by Rachel James
Out of the blue, something cold and wet landed on her face.
She halted and gazed up—snow began to fall. Mesmerized by the large flakes, she stuck out her tongue to catch them. The snowflakes melted instantly, the chilled water refreshing her mouth. Should they return home instead? She’d rather go hungry than get caught out in a blizzard.
She spun round to reach Ryce’s attention. “Ryce?” She twirled in the other direction. “Ryce?”
She had stopped for only a few moments. Surely, he had not gone far. Perchance she’d taken the wrong path. She backed up to where she was before. “Ryce!” she yelled.
If he was playing a joke, she would not be happy.
“Ryce!”
He was nowhere to be seen. She stood still to weigh her options. Should she stay here and keep searching until she found him? The snow grew thicker, and she shivered in the coldness.
I need to get help.
But she was lost, and daylight was disappearing fast.
She glanced at the sky, almost dark and filled with clouds. No moon to light her way tonight. Her only option was to find some kind of shelter and wait until morrow.
Her gaze darted around, despair filling her.
Naught.
“God, help me! Please.” Tears stung her cheek as the cold wind whipped her face. She should run to keep herself warm, but she’d been running all day. Now she felt weak.
She spotted a large hollow tree. She moved toward the shelter, hoping it would be big enough and not already nesting a family of animals.
She tripped and twisted painfully. Wiping the snow from her eyelashes, she glanced at the obstacle.
“Ryce?” Thanks be to God, she’d found him. “Ryce?”
He wasn’t moving. She leaned in closer. He still breathed, but there was something wrong.
He had a stab wound in his side.
“Cinnia? Have you seen Teagen?”
His wife put down the comb and pinned back a loose lock of hair. “Nay, dear. Try outside. I thought she and Ryce went hunting.”
He paced across the room and leaned on the window ledge. “They did, as far as I can tell. They left this morrow and missed dinner.”
“Perchance she is too tired to eat and has gone straight to her chamber.”
“Nay, I tried already. Nobody has seen her all day.”
Cinnia rose and walked over to him. She stroked the worry lines forming around his eyes. “Well, what about Sherwin?”
“He’s been tied up in the infirmary, so he hasn’t seen them.”
“How strange.”
He peered out the window and gazed at the heavy sky. “I wouldn’t worry ordinarily, only the snow has picked up, and I fear a storm is coming. If they’re out now, they might get trapped.”
“But what can we do? Can’t send out a search party in a snowstorm.”
Niall shook his head. Nay, they couldn’t. Why was he so anxious? Something didn’t sit right. “Let’s pray for their safe return.”
Teagen gasped at the sight of Ryce’s blood seeping through his clothing. Who had done this to him, and where were they now? She squeezed her eyes shut. Panicking would get them nowhere. She had to act with a clear head. They needed shelter. She estimated twenty feet to a hollow tree. She’d have to drag him. Somehow.
If he appeared heavy to begin with, he was even denser when unconscious. She managed to drag him ten feet without stopping, but then had to take a breath. Gritting her teeth, she pulled him again, dragging him across the ground like a dead animal.
She finally reached the tree, and with all her strength thrust Ryce inside. She noted with despair the tiny size and lack of light.
Start a fire. She glanced up at the sky again. Flames would never stay alight in this weather. As she lowered her head, she caught a glimpse of a centuries-old stone building in the distance. Hope bubbled within.
She ran forward, praying this was not a figment of her imagination. She crept inside, a flurry of bats scattering, sending shivers down her spine. An empty room. No furniture, or clue as to the building’s usage. At least the place appeared deserted, with no signs of anyone living here. Oil lamps mounted the walls—perchance they still might work. If she could just get a spark going.
She rushed outside in search of wood, but everything was damp. She’d make do with flint rocks.
After what seemed like forever, she managed to get a flicker and she lighted the first wall lamp. She waited a moment for the flame to build, then used the wooden stave to light the other torches.
Amazing—they still work.
She had a small fire going in the corner of the room in no time. Her room ready, she ran back out into the snow to get Ryce.
The weather was horrendous, a full-on blizzard. Thank the Lord she’d found that building when she did. Ryce was still inside the hollow tree. His breathing was now slower, and his wound bled out badly.
She dared not drag him again, because she might hurt him further.
She removed her cloak and dropped the fabric to the ground. With a mighty effort, she rolled Ryce on. The snow made it easier for her to pull the makeshift sledge. What a pity she hadn’t thought of that the first time she’d dragged him.
The heat of the room welcomed her as soon as she entered, such a contrast to the cold outside. With one final pull, she succeeded in getting Ryce into the warm space. A shame she had no blankets for him. She touched his skin. He was so cold. She rolled him to his side and placed her now-wet cloak by the fire to dry.
She went to lift his wet tunic and hesitated, her hands trembling. She could do this. She had to.
Ryce’s tunic was difficult to remove with him being unconscious. She did think about ripping it, but realized he’d need something to wear on their return.
Eventually his clothing came off, caked in blood, she would have to wash the clothes before Ryce awoke.
The laceration to his lower side looked severe. Oh, how she wished she had Sherwin’s skills in this regard. What would Sherwin do?
He’d put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. She ripped part of her tunic into shreds to use as bandages and wrapped them around his waist. The blood seeped through almost immediately.
She let out a frustrated breath. Now what?
She scanned the room, her eyes resting on Ryce’s leather belt. She tied the strap on top of the bandages. It seemed to work effectively.
She checked he hadn’t any other gashes before placing her warm cloak atop his chest. Her stomach growled, and her body shivered with cold, despite sitting next to the fire.
She glanced at Ryce. What if he awoke? He’d be extremely weak. Neither of them had eaten all day.
Her bow and arrows lay on the ground by the door. She hadn’t been able to hunt in the daylight, so what hope had she of succeeding now? Nay. She must wait out the storm and rest. At first light, she would go and catch some food.
She lay on the stone floor next to the fire, trying to get warm, and stared across at Ryce, a little envious he had a covering. But he needed the warmth more than she. She should lie next to him, but could not bring herself to do so for propriety’s sake.
Her thoughts scurried back to the night on the beach with Ryce. There was no denying it— there was...something...between them. But Ryce was neither a Christian nor a nobleman. What use was there in pursing these puzzling feelings? She was a princess after all. The chances of her marrying for love were remote.
She studied the brave man in front of her, who had repeatedly come to her aid. She sighed.
If only.
When Teagen awoke the next morrow, she knew in an instant where she was. The snow had continued all the night through, and she had to kick several feet of it away to get out of the doorway. It was still a blizzard, but at least the sun provided enough light to be able to see a little. With bow and arrow in hand, she put herself to work. She would not return until she had found some food.
She need not have worried. Hardly a prize deer, but she did manage
a rabbit. Thank goodness she had learned to cook when in Dyrah. At least this she was able to do, even with limited ingredients. Finding a nearby stream, she filled her canister with fresh water, collected some firewood, and headed back to the building. In no time at all, she had her rabbit cooking on a spit, and she warmed her hands over the flames.
In the daylight, the structure seemed different from the night previous, although the room reminded her considerably of the chapel back at the fort. From the outside, it seemed tall, but inside the space appeared at normal ceiling height. Yet no steps led upward, so the purpose of the height was puzzling. She lay back and stared up, studying the stone patterns and formations.
Strange. A section of stone appeared to be mismatched, almost as if it concealed an entry point of some kind. Teagen stood, not tall enough to reach. Grabbing her bow, she prodded the stonework.
Naught.
Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a slight catch on the right-hand corner. She pulled at it with her bow, and after the second attempt, a section of the ceiling parted, and a wooden ladder shot down, making her squeal.
She tried breathing slower to calm her excitement at such a discovery. Without hesitating, she climbed the steps. The wood was new. It must have recently been replaced.
The second level was empty with no furniture, but it had a small hole for a window. Peering into the corner of the room, Teagen’s heart missed a beat. More steps, but this time made of stone.
She followed the staircase reaching a third and final level.
“It’s a watchtower!” she said out loud as she stood on the tower roof. She supposed that at one time there would have been a wooden balcony. Teagen looked out. From here she viewed the entire southern part of the island, including the shoreline, which seemed to be the most viable place for ships to anchor. She glanced once more before returning down the steps to check on her rabbit.
Ryce’s eyelids fluttered open. It took a few moments for the room to come into focus and stop spinning. Where was he?
He attempted to stretch, but halted when a shooting pain ran through his entire left side.
Realization returned to him in an instant.
He had been stabbed...although he didn’t remember coming here.
“Ryce?”
Teagen.
Teagen shuffled over to him from her place by the fire. She knelt close and cupped his head in her hands. “You’re awake at last. I’ve been so worried. How do you feel? Does your side hurt? Are you cold?”
“Whoa, woman,” he croaked. “Slow.” He looked up into her concerned face. “Where are we?”
“We’re still in the forest. I discovered this hidden watchtower when trying to get us out of the storm.”
“You found the watchtower?”
“Aye, you know of it?”
“Niall is in the process of having the building restored. I’d not been to see it myself.”
“Do you remember anything from last night and what happened to you?”
He did. All too clearly. But he wouldn’t mention it was Kenric who attacked him in the forest. She’d only panic.
“I’m sorry I lost you. I think I got distracted with the snow, and the next thing I knew, you’d disappeared, and I was running around trying to find you.”
“You might not have lived to tell the tale if you had been with me.”
Teagen’s eyes narrowed. “What happened? You can’t say a squirrel did that to you.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “I’m afraid not. Now, try and help me up.”
“Nay, you’ve been badly wounded. We’ll stay put for a bit until you heal, and besides, I went hunting.”
He didn’t miss the pride in her voice for catching what seemed to be rabbit.
“How did I get in here?”
“I pulled you in using my cloak.”
“You what?” He gazed down and for the first time noticed her wrap covering his bare chest. “Where’s my tunic?”
“Here, drying. I fear the blood may stain, but at least it is a little cleaner. Didn’t want you attracting the wild beasts when we travel back to the fort.”
“You must be freezing.”
“I cannot lie, I’ve been warmer, but you should have seen yourself last night, so blue I thought you’d die of cold. Thank God I found this place. I’m not sure either of us would have survived that hollow tree.”
“Hollow tree? Sounds like some kind of folk tale. I don’t suppose pixies and fairies were involved too?”
Teagen chuckled. “Nay. I’m sure God played an enormous part though. Don’t worry, you can thank Him anon.”
Ryce shook his head to refocus. They needed to return to the fort, and fast.
“Teagen, I know I’m wounded, but we still need to get back. I’ve important information for your brother, and we’ve not a moment to lose.”
“But the snow—”
“We can manage. We’ll eat breakfast first, and then set off.” She nodded, albeit somewhat reluctantly. “So, what happened?”
Ryce pushed himself up letting the cloak slip. Teagen averted her eyes. “Pass me my tunic, will you?”
Teagen handed him his clothing, still a little damp.
He glimpsed her staring at him. He sighed. “I don’t want to frighten you.”
“Well, it’s a bit late for that. Please, Ryce, what’s going on?”
“The person who attacked me came out of nowhere. Like he’d been here before, spying the area. I was unable to take him. I’ve no idea where he is now, so we need to warn Niall.”
“But who is he?”
“A friend, or once was.”
“Why would he attack you?”
“I know not. Mayhap they’re trying to take out the key people, or he seized an opportunity. I haven’t had time to consider it.”
“And who are they?”
Ryce stared at her directly. “Dyrahns. It appears that they have found us.”
Chapter Seventeen
Niall paced the length of his chamber. He’d hardly slept in the night, resorting to reading the Scriptures to obtain perspective. He knew within his spirit something was not right and he had to pray.
“Sire, I’ve brought you some breakfast,” said Garreth as he entered the chamber.
Niall glanced up surprised. He’d forgotten to go the hall, so engrossed in his prayers. “I don’t suppose—”
“Nay, sire, they have not returned.”
Niall nodded and gazed pensively out of the window. Still snowing. No point in sending out patrols with such poor visibility.
If this had occurred a few months ago, he’d have reason to suspect Ryce up to something. So much had happened this past winter to change his opinion of Ryce and Sherwin. Indeed, he would count them as close friends now.
He sat to eat his breakfast and glanced around his chamber. He had grown fond of the place, and he’d miss Angularem when the time came to return to Elmetia. The troops were ready, and now they just had to wait for spring. Going to battle was never pleasant, but warmer weather certainly made war more bearable and less risky.
A mighty knock disturbed his thoughts. “Aye?”
Garreth re-entered the room. “My lord, they have returned, and Ryce is wounded.”
Niall dropped the food to his plate and rushed out of his seat. “Where are they?”
“In the physician’s chamber, sire.”
He wasted no time and headed for the infirmary. He pulled his cloak around himself as he braved the snowy elements. The sound of the blizzard took his breath away.
It was a relief to enter the warm infirmary in comparison. Ryce sat on one of the beds as Sherwin examined a stab wound to his side.
“Didn’t I say you’d know what to do when the time came?” Sherwin directed his question at Teagen. “You managed to control the bleeding. Now, Ryce, I’ll need to re-dress the wound and then you’re free to go.”
Niall, eager to discover the reason behind Ryce’s condition, cleared his throat.
“Niall!” said Teagen, and ran over to him, giving him a loving hug. “You’ll not believe what happened to us.”
Niall gave his sister a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll hear all about it once you’ve been seen to. Are you hurt?”
“Me? Nay, a little cold mayhap. Actually, I thought I might pay a visit to the bathhouse if you don’t mind. Ryce can fill you in though.”
“Aye, go, I’ll send Lunet in to help you.”
Teagen gave him another affectionate hug and left. As soon as she had gone, the atmosphere in the room changed.
“Now then, Ryce, what’s going on?”
“We found ourselves at the other end of the forest. We were separated, and I was attacked. I tried to fight him, but he caught me unawares, so he escaped, leaving me for dead.”
“Who assaulted you?”
“Kenric, from Dyrah. My old superior.”
Niall grabbed the side of the bed and slumped on a chair. “But how did they find us? And what do they want?”
“Well, I suspect they plan to invade. Eadward will be behind all this. He’s wanted your head ever since he found out you were still alive, and he’ll be seeking vengeance.”
“Did you get the impression there were more?”
“I only saw Kenric, but that doesn’t mean to say he was alone. Listen, I worked for Eadward for years, and I understand how he operates. He sends spies into the land first to do the groundwork. He’ll want to apprehend his enemy, find out their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, their strengths, their desires. He’ll plan to attack when they least expect.”
“So you think Kenric is here to spy on us?”
“Aye, as I was commissioned to do initially, but...” Ryce’s eyes glazed over.
“What’s the matter?”
Ryce shook his head. “I’ve just realized, we had a contact at Lyndisea, a lady by the name of Freya. She led us to Ansgar. She might have followed us here and reported to Eadward.”
Niall leaned back in his chair. His hands formed a steeple shape, his fingers resting under his nose. “Eadward wants to stop me from reclaiming Elmetia before I can even cross the water.”
