“Father,” I said. I stood tall and quickly scanned the males gathered around the table. The look on several of the men’s faces told me I had interrupted their master plans to conquer the universe. I didn’t care. I had to get out of there before I suffocated. “Father, I’m sure the men are waiting on me in the great hall. You know how much they enjoy the post-combat celebration. I really should join them if I’m going to feed our sense of comradery.” I hoped appealing to his sense of duty would make him take the bullshit I was spewing more seriously.
“Excuse me, Commander.” One of the generals spoke up. “If I may.” My father nodded at him. “I must agree. I feel she should return to her men. The celebration is important to them and to the bond of the force. Her presence is vital.”
My father met my gaze, and I watched as he took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling. “Agreed,” he said. His low growling voice made me want to cringe, but I clenched my fist, doing my best to resist. “Return to your men, enjoy your celebration, and I will summon you later, when you’re needed.”
Snatching my thick leather and metal gauntlets from the table in front of me, I tucked them under my left arm, took a step back, and nodded my head slightly. “Thank you, Commander.” Turning on my heels, I headed straight for the door, trying to move quickly without looking like I was moving quickly. As soon as the large door clanged closed behind me, I reached out to the opposite wall to steady myself, releasing the air in my lungs with a huff.
“Hensley?” I heard my name bouncing off the walls of the stone hallway. “Henley, are you okay?” The voice was closer, and I realized it was a voice I knew. Davian. Shit.
I pushed myself away from the wall, thrust out my chest, and brushed the long red braid off my shoulder. “Davian,” I said. My voice quivered. I swallowed, trying to stifle my stress, tension, and nerves. “Hello. Yes, I’m fine. Just felt a little queasy. I think I need some food, some water, and definitely some mead.” Watching Davian’s face for a reaction, I realized he wasn’t buying my bullshit. He usually didn’t.
“Would you like me to escort you to the great hall?” He asked. Why do you have to be so damn nice? Why can’t you be an ass like every other guy around here?
“Thank you, but no. I’m not going to the hall right now.” I smiled, hoping to distract him. I always hated women who tried to get their way with men by using their ‘feminine charms.’ But I was desperate.
“Really?” Davian said. He took a step toward me. “Why? Is everything all right? Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” I quickly tried to think of a reason to offer.
“Yes, I promise you. I’m fine. I just…” I cleared my throat. “I need to…” Shit! Calm the fuck down. I swiped my fingers across my forehead, then looked Davian in the eyes and opted for the truth. “After that battle, I’d like to get this armor off and bathe. Then perhaps I may join the others in the great hall.” Davian glanced down at my breastplate and then lifted his eyes to meet my gaze. His face turned several shades of pink and he blinked rapidly. Okay. sure. If it gets you to stop asking me questions, think about me being naked.
“Of course,” Davian said. “You, you, um, fought valiantly. You deserve a rest.” He looked down at the floor and turned sideways to allow me to pass by. “If you need anything, please send one of your handmaidens to find me.”
“Thank you,” I said, stepping past him. “I’ll do that. And I am sorry I can’t talk right now, but I need to go.” I lifted my hand in a weak wave and hurried down the hall, quickening my pace to a jog as I turned the corner. I didn’t stop until I reached my room and slammed the door behind me.
The suffocating feeling returned, and the weight of my armor threatened to pull me to the ground. I tossed my gauntlets down and began stripping the leather and metal from my body, flinging it away. Each piece echoed as it hit the floor. Clang. Slap. Poosh. Spaulders. Couter. Breastplate. I pulled at the leather straps attaching the metal to my legs, struggling to release it from my body.
“Miss,” Laurena, my handmaiden, leaned into the room through a slightly opened door. “Miss, please allow me to help you.” I stood still for a moment and realized I wasn’t going to get out of all this by myself. I nodded. She and a young chambermaid entered the room and began freeing me from the metal constraints.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Laurena smiled but said nothing. With each piece they removed, I felt lighter, not only from the armor, but from the world. After being released from my chainmail, I took a long deep breath and filled my lungs with as much air as they could hold.
“Miss,” Laurena stood behind me, unlacing the last of my gambeson as the chambermaid placed my armor on its proper stand in the corner of my room. “Would you like me to draw you a bath?”
I nodded. Laurena and the chambermaid both moved through the bathroom door on the far wall. I stood still, wearing only my linen underwear and stared out the window. I don’t know how long I stood there, or exactly what I was thinking.
“Miss,” Lauren called to me. “Your bath will be ready in a moment.”
“Thank you,” I replied. Remaining still, I reached up and wiped away the tears as they rolled down my cheeks. Giving up on the ruse of joining the celebration, I hoped that the bath and a good night’s sleep would help me feel better.
It didn’t.
I woke up feeling stifled, trapped, panicked that my father would summon me at any moment. “I have to get out of here,” I said to an empty room.
Donning a lengthy white dress, a dark blue cloak, and allowing my long red hair to flow freely, I left my room and made my way down the back stairs, away from prying eyes. Blending into the staff as they went about their duties, I pulled my hood over my hair and walked with a steady pace toward the stables. I was pleasantly surprised to see my horse already saddled, ready for today’s afternoon ride. I patted her side before removing the armor on her head and untying my shield from the saddlebag. I grabbed the reins, put my finger to my lips, silently asking Marcum, the stable boy, to keep my secret, and tapped my heels into Aurora’s sides. We raced from the stable, dashing through the back alley to the gate and out into the wilderness. As her muscles flexed underneath my legs, it felt as if Aurora was as happy as I was to be riding so freely.
I allowed her to run unrestricted, feeling confident that we could always find our way home. We followed a trail through a dense patch of trees. I ducked and dodged the branches, laughing at the thrill. Suddenly, the trees opened to a large clearing. Flowers in various colors dotted the ground, scattered among lush green grass, with a large boulder off to one side. I pulled on the reins to slow Aurora, wanting to take in the beauty of the area for a while longer. She slowed, and we moved at a walking pace in the direction of the big rock.
“This place is beautiful,” I said. Aurora bobbed her head, leaning down to take a nibble of the greenery. “And apparently delicious, too.” I laughed. Aurora’s head snapped up, she stood still and stiff, her ears perched, listening.
“What is it, girl?” I gently patted the side of her neck and scanned our surroundings. She stomped, then began to shuffle her feet nervously. “Okay, okay,” I said. “Let’s go.” I had learned to trust Aurora’s instincts. If she felt something was wrong, it usually was. I tapped my heels to move her forward and continued across the clearing. Passing the boulder, I noted numerous large stones, rocks and brush surrounding it.
I heard rustling in the trees, turned my head to look and saw a large grey wolf. Shit! “It’s okay,” I whispered to Aurora. “Just keep going.” I held Aurora’s reins a bit tighter, knowing she could bolt at any moment if the wolf attacked. Two more wolves appeared in front of us and Aurora bucked. I held on, squeezing her body with my legs and gripping the reins as tight as I could. The wolves growled, barked, and lunged several times. Aurora neighed and bucked up, thrusting her front hoofs at them. If we fall, we are going to be ripped apart. The first wolf raced toward us from the side, causing Aurora to twist in mid-air, and we
both fell to the ground.
A surge of pain rushed across the back of my head, and I gasped for breath as all the air in my body released from my impact with the ground. I heard Aurora neighing in a panic, crying out for my help. But then I heard the yelps of the wolves. She’s fighting back. I fought to stay conscious. If I lose consciousness, I won’t be able to defend us. Have to get up. I turned my head to the left. Everything was blurry. I gasped again, pulling in a bit more air this time. Please just run, Aurora. I wanted to cry out to her, but the words wouldn’t come. Forcing my eyes open, I needed to see what was happening. The wolves growled, yipped, and then silenced. Aurora. My heart hurt almost as much as my head. Please be okay.
A figure moved across the clearing, slowly approaching me as I lay still in the grass. I moved my hand across the ground, feeling around for a weapon to use to defend myself. A rock. Now I know why my head hurts. I landed in the rocks. Everything was blurry and fading. I couldn’t see. The figure was a man. A tall man. I heard his feet shuffling in the grass. I fought harder to stay awake as he moved closer and stood over. Wait, is he naked?
Three
Opening my eyes, I blinked several times, attempting to focus. Nothing seemed familiar. I slowly moved my hand to feel the surface beneath me. A bed? Not my bed. The mattress was firm, too firm. And the blanket spread over my body was warm, but heavy against my body. I smelled apples. I love apples.
Pushing myself up on my elbows, I looked around the room to see an extremely attractive man sitting at a small table nearby. He was cutting up apples with a small knife, tossing them into a large brown bowl. His white shirt hung loose and unbuttoned allowing his well-defined masculine form to be exposed each time he reached for another apple. He looked familiar but in an odd way. Like I had seen him in a dream.
Then I began to remember.
“Who are you?” I demanded. “How did I get here?” I touched the side of my head. “Ow! What happened to me? And where is my horse.”
“Well,” the man said. He placed the small knife on the table, wiped his hands on a discolored white rag and stood up. “Let’s start from your last question and work our way back. Shall we?” His voice was smooth, warm, inviting. Like a warm bath on a cool autumn night. “Your horse is fine. She’s in the stall outside with fresh water, hay, and a couple of apples to help calm her nerves.” I closed my eyes and let out a soft breath, relieved that Aurora, my oldest and most loyal friend, was safe. “You and your horse were attacked by a pack of wolves.”
“Wolves?” I sat up in the bed, wincing as a sharp pain surged through my head and back. I knew that wolves didn’t give up. Once they had my scent, they would never stop hunting me or my horse. I thought back, trying to recall what had happened. An image flashed in my mind of an enormous gray wolf knocking me off Aurora’s back.
I remember hearing a distinct thump as I hit the ground and feeling an intense pain on the back of my head and in the middle of my back. I could remember hearing Aurora’s neighs, crying out, and feeling helpless as the light began to fade.
“Don’t worry,” he raised his hand and I was pulled from the horrid memory. “The wolves are gone. I took care of them.” The man walked to the stove and then back to the small table. I heard him fiddling with something, but I couldn’t see what it was. I heard the knife and water, but my head hurt too much to play sleuth.
“How?” I asked. “They were huge. Why didn’t they rip you apart?”
“Because wolves don’t like fire or spears.” He pointed to a wall by the door. Using my arms, I pushed myself up against the wood headboard, stretching my neck to look. Propped up in the corner were a large rod, with spearheads on both ends, and a torch, the end blackened and glistening, as if recently used.
“Oh,” I said, adjusting the pillows behind me, attempting to find some level of comfort. “Well, thank you for saving me, for saving us. You could have easily left us. So, thank you.” Still fiddling with the pillows, I finally settled in. “And, by the way. Who are you?”
“My name is Greylore.” He turned and walked toward me holding a small tray with a towel draped over his arm. “May I?” he asked, motioning toward the bed. I nodded, and Greylore gently placed the tray over my lap. I looked down to see several small plates with sliced apples, a hunk of bread, butter, and a cup of some type of tea. “This is an old English apple. I’m making an apple dapple using Devonshire apples but that won’t be ready for a while. The tea is a chamomile and lavender mixture. It’ll help with your headache.”
Impressed, I smiled and said, “Thank you. You must really love apples.” I motioned to the abundance of fruit on the table. “You seem to have a lot of them.”
“I do love apples,” he said. “But I also have five apple trees behind my house.” Greylore smirked and pulled the towel from his arm, applying it to my head.
Feeling the heat radiating from the material, I attempted to retract from his touch but had nowhere to go. “Wow, that’s hot,” I said as the towel touched my skin.
“Oh, sorry,” Greylore said. “Give it a moment. It will cool down. You need the heat to relax your muscles or they will seize up.”
“How did that not burn you?”
Greylore held up his arms to reveal the leather sleeves covering both forearms.
“I had them on when I went out hunting—when I found you,” he said. “They come in handy if animals attack. They have a harder time biting through the leather than my skin.”
Greylore pulled off the sleeves and tossed them toward the corner with the spear and the torch.
Pulling a chair closer to the bed, Greylore sat beside me while I consumed the food he had prepared. I was used to people watching me. Guards, servants, my father. There were at least two pairs of eyes on me at all times. But with Greylore, it was different. He wasn’t watching me, he was looking at me, seeing me. Who is this guy?
We talked for a while, but it felt as if only a moment had passed. As the sun began to fall in the sky, I knew I had to leave, that others would be looking for me if I stayed gone too long. And I had already been gone all day.
Greylore retrieved Aurora from his stable and aided me in getting into my saddle. “I am truly grateful for all you’ve done to help me,” I said, looking down at Greylore. He handed the reins to me and Aurora pranced a bit. I patted the side of her neck and laughed. “Okay, girl. It was nice of you to help us. If you come into town tomorrow, I will meet you and make sure you’re fully compensated.”
“That’s not necessary,” Greylore said.
“I insist. You must let me give you something for all your help.”
“All right,” Greylore ran his hand over Aurora’s mane. “I know exactly what I want as payment.”
“Name it,” I replied. “If it’s within my power, it’s yours.”
“As payment, I want your name and a smile.” I was slightly embarrassed when I realized I hadn’t shared my name with Greylore. I wasn’t hiding or keeping it from him intentionally. He was so charming, and I had been so captivated, it had simply slipped my mind.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, offering my best smile. “Of course. My name is Hensley.”
Greylore gently took my hand. He softly placed his lips to the skin between my knuckles and wrist, causing a chill to dash up my arm to my neck. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hensley. And you have a beautiful smile.”
“Would it be too forward of me to ask to visit you again? But I promise next time to make a less dramatic entrance.” My breath quivered as I awaited his answer.
“I would love to have you visit me, anytime,” he said. “I look forward to it. The moon will not shine as brightly until you return.”
“How long have you been up here alone, Greylore?” I chuckled. “No one talks like that anymore.”
“Maybe not,” he replied with a crooked smile. “But I bet you loved hearing it just the same.”
I do. I really do. I pulled on Aurora’s reins, waved to Greylore and began to mak
e my way back to the compound. I was already looking forward to making a return visit to Greylore. But knowing what awaited me at the compound, I wasn’t looking forward to going home.
Four
Summoned. You’ve been summoned. The Commander wishes to speak to you. I balled my fists at my sides and grunted, continuing to make my way down the hall to my father’s war room chamber. I was so sick of hearing those words. It’s stupid. Just come talk to me. Why the hell do you have to send someone to summon me? I knocked on the big wooden door and waited for his booming voice to respond.
“Come!” he bellowed. The door creaked as I pushed it open. I glanced around the room before stepping all the way inside, curious to see who would be witnessing our interaction. Only my father was present.
“You summoned me, Father,” I said, offering a bit of mockery and attitude.
“Yes, Hensley,” he tossed some papers down onto the big table in front of him. “I did.” His tone was sharp and bitter. “The doctor came to see me this afternoon.” Folding my hands in front of me, I stood still, knowing this was not going to be pleasant. “He tells me you’re too injured to go on the next hunt.”
“Did you have him killed?” I was only half joking.
“I tried to explain to him that without you, taking the beast down may be impossible.”
“That’s not true, Father,” I interjected. “Davian is a great hunter. Even better than me if you’d give him a chance. And Brooker, and Tellick, Forrest, Samison. They are all brave and talented and strong. A formidable force if you’d only—”
“I didn’t call you here to get your opinion.” My father put up his hand and interrupted me. “I am the commander of this military, and I will say who serves where and when.” I nodded. “What I want to know is why you’re abandoning your men.”
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