[Duellist 01.0] Hal by Kate Cudahy

Author:Kate Cudahy [Cudahy, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781512261172
Amazon: 1512261173
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2015-03-02T07:00:00+00:00

*

Daylight streamed in between parted drapes. She woke with difficulty, disoriented and tried to piece together the events which had led to her arrival in Caraden. The wounds upon her arm and legs throbbed and pulsed, yet it was a different kind of pain which caused her to groan out loud. Details of the duel came back to her in ever-increasing clarity: Léac’s bitter words, Jools’s despair, and above all Orla’s fury as she had lain dying. She bit down on her knuckles, stifling a sob.

“So you’ve woken up at last.”

Hal turned her head in the direction of the speaker, to observe Lavinia sitting in a high-backed armchair by the window.

“How long was I asleep?”

“It’s midday now. You slept restlessly, though. I was afraid you had a fever.”

“I’m alright,” she lied. She shifted uncomfortably beneath heavy blankets.

“I’ll have the girls prepare a bath for you. We’ll put herbs into the water. That will cleanse the wounds. And bathing may cleanse more than just the body.”

“Look, I’m grateful to you but I must move on. I would like to reach the Eagles’ Nests by nightfall.”

Lavinia’s laughter sounded like a peal of bells. “Yes, you do rather live up to Marc’s description.”

“Why? What did he say? And how come you know him?”

“He said you were your own worst enemy.” She pointedly ignored Hal’s second question. “You need to rest, to bathe and eat. Besides, I don’t think you’ll be getting very far without your clothes!”

“What?” She lifted the blankets and gasped. “What have you done with them? Who are you people?”

“Don’t worry. I gave them to the girls to wash and mend. You can wear this for now.” She flung a length of faded blue material across the room. Hal caught it and held it critically to the light.

“A dress?” she asked, almost in horror.

“It looks about your size. You’re not a prisoner here, my dear. If you wish to ride to Hannac half-famished, exhausted and wearing a dress, be my guest. If, on the other hand, you take the more sensible option of spending one more night in Caraden, the girls will give you back your clothes and you can ride tomorrow.”

She was left with little choice, it seemed. “Very well. But I can’t pay for my stay here. The soldiers, they …”

“Did they take your money?”

“Yes. All of it.”

“Typical. Incompetent thieves. Don’t worry, Hal. We’ll get it back from them.”

“What do you mean you’ll get it back from them? What kind of place is this?”

Anka stuck her head around the door. “We’ve prepared a bath for the guest as you requested, Lavinia.” She looked Hal up and down appraisingly and grinned. The duellist scowled as she pulled the dress over her head.

“Shall we?” Lavinia stretched out her hand.

They made their way along a corridor hung with rich tapestries and paintings to a smaller chamber at its end. A large, round bath stood in the centre, hot water steaming, spreading the air thick with the heady-scent of rose petals.

Lavinia and Anka then left her alone to bathe, closing the door quietly behind them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.