"Who is the Hellhound?"
He shook his head. "Do not think to delay me with foolishness."
"Tell me the year," she said.
Someone laughed, but she stared at him hard, ignoring the others.
As if he'd decided to humor her, her captor scratched his head. "'Tis the year of great progress, 'tis 1846."
Elise had no time to let that sink in as he dragged her back down the hill to where the pale horse stood riderless.
Elise looked up at the big animal, nausea welling in her throat.
"I am not riding." She was not particularly afraid of horses, but this one trembled as he stood, his strange blue eyes darting back and forth, hide quivering, with veins looking ready to burst through the skin.
But even as she spoke she was hoisted into the air and thrown across the animal's back. She landed with a bone-jarring thump that winded her and made the horse start sideways. If the man had not grabbed her shoulder she would have slid down the opposite side.
With a low growl, the man back handed the unsuspecting animal, causing him to jump once more. Elise was jarred again, unable to gain her balance. She managed to grab fistfuls of coarse mane, afraid she would fall on her head to the ground. Her captor laughed as he launched himself into the saddle behind her. He wheeled his horse in circles until Elise was certain she was going to be sick.
"I am thinking I like a woman in trousers," he slapped her backside, guffawing loudly, and she heard the others add their own coarse suggestions. That's when her fear of falling subsided and Elise began to grow ice cold as new implications rose in her mind.
"Even with your boy clothing, you appeal to my men."
"I need to sit up," she found the wind to gasp, stiffly turning her head. For a moment she feared the demand fell on deaf ears. His eyes mocked her helplessness, his glance sly as it roamed over her backside.
Then, shrugging, he jerked her upright. Elise awkwardly threw her right leg over the animal, sitting poker straight on the huge saddle in front of him. No matter how much she tried to sit away from him, the worn leather of the saddle pushed her back against him. He seemed to garner a great deal of satisfaction from her efforts.
She was hardly settled before a blood curdling cry and the sound of horns were in her ear, making her jerk rigidly forward, then backwards as he kicked the horse forward.
"Where are you taking me?" Elise demanded as the horse moved into a bone jarring trot.
"To the Indian camp, of course." His laughter echoed off the hills as the powerful horse scrambled up the steep side of a mountain, its great hooves spewing razor sharp bits of shale behind them.
Elise clung to the saddle, wondering how she had managed to land herself back in time in this disastrous mess.
Chapter Two
Elise's head bobbed, then jerked back on her neck. She opened her eyes wide, blinking hard as she lifted a hand to push the hair from her eyes. Her pins had long since disappeared and without any restraint, her hair flew in all directions.
They had been riding all day and dusk was beginning to fall. It had become a tremendous effort to stay alert.
She didn't know any more now than when her captors had grabbed her this morning. "Where are we going?" she asked again. The man continued to ignore her questions. "Can't you at least tell me something?"
"You questions waste my time. The men have a knowing that we've captured a prize. You don't have to know anything else." She felt him lean into her and she kept herself stiff. "If you behave and be quiet, I may favor you and keep you solely for myself."
Elise whipped her head around, half turned in the saddle, in danger of falling to the ground. Her disdainful curl of the lip turned the smile on his face to anger.
"You might do well not to sneer. I'd be betting you'll change your mind before the night is through."
No chance for escape had presented itself. How she would live through the next hours, she didn't know. She was afraid to dwell on what could lay ahead.
"You're a fancy piece of luck, best one we've had all week."
During one of the stops to water the horses a brutal fight had erupted between the men. A knife had been drawn, and when they left the watering hole one man lay dead.
They all watched her like drooling animals before the feast. Each one wanted a piece of her, the only woman. Elise had never owned a gun in her life, but right now she wished she had one.
As they continued through the woods the light began to fail. Elise began to suspect her fatigue made her see things that weren't there. For the first time in many years, she swore she saw Mandine. Mandine, the woman who had raised her.
Mandine stood in the middle of the trail as Elise rode by, a dark garbed figure standing motionless, her wrinkled, ageless face as expressionless as Elise recalled.
Elise rubbed her eyes. Tiredness was making her hallucinate. How could Mandine be standing there? None of the other riders gave any indication of seeing her.
"Mandine," she mouthed, turning her head as they rode past her. Mandine lifted the apple wood staff she always carried and hit one of the men hard across the leg as he passed her. He let out a yelp and looked askance at the man who rode beside him. Jerking his horse close to the other man, he punched him in the face and the man fell off his horse to the ground. Mandine's cackle rang out over the air, yet no one but Elise seemed to hear it.
Elise turned to watch Mandine, the glassy, black eyes unwavering, the way she looked when in the midst of a healing spell. Her smile at Elise seemed to hold a promise, and then she dissolved into thin air. . . vanishing like the hallucination she was. Elise slumped forward in the saddle.
The horse stopped, and the man at her back jumped to the ground. Elise didn't look at him but continued to clutch the front of the saddle. Her fingers were so cramped she didn't think she could let go. He hadn't let her dismount the last two stops and she had no reason to think he'd change his mind now.
They were in a makeshift camp with lean-tos and rough shacks erected in a clearing, surrounded by heavy forest, obscuring any view of the mountains. The ground had been fairly level for some time. She had no idea where they were.
"Get down." Without waiting for her compliance, he grabbed her arm and pulled her from the horse. Elise slid sideways, half falling, losing her balance when her knees gave way. She landed hard on the ground. He looked down at her, fists on his hips.
"Here now, that's a fitting place for you to be." He prodded her knee with the toe of his boot, a leer curling his lips. Tossing his head back, her captor looked around, then spat a stream of tobacco.
Throwing him a furious glare, Elise edged away from him, but made no attempt to rise. Why make it easy for him? He left her, his laughter mocking as he walked toward a fire blazing in the middle of the camp.
Elise quickly searched the area, disappointed to see several men with firearms walking the perimeter of the camp. Looking to the left she saw two men speaking together, for the moment leaving a small area unprotected.
Testing her legs, Elise stood, holding onto the horse beside her for support. She threw a quick look over her shoulder. Some of the men had removed their disguises. Many of them stood beside the fire, drinking from jugs. If they were drinking ale as she suspected, it wouldn't be long before things escalated out of control.
Elise stepped around the back of the horse, praying the animal would be still and not give her away.
One step, another. Soon, she was at the edge of the clearing. Elise kept walking, staring ahead. Once under cover of the woods, she began to run as fast as she could. The woods grew darker and branches slapped at her body. She kept a hand up as she ran to protect her face.
Voices raised an alarm behind her. She kept running, even when pain sliced at her side. Blindly, she forged ahead and miraculously, she didn't lose her balance or fall.
She came out of the dense woods and into a small clearing where the light was a little better. Looking over her shoulder, Elise saw men in pursuit as they wended the
ir way through the trees on horseback. She'd had the advantage over them, but now that she was out in the open, she knew they would easily overtake her.
At the far edge of the open field, Elise dropped onto her stomach, lying as still as possible in the tall grass, trying to ignore the throbbing which had started once again in the shoulder she had earlier wrenched.
If she could stay hidden until total darkness fell, she would have a better chance at eluding them.
Elise thought she might die anyway, having lost her fanny pack with her medicine. With dread, she rolled onto her back, eyes closed, feeling an almost hysterical need to laugh. If those men didn't catch her, she wouldn't last long anyway. She would need her medicine --
A new vibration began in the ground. More horses approaching fast.
"Attack!"
The cry echoed from the opposite side of the clearing. Elise burrowed her head down into the grass, afraid to give away her hiding spot.
Gun-fire erupted, men cursing and shouting, horses' hooves pounding the ground. To Elise, it sounded like a battle being waged.
After a while it became quieter, and Elise lifted her head as the hoof beats moved away from her and it became quiet.
"What have we here?" Elise sat up, poised to run when she heard the dark gravelly voice directly behind her. "Are you looking for your band of outlaws?" the man asked.
Elise looked up at the large dark horse and the man astride him, both attired all in black. Behind him he led a second horse. The light did not reveal his face, but then she realized he wore a dark mask over his entire head. She squared her shoulders and swiped at her dirt stained cheeks, knowing her hair hung in rat tails with twigs stuck in its length. Had she escaped one outlaw to fall into the hands of another?
"Certainly not." Angrily, she brushed the dirt from her jeans. "They kidnapped me."
"You are dressed as one of them," he remarked.
Elise stepped back, keeping a wary eye on the large horse as it stepped toward her. "Trust me, I am not with them."
"How did you come to be out here?" he asked.
Elise turned and started walking back the way she had come. "It doesn't matter. I'll find my own way." She almost felt numb.
She heard the mounted rider behind her, but she did not turn around. "Perhaps I can help you find your way," he suggested.
Every part of her quaked with new fear, but she walked with determination.
"I think not. I have had enough help today."
"Will you continue on foot?"
"I shall manage."
"You are at least three hours from the nearest town, even on horseback. The night grows cool."
Elise resisted the impulse to rub her arms. Indeed the night temperature had fallen. How was she going to find Darien if she didn't even know her location? Where was Mandine? She looked around.
She heard him sigh. "At least allow me to give you a ride to the nearest village. You might as well ride this horse."
"And why should I trust someone dressed in black with a hood that conceals his identity?" she asked smartly.
To her complete surprise, he laughed, a low guttural sound. Elise had the strangest sensation she had heard it before.
"Who are you?" she asked bluntly. "Why do you hide behind that mask?"
"I am sorry but I cannot appease your curiosity. Suffice it to say, it is for my own safety that I remain hidden."
"Those other men had masks also."
"Those men were murdering thieves. I am not." She detected a hint of humor but she continued on, picking her way carefully along the narrow path. She ducked as a low-hanging branch tangled in her hair, then stopped when it became completely snagged. She tried to free it but with hardly any light it became difficult.
She heard the jangle of metal and then the creak of leather. Large hands covered by dark gloves joined her own, helping her to extricate her hair from its entanglement with the branch. She stepped back when it was almost free. "Ouch."
"You are most impatient." He freed the last of her hair. "Come, mount this horse and we will ride to the village. Since you are not from this area, let me assure you I mean you no harm."
"How do you know I'm not from around here?" she asked suspiciously. She looked up at him. He was very tall, much taller than her five foot eight height.
"If you were from this area, you would know who I am," he said simply. "And you would know that I mean no woman any harm." He held out a gloved hand.
In truth Elise was beyond tired. "I hope I do not regret this." And she took his hand, then allowed him to help her mount the horse who stood so patiently.
#
Except for today, this first day back in time, Elise had not ridden in some twenty years. Her body ached, but it was the quickest way for her to get closer to somewhere other than the middle of the woods. They rode hard for what seemed hours and with the combination of the dark night and unfamiliar territory, he could have been taking her further into the mountains and she would have been none the wiser.
When they finally left the woods and galloped onto a dirt road, she began to have hope that he was not leading her astray. Their horses slowed to a walk. She wondered how often this man took such nightly rides.
"Tell me, have you a name?"
"Elise," she offered, seeing no reason to keep it a secret. "And what is your name?"
A laugh rumbled in his chest. "Perhaps some day when I no longer ride the night, I will tell you my name. So why are you out in the middle of nowhere? From where do you hail?"
Elise wasn't sure how to answer. Surely the truth would be impossible for him to believe, so she evaded an answer. "How much further?" Fingers of light were beginning to lighten the sky.
"Perhaps another hour. We are very close."
"So tell me what is the reason for your disguise? And your voice is muffled, also part of the disguise?"
"You saw that band of thieves. They attacked without provocation. A man has need of a disguise."
"So you ride out and kill them before they can kill you?"
"No, I merely try to prevent the mischief they brew upon the local folk. It is not right they are given free rein. They attacked us."
"Us?" she asked quickly.
"Surely you did not think I dispatched that entire band on my own?" He chuckled. "You swell my head."
"What about the law? Surely there is someone, a sheriff?"
"Such as it is when they turn a blind eye and jingle the coin in their pocket, then what good are they?" he demanded, his voice taking on a rough edge.
"Taking bribes?"
"That and more. But that is not your worry. Once we reach the village it would be best for you to find somewhere safe. Elise, you know someone in this area?"
"I have a friend if I can find her. I am sure she would help me."
"Who is this friend?"
"Her name is Mandine."
He pulled his horse to a sudden stop. "Mandine, the wandering healer?"
Elise straightened in the saddle, excited. "You know her?"
"She rides her rickety old cart to heal the sick."
Elise nodded. "That is Mandine. I knew her a long time ago. I know she is expecting me."
The man nudged the horse forward. "I know better than to ask how she knows you are coming. That one has one foot here and one in another world," he said softly. "However, it is fortunate that she expects your arrival," he added.
Elise stared ahead at the road. She hoped that in finding Mandine, it would lead her to Darien. She had to tell him of their daughter. So much time had elapsed. What had Mandine told him of her disappearance? Elise actually began to feel nervous, but she squared her shoulders. She could do this. She was no longer an insecure young girl.
"You look as if you prepare for battle," her companion remarked with a hint of humor.
"Perhaps I am."
"Then I should prepare you so you can find your way. You will come to a crossroads after a while. Keep straight on this road and beyond the hi
ll you will find the village," he said. "The healer's cottage is whitewashed, second building after the lake and small bridge."
Elise turned but her companion of the night spun his horse and rode swiftly in the direction from which they had come, veering off the road and disappearing into the woods. "What about your horse?" But he was gone.
She had not thanked him. Would she run into him again? For now, she set her horse to a trot with a groan. Her backside was protesting the unaccustomed riding.
Mandine would be expecting her, Elise was sure. For herself, twenty-four years was a long time to await any answers.
#
Elise had traveled another hour when she heard riders approaching. She urged her tired horse into the edge of the woods, turning him so she faced the road. Two horses approached at a trot, one a powerfully muscled gray with black mottling, and the other a reddish bay with black mane and tail.
Needing no more confrontations this day, she thought to let them pass and she would continue on her way.
As the two men drew abreast of her hiding spot, she took note of their appearance. Both well dressed in vests, dark breeches, and white shirts. Tall and blond, they looked like twins, or brothers at the least. Shoulder-length hair, handsome of face and ruggedly built, they rode as if born in the saddle. The one closest to her spoke in a low voice to his companion. As they passed her, he looked to the side where she stood backed into the woods. She tensed when she saw his eyes, deep, deep green, the straight nose and thick, dark brows. She kicked her horse forward and the animal leapt from their shadowed shelter, jumping the small roadside ditch and landing solidly on all feet in the road behind the two mounted riders. They both instantly spun their mounts and faced her, pistols at the ready.
"Darien," she whispered in disbelief, all the longing and despair of the last twenty-four years in her voice. Darien, flesh and blood. "Darien!"
Time Travel Romance Collection Page 30
