forward into a
gallop Rhyla looked up briefly.
She
thought it may have been young Bolan. Entering the city gates
,
Rhyla found a squad of guardsmen had already started clearing the road to the Palace so the wagon was not
slowed by the usual crowds in
the city streets. People
silently stood aside and watched, shock on their faces as they realised their young heroic prince lay unmoving upon the wagon
’
s straw bed. Rhyla
could not bear to look at them.
She
imagined the
ir anger and fears and
believed they would all be turned on her if they ever learnt of the circumstance of his injury.

The gates of the Palace were opened wide and the wagon escorted directly to the foot of the grand stairs. Lieutenant Tomlin flung himself from his saddle and hastily bid to explain what had happened to the King. King Liam stood at the base of the stairs, his court around
him. Other members
of the royal family filled
the doorway as the news spread.

“
Your majesty, there was an ambush at the hunting lodge. Prince Callum was struck by an arrow.
”
King Liam was barely listening as he strode to the back of the wagon. The courtyard and the Palace steps were rapidly filling as news spread of the Prince
’
s sudden return, some believed he was already dead and many more sobbed
at the sight of him l
ying unconscious and so pale
upon the straw.

“
Master Roburt,
”
King Liam bel
lowed above the general clamour.
Many
voices were silenced when they realised who was yelling.
“
Master Roburt, where are you man?!
”

“
Here your majesty,
”
Master Roburt called
,
pushing his way between the crowd of on lookers.
“
I came as soon as I heard.
”
King Liam and Master Roburt fixed their eyes on Callum
’
s still form. Master Roburt spared Rhyla a glance and a curt word,
“
E
xplain.
”

Rhyla paled at the attention she was getting.
She
drew a dee
p breath as she prepared to
summon the courage to summarise the
day
’
s
dreadful event.
“
We dismounted outside the lodge and before we saw anyone Callum was struck with an arrow in
the back. There were three men.
We
fought and Callum killed all three. He collapsed from blood loss but Lieutenant Tomlin helped to remove the arrow so I could stop the bleeding and dress the wound.
”
Rhyla
’
s rush of words was meet with a stunned silence from the
crowds. She suddenly realised she had not used Callum
’
s title once.
That
was sure to cause as much gossip as the fact he had killed three men while
being
gravely injured.
“
The men were bandits.
They
seemed intent on killing the Prince,
”
Rhyla said in an attempt to deflect their attention from her.