Chapter 23

“Wake up, brother!” Richard bellowed as he sauntered into Oliver’s camp during the hour where the moon had retired but the sun had yet to wake up. “I have a surprise for you.”

Oliver groaned as he rolled onto his back.  With his arm over his eyes, he sniffed the air for the scent of coffee, but there was none.

“No coffee?” he grumbled as he pushed his body into a sitting position.

“This is better than coffee,” Richard eagerly said. “I’ve brought someone with me.  Get up lazy bones.”

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Oliver pulled on his pants and boots before crawling out of the small camping tent. Still not fully awake and the sun not yet risen enough for good visibility, he didn’t react to the woman standing next to Richard.

 Accustomed to waking up with coffee ready and waiting, his need for the brew was surprisingly overwhelming.   Walking to t