From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [87]
Gren fell into the chair and buried her face in her arms.
Averella watched Gren a moment, but it only made her angry, so she returned to her body, staring into the surrounding darkness, pondering what Gren meant about Bran. A long time passed until another yell pulled her back to the moment. Averella moved to the doorway of her room.
“I thought we might want to eat something warm and fresh.” Harnu again stood in the middle of the room. His trousers were wet from the thighs down. He held a fat trout under the gills with his fingers.
Gren stood at the front of the table, glaring. “That smell!” She clamped a hand over her mouth. Her shoulders heaved.
Noam stepped into the cottage carrying the lantern that had hung outside. “What’s the matter?”
“Gren?” Harnu inched closer, staring as if he thought she might be dying. “Are you well?”
She ran past him, bumping his arm so that he twisted around to watch her run out the door. Sounds of retching reached back inside the house.
“Think she’s ill?” Harnu asked Noam.
“She’s with child,” Noam said. “Weird things happen, or so I’ve been told.”
With child? Averella’s thoughts jumbled together.
Harnu took the lantern from Noam and carried the fish toward the door, then started back the other way. “I’ll take this out the back.”
“Smart plan.” Noam walked to the cluttered table. “You truly care for her?”
Harnu paused before a door at the opposite end of the room. “For as long as I can remember.”
Noam grunted. “Probably shouldn’t have beat her friends on a regular basis, then. Achan especially.”
“Think I don’t know I was a scoundrel? A fool to follow Riga like a dog? I’ve begged her forgiveness a dozen times over. She says it doesn’t matter. What else can I do?”
“Nothing, if she won’t have you.”
“There must be something.”
Noam sat at the table and stretched out his legs. “You’ve kept her house. Now you’re going to feed her. You’ve helped her with her friend’s body. Be patient. Maybe she’ll come around.”
“But what of this knight she speaks of? Has she lost her head? Could a knight have pledged to marry a widowed peasant? One already with child? It’s madness.”
Averella had to agree. Unless the child were Bran’s. The thought made her knees weak. Bran would never…
“Nothing would surprise me these days,” Noam said.
But Harnu shook his head. “Despite what happened with Achan, Gren’s no lost princess. I don’t believe a knight would woo her with pure motives.”
“Why not? If you were a knight, you would.”
“That is not the— Enough of this!” Harnu wrenched open the back door and took his fish out into the Darkness.
Averella’s head spun. It was simply impossible. Bran would never take advantage of a woman. He had the purest heart of any man she had ever known.
Gren inched back in the open front entrance, her posture sheepish.
“He took the fish out back,” Noam said. “Make an effort to eat it. There’s nothing else.”
“But it smells horrible!”
“Gren, can you hunt for us? Because I know nothing about killing animals or fish. Without Harnu, we starve. Think of your child. It needs the food as much as you.”
“I’m not saying I won’t eat it. I just don’t like the smell.”
“And I am simply suggesting you try to be a little kinder to our provider, lest you drive him away. I know the situation is awkward, but…”
“I’ll try, Noam. For you.”
“Thank you, Grenny.”
Gren brought in a lantern and pulled a fresh blanket over Averella’s body, as if she were merely napping and not infected with a storm. Averella hovered by the sideboard, staring at a pitcher of water, suddenly extremely thirsty. How many days had passed for her without food or drink? Would her body die without nourishment?
A shadow fell over the bed. Averella turned to see Harnu standing in the doorway like a sentry guard.
“We should talk of what to do if she never wakes,” Harnu said.
“Don’t say that!” Gren said. “What if she