Page 190 of The Knucker King

“It would be something akin to that,” Trewoofe clarified. “It means that my soul recognises its own when I look at her.”

He nuzzled into her with exquisite tenderness. Avice felt dizzy at the magnitude of his words, but she knew it was true. How could Nell understand what that meant? Avice herself could barely comprehend the love between herself and the Well King.

“Like a husband,” she finally said, “but with a lot more love and respect.”

“An exceptional understatement for the depth of my feelings, but I suppose that is the human equivalent,” Trewoofe rumbled.

“Yes, alright,” Avice acquiesced, fiddling with the shells on his horn before focusing on John. “I have healing waters, for your bruises.” She tossed back her cloak, and carefully eased out the bottle, not wanting to disturb the seed. “Are you well?”

John took it from her, his green eyes shining with gratitude. “Thanks to you.”

She smiled back at him and watched as his Morgowr rested his scaly chin on the top of John’s red head. Guilt pricked her as she studied the seaweed patch that covered his missing eye.

“I am sorry, King Treth,” she blurted. “About your eye.”

He let out a gravelly rumble. “And I am sorry about trying to eat you.” Trewoofe let out a hiss, and Morgowr’s gaze dropped. “Fisher has been looking after my egg,” he continued, “and from that, our friendship and love grew. I am very protective of him and the little fisher. It is no excuse—”

“But an explanation.” Avice offered him a small smile, and her curiosity kindled. “I would love to know more about your egg.”

Trewoofe chuckled at her thirst for knowledge.

“She was lost and her egg had cracked. Fisher netted her up—”

“I somehow knew,” John interrupted. “I knew she was important, in here.” He tapped his chest. “So, I brought her home and we patched the crack. I do not know how to explain this properly, but I heard her…” He touched his temple. “In here.”

Avice thought of Bramble, and some Good Neighbour voices she could just hear, even if their lips did not move.

She nodded. “I understand.”

“She told me she needed to hatch, so I have been keeping her safe inside.” John gestured to his cottage.

“We have been waiting for her to emerge,” Treth clarified. His pupil contracted on Trewoofe. “It is why I am on your land, Well King. My Morgowrling is here.”

Her Knucker let out a huff but dipped his head to show he understood. “I had daughters once, and I know what it is like to lose them.”

Avice rubbed his bicep soothingly. That ache would always be there for her Knucker, and she was glad she could support him when it was at its worst. Her curiosity still niggled at her, and she needed some clarity on the situation between the fisherman and the Sea Dragon.

“So, you are the one who bit off Mister Benjamin’s arm?” she asked.

Treth puffed, his breath tossing John’s hair. “Yes, he saw us talking together in the sea. I panicked and tried to eat him. Fisher stopped me. I am not good with humans.”

“He did not mean to,” John clarified. “Have you heard about Benjamin?” Avice shook her head. “Apparently, he has asked Goodwife Margaret and her husband to live with him in the home he used to share with his cousin.”

Her lip twitched at the scandal, but then, what was the impropriety if there was no longer a church or Moot to tell them so? There was a beat of silence, as she did not know how to reply to that news. Moving on from the would-be gossip, Avice touched her pendant. How she wished that the Fishers had just told her of their situation, she may have been able to help. She decided to let the past be the past and instead smiled at her friends.

“No more secrets between us?” Avice asked.

John hesitated, for the briefest of moments, before nodding his head in agreement.

Nell – who had been jumping over and sliding down Treth’s twitching tail – popped up beside Avice.

“Where are Bramble and Ashling?” the girl asked.

“Safe and resting in the Underneath,” Trewoofe chipped in.

His ears pricked in curiosity at the girl; Avice guessed he had probably never been this close to a such a young human child before.

“Oh.” Nell’s lips tugged down.