Jane did not wake up that day, nor the next.
Locked away in her tower with her mother by her side and Dragon on the roof, she slept on despite the barber's visits and the many potions and lotions the King had sent up from the Wizard's tower.
A strange, inescapable silence had fallen over the castle. Dragon watched quietly, refusing to leave his post and observing every coming and going closely. He had asked questions incessantly at first, but as the answer failed to change he eventually relented.
The staff all spoke in hushed tones, as though they were standing beside Jane's sickbed instead of yards away. The King had declined to provide an audience to any villagers and Gunther had spied him pacing in the gardens instead.
Even the forge was still and soundless, with Smithy sequestered in the stables, oiling the leather tack. Gunther had sat with him for a while, taking up a spare cloth and working at the chore, before the silence grew too unsettling and he simply had to leave.
Who would think that a few days without Jane could alter the castle so radically? Was this what life would be like when she finally did go adventuring on Dragon? What a dreary thought.
"Tsk, let them sulk," Gunther muttered to himself. "My life will not grind to a halt because she lacks the good sense not to eat poison berries!"
He marched his way to the training yard and picked up a practice sword, turning to the dummy. It had been years since he had used the sorry looking training aid, and it listed badly to one side. Jane made use of it from time to time so it stood to reason that it would still be functional, but when given an experimental prod with the sword it groaned painfully on its spring. The sound echoed and bounced off the castle walls and Gunther cringed at the disturbance.
No one seemed to notice, although he felt as though he had just committed a faux pas. But then no one else seemed to be bothered by the silence, either.
Sighing, he returned the sword to its barrel and wandered instead towards his hammock in the Knights' quarters. There was no one to practice with, and he was rostered for the night watch so it made sense to get some rest while he could.
If Jane did not wake up he might never have anyone to train with again.
The thought intruded, unwelcome, and he quickly dismissed it. Of course she would wake up, she was Jane and Jane was an unstoppable force.
Still, sleep did not come as easily as usual.
It was on the third day that word of Jane's awakening was delivered directly from the Lady-in-Waiting herself as she passed through the training yard on her way to the great hall.
"Her fever has broken and she has spoken a few lucid words," Gunther overheard her tell Sir Theodore.
"That is wonderful to hear," the old knight replied, his relief evident.
"She is resting now and I am off to share the happy news with the court," said the Lady before hurrying off.
Sir Theodore returned to his quarters, looking several years younger than he had that morning.
Gunther sighed softly, drawing another arrow. Of course it was grand news that Jane had recovered. No doubt she would be on her feet in a day or two, blustering around on Dragon and making sure that Gunther had not slacked off in her absence. He smiled wryly at the thought, releasing his arrow and watching it hit the bullseye.
He did not need Jane to supervise him of course; her lectures on his duties as a knight grew tiresome rather quickly, but she seemed to get some perverse enjoyment from it so perhaps he would indulge her for a day or two as a welcome-back gesture of sorts.
He released another arrow and it thunked soundly into the target.
Dragon would be relieved, at least. He had spent the last few days on the roof of Jane's tower, refusing to leave until she woke up. He had almost run out of gas, however, and had been forced up the mountain to replenish when Rake's garden ran out of cabbages. He had left just a short while ago, but doubtless would return soon. He had taken Jane's illness hard, blaming himself for not telling her about the berries quickly enough, although to Gunther's mind Jane should have thought to ask first.
Regardless of who was to blame, Jane was awake now and all was well.
He was still practicing his archery when the steady whomp, whomp of wing beats heralded Dragon's return as he landed gently on the roof of Jane's tower.
"Good news, Dragon," called Gunther, turning to look up at the freshly inflated reptile. "She is awake."
Dragon blinked in surprise, before yelping in delight and reaching down to push his head through Jane's window.
With an amused smirk Gunther turned his attention back to the target, drawing another arrow and nocking it into his bowstring.
He had raised the bow and was drawing the arrow back, string tightening, when the screaming began.
Startled, Gunther sent the arrow flying wide of the target, but he was off and running before he could see it crash against the stone wall.
Taking the steps two at a time he raced towards Jane's room, heart in his mouth. The cries were filled with such terror; with Dragon already present Gunther dreaded to think what could have befallen Jane. Some terrible side effect of the poisonous berries, perhaps?
Unconsciously he drew another arrow from his quiver and nocked it in the bow as he shouldered his way through the tower door and burst into the room.
Dragon's head loomed through the window, a bewildered expression on his face as he stared at Jane.
Jane, who stood cowering against the far wall of the tower, blankets strewn at her feet where they must have landed as she fled her bed. She was dressed only in a light nightgown, her skin pale save for the bright red of her cheeks, and her hair tumbled loose to her waist. She had ceased her screaming in favour of snatching up a blanket and holding it between Dragon and herself.
Blinking, Gunther glanced between the stricken reptile and trembling knight.
"Dragon, out!" he yelled, comprehending if not understanding. "Now!"
With one last pained glance at Jane, Dragon withdrew, banging one of the shutters closed in his haste.
The noise made Jane jump, and the blanket dropped to the ground. She looked at Gunther fearfully, wrapping her arms around herself and pressing closer to the wall.
"D-dragon," she whispered brokenly.
"He has gone," said Gunther, lowering his bow. "Jane, what is-?"
"Jane!" Lady Adeline hurried into the room. "What are you doing out of bed? You still need your rest young lady!"
"Mother!" Jane's face crumpled and tears -actual tears!- welled in her eyes. Gunther glanced away uncomfortably as she fell into her mother's arms.
"Now, now, all is well," soothed Lady Adeline. "Sir Gunther, if you would?"
Gunther followed her gaze upwards to the tower ceiling. Dragon.
"Uh, of course," he said, squeezing past the two women awkwardly.
With one last glance at Jane shivering in her mother's embrace he turned and hurried up the tower stairs onto the roof.
Dragon was pacing restlessly back and forth in the limited space when Gunther joined him.
"Well?" he demanded as Gunther shrugged off his quiver and placed it down with his bow. "What happened? Did she say anything?"
"I have no idea, Dragon." Gunther ran a hand through his hair.
"It was like she did not know me," said Dragon quietly, growing still.
"Nor me, if that is of any comfort," offered Gunther.
He looked down into the courtyard where Sir Theodore and the others stood gathered at the base of the tower, no doubt drawn by the commotion. Jane's screams. He gave them a reassuring wave and they began to disperse as he returned his attention to Dragon.
The huge reptile was sitting dejectedly, staring at his claws.
"Jane is my best friend, how could she forget about me?"
"I do not claim to understand what is happening, Dragon, but . . . I am sure it is only temporary. She has only just woken up, perhaps she has yet to regain her wits?" Gunther suggested. It was a stretch, but what other explanation was there? He could not believe that Jane would spend the rest of her days screaming in terror at the sight of Dragon.
"Perhaps you are right," said Dragon, a trace of hope entering his voice. "She will remember me any moment and we will laugh about this."
"I am certain," Gunther nodded encouragingly. "But for now it might be best if you return to your cave, until she asks for you. I do not think I can handle any more screaming," he added.
"Yes, yes that might be for the best," agreed Dragon. "I would not want to stop her from remembering by scaring her again." He stood, unfurling his wings. "You will tell me the moment she remembers?"
"Of course," Gunther promised. "If she does not beat me to it!"
He watched as Dragon lifted off and flew away towards the mountain, before sitting down and slumping against the wall.
Jane had screamed. Gunther hadn't heard her do that since she had first started practicing her battle cry. The memory brought a smile, unbidden, to his face.
Jane was never one to hang back in fear. She may have had some childish quibbles about the dark, but that was long ago and as far as Gunther knew nothing bothered her now. He had never seen her tremble, never seen her miss an opportunity because of some risk or other. When had he last seen her cry?
When had her hair grown so long? She never wore it out any more.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
She was unwell, that was all. She would recover. She was Jane.
Jane moved back into her parents' quarters, apparently at her own insistence. She had daily visits from the barber surgeon, and was still failing to recall many of the details of her life in the week since she had woken up.
This was the information Gunther had gleaned from Sir Theodore, who had received it from the Lord Chamberlain. Gunther had in turn shared it with the castle staff, who were Jane's friends after all.
"She knows that she is Jane, daughter of Lord and Lady Turnkey, but not that she is a knight, or friends with a dragon." Gunther glanced around at the small group gathered outside the castle kitchen. "More than that I do not know."
"Does she remember us?" asked Pepper softly.
Gunther could only shrug in response, but Jester was quick to interject an answer.
"We are her friends, Pepper! I am sure she remembers us."
"Dragon is her friend," pointed out Smithy.
"But Dragon is a dragon! He is a much stranger friend to have than any of us!" Jester replied.
Gunther eyed the fool up and down but bit his tongue. He could not say who was the stranger of Jane's friends, although to Gunther's mind the man in patchwork was a strong contender.
"Perhaps some of Pepper's hearty vegetable soup will help Jane to remember," suggested Rake quietly. "I could pick all of her favourite vegetables to put in it."
"Champion idea, Rake," said Jester enthusiastically. "They say food is the way to a person's heart, so why not their memory as well?"
"I will go and start the broth," said Pepper, clapping her hands together with delight at the chance to be useful.
"And Rake and I shall gather the ingredients!" Jester grabbed the hapless gardener with one hand and scooped up a basket with the other, dragging both with him into the garden.
Gunther exchanged glances with Smithy as the others disappeared.
"I suppose it will not hurt them to make a pot of soup," the smith shrugged. "Thank you for telling us about Jane. I should return to my forge."
Gunther watched him go, the sounds of Pepper clattering around in the kitchen drifting up through the open door as Jester pulled Rake from pumpkins to potatoes.
Things were not entirely back to normal but at least the unbearable silence had come to an end.
He had left the kitchen garden and was walking towards the knights' quarters when he met the Lady-in-Waiting.
"Sir Gunther," she called, altering her course slightly to catch him.
"My Lady," Gunther stopped and bowed slightly.
"Have you seen the jester?" She peered past his shoulder as she asked.
"Uh, yes, he is helping Rake gather vegetables."
"Very good, thank you Sir." The lady inclined her head slightly as she began walking away, but paused when Gunther spoke again.
"Is everything all right, my Lady? How is Jane?" He wasn't sure what had prompted him to ask, really. In truth Jane's recovery was none of his business, but Lady Adeline gave him a fleeting smile.
"She is still Jane, although she is somewhat confused. I thought a ballad or two from Jester might cheer her up. Good day, Sir."
Gunther let her go without interruption this time, watching as she disappeared under the stone arch into the garden.
So Jester would be the first to visit with Jane. Something about that bothered Gunther, although he could not name a reason why.
The fool would simply sing a song or two to the convalescing Jane as she listened, perhaps propped up against the pillows of her bed, or had she moved to sitting on a chaise by now? Did her hair still fall freely over her shoulders, or was it tied back in typical Jane fashion?
Regardless, she would sit and listen, a captive audience as Jester made an entirely new set of first impressions.
Standing alone in the middle of the yard Gunther clenched his fist, looking up at Jane's empty tower before turning on his heel and striding to the stables for his horse. He was well past due a visit to Dragon's cave.
Someone should be keeping the beast informed.