Chapter 39
***
Exhausted from yesterday’s journey, lack of sleep, and, let’s be honest, Reynard, I fell asleep instantly.
I woke up ravenous, the sun already sinking below the mountains. Reynard, perched by the window against the breathtaking backdrop, saw my eyes flutter open.
“Beeep!”
My eardrums nearly shattered. I clapped a pillow over my ears against the piercing shriek.
“Adele, quiet now. We’re inside.” Reynard gently chided the black eagle that had let out the earsplitting cry.
The eagle, perched on the table, swiveled its head, fixing its glassy eyes on me. Up close, the bright-eyed bird was impressively large.
“Yes, get a good look. This is who you’ll be following from now on. Take another sniff.”
Reynard pointed to a bundle of cloth in front of the eagle. The eagle, its gaze shifting from me, nudged the fabric with its beak. The pale, thin cloth…
“Reynard! You!” I shrieked, leaping out of bed as I realized what he wanted the eagle to sniff. “What are you doing with my underwear?!”
Startled by my outburst, the eagle flapped its wings and soared out the open window, my undergarments clutched in its talons.
“That’s it, Adele! Get familiar with the scent!” Reynard waved cheerfully after the departing bird.
“Reynard!”
“Sleep well? Want something to eat?” He draped an arm casually over my shoulder. I shrugged him off, fuming.
“Don’t change the subject! And what’s with ‘Adele’? Don’t tell me you named that eagle after me! If you did, I’m going to hit you.”
“Hmm… maybe we should skip the hitting.” Reynard gestured to his arm.
I unleashed my fury on his arm, but punching his rock-hard limb only hurt my hand. After exhausting myself with this futile effort, my stomach growled, reminding me of my intense hunger.
Leaving Reynard chuckling, I grabbed my purse and stomped out. What was the point? It was only going to frustrate me further.
Thundering down the stairs, I asked the innkeeper for a simple meal. The kindly woman brought bread and stew, glancing up the stairs.
“It sounded lively up there. Did you and your husband have a fight?”
If I denied it now, I’d be the woman sharing a room with a man who wasn’t her husband.
“Oh, you’ll make up. Where else will you find such a caring husband, asking me repeatedly to keep your food warm in case you were hungry?”
I shoved bread in my mouth without replying. Taking my silence for stubbornness, she patted my back.
“Honestly, if I had a husband that handsome and well-built, just looking at him would calm me down.”
Her words were a minefield of misunderstandings. Seemingly not expecting a response, she disappeared back into the kitchen.
I finished my meal quickly and retrieved the herbs I’d bought yesterday at the apothecary. The pungent leaves filled my mouth with a bitter taste.
On an empty stomach, they would have made me gag, but I chewed the contraceptive herbs like iron rods.
“Is that the contraceptive herb?” Reynard, now dressed, sat across from me. “Aren’t you supposed to grind it into a powder? Is it okay to eat it like that? The bitter scent is strong even from here. How does it taste?”
“Awful,” I grumbled, my face contorted in disgust.
Reynard chuckled. “If it’s that awful, do you really need to eat it? I wouldn’t mind if you didn’t.”
Instead of answering, I pulled another handful of herbs from my pouch and defiantly stuffed them in my mouth. Ugh. Disgusting.
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