The Robber Knight's Secret

44. Crossbowfire

Reuben fully expected Ayla to come after him when he made his escape. She didn't. Puzzled, he looked over his shoulder. He would have thought that she'd come after him with claws extended.

"What's the matter?" Fye asked from beside him, peeking up at him curiously.

"I'm thinking about Ayla," Reuben told her.

Fye chewed her lower lip, deep in thought. "She's a nice lady. A bit silly, sometimes, but nice."

"I'm so glad you approve."

"You could beat a bit of sense into her with a nice stick."

"Probably. I must admit the thought has crossed my mind."

"But you're not going to, are you?"

"No."

"I could lend you my stick," she offered.

"No, thank you. You see, I love her. You don't beat people you love with a stick no matter how much you might want to. Unless you're sparring, of course."

Fye nodded, approving of his logic.

"And she loves you," she determined.

"I definitely hope so."

"Don't worry, she does. She gets goo-goo eyes when she looks at you."

Glancing down at the little girl, Reuben raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Aye. And you get goo-goo eyes when you look at her, too, only yours look different. Hers go all wide and soft and stare at your face. Yours go all dark and flamy and stare at her bos—"

"Maybe I have gone a bit too far with educating you," Reuben interrupted her hastily. "I think it's time to return you to your mother."

"Not you, too!"

"Well, where should I bring you, then?"

She tugged at his hand, towards the courtyard. "Take me with you to the recruits? Oh, please, please, please! I want to watch them shoot at straw people!"

"All right." Reuben sighed. "But only if you promise to behave. That means no grabbing a crossbow and trying to shoot real people."

Fye looked disappointed, but finally nodded.

For a while, Reuben walked in silence, still carrying Fye on his arm. When they had turned a corner and where approaching the training grounds, the shouts of the recruits echoing in the distance, Fye suddenly asked:

"Are you going to marry her?"

"Marry?" Reuben stared at her. Maybe this child was crazier than he had originally presumed. "Why on earth should I marry? And for the Devil's sake, who?"

"Lady Ayla, of course." Fye frowned up at him. "Well, you said you love her, didn't you?"

"Yes, and? What has that got to do with marriage? It's just an expensive nuisance, and some priest mumbling a couple of words. I'm sure Ayla doesn't care about any of that."

Fye rolled her eyes.

"You know, I really like you..."

"Thank you."

"But you're even sillier than Lady Ayla."

*~*~**~*~*

Ayla did not go looking for Reuben, but instead went attending to her other duties. She didn't want to come face to face with her red knight until she had untangled her confusing and contradictory feelings of love, relief and anger.