It was some time later that her husband sat on a chair next to Walcott’s bed, staring at the pale man.
“Do you know if he’ll survive?” Slatter asked.
Willow was honest with him. “It doesn’t look good, but Walcott just may be cantankerous enough to defy death.”
“Did Walcott ever tell you how we met?”
“He made no mention of it.”
Slatter settled his arms across his chest as his eyes remained focused on Walcott. “I came upon two men beating him bloody. They claimed he stole from them.” He smiled. “Walcott, his lips and eyes badly swollen, complained how he refused to pay the two lazy lots for a chore they had failed to complete. And it wasn’t him, the messenger that they should be beating, but the man who ordered the chore in the first place.” Slatter’s smile faded. “He lost two teeth that day, joining in the fight I started, even with how badly he’d been beaten.”
“He remained with you after that?” Willow asked.
“He did, after staying with our small group, smaller than what there is now, and healing, he told me he felt free for the first time in his life and wanted to stay free. He may be grumpy, but he’s loyal.” He shook his head. “I’m going to make whoever did this to him pay.”
The time might not be right, but her husband needed to know about last night. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I should have mentioned this last night, but my thoughts were elsewhere.”
He glanced up at her.
“When I was returning from Teresa’s cottage, Walcott popped out of the dark to warn me about being out alone and how danger lurked in the dark. I wondered what he was doing out himself since he was to leave at dawn this morning. And that’s not all. Before Walcott made himself known, a voice called to me saying, ‘you summoned me’ and it took a moment for me to realize it was the Slayer. He asked me what I wanted and I told him how I wanted you safe and the culprit caught and punished. He told me I owed him. I asked him what I owed him and he said, ‘whatever I ask of you.’”
Anger flared in his dark eyes. “And you didn’t think to tell me this last night?”
“You distracted me.”
“That’s no excuse and you know it,” he snapped.
Willow nodded her head, knowing he was right. She should have told him right away.
“Again, that’s not all,” she said, needing to tell him everything.
Slatter’s brow shot up and not in surprise, his anger had flared.
“When I got closer to the keep I spotted a cloaked figure heading around the corner of the keep, near the kitchen area. I chased after him, but when I turned the corner he had vanished.”
Slatter bolted up out of the chair. “You followed him?”
Willow stepped back away from her husband, but he caught her arm and hurried her over to stand near the hearth, away from Walcott.
“Do you know how foolish that was following him?” He shook his head. “Of course not because you had lost all common sense and plunged head long into danger. You should have come to me right away or to James, or to any of the warriors so they could have searched the area.”
“You’re right. I should have,” Willow said. “It was foolish, but would anyone but you have believed me? No one takes me seriously when I tell them of this man who wears your face. They think I say it to make an excuse for you.” Her head drooped. “I should have told you. You would have attempted to search for the figure, which would have alerted the sentinels, which could very well have frightened off whoever was prowling the village, and which could have prevented Walcott’s attack.”
Slatter lifted her chin for her to look at him. “It was me you saw sneaking back into the keep, though that still makes no difference. You shouldn’t have followed after me, not knowing who I was.”
Willow’s shock showed in her eyes that rounded wide.
“Walcott was out in the night because of me. We had made a time to meet in case anything came up before his departure that needed to be discussed. It’s my fault and he could very well die because of it.”
“It’s neither of our faults,” Willow said, resting her hand on her husband’s chest. “The fault is on this man who pretends to be you. And I wonder if Walcott came upon him, thinking it was you, the dark night and falling snow making it difficult to see. And what about the Slayer? Could he have seen something?”
Slatter pulled his wife into his arms and hugged her tight. “It could be you lying in bed, close to death. I don’t want to lose you, mo ghaol, promise me you will not be foolish again.”