Page 54 of The Champion

“We are friends,” she said as she held his hand in hers and poured water over the cut. “Is that not what you said?”

“Aye.”

“Well then, friends accept each other’s shortcomings and their differences of opinions. Tonight, however, our differences were not as wide as they would have been yesterday.”

He chuckled at that.

Rowena swallowed at the sensation of his hand in hers. His fingers were lean and dark. Strong. She poured ale over them.

Stryder hissed.

“Don’t be a baby,” she chided.

He took it good-naturedly.

Rowena reached for a small pot of white salve to rub over his injured knuckles. “Why do the other men mock Kit so? He’s not the only minstrel who doesn’t fight.”

Stryder looked away from her. “There are those who believe him to prefer the company of other men.”

Rowena scoffed at that. “I’ve known many who have those inclinations, but I’ve never seen that from Kit.”

“Perhaps, but he has never been found in the company of a woman. Nor does he make it his habit to seek out any woman other than you. However, he’s oft found in the company of men. I personally don’t care what his tastes are. We are brothers and no man living will ever hurt him without answering to me for it.”

Without thought, Rowena reached out and touched Stryder’s face. “They should make more brothers such as you.”

To her surprise, he turned his face into her hand and kissed her lightly on the palm.

Rowena’s entire body grew warm. But what disturbed her most was the tenderness she felt toward him. The tenderness she saw in him. He was such an unexpected treasure.

Stryder watched her carefully. What he wanted more than anything was to pull her against him and taste the sweetness of her mouth. But if he did that, he doubted he would be able to let her go, and the last thing either of them needed was a tryst in his tent.

Not to mention he had a bad feeling that one taste of her wouldn’t sate him. Rather it would only whet his appetite for more of her.

She stepped back and wrapped his hand carefully. This was such an odd moment. He’d had women aplenty who had volunteered to see to his wounds, but none of them had made him feel the way Rowena did,

“Thank you, my lady,” he said as she tucked the edges in, then set about returning his items to their box.

“My pleasure.” As she returned the box to its case, she paused. “I didn’t bring my lute.”

Stryder’s gaze drifted to the large trunk by his bed. It was where he kept his personal items and inside, tucked away in its case, was the lute he hadn’t seen since the death of his mother.

It had been silenced the same day she had.

“I have one.” The words were out before he could stop them.

Rowena’s face showed the same surprise he felt.

Stryder got up slowly and walked to his trunk. He opened the lid to find his family sword, his clothes and other items he touched almost every day.

But the case in the bottom...

It was still as pristine as the day he had placed it there, where it was shielded by his clothes.

Rowena came forward and watched Stryder closely. There was such an air of sadness around him as he pulled a black case from the bottom of his trunk.

In an instant, she understood. “It’s your mother’s?”

He only nodded.