The Dark Tower

Chapter 6 - Kisses and Dismisses

‘It’s Gandalf!’ Katy said. ‘And . . . it looks like Percival . . . and Gwaine!’

Gwaine! My heart leapt to my mouth as I tried to distinguish him, and then it was clearly him, riding to one side with Percival to the other and Gandalf in the centre with another rider. With a brightly burning blue eye. Sorvad. I concluded that the negotiations at the South Pass had not gone well. Much as I wanted to rush down to meet Gwaine, I held station, defences at the ready to repel anyone attacking the Dark Tower. I watched as the four men rode through the outer defences of the tower, the elves closing the heavy wooden gates behind them, and they led their horses into the stabling to the rear.

‘Beth! Beth!’ I heard my name called and hoped it was Gwaine, but it was Leon. ‘Beth, can you see to Percival? He has a couple of bad injuries.’

I collected my medicines and followed him down to the ground floor where Percival had been brought and placed on a table. The elves were already tending to him, but none of them were skilled healers. He had one gash across his chest and another on his thigh. I opened my kit and withdrew the salves I needed, also giving him a sedative as I would need him completely still, and then started to heal Percival. His chest wound was fairly straightforward and quickly healed, but his thigh wound was a jagged cut, a knife of some kind had been jabbed up under his chainmail and then dragged out leaving skin shredded and the start of an infection. I was just starting to cleanse it when Aragorn arrived.

‘My Lady!’ he said in shock as he saw me bent over Percival’s thigh.

 ‘Not now Aragorn! I’m busy.’

‘I can see that, my lady,’ and he drew his sword and slowly moved to Percival’s head. Lying flat, Percival was not aware of him until Aragorn placed his blade onto his throat.

‘Aragorn, no!’

‘Move away from my rival, Lady Beth, or I will slice him from ear to ear.’

‘He is not your rival,’ I protested.

Aragorn twitched the sword in his hand and I could see the blade beginning to dent Percival’s neck. He was too weak and sedated to do anything except look very surprised.

I did the only thing I could think of that might just work. I moved away from Percival and approached Aragorn, took his face between my hands and kissed him. I felt him draw his sword away from Percival’s neck and it clattered to the floor as his arms encircled me and he kissed me back as passionately as I had ever been kissed before.

I hadn’t quite thought through the next step, which was how to get myself out of this kiss now I was in it as Aragorn was increasing the pace faster than I had anticipated and was now running his hands through my hair, down my back, over my hips and up over my breasts. Not that long ago, in my imagination, I would have been in seventh heaven, but I was with Gwaine now and this . . . this wasn’t real, it was an enchantment.

I started to pull away from him, but he merely clamped one hand to my breast and pulled me back against him, kissing me even more passionately.

I was interrupted by someone calling my name and dragged myself away from Aragorn.

‘Percival! It’s not what it looks like!’ He had managed to prop himself up onto his elbow and was looking at me sadly. ‘Percy, it’s not what you think.’ He said nothing. ‘It’s not! Aragorn, he’s bewitched!’ More silence. ‘I had to do it to save your life. Percival?’ He looked up at me. I could still see the disappointment in his eyes. ‘I need to explain to Gwaine. And I can! So, please don’t say anything to him.’ He lack back down on the table and I took this as agreement. ‘Thank you.’