Chapter 20: Castle Dreams

ALIAH

As she half-woke Aliah dreamed a stranger was carrying her; an older man with a weathered face and a woollen hat pulled down on his head. Her eyes struggled to stay open, and as they closed she forgot him and began to cough. Her throat was so closed up she could barely breathe, her body was full of aches and pains, and her skin was on fire. There was a great pressure on her chest, like someone was sitting on her.

In some part of her mind she knew they would have to be on their way soon and she should be helping Seamus to break camp, but try as she might she could not will her eyes to open again, let alone convince her body to move. She was not sure how she was going to manage walking at all today.