The loud rumble of thunder roused Taliya from her restless sleep. She sat up and casually registered that the half of the bed next to her was empty. Her gaze wandered automatically to the window, but it was too dark to see anything. "Take it easy, it's me," said a familiar voice. It thundered again, followed by a flash of lightning that lit the room. For a short time the outlines of a figure in front of the window became visible. Taliya recognized her husband's well-known stature. She knew her husband would not give up his place at the open window, so she got up and walked over to him. "Something terrible is happening right now. I can't see it from here, but I can feel it very clearly," Torio said slowly. "I'm worried about our queen and her young daughter. You should have had your castle built in hiding, then there would never be a risk that anything could happen to you," he added. Taliya was silent. Torio knew her well. He knew she was thinking the same way he was. "You look," said Torio, pointing out into the night. Taliya leaned out of the window next to him. "What?" She asked. "There under the trees" Taliya notices the shadow moving through the trees and in their direction. Covered by the darkness and the trees, the figure kept coming closer. "Turn out the light," Torio ordered her. Taliya ran across the room to the dresser and blew out the candle. Torio meanwhile had closed the shutters except for a crack. "What do you see?" Taliya asked him. "I think it's a man, but I'm not sure because he's wearing a cloak and the hood is pulled down over his face. He's approaching our house," Torio whispered. Taliya listened and heard uneven steps approaching the house. "It seems like he's hurt," said Torio, leaving his window seat to run to the door. Taliya followed him nimbly. When Torio opened the door, the stranger was standing in front of it. The man's breath was heavy and rattling and he looked like he was going to collapse any minute. Torio stepped out without further ado and supported the man as he led him into the house. Torio helped the man sit down on the large bed. "Thank you.", He uttered with difficulty. Taliya helped him take off the cloak. Only now did she notice that he had a large bundle in his arms. "There ... this is the ... daughter of the ... queen ..." Taliya took the bundle from him and recognized it as the queen's child. The man wanted to say something else, but he collapsed and fell to the ground. Taliya noticed with horror the dark spot where the stranger had just been sitting. "He's bleeding," she gasped in horror. Torio, who had laid the unconscious man on the bed in the meantime, quickly unbuttoned the injured man's doublet.He turned it on its stomach and laboriously peeled it off the shirt. Taliya's husband bit his lip. "Get me bandages and herbs," he instructed. Taliya disappeared briefly from view and then reappeared with a bowl of water, several long strips of cloth and the herbs requested. Torio meanwhile looked at the heavily bleeding sword wound, which stretched from above the right shoulder of the man to the middle of the back. Torio cleaned the wound thoroughly and then placed the sage leaves and lichen on the wound before bandaging it. The stranger slipped from his faint into a restless sleep and occasionally moaned softly in pain. "The herbs should prevent inflammation of the wound. I just hope he doesn't get a fever," mumbled Taliya and gently touched the wounded man's forehead. "We should do everything we can to prevent that," said Torio, looking down at the man in concern. "I could make a pain reliever from willow bark and a few herbs, but I don't know if that's enough," she said, looking thoughtfully at Torio. He nodded slowly, looked once more worriedly at the injured man and then left the room.