Page 106 of The Knucker King

“We did,” he purred.

She swayed again, and he caught her, sweeping her up into his arms. Avice relaxed into him; her temple rested against his steady heart. Trewoofe led the way inside, Bramble on his heels, and Ashling flitting ahead to nestle in the hearth.

“…’m sorry,” she mumbled against his tunic.

“You have no reason to be,” he replied, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

Trewoofe laid her on the pallet and ambled over to the table to fetch water and a cloth.

Bramble snuffled at his mistress. Do you think she will be alright? he asked, eyes shining with concern.

“Yes,” he replied. “She is just worn out. I did not know that magic was so exhausting and dangerous for witches.”

The Grim pinned his ears back. All my witches have given so much over the turns of seasons. Too much.

Trewoofe hunched and shuffled back over with a bowl of water and cloth in tow. He scratched Bramble’s head, sensing he needed some comfort at that moment. The hound closed his eyes and sighed. The King knelt beside the pallet, dipped the cloth into the bowl, and rang out the excess.

“I will look after her.” Trewoofe nodded towards the Grim’s favourite spot by the hearth. “Go and rest; it has been a long night.”

Bramble weakly wagged his tail, padded over and settled by the fire. And you, Lord?

“I will sleep, soon,” he promised.

With that, Trewoofe set to wiping Avice’s face, removing the ashes, pollen, and shimmering magic from her flushed skin. He moved onto her arms and legs. He considered removing her shift to clean her further but knew it would not be correct to do so without asking her. As she had said, their courtship was new, and they had to have many discussions on how it would all work.

Once he was satisfied that she was as clean as he could make her, Trewoofe gathered the surviving baskets from outside and stacked them by the door. He washed himself as exhaustion began to seep into his limbs. For the first time in days, the three remaining stitches on his belly niggled at him.

“What do you expect after a courtship dance?” he murmured to himself as he slipped in under the bedding, pulling Avice to his chest.

41

Chapter 41

Trewoofe

The following day, a thud had Trewoofe forcing himself awake. He peered blearily at the shutters. Bright cuts of light slipped in through the joins of wood. Avice slept heavily in his arms and a little drool had wetted his sleeve where she rested her head. He chuckled at that and placed a feather-light kiss to her cheek, before settling down to sleep again.

Another thud.

Trewoofe scowled around the room, seeking the source of the disturbance. Bramble slept curled by the fire, and Ashling dozed in the coals. His jaw ticked, but he rested his head again, tracing his lips over the nape of Avice’s neck.

A third thud had him seething.

He eased himself from their pallet so he could find the noise and stop it. His little witch needed to rest, and he wanted to make sure she got it. As always, when he had laid next to Avice, he had awoken excited and had to adjust his clothing to hide his erection.

That is when he heard it, rustling and footfalls just outside. He hunched and shuffled over to the door. Like spoons, the copper key in the lock was both too big for his claw tips, and too small for his hand. He scrabbled with it and finally managed to turn it with a clunk. He hissed, and glanced over to his resting family, relieved to see they were still deep asleep.

Trewoofe slipped through the door and closed it behind him with a gentle click. He squinted, allowing his eyes to adjust to the blaring Spring light after the gloom of the last few days.

It was then he saw him.

A human male, a mere stride away.

He bared his fangs, letting a low growl slip from his throat.

The human recoiled and tightened his arms around the squirming bundle he carried. Trewoofe kept growling as he studied the man, claws twitching to rip him apart. He was dressed plainly, blood smeared down his brown tunic and hose, with a sturdy pair of boots on his feet. How dare he come here to disturb Avice? How brazen to cross his ward into her garden? That gave him pause. If the human had passed through his protection magic, it meant he had not come to cause her harm.

“Well King?” the man squeaked.