Page 68 of Picking Up the Gauntlet

Every day Raven seemed to bother him, begging him to make something for the guild masters, but he told her he had no time to do so. Besides, he’d already lost his chance to present to them, so what did it matter? Still, the determined wench never seemed to stop trying to get him to change his mind.

“Brother, it’s a little hard to sleep with you pounding away, making so much noise,” complained Avery, emerging from the bedroom, rubbing his eyes.

“It’s morning and we have a lot to do,” grumbled Jonathon. “If we’re going to ever get caught up, I have to get something done before I spend the day with Raven.”

“Aye, what’s happening with that?” asked Avery with a yawn, walking over and pulling the string that worked the bellows. “I thought that after you spent the night with her, things would change between you.”

“Shhhh,” said Jonathon, stopping his banging, looking over at the door. “Forget that it ever happened. I don’t want to talk about it, and neither do I want her father or brother to ever find out about it. Or her husband-to-be,” he said under his breath, picking up the horseshoe with long tongs and taking it over to the forge. “It was a mistake. I never should have allowed myself to get involved with someone I knew I could never have.”

“Does she want you?” asked his brother.

“I-I’m not really sure anymore,” he answered.

“So she hasn’t given you any impression that she feels the same way about you as you do about her?”

“Yes, but she lies so much that I’m not sure I believe her.” Jonathon turned the horseshoe as it started to glow red.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, she said she wants to marry me and that she loves me.”

“Really?” Avery worked the bellows once more. “Well then, what’s the problem?”

“The problem is, I’d like to believe it is what she honestly feels in her heart, but I’m not convinced.”

“What is there not to know? You make no sense, Brother.”

“I think she might only be saying this because she is so adamant about not wanting to marry the winner of the tournament. She’s got a very rebellious nature, you know.”

“I’ve noticed. Then, you think she only went to bed with you to hopefully scare off the nobles when they find out she might be pregnant with a commoner’s baby?”

“What?” Jonathon looked up so quickly that he almost dropped the tongs. “I-I never considered the fact I might have... fathered her child. Damn it, what was I thinking? God’s eyes, I’m going to hang now for sure.”

“A little too late to worry about that, I suppose.”

Jonathon put the horseshoe back on the anvil and started pounding on it with his hammer again. “You don’t think she’d really... I mean, would she do that to me?” asked Jonathon. “Do you think she might actually be pregnant?”

“I don’t know, but like you said, the wench is pretty rebellious and sneaky. I suppose you could ask her if she’s pregnant, but it’s probably too soon to know.”

“Yes. Too soon,” repeated Jonathon, feeling his world crashing down around him. “Oh hell, Avery,” he said, stopping his work and wiping his brow with a rag. “I’m in over my head, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Wish I could tell you, but I can’t,” said Avery with a shrug, crossing his arms and leaning against the brick edge of the forge. “You play with fire and you’re eventually going to get burned. Ow!” he said, jumping up, rubbing his backend. “Guess I got too close to the flames.”

“Now you know how it feels.”

“Jonathon, guess what I just saw?” Gerold ran into the shop, having already been up and around early. The boy was always up before anyone else.

“I don’t have time right now,” said Jonathon, taking off his apron.

“It was Lady Raven. You should have seen her!” the boy said in excitement, crawling atop a stool.

“Did you say Lady Raven?” Jonathon looked over to the boy in question. “She’s out of bed already? Damn. I had hoped she’d sleep late so I’d have more time at the forge. Bid the devil, I can’t get a break.” He hung up the apron and donned his tunic.

“She’s over by the archery range with her bow and arrows,” said Gerold.

“She is?” asked Jonathon, wondering what she was up to now.

“Aye, and you should see her.” Gerold’s eyes lit up with excitement as he rocked back and forth on the stool. “She’s a better shot than any of the knights I’ve seen practicing that have already arrived for the competition.”