Greenwood Knight

Chapter 65

Matilde entered a few moments later, but Erec was too sore to care much about modesty. Aside, she was the healer when Gwyn was not in residence. He suddenly opened his eyes.

"Why has Gwyn not come?" he asked as he watched Matilde set a tray of jars upon a little table.

"It is forbidden. His majesty has decreed that you and Neron be kept under guard and that only the royal physician be allowed to attend. I was asked to see that servants were assigned to attend to you and Lord Neron."

"And you assigned yourself." Erec smiled and closed his eyes again, enjoying the heat as it seeped into his muscles and eased some of the soreness.

"I knew I liked you, old woman!" Drew kissed her cheek and leapt back quickly to avoid her hand as she swatted at him.

"The physician is going to be here soon. He is bleeding Neron and giving him some strange potions to take away the pains and restore his strength. It smelled awful and since there is no such magic potion that I know of, I sent for these." She waved a hand toward the tray and turned to Drew. "You best keep watch and tell him that Lord Erec needs only sleep."

"Gladly." Drew shuddered. "Erec bled enough after the ambush that it shall be too soon, were I never to seem him bleed another drop!"

"Squeamish?" Erec asked surprised.

"Nay, milord." Drew held out an imaginary skirt and curtsied as he teased in a falsetto voice, "It is only that you are too wonderful by half and I should simply die if ever you were to leave this earth."

Erec laughed as he scooped up a palm of water and flung it at Drew.

Drew easily dodged the water and giggled in that silly falsetto before he batted his eyes and made his exit.

"What, pray tell, was that foolishness about?"

"He is trying to cheer me. And my wife told him, upon threat of a slow and painful death, that he was to take care of me in her stead."

"And so, he plays the fool." Matilde chuckled as she neared the tub.

Erec saw she held a jar of greenish water with black blobs— "Leaches!"

He hated leeches almost as much as he hated physicians and their bleeding.

"The bruising." She answered. "If it is still bleeding, the leeches will help to take down the swelling. If the bleeding has stopped, there is naught to be done, save to let time heal the bruise."

"And how will you kno—Ouch!" Erec hissed as she began to poke at his sore shoulder.

"Sit up some."

Erec frowned but obeyed, gritting his teeth as she continued to poke. "Well?" he asked when she stopped at last.

"Most of this is set and cannot be helped, but this part here," she placed a leech and he felt his skin quiver at the feel of it. "Where the swelling is the worse and these knots are forming, here it is still bleeding. The leeches will help so that you will have better use of the arm on the morrow."

"Since Neron will be swinging a very sharp and deadly weapon at my head on the morrow, I shall be grateful for it." Erec tipped his head toward the tray. "Do you have anything else that will help?"

"Little can be done for bruising and sore muscles save the leeches and the soaking. But I can mix a tea that will lessen the pain and help you to sleep. And when Drew returns, I shall instruct him on how to rub this liniment into the muscles of your arms and back. At least," she frowned, "on the parts that are not bruised."