Belaset's Daughter - By Feona J Hamilton Page 0,96
lighting them clearly for their attackers to see. Still, the boat staggered forward on the river, despite the tide and the number of people in her. They were almost out of range, when Aaron saw a sight that he would never be able to forget.
Curving through the air came an arrow. He saw the metal head, glinting in the moonlight, with the long shaft of wood behind it. As he watched it came straight towards them, and buried itself in Benjamin’s back. He screamed once, and fell forward at his son’s feet. He coughed, and Aaron felt the wet heat of his father’s blood drenching his hose.
In his horror, he froze, gripping the oar as if he would break it. Gregory leant over Benjamin, looking to see where the arrow had penetrated. He looked up at Aaron.
"He is still alive," he said. "Do you hear me, Aaron he is alive!"
He raised one hand, and shook Aaron roughly by the shoulder.
"Row," he said. "Quickly, we must get your father to the house row, Aaron!"
Aaron stared at him, dazed, then literally shook himself, and began to row again.
Hubert, who had stopped also, matched his rhythm to Aaron’s, and rowed without a word.
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The attack had ceased, once they were out of range. Presumably, orders would be given for a search party to leave the Tower and hunt them down especially if the guard had been able to identify them. How long they had to reach the safety of Gregory’s house in Westminster, none of them knew. All that was certain was that Benjamin was badly wounded, perhaps dying, and that there was nowhere else for them to go.
Aaron seemed to have become an automaton. On and on he rowed, never breaking the rhythm, apparently with inexhaustible strength. Hubert struggled grimly to keep up with him, unwilling to break their progress by asking someone else to take over. He felt as if his heart would burst, but still the relentless pace went on.
At last, Walter said, "Pull right, we are there!"
The sound of his voice seemed to bring Aaron from his trance. Together, he and Hubert adjusted their efforts, so that the boat swung across the river, and bumped against the mudbank on the Westminster side. Walter leapt out, and Gregory and Hubert followed, splashing into the water. They ran to the prow, and helped Walter heave the boat further up the bank.
Aaron spoke then, in an oddly normal voice.
"I shall stay here with my father," he said. "You must go and get something for us to carry him on, then we will take him to my mother. She will know what to do."
"Walter and Hubert will go," said Gregory. "I shall stay here with you. You cannot wait here alone with a wounded man."
"He is my father," said Aaron. "Who else should wait with him?"
"Your friend," said Gregory, gently.
He nodded at his two servants, and they trotted off along the riverbank. He watched them until they disappeared, then turned back to Aaron and Benjamin, who had not stirred or made a sound after that one cry.
The wounded man still lay where he had fallen. His head, which had struck Aaron’s foot, lay there, twisted to one side. His eyes were closed, but still, as Gregory leant over him for the second time, a faint whisper of air came from his lips.
Gregory sat back, on the bench beside Aaron.
"We will have to just wait, and hope that no-one comes along before Hubert and Walter," he said. "I think it would be wrong to try to move him, until we have to."
"Is he still alive?" said Aaron, choking on the words.
"Oh, yes!" said Gregory, more cheerfully than he felt. He doubted that Benjamin would survive, but did not voice his fear to Aaron. The young man just nodded his head, then sat, slumped on his seat, waiting. Gregory, too, was silent, thinking of what had happened. He knew it was useless to feel guilt, yet it was because of him that Benjamin had been placed in such danger.
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"It was not your fault," said Aaron, surprisingly, as though he had read Gregory’s thoughts.
"Thank you, Aaron," he said, moved beyond measure that Aaron should think of him under the circumstances.
Aaron looked down at his father. The arrow which had pierced him protruded from his back, just below the shoulder. Aaron shuddered, and stretched his hand towards it, as though to pull it out, and then drew back again.