take heart!
“Why would she believe that was my heart?” Rhys, the steward’s girl asked as she watched him carve the purple organ from the deer’s carcass. He put the thing into the black lacquered box beside him.
“Because she’s stupid .” The huntsman replied, with a shrug. “And most ladies have never seen a heart.”
“I’ve seen them.” The steward’s girl replied. “That heart is huge. I hope you’re right, Anselm.” She was tall for her age, nearly nineteen with jet black hair and the pale skin of a well-bred woman, although her father had been little more than a servant.
“Would you prefer me to cut out your heart as she asked me too? My lady is as dull as the day is long and will be appeased by the sight of blood, if nothing else. Now you will not threaten the lady.” He replied, rather sadly. “We will miss you.”
“Not for long.” The girl said angrily. A bitter wind kicked up, sawing its way through each of their cloaks. “Now, which way am I to go?” She asked, looking into the deepening dark of the woods.
There was a cough, from behind them. Both the huntsman and the girl whirled. It was hard to see the man, both because he was little and because he was almost covered head to foot in black dust, so he seemed to be part and parcel with the growing blackness. He spoke nervously, making everything sound like a question.
“I’m Hap? His cousin? From the mines? I’m to lead you?” He said in a high voice, looking like he’d dart away at any moment.
The girl’s response was nearly off of her tongue before she caught it. I’m no lady. She had had to repeat it time and time to those who tried to plead with the real lady, to the merchants, even to other lords and ladies who came to attend on Lady Bartol. Many left wishing she’d been the lady after all. That some wanted to turn that wish into a reality was part of the reason the girl, the huntsman and the miner were now in the woods, all looking at the black lacquer box that contained the heart.
“I’m Rhys.” She said, instead. “From the castle. Thank you for taking me in.”
Hap nodded, looking down at the ground.
The huntsman sighed. “Hap, do you want to take this deer home to your brothers?”
Hap nodded again, and darted forward to pull the body onto his shoulders. Although he was barely a slip of a man, he carried the deer like it weighed little more than a feather.
The huntsman stood, and picked up the box. He gave Rhys a searching look. The mines were a hard place, especially for a woman who had lived all her life in a castle. “Be well, Rhys.” He told her, and looked at the dust covered man. “You take care of her.”
Hap nodded.
Rhys was beginning to question the huntsman’s judgment in sending her off with his miner cousins. Did he want her to die from want of conversation? Instead, she smiled. “I’ll see you sooner than you think, Anselm.”
With that, they slipped into the woods and were soon out of sight.
Anselm turned back towards the castle, to tell his lady he’d killed the steward’s daughter and brought her the heart.
“Because she’s stupid .” The huntsman replied, with a shrug. “And most ladies have never seen a heart.”
“I’ve seen them.” The steward’s girl replied. “That heart is huge. I hope you’re right, Anselm.” She was tall for her age, nearly nineteen with jet black hair and the pale skin of a well-bred woman, although her father had been little more than a servant.
“Would you prefer me to cut out your heart as she asked me too? My lady is as dull as the day is long and will be appeased by the sight of blood, if nothing else. Now you will not threaten the lady.” He replied, rather sadly. “We will miss you.”
“Not for long.” The girl said angrily. A bitter wind kicked up, sawing its way through each of their cloaks. “Now, which way am I to go?” She asked, looking into the deepening dark of the woods.
There was a cough, from behind them. Both the huntsman and the girl whirled. It was hard to see the man, both because he was little and because he was almost covered head to foot in black dust, so he seemed to be part and parcel with the growing blackness. He spoke nervously, making everything sound like a question.
“I’m Hap? His cousin? From the mines? I’m to lead you?” He said in a high voice, looking like he’d dart away at any moment.
The girl’s response was nearly off of her tongue before she caught it. I’m no lady. She had had to repeat it time and time to those who tried to plead with the real lady, to the merchants, even to other lords and ladies who came to attend on Lady Bartol. Many left wishing she’d been the lady after all. That some wanted to turn that wish into a reality was part of the reason the girl, the huntsman and the miner were now in the woods, all looking at the black lacquer box that contained the heart.
“I’m Rhys.” She said, instead. “From the castle. Thank you for taking me in.”
Hap nodded, looking down at the ground.
The huntsman sighed. “Hap, do you want to take this deer home to your brothers?”
Hap nodded again, and darted forward to pull the body onto his shoulders. Although he was barely a slip of a man, he carried the deer like it weighed little more than a feather.
The huntsman stood, and picked up the box. He gave Rhys a searching look. The mines were a hard place, especially for a woman who had lived all her life in a castle. “Be well, Rhys.” He told her, and looked at the dust covered man. “You take care of her.”
Hap nodded.
Rhys was beginning to question the huntsman’s judgment in sending her off with his miner cousins. Did he want her to die from want of conversation? Instead, she smiled. “I’ll see you sooner than you think, Anselm.”
With that, they slipped into the woods and were soon out of sight.
Anselm turned back towards the castle, to tell his lady he’d killed the steward’s daughter and brought her the heart.