The carriage jostled over a bump and Martug groaned. Dana felt she had almost given up trying to soothe his pain. It had been several days and his groaning had gotten worse. Thomas the Healer had assured her it meant he was improving since for a little while he had been unable to even make any noise. The carriage jostled again and she was able to stop him from banging against the wall. Thomas smiled at her.

'You've grown to be an excellent nurse,' he said for the thirtieth time in the four days they had been travelling. 'I'm quite glad you're here. I could not even take care of the Duke by myself anymore. I haven't really been using my skills and I've forgotten much. Especially my bedside manner.'

The Duke coughed. 'You must have had an excellent manner then,' he said, 'because you seem to be doing an excellent job now. I would have loved to have been in your care when you were in your prime.'

'Yes, you would have,' said Dana. 'He was a wonderful man just as he is becoming again.'

'You rest, m'Lord Duke,' Thomas said. 'You have a bit more healing to do before you'll be ready to do much talking. The young Lady and I will talk for a while and I want to see my other patient.'

'Yes, sir,' the Duke said with exagerated meekness. He turned his head back to the wall and composed himself for sleep which came to him quickly.

Thomas shifted his weight and turned so he could look over Martug. He looked worried to Dana, but refused to admit there was anything wrong when she asked him about it. She decided not to push the point. Maybe Martug was getting worse, but it might be best not to worry about it too much. She sat back and let Thomas care for him.

It had been 11 days since she last saw her son, who had not been away from her for more than a few hours before. She missed him terribly. It was hard. She lost herself in memories of their home life, and of Jonathan. There was a good man. She did not think she would ever find his equal. He may not have been of noble blood, but she knew his heart had been pure and he had done his best for her and their adopted son. It had been years after he returned from his futile quest for Marchan's own people before she had let him even sit beside her. Memories of her uncle's relative had haunted her. Through it all, Jonathan had been very patient. He had never pushed her. He even let her stick to her ways, conscientiously going around the table to sit across from her when it would have been easier to sit beside her. She had eventually warmed to him, but had still held back from him. When, without thinking, she had sat down beside him, he had turned to look at her suprised and then smiled and had said, 'You are sitting beside me. Is that fine to you?' It had suprised her when she heard herself say yes. At just that time Marchan had entered the room and they went back to their lives, but from that moment on Dana had found she had been healed. Not completely, of course, but the hurt and mistrust was gone. A few days later she had opened up to Jonathan, telling him about about why he had found her in that Sanctuary. Every few minutes he had interrupted her to tell her she didn't have to tell him anything she was uncomfortable with, but he was obviously interested in listening to everything she had to say.

That had been such a release to stop keeping her past secret from him. She had almost burst into song. No one else mattered. After she had finished her story, she buried her face in his chest. He just stood there and held her. He didn't say anything for a long time.

The carriage stopped, bringing Dana out of her memories. David opened the door and said, 'There's a overturned carriage in the road. Samuel and I will go see if there's anything we can do. Healer, you had best prepare your things as someone might need your help.'

David closed the door again and Thomas started to gather his equipment. He looked at Dana and said, 'Look after these two. I'll see what can be done and be back as soon as I am able. Definitely before Martug's bandages need to be changed.' And with that he opened the door and was gone.

Dana was alone, but for two sleeping men. The regular breathing and complete lack of noise from outside started to threaten to lull her to sleep. Suddenly, the Duke snorted and sat up. 'Why have we stopped?' he asked franticly.

'A carriage had overturned,' Dana replied soothingly. 'Samuel, David and Thomas are helping out.'

'It's a trap!' said the Duke quickly. 'Hurry, call them back. We must leave immediately.' Then he fell back and went to sleep.

Dana was not sure whether to call them back. She opened the door and looked out. Everything seemed fine to her. The sun was shining and a breeze was rustling the leaves of the trees beside the road. Suddenly, everything was not fine. She screamed, hoping it would warn Thomas and Samuel. Men were descending from the branches overhanging the roadway. One of them dropped on top of the carriage while another dropped near the door. Dana shut it but was unable to hold it shut. He pulled on the door, even as his companion started to pull open the window on the other side of the carriage. Dana had little choice but screamed again. She extracted up a metal and glass object that she had noticed hanging in a bag made of netting just behind the door. With the object she bashed against the head of the man coming in the door, then whipped around and aimed for his companion who had the window open by this time. Suddenly, a noise like thunder filled the air and light that outshone the sun made everything seem white. Dana dropped onto the floor of the carriage, it didn't seem quite solid, but held her just the same. She closed her eyes, but everything was still bright, despite facing the floor, and the noise overwhelmed her even though she had her fingers in her ears. She could not think or do anything but wish that the noise and light would stop.

The brilliant light continued to make the walls and floor of the carriage seem like mere phantoms, but the sound faded away after a while, but the ringing in Dana's ears continued for several minutes. Dana noticed a strange smell, like she had never smelt before, a kind of smell that made her think of rotten eggs and a cool lake at the same time. She cautiously went to the door of the carriage. Outside was a bright light. It made everything around it brilliant. By looking at what it lit up she could see inside things. She suddenly looked down. Her clothes were almost non-existent! She thought of hiding as best she could in the carriage, but she knew that anyone looking at her would still see, so she stepped down out of the carriage. The men who come down from the trees were nowhere in sight.

The sound of metal scraping on metal, together with something like a shovel scraping ice, came from the direction of the bright light. Dana tried to shield her eyes and see what was making the noise, but her hand did not block any of the light. She could see nothing in that direction except the light which completely blinded her.

Dana gave up and looked around again after her eyes adjusted again. She could see things as she had never seen them before. When she glanced into the carriage again she could see the Duke's heart beating and his lungs moving. She could even see the phlegm in some of the sacs, blocking his breathing. She wished that Thomas could see and hoped he would be able to help.

She turned back in the direction of the light again when she heard the sound of someone walking from that direction. The gait was stiff and the footfalls were very heavy. She carefully did not look in any direction within a few degrees of the light. She stepped aside a bit, hoping to be able to see the person just before that one came even with her. She was sure whoever it was could see her already.

Suddenly a voice came, 'Where is the Child of George?'

Dana was startled. The voice did not sound quite natural; it was like someone spoken through a can, but, even so, the pronunciation was very stilted. Dana motioned toward the carriage and stepped out of the way. The person, she still could not figure out if it was male or female, did not seem hostile. He, Dana decided to use 'he' until she knew which 'he' was, walked forward and looked at the Duke. He touched the prone figure with a his baby finger and then looked over at Martug.

'Who is that,' he asked. 'One of his servants?'

'Mine,' Dana found her voice. 'The Duke hired him for me.'

The strange person reached his finger forward again and touched Martug, then turned to Dana. She was finally between him and the light. He seemd real, while everything else was mere shadow, and seemed about to be blown away in the wind. The odd thing was that he did not appear to be like anything she had ever seen before. His face was not a true face, but merely the front of his head. The nose and chin seemed to have been painted on. The eyes were not sunk back and he did not appear to have lips. Dana was quite sure that this was not a female of any species. She was not sure, however, that it was male. Ungendered might be the word.

The stranger spoke to her again, 'Now, who might you be that you be travelling with this Child of George. He has not often had a woman with him since his wife died some years ago. Let me see.'

And with that he reached up and scratched Dana's face. She was so shocked that she attempted to slap him in the face. He deflected it easily

'You would not like the result of slapping my face, little girl. It is much harder than anything you've slapped before. Ah, you are a Child of George, although not so closely related to the heirs as he in the carriage.'

'There's no royal blood in me!' Dana said, suprised at the thought. 'My ancestors were all Dukes our Duchy.'

'That is true,' said the solid one. 'I am not speaking of King George. George was also the name of his great grandfather. He was the one to whom all Roubbes were beholden, and now to his heirs. You are not one of his heirs, but it is our understanding that we must serve all his descendants.'

He reached up again and touched her cheek where he had scratched her. She could suddenly feel it healing itself. As she marvelled at that, her feet suddenly felt like they were soaking in warm water, not like she was standing in worn shoes on the side of a road. As she started to marvel at that, she realised that other aches and pains had suddenly disappeared.

'You have just been given a great gift,' said someone.

Dana turned to the new voice and recognised the Duke. He was as hale as he had been when she first met him. His voice was strong, like he had never been sick.

'What is going on?' Dana asked him.

'You stand in the presence of a Roubbe,' said the Duke. 'They are the Protectors of the World, and the Servants of the Royal House. By their Deng, they keep the weather as nice as it is, and with it they serve whom they choose. Do not be frighted by them. They are very powerful, but it would destroy them to destroy you.'