Across the Sea—Chapter XIV

And…we have some fluff….some sadness……..eh. All that stuff 🤣

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: WENDOLYNS COUNCIL

Artham had been asleep for hours under the tree. He had Ben declared missing, and now there were a few people searching, Podo Helmer among them.

Podo was the one that found him. And his heart melted. He knew Artham was nearly a man, but……there he lay, bloodied and bruised, sprawled out, half on the ground, half against the tree…eyes puffy and red.

Podo sighed. He knew something bad had happened.

He got off of his horse, and walked towards the boy. He kneeled down and lifted Artham up, wincing when Artham groaned. He lifted him onto the horse. Artham leaned forward, and his body rested against the horse’s warm neck and body.

Podo led the horse along, happy to find Artham, but considering another matter.

“I ain’t takin’ ya ta the Keeper’s. We’ll nurse ya, laddie-boy.”

Now Artham, in his delirious state, confusing Podo’s voice for his father’s, and not really knowing where he was, muttered, “Thank you, Papa.”

Podo’s heart stopped. Tears filled his eyes, but when he looked back at the lad, he was fast asleep.

“Poor boy.”

When Podo got home, Wendolyn breathed a sigh of relief, and she gladly accepted the idea of him staying with them. She also sent for Esben and Emerald.

It broke her heart to see Artham, all bruised and mangled.

Podo laid him down in an upstairs room, and Wendolyn started care for him.

When he did wake up, he didn’t say anything. He took Wendolyn’s care gratefully, to be sure. And when Esben and Emerald came up to see him, he spoke little.

He was embarrassed, and upset, and hurt. He read the letter from Arundelle, with heavy eyes. His were not the first to read them anyway. His cheeks became flushed when he thought of how embarrassing the situation was.

But nonetheless, he read it for the rest of the evening.

And the whole next day. He had nothing else to do besides. Wendolyn came up every now and then, giving him food and sometimes a kiss on his head.

For three whole days he didn’t say much. When Podo did come up and ask what happened, Artham of course told him the truth, and Podo became enraged.

Podo went across to the Keeper’s house, but the Keeper refused to believe Podo. He knew there was a bad situation between Nibbick and Artham, but he was more inclined to believe Nibbick and his father.

It did not bode well for Horus. They got into a fight, and Horus ended up with a bloodied, broken nose, and Podo landed up with a black eye.

Wendolyn sighed, and went upstairs to speak to Artham after Podo came back, in a terrible mood.

She slowly went upstairs, and she saw Artham lying down with his face turned away from her, but she could tell by the heaving of his chest that he had been crying.

“Artham. Love?”

Artham started, sat up quickly, wiped his face, and then looked at Wendolyn.

“Hi,” he said quickly, his voice thick with a sob that he tried to hide.

“Hello, love.”

Wendolyn sat on the bed beside him, and took one of his hands in hers. “Love, I think it’s time that you told me what’s bothering you.”

Artham flushed. “No, it’s not. I’m fine.”

“That’s teenage-boy for ‘I’m very not fine’.”

Artham sighed heavily. “Well,” Wendolyn said, looking at him with a sharp eye, “you need to talk to someone.”

Artham said nothing, just stared rather blankly at her, though a spark of frustration flashed in his eyes.

Wendolyn was silent for a moment. “Who do you trust most in the whole world, Artham?”

Artham scoffed a little. “The people I all trusted the most are dead now.”

Wendolyn sighed. She knew he was not being dramatic, he was being honest. And it made her sad.

Artham saw her look, and after a moment he said, “I suppose I trust Arundelle.”

”Well then, may I make a suggestion?”

“What?”

“Why don’t you write her a letter, telling her what’s been going on in your mind. I think she’s a good friend to you, and good friends will listen. Won’t she?”

Artham nodded. “I guess that is a good idea. I’m sorry I snapped.”

“I understand love. You’ve been through a lot lately. Just think about what I’ve said, dearie.”

She kissed him, and then went downstairs.

Artham sat in bed for a few moments, thinking about what Wendolyn had said. There was some sense in what she had said. He knew that.

He slowly eased out of bed, which he very rarely did now, and got some paper and a pen.

Then he crawled back into bed, and started the slow process of writing a letter to Arundelle. It was a slow process because he had to think how to word it so he still sounded mature and like himself.

But still. It was a sad, and somewhat venting sounding letter, but there was nothing Artham could do about that.

“She’ll understand,” he whispered.

Some fluffiness! I hope you liked!