Darkest Knight

by Cynthia Luhrs

  There was one thing she was good at—pulling weeds. Once she had someone show her what was a weed and what wasn’t, she passed her time pulling weeds to get the various small gardens ready to be planted. There would be flower gardens, vegetable gardens, herb gardens, and medicinal gardens. There were tons of weeds to pull. Seeing them pile up made her feel a useful member of Blackmoor.

  Anna sat back on her heels and looked up at the sun.

  “I thought I might find you here.” John knelt down and handed her a cup.

  “Water for you, wine for me.”

  She drank deeply. “You remembered.”

  He stretched out on the ground beside her.

  “How is your arm?”

  She blushed. “You heard what happened in the kitchen.”

  He turned his head, but she could see the smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

  “I think everyone heard.”

  “I thought I was dumping the soup into the cauldron. How was I to know the handle would fall off?” She saw his shoulders shaking. “I know you’re trying not to laugh. But go ahead. It is kind of funny.”

  He held his side, laughing. “They told me when the soup hit the floor, it covered everyone around you. But not a drop on you. I can see them with chunks of vegetables in their hair, dripping on the floor.” He laughed again, and she laughed with him.

  “I think I should stay out of the kitchen. That’s why I’m out here. One of the girls showed me what was a weed and what wasn’t, so I’m pulling weeds.” She gave him a rueful smile. “I figure I can’t do too much harm out here.”

  “Did no one teach you how to cook? To run a household?”

  Anna shook her head. “No. My parents always struggled to make ends meet. There was never really enough money to go around, but somehow they scrimped and saved enough money for me to go to community college. We ate a lot of easy meals. Things like pasta and casseroles and frozen dinners. I never learned to cook. It’s not something you have to learn. And like I was telling you before, I went to a shop to buy clothing already made, so I never learned to sew.”

  She yanked a clump of weeds and added it to the growing pile beside her. “I think I’m rather useless as far as skills go around here.”

  “You are a lady. You do not need to know how to sew or to cook. As to managing a household, ’tis a skill that can be learned. Do not ever say you are not useful. I can think of no one else who could have rescued me from the tower. You must stop saying such things about yourself. ’Tis time you accept your own worth.”

  “Women in my time are expected to be beautiful with amazing bodies. There’s so much pressure to be and look a certain way.” She touched his hand. “I’m trying to change.”

  Anna leaned back and looked at him. “I heard some of the men talking. Are you sure there wasn’t anyone left from your camp in the woods?”

  John let out a long sigh and was quiet for so long that Anna felt bad for asking. But she knew how he felt: the weight of responsibility weighing so heavily on your shoulders that sometimes you thought it would crush you to the ground.

  “Nay. Rabbie survived. He works in the stables at Highworth. Robert will be good to him. My healer stayed and perished with those who were ill. I have sent many inquiries, but the soldiers did their work well. None survived. If by chance any did survive, they are likely still in hiding and may never find me. At least not until they know if I will live or die.”

  She reached up and touched his cheek, feeling the stubble. How many times had someone seen that look on her face? Before she could think better of it, Anna leaned down and lightly brushed her lips over John’s. His lips were firm and he smelled like horses and green things. She leaned back, keeping her eyes closed, afraid she would open them and see a look of disgust on his face.

  “Open your eyes, Anna,” John said softly.

  She opened one eye and then the other, not daring to say a word.

  “I would gladly find myself imprisoned again for one of your kisses, freely given.”

  And didn’t that just make her go weak in the knees?

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  All through supper that night, Anna kept touching her face. She couldn’t believe she’d found the confidence to kiss John. It was the first time in her life she’d ever kissed a man first. And he hadn’t pulled away or had a disgusted look on his face. He said he’d go to prison to kiss her again. Was it possible? Was she really not as unattractive as she thought? Her worldview shifted every so slightly.

  She had trouble sleeping. Tossing and turning, thinking about him. The two of them together. What her life might be like if she stayed. In the end, she decided it would be up to the fates to decide. She would try to go back, and if she could she would. She owed it to her dad. But if she couldn’t, then she would know she had done all she could, and she would make her life here with a clear conscience.

  After being stuck in the bog, she was hesitant to wear a dress to travel. John argued with her, but after she told him her fears, he gave in. She braided her hair down her back, and wore the tunic and hose she had swiped before. How the women got them clean was magic in her book. John assured her the boy had been given a new set of clothes. And when she fessed up about the gold, he smiled. Said he expected her to do nothing less. How would she purchase food and lodging along the way if she didn’t have money?

  Full from breakfast, she waited in the courtyard for John to appear. The horses were ready—she would ride her horse this time. The thought made her a little bit nervous, but she was willing to try. It was time to try new things.

  She offered a carrot to Black Horse. “I’m going to trust you know what you’re doing. So you’re in control, but don’t throw me off and we’ll be fine, okay?”

  The horse twitched an ear, contentedly munching the carrot.

  As John approached, she saw he wore his cloak, which was odd, given how warm it was today.

  “I know we’re leaving today…if you come back, he will be waiting for you.”

  From under the cloak, he produced a small brown dog. The dog ran around in circles when he set it on the ground. He was adorable with his tail wagging a hundred miles a minute and his floppy tan ears. He licked her hand.

  “I’ve never had a dog before. He’s very small. Is he a baby?”

  “’Tis not quite a year old. I thought he would be company for you.”

  When she stood up, wiping her face where the dog had licked her, she saw him watching her.

  He spoke in a low voice so no one else would hear. “I know you want to go home, so I wish it for you too. The man could not afford to feed the dog, so I took him. Trust I will take good care of him when you are gone.”

  Anna patted the dog, stroking the soft fur. “You’re a beautiful boy. Be good.” She leaned down, kissing him on the top of his head.

  “Thank you. It was very kind of you.”

  As they made their way through the moors, Anna tensed. It wasn’t until they were away and had traveled another hour or so that she felt like she could relax. The horse was content to follow along or walk beside John’s horse.

  “While the countryside is beautiful, I’m already sick and tired of this journey.”

  “Do not worry. I will not let you fall into another bog.”

  “At least this time I’m with someone who knows how to make a fire. And we have horses.”

  “And do not forget. You have me to protect you.”

  She smiled at him. “How could I forget?”

  They stopped for a late lunch. Afterward, Anna looked for a place to relieve herself. She heard the sound of running water and followed it, happy to find a place to refill her water jug.

  During the afternoon, she’d been surprised at how few people they encountered. If it was a well-traveled road, then they saw a good number of people. But on smaller paths, they might not see anyone. Most were friendly, though some seemed wary. And she could understand why John wanted to avoid everyone. More soldiers had been spotted
nearby. They were closing in. Yesterday, she’d seen his face on a broadsheet in a town they had to pass through. When she pointed it out, he brushed her concerns away.

  “None this close to Blackmoor will turn us in. They are loyal, or at least I hope they are.”

  That night as they made camp, she watched how he started the fire.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that.”

  “I will start your fires, my lady.”

  They talked deep into the night until Anna found herself yawning and barely able to keep her eyes open.

  “Go to sleep. I will take first watch.”

  She didn’t think she answered him before she was asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Wasn’t it the same with everything? Anna had been afraid to ride by herself. But the more distance they covered, the more she enjoyed riding. She had an entirely new appreciation for horses. Sure, cars were so much faster, but people might not be as stressed out in her own time if they rode a horse to work. A quiet giggle escaped.

  Instead of bring your child to work day or bring your pet to work day, it could be ride your horse to work day. With stables and pastures next to office buildings instead of bike racks.

  Daydreaming about Popsicles and milkshakes, she jerked in the saddle as the horse came to a sudden stop

  “Why are we stopping?”

  John put a finger to his lips. “Silence.”

  He dismounted, helped her off the horse, and leaned forward. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her again.

  Then he whispered in her ear, “Soldiers. Close. Follow me.”

  The kiss would have been better. No matter how she strained, Anna didn’t hear anything. John had lived as an outlaw for a long time and obviously knew what he was doing. She followed as he led the horses into the woods. He found an area with fallen brush and a patch of grass, making a natural screen. He tied the horses to the trees.

  “We will move the branches. They will conceal the horses.”

  Anna had to admit, it looked pretty convincing. “Won’t the horses make noise?”

  “Not enough to be heard. We will conceal ourselves over there.”

  How was it possible the man could move without making a sound? She, on the other hand, sounded like a herd of elephants, as she trailed him through the brush. No matter how gingerly she stepped, a twig cracked, sounding like a gunshot, or she made some other horribly loud noise. But no one came galloping after them, so maybe she wasn’t as loud as she sounded to her own ears.

  John led her around an outcropping of stone and pointed to the base, where she could make out a small, shallow opening.

  “You want to hide there? What about snakes?”

  “There are no snakes. We will be safe.” He pulled her down onto the ground. “Do you trust me to keep you from harm?”

  “Of course I do. Snakes are a completely different story. If you had seen the size of some of the snakes we have in Florida, you’d be taking me more seriously.”

  He put a finger to his lips and whispered, “You can tell me all about the wee beasties once we are safe.”

  Anna shut her mouth, but not before sticking her tongue out at him. His mouth twitched. It looked like he was biting his cheek to hold back the laughter. Annoying man.

  They pulled brush in front of the opening and waited. Anna hoped she wouldn’t need to go to the bathroom. As soon as she had the thought, of course she had to go. Knowing it was purely psychological didn’t make the urge go away. Wearing a dress would have made things easier. None of the women wore undergarments. You spread your legs and went. Could go wherever you wanted. But now she was basically wearing leggings, there was no way she could pull them down to go. Then again, she wouldn’t have peed in a dress scrunched into a small hole with John either.

  You’ll just have to wait. You will never live it down if you pee your pants in front of the man you’re crazy about.

  A touch on her arm made her twitch. His lips brushed her ear. “They are close.”

  The crack of a twig made her mouth dry. She heard the sounds of horses and the low voices of men. There were several voices, but she couldn’t make out how many. The horses made it sound like a large group.

  Anna strained to see through the brush. Just when she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, she spotted the men. All dressed similarly, and many wore serious expressions. Her heart beat faster, pounding in her chest. Please don’t let them hear. For it certainly seemed as loud as a drum at a rock concert to her ears. Her throat dry, she swallowed several times so she wouldn’t cough.

  The space was narrow, and John was pressed against her so tightly she felt the tension in the stiffness of his body, which made her even more nervous. What would happen if their horses made a noise?

  She was dying to ask but didn’t dare. The soldiers were so close. She could smell the horses. The sweat of men who hadn’t washed in a long while. Her stomach heaving, Anna pressed her lips together so as not to make a sound. You will not barf.

  If she reached out, she could touch the leg of the man closest to her. Her breathing slowed, and she tried to remember a meditation class she’d taken a long time ago. Every molecule was focused on keeping quiet.

  She’d seen the cells in the tower up close and personal, and while she wanted to get back so she could go home, Anna had no desire to be a guest. The soldiers’ voices sounded loud even though she knew they were speaking in normal tones. Everything sounded louder when it was quiet. Did they know how close they were to their quarry?

  “Water the horses and rest for a bit. The Thornton bastard can’t be far.”

  No. They couldn’t be stopping right here. But as she watched, the men dismounted, some of them pulling food out of packs, others leading the horses off for a drink. A few sat down, stretching out their legs. One of the men leaned against a rock next to them, so close she could make out the color of his eyes.

  If the man shifted his body less than a foot, he would lean right into them. Anna could see the hand stitching on his clothing. The gray in the beard on his face. If the man turned his head, he could see them hidden behind the brush.

  It was as if she was hyperaware of their surroundings. Every sound magnified, every color brighter. Pain radiated down her arm. For a moment she panicked, thinking she was having a heart attack. Rationally, she knew she wasn’t, but she couldn’t figure out what was wrong until she realized she was pressing so tightly against the rock that her arm had fallen asleep. As the tension left her body, a sigh escaped. Anna pressed a hand over her mouth. The man leaning against the rock shifted as if he felt the air, but didn’t turn. Talk about a close call.

  How did John do it? He was as motionless and still as the stone surrounding them. Men came and went, leading the horses to drink, eating and making jokes. A small part of her wanted to talk with them. Everyone she’d met so far fascinated her. After all, how often did you get to travel to another time? And talk with the people. Hear about their daily lives, their hopes, fears, and dreams.

  The soldiers were men doing a job. She was pretty sure it wasn’t personal, but all the same, she had no interest in going to prison.

  A soldier approached the man leaning against the rock, who had fallen asleep. He nudged the man with a boot.

  “’Tis time. Get up, Ned.”

  The man grunted and got to his feet. “Hold on. Need to take a piss.”

  As the soldier moved away, the one called Ned turned, reached in his pants, pulled it out, and started peeing. Anna almost called out; in fact, she would have if John hadn’t clapped a hand over her mouth, seeming to know what was about to happen.

  She looked at him and he looked at her. Saw the humor in his eyes. Pee spattered through the brush and landed on their feet. His body shook but he made no sound.

  It wasn’t funny at all. It was completely disgusting. She’d never been peed on in her entire life. And, quite frankly, Anna didn’t think she’d ever get the sight of the man’s ju
nk out of her mind. It was something you that couldn’t be unseen. Not to mention he smelled and his little snake looked like he didn’t wash very often.

  He finished, set himself to rights, and turned round, making his way back to the group of men. It seemed to take hours before all the men were mounted and riding out of the wood. Even when she could no longer hear them, John kept a hand on her arm, holding her still. He shook his head, so he must have heard them, even though she couldn’t hear a thing.

  Finally he released her. He moved the brush away, staying quiet. Somehow she managed not to run screaming for the water. Instead she waited, trusting he would let her know when it was all clear.

  She followed John, stepping where he stepped, as they made their way across the open space to where the horses were hidden. She couldn’t believe none of the soldiers had spotted the animals. Guess they were far enough away.

  When John moved the brush aside, Anna saw them contentedly munching on a patch of grass. She looked at him, raising her eyebrows, and he nodded.

  “Oh my gosh, I have never been peed on. Never, in my entire life. I don’t think I will ever forget it.” She choked out before bursting into laughter, so hard that tears ran down her face and her stomach hurt. John laughed, his eyes twinkling, the deep sound echoing across the wood.

  “My apologies the lady had to see such a sight…even though ’twas rather small.”

  They were still laughing as they made their way to the water. Anna scrubbed at her boots and hose to remove the spots. Once done, she drank her fill. Helping her on the horse, he touched her knee, the heat traveling to her stomach.

  “We shall ride for a few hours before we stop for the night, to put distance between us and them.”

  “I think I’ve been scarred for life. I’ll never be able to go the bathroom outside again without being worried someone is nearby, watching.”

  He looked at her, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Makes one beware the woods, aye?”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine