by Rachel James
She slammed her fist hard on the dough. “Then tell me, Ryce, where is my place?” She threw her arms in the air and flour scattered everywhere. “Nay, please enlighten me, because I no longer know. I’m told I should do this and do that, and behave this way and that. I can’t do this, and I can’t do that. Am I not my own person? I truly believe I’m to be dictated to my whole life.”
He gently placed his hand on hers. “Calm down.”
She jerked away. “Don’t you touch me. I’m not done with fury for you just yet.”
“All right, I’ll leave you be. But we need to talk about today sooner or later.”
She wiped her face, smudging flour across her nose.
Even when cross, she was adorable.
“I wouldn’t count on it.”
Teagen stepped into the almost freezing water and closed her eyes as the waves tickled her feet. The sand and shingle between her toes massaged the fatigue away. It was so tempting to go for a swim, the gentle rocking of the ocean like a soothing lullaby to her soul.
What am I going to do?
She picked a stone and tried skimming it across the water. It landed heavily with a big plop.
Typical.
She attempted again, this time with a smaller rock.
“The flat ones are the best.”
She spun around. “Wh-what?”
Ryce bent down and searched for a pebble. He picked a white beauty, as flat as a pancake. “Your stone is too big. Now this one here is perfect. See how flat it is?”
With ease, he skimmed the rock over the calm sea. It bounced swiftly across the waves four times before landing into the water.
Her mouth dropped open. “How did you do that?”
“I told you, it’s all about the shape.” He picked another flat pebble. “Here, now you try.”
She peered at the rock longingly, reluctant to take it only because Ryce offered to help. She didn’t want to make peace with him. Not yet.
“Go on. I’ll do it with you.”
Coming closer, he bent down and placed the stone into her hands, and they threw it together. She gasped. “That’s impressive.”
Addicted, she searched the shore for something similar, finally settling on a bluish-green gem. Not as flat as Ryce’s, but certainly an improvement to her last piece.
She skimmed it across the water, and it bounced twice.
“Ha-ha!” she shouted with glee, her forlorn state momentarily forgotten.
Ryce sat on a rock and leaned his arms on his knees. “You want to talk about it?”
“Not really.” She picked a stone and played with it in her hands. “Why didn’t you tell me I’d have to sword fight and run around and do drills? I thought I’d be practicing archery like I did with you.”
“You’ve seen the men train countless times. I assumed you knew.”
“But you put me against men!”
Ryce rested his head on his hand. “What did you expect, Teagen? You were the only woman there. If you wanted to train by yourself, you should have done so. I tried to treat you equally. I presumed you wouldn’t want preferential treatment.”
“I don’t.” She scratched her head. “Alas, they did not wish me there. They mocked me.”
He sighed. “’Twas my fault. I should have warned them.”
“Why did you ask me to join the session?”
“I wanted to push you. It’s the only way to improve. But your presence was for the men’s benefit also. They need to be prepared for the unexpected and the unconventional. You don’t get to choose an enemy. I hoped they’d embrace your willingness to learn.”
“I rather think they vanquished me.”
He stood and took her hand. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“You treated me coldly.”
“I tried not to show you favouritism.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Probably because I do.”
“Do what?”
“Favour you.”
She gasped and stepped back. He has feelings for me? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Her palms clammy, she rubbed them against her dress nervously. Their relationship had changed. How was it possible to feel so safe in his presence, and yet unsure of herself all at the same moment?
She needed more time to think things through, but not under his watchful gaze. She ignored the last comment, and changed the subject. “Do you truly believe my fighting will improve if I continue to train with the other soldiers?”
“Without a doubt.”
She bit her lip. She had to do this. To prove to those narrow-minded warriors she wouldn’t be pushed around, and that she was capable just like them.
“So be it. I’ll try again. But please don’t put me with Drefan, or I may very well knock his teeth out the next time he insults me.”
He laughed. “Anything you say, Princess.”
“So how did practice go?” asked Lunet.
Teagen slung her bow and threw herself on the bed. “Splendid. Ryce spoke to the other soldiers, and I didn’t receive any more grief from them. Actually, it was pleasant training with so many others—they help push me along. Not that I’m competitive.”
Lunet eyed her dirty shoes. “You’d best get them filthy things off my clean bed furs. I don’t spend all morrow tidying for you to go and undo everything.”
Teagen grinned as she took off her leather soft shoes. Lunet did fuss. “Sorry. Will you ever forgive me?”
“Seems I have to, Princess.”
“Indeed, you do. Perchance I can make it up to you though.”
Lunet peered up at her with a quizzical brow. “Aye?”
“Would you help me get out of these clothes and into something a bit more ladylike?”
Lunet pulled out a simple morrow dress from the chest. “So you’re still wearing a short tunic for practice?”
“Aye, I admit to being skeptical at first, but these shorter tunics are so much more comfortable than our awful long dresses.”
Lunet scoffed.
“What? Don’t you approve?”
“When you had your exercise, men’s clothing was understandable, but now that’s finished, and your leg’s all better, I think your attire is rather...”
“I only wear it for drills.”
“Aren’t you concerned about the other soldiers’ opinions?”
“I tried wearing a full tunic, but it caused too much of a distraction. Besides, Ryce seems to approve. He says this clothing is far more practical to train in.”
“But what would your brother think?”
“I know not, but if this bothers you that much, I’ll mention the matter to him.”
Lunet let it drop. “Where are you off to now?”
“I have to see Sherwin.”
“Oh? I’ll come with you if you like.”
Teagen turned to face her maid. “You’re fond of him, aren’t you?”
Lunet paused and stood straighter. “Who?”
“Sherwin, of course.”
“Nay, not him, but mayhap the healing arts a little.”
Teagen studied Lunet’s face. “Whatever you say.” She chuckled as she narrowly missed the cushion Lunet tried to throw at her.
“Come on, I can’t be late on this occasion.”
“Aye, your time keeping skills may need working on.”
The two women made their way to the infirmary. One of the beds was already occupied, so Sherwin pulled the drape across her own booth to give them some privacy.
“Good morrow, Teagen. Hop on the bed, will you?”
Teagen obliged.
“Ah, Lunet, do come in,” Sherwin said.
Lunet smiled at Sherwin and went to sit beside Teagen.
“So, how’s the leg? Been experiencing any pain or discomfort since training with the scoundrels?”
“Nay. The swelling and bruising has gone, and what with the exercises I’ve been doing with Ryce, I am much improved.”
“Good. I’ll examine your leg now.
Lunet, would you mind?”
Lunet pulled Teagen’s dress partway back and used a blanket to cover her modesty. Sherwin felt around her bone, moved her ankle, and bent and straightened her leg at the knee. “Everything is as it should be. Let me know if you have any concerns, all right?”
“Aye, thank you, I’m forever indebted to you for everything you’ve done.”
Sherwin smiled. “Well, I’m glad you recovered. I’ve seen too many people crippled after a fall like yours, simply because they did not wear a splint.”
Teagen shuddered. “On that note, I’ll bid you good morrow.”
“I guess you’ll be unstoppable now you’ve returned to normal,” said Lunet, as they left the infirmary.
But was she back to her usual self? “I’m not quite recovered. My memory never fully returned.”
“Perchance those weeks be too traumatic for you, and your head doesn’t wish to remember them.”
“From what I understand, my journey here sounded more like an adventure than anything else. Why would I want to forget it?”
“You’re asking the wrong person. Mayhap you should speak to Ryce. He witnessed it all. Might jog your memory.”
Teagen laughed. “You obviously do not know Ryce. He’s one of those quiet types, and getting him to converse is like drawing blood out of a stone.”
“Mayhap, but he seems to talk to you more than anybody else, bar Sherwin. And perchance your brother.”
“Well, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
Kenric moored the boat on the northern part of the island, the opposite end to the old fort. They carried no light, not wanting to be seen.
“Pass me the rope,” said Kenric.
“I can’t find anything in this darkness,” said Freya.
Kenric gritted his teeth. He despised working with this woman. She was only here to show him the island’s location.
He waded into the water, his hose getting soaked through. Grabbing the boat, he pulled the vessel to shore. “Stay in the boat.”
“But don’t you want me to come with you?”
“I can take it from here.” The last thing he needed was a whiny woman getting in his way.
“What are your plans?”
“Investigate.” What else did she think he’d be doing, going for a midnight swim? “I’ll be back before daybreak.”
“Very well.” Her tone said it all. She was not happy.
He ignored her, collected his supplies, and headed up the slope to the main part of the island. Retrieving the parchment from his bag, he made notes as he went. He passed by a river, which he presumed led out to sea. The access would prove useful for transporting the warriors in from their ships. He soon found a small village separate from the fort, and assumed them to be the locals.
The trek through the dark forest was not a pleasant one, but before the sun rose, he arrived. He stood, mouth agape at the impending fortress. The condition of the old building was impeccable. Years of restoration and upkeep were apparent.
Shame. Their heavy fortification would make it difficult to penetrate. Still, every fort had a weakness, and he needed to find it. He drew a sketch of the building. No time to complete matters tonight, but he’d come back tomorrow without that nuisance of a woman.
Chapter Sixteen
Several soldiers bid Teagen good day as she walked to her usual seat in the hall. Although awkward at first, the men at arms had soon adjusted to having a lady train with them. She hoped they respected her all the more for it.
“What’s going on?” she asked Cinnia as she sat.
“Oh, there seems to be some kind of crisis with the porridge. I know not what precisely. Either way, the staff are all in a muddle over it. I suspect our breakfast may be somewhat delayed.”
“Well, no point in loitering around. I think I’ll go help.”
“Nay, Teagen, ’tis not proper.”
“Hogwash. I have come to the conclusion that I do not have a place and can therefore move wherever the wind may take me.” She flashed Cinnia a grin and scampered off into the kitchen.
Cinnia had not exaggerated. Mayhem broke loose within the fort cooking quarters.
Teagen spotted Lunet assisting the cook in a messy-looking activity.
“Lunet, what is the problem?”
Her maid cast her a quick glance. “It’s the oats. They’re infested. The bags have been left open, and it will take us days to be rid of the weevils. We can’t make porridge without oats. What shall we cook now? The men need a hearty meal before they start a hard day’s work. All we can think of is bread.”
“Nonsense. When I worked in Dyrah, I often cooked breakfast. The men loved it.”
The cook looked at her. “What would you be suggesting?”
“You’ll need to fry the food on your large skillets. The breakfast consists of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, and sausages. You can serve it along with bread as well.”
“It sounds like an awful lot of work, Princess.”
“Nonsense, ’tis very quick. I’ll help you.” She grabbed an apron from the peg and tied it around her waist. “We’ll start with cooking the meat.”
Lunet paused. “Shouldn’t we put the meat in the pot with water?”
Teagen chuckled. “Nay, frying is the quickest and the tastiest. Here, let me show you.” Before long she had a large pan sizzling with sausages and bacon. The delicious aroma wafted to her nose, causing her stomach to rumble.
“Such extravagance.” The cook touted. “The men’ll think it be Christmas.” Teagen smiled to herself. Then every day in Dyrah is Christmas to the Shieldok.
Niall popped his head around the door. “Teagen?”
She glanced up and blew a loose tendril of hair out of her eyes. “Aye, Brother?”
“You’re helping the servants?”
She didn’t miss the tone in his voice rise.
“Aye. Rest assured, your food’ll be with you in but a few more moments.”
Niall blinked, though he said naught.
She laughed inwardly. She had expected a chastisement but supposed he was distracted by the rumblings of his stomach.
“Right, Cook, we’ll need to get ready to plate up now. I’ll crack open the eggs and poach them in the cauldron.”
Teagen, with still an apron wrapped around her tunic, helped serve. She nearly dropped her plate in amusement when she saw Ryce’s face light up.
“A cooked breakfast, indeed!” He elbowed Sherwin, who appeared equally pleased.
The room grew uncharacteristically quiet as people dove into their hot breakfasts. She heard a few murmurs of approval.
She smiled with satisfaction. For the first time since coming to Angularem, she truly believed she’d done a good job.
Teagen knelt with one knee on the damp grass, using the other to keep her balance. She made an opening in the overhanging branches, which served as her camouflage, and poked the end of her arrow through.
“Hold your aim,” Ryce whispered as he hovered above her shoulder. “Pull back...wait.” The deer that they had marked out stooped, drinking water only ten feet away. Its head shot up and ears poked out as if aware of their presence.
“Now!”
She let go. The arrow, ripping through the air, narrowly missed the deer. The scared animal bolted into the trees as fast as lighting.
Teagen let out a long breath in frustration.
“Fear not, you’ll get it. Hunting takes patience and dedication.”
She peered at Ryce. “But we’ve been at this most of the day.” Her stomach growled intensely.
Ryce chuckled. “Did you not get to eat any of your delicious breakfast this morrow?”
“Nay, I confess I was so busy with making it I forgot to take nourishment myself.” She swiped her hair out of her eyes. “Shall we go after him?”
“Aye, this time we’ll follow his trail, and I won’t say anything. You decide when to shoot. If you release and miss, don’t wait for me. Just run after him, all right? Pretend I’m not
here.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “That’s not as easy as you may think. You do tower over me, you know.”
Ryce sniggered. “Sorry. I’ll remain on my knees, shall I?”
“Well, you don’t have to for me, but—”
Ryce gave her a friendly squeeze and stood. “All right, ready for another round?”
“Aye.”
They ran in the deer’s direction, listening for clues as to its whereabouts. A flutter of birds flew by without warning, causing Teagen to jump.
Deep in the woods now, the lack of sunlight turned the setting into a rather eerie mixture of brown and black hues.
Ryce stopped in his tracks and cocked his head to one side as if to listen to something. She did the same but heard naught. Ryce used his hand to signal to her. He had picked up the trail.
They ran on, farther into the forest. They hunted like this for a full day, several times coming close to their prey, but never getting a successful target.
Teagen gazed at the sky. “Won’t be long till nightfall. Shouldn’t we be heading back?”
Ryce glanced up. “You’re right. We’ve little time. I’m sorry, Teagen, I wanted you to get your first kill today.”
She laughed. “Hardly your fault. Perchance I’m not as good as I thought. I’m sure a humbling lesson is to be learned.” She glanced around her surroundings. “Where on earth are we? I don’t recognize this part of the island at all.”
“To tell you the truth, I cannot remember venturing this far either. Guess we got carried away with chasing that flaming deer.”
“You know, Niall said something about a village on the other side of the forest. I wonder if they have a tavern. I’m so hungry.”
“It will mean travelling back when it’s dark. Won’t that bother you?”
“Not when there’s two of us.”
“I confess I’m rather famished myself. We’ll travel to the end of the wood, but if we cannot find this village, we turn back, agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“Well, we’d best pick up our pace a little if we’re to get anywhere by nightfall.”
Teagen followed Ryce’s swift step. In order to keep up with his giant strides, she had to break into a canter beside him.
