He dragged a hand through his hair. She still stared at him, waiting.
This would be so much easier if he could dump her off on someone else.
Maybe he could.
He turned to her and met her gaze. “If I win, then you must consider leaving Flayin Falls. Move to Walden or Stetterly or somewhere besides here.”
He snapped off his words before he said too much. Before he promised he’d help her. He couldn’t promise. Not when he probably wouldn’t stick around in the spring to even find out her decision. But if he could at least get her thinking about it, maybe he could send Shadrach or Leith this way. Heroic types that they were, they wouldn’t refuse.
“Leave?” She blinked down at her Bible.
Would she agree? He was asking her to think about leaving her home, the place filled with memories of her father. But she couldn’t stay. Whatever she had done or not done, surely there was somewhere in Acktar she could go that was better than here.
She straightened her spine. “All right. If you agree, then I agree.”
“Fine. Deal.” He could stand to read the whole Bible, couldn’t he? He’d read most of it back in his childhood. He could forge through it again. How hard could it be?
Leith slapped Shad on the back. “We’ll miss you.”
“You’ll miss all the extra hands, you mean.” Shad waved past Leith.
Leith didn’t have to turn around. Behind him, the walls of Stetterly’s new church rose toward the horizon. The four large beams Shad had brought now spanned the upper part of the walls. The jagged ends of the stones still needed a few more feet of height and the pitch of the roof. None of that would be finished until spring, unless they caught a few breaks in the snow.
Surrounding the church, a square of snug, sod dugouts would provide shelter throughout the winter. The rest of the crops had been gathered. The grass scythed and stored as fodder for the animals. Steers had been cut out, killed, and the meat smoked. All thanks to the added help of Shad and the men he’d brought with him.
A few yards away, Jolene hugged Renna one last time. “We’ll be sure to distribute the invitations. Everyone will be so thrilled.”
“Especially Father.” Shad stepped closer to Jolene and rested his hand around her waist, tugging her closer.
Leith cleared his throat. “If you see Martyn…”
“I’ll pass the word of the wedding along to him as well.” Shad shook his head. “Not sure he’ll show up.”
Leith couldn’t be sure either. Was Martyn even still alive? Or had he wandered off into the Sheered Rock Hills and gotten himself killed?
After the final goodbyes, Shad, Jolene, and their guard party mounted their horses. As they rode out of Stetterly, Renna leaned against Leith’s shoulder. The chill in the air scurried along Leith’s hands and face.
The first snowflake fell.
19
“You’re sure this is his birthday? I’d hate to get it wrong.” Renna whipped the butter, sugar, maple syrup, and other ingredients in a bowl. She couldn’t mess this up. They had a limited amount of sugar to last the whole winter. She couldn’t waste it.
“Yes, I’m sure. I triple-checked. Very secretly, of course.” Brandi stoked the fire in the brick oven Leith and Sheriff Allen had built into one wall of their dugout. Brandi leaned over to blow on the coals, and her shoulder-length hair fell into her face. She huffed, dragged it out of her face with one hand, and kept blowing.
With Brandi’s hair pulled back, the end of the pink scar along her scalp peeked through. Renna swallowed and turned back to the dough. Except for the occasional headache that now plagued Brandi during certain weather changes, she didn’t seem to be affected by the injury. But it could’ve been so much worse.
Renna added the last of the ingredients into the bowl and beat at the dough until her upper arm ached. When it was ready, she rolled the dough into balls and placed them a few inches apart on a metal tray.
Brandi knelt by the fireplace, a nook lined with rocks dug into the side of their hole in the ground. A shaft provided a chimney for both the fireplace and the brick oven. “Do you think the meat is almost ready?” She poked at the coals covering the lid of the metal pot where their dinner simmered.
“It probably has a little bit longer. I think.” Renna eased the metal tray into the brick oven. Someday she’d master this cooking and baking thing. She was a lot better than she used to be. She no longer burned the eggs, and most of the time her stews turned out tasting all right. Her dishes didn’t taste nearly as exquisite as Aunt Mara’s used to, but Renna didn’t have decades of practice either yet.
She leaned against the countertop behind her. It took up about a foot square of space near the oven and fireplace. A woodbox stood next to the door built into the side of the hill that was now their home while a rough table took up most of the floor space in the middle. At the back of the room, a curtain separated Brandi and Renna’s pallets from the rest of the room. Along the opposite wall from the fireplace, a few shelves held dried vegetables and a few belongings.
But that was it. The rest was dirt. Hard-packed dirt floor. Dirt walls. Dirt roof. A few roots from the layer of grass above dangled from the ceiling. Occasionally, a trickle of dirt would cascade down onto Renna’s hair.
It was just for the winter and into the spring. Renna fisted her hands in her skirt and drew in a deep breath that smelled of dry earth, smoke, and the hint of warm cookies. At least it wasn’t damp. The roaring fire dried out any trickles of water before they became too much of a nuisance. And there were fewer bugs than she expected. After the first week or two when earthworms would wiggle through the walls, the fire had dried the earth enough to discourage them.
Still, she couldn’t help but count down the days until she could live in a snug cabin with real wooden walls and roof. She didn’t care how small it was. She, Leith, Brandi, Jamie, and Ranson might all be piled on top of each other. At least there would be no more dirt.
What would her parents think of her now? She no longer flinched when she had to pick bugs out of her own hair when they fell down from the ceiling. Though, she let Brandi kill them.
A stomping sound came from outside, then a knock on their door. After a moment, the door eased open, and three bundles of cloaks, scarves, hats, and gloves tottered inside. Leith turned and shoved the door closed behind him.
After the first few days, when they’d realized the door and the walls muffled the sound of anyone yelling “come in” to someone outside, Renna had told Leith to knock as a warning, wait a few moments, then just come right in. It worked quite well, especially when there was a blizzard raging outside, and Renna didn’t want to make Leith wait for her to open the door for him.
Leith, Jamie, and Ranson shrugged out of their snow-covered cloaks and gear, hanging them from pegs pounded into the dirt wall by the door.
Leith grinned and wrapped his arms around Renna’s waist. “What’s for dinner?”
She squirmed away from him. “Your hands are cold!”
“I’ve never heard of that kind of food before.” Jamie hunched by the fireplace and extended his hands in front of him. Renna eyed his sleeves. How had they become too short on him? Again? Every time she turned around, he’d gained a couple more inches on her. Something Jamie seemed quite pleased about.
Ranson smiled and slipped onto one of the benches by the table. If Renna hadn’t asked him to make sure he was here for this meal, he probably would’ve been over at Sheriff Allen’s eating with him. Even though Michelle was spending the winter at Walden—or maybe because of that—Ranson had spent a lot of time with Sheriff Allen. It seemed to be working. Sheriff Allen no longer scowled at Ranson, and sometimes he even slapped him on the back when he thought no one else was looking.
“How is the arrow making and training coming?” Renna forced herself not to check the cookies yet again.
Leith joined Jamie by the fire and extended his hands. “Coming along. Most of them seem to be getting a feel for their
larger bows, even if they haven’t had a chance to practice any sort of distance yet.”
With the snow so deep, they couldn’t practice outside without losing too many arrows. At least the men and women who had volunteered to learn archery could shoot at the walls of their dugouts to build up their strength.
Leith cocked his head. “What’s that smell?”
The cookies. Renna grabbed a thick towel and peered into the oven. The edges of the cookies were tanned, though the middle was still a touch gooey. Perfect. She pulled out the tray and set it on top of the counter to cool and let the cookies bake that last little bit on the pan, a trick Aunt Mara had once told her. “Your first surprise for today. Maple sugar cookies.”
“I hope you like them. They’re my favorite cookie, but since we didn’t know what your favorite cookie is, we decided you had to try them.” Brandi sat cross legged on the floor next to Jamie. “Since it is your birthday and all.”
Leith gave her a lopsided grin. “I figured you were up to something when you tried to subtly ask when my birthday was.”
Brandi scowled. “You weren’t supposed to notice.”
Renna shook her head and checked the cookies. Good enough. She peeled one off the tray and held it out to Leith. The heat from the cookie flared into her fingers, and she barely kept herself from dropping it.
He took it, flopping it between his hands to let it cool. He glanced between Renna and Brandi. “Should I be worried that this is poisoned? You’re both staring at me like you expect me to fall over dead after one bite.”
“It’s a maple sugar cookie. The only thing that will happen is you’ll pass out from the most amazing thing you have ever tasted.” Brandi rested her elbows on her knees and leaned forward.
“Even better than cake?” Leith raised an eyebrow at her.
“Yes. Definitely.”
“I’m not sure about that.” Renna worked to peel a few more cookies from the tray. “I’m not as good at baking as Aunt Mara. She made the best cookies.”
“But this is her recipe. We dug it out of the ashes of Stetterly Manor, so it has to be good.” Brandi snatched the cookie from Renna the moment she held it out. “Now stop stalling, Leith, and eat it already.”
Renna’s stomach curled, strangely tense. She shouldn’t really be so nervous about him eating one cookie, but what if it tasted awful? What if she’d messed this one up too?
Leith bit a small corner off one edge. He froze and swallowed. When he glanced at her, his expression was blank. “How large a batch did you make?”
“A pretty big one.” Renna fisted her fingers in her skirt. How awful did they taste?
“And you made them for me, correct?” He only paused long enough for Renna to give a short nod. Then, a grin slowly spread across his face and danced in his green eyes. “Good. Because no one else can have any.”
Brandi gripped her cookie tighter and half turned away from him as if worried he’d snatch her cookie away. A stricken look crossed Ranson’s face, as if for a moment, he didn’t realize Leith was joking.
Renna laughed. Leith liked them. That was a relief. “Now, now. You have to learn how to share, even on your birthday.”
She handed each of them a second cookie before she finally bit into one herself. The cookie crumbled onto her tongue, the sugar melting into the purest bliss she could imagine. Maybe these cookies weren’t quite as good as Aunt Mara’s, but they were close.
A lump formed in Renna’s throat. It tasted like one of Aunt Mara’s hugs baked into a cookie. Renna would never have another of Aunt Mara’s hugs and would never taste one of her cookies, but at least she and Brandi would still have this.
In another month, they’d celebrate again, this time to mark a year since Leith fell, wounded, into their kitchen at Stetterly Manor. That day would start a year of memories. A year since Harrison Vane died. A year since her and Brandi’s capture. A year since Uncle Abel and Aunt Mara died.
And five years since their parents were killed.
Leith’s arms wrapped around her, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Happy birthday, Leith.”
He pulled her closer, and she had to hold her cookie out of the way before it got crushed between them. He kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”
When he stepped back, he turned to Brandi. “You were right. Maple sugar cookies are the best food ever.”
“Told you.” Brandi shoved the rest of her cookie into her mouth. Her mouth still full, she reached for the metal coal shovel. “Think the food is ready, Renna?”
“Probably.” Renna eased around Leith and Jamie, knelt, and helped Brandi uncover the cast iron pot. When she lifted the lid, a cloud of fragrant steam rose into the air. Saliva filled Renna’s mouth, washing away the last taste of cookie.
Jamie and Ranson helped set the table, then they all gathered around for chunks of the beef roast, mushrooms, corn, and beans that had been baked together in a marinade of herbs and meat juice.
After they polished off the roast, ate a few more cookies, and cleaned up the dishes, Brandi grabbed a package wrapped in a scrap of fabric. “Time for presents.”
“Presents? Wasn’t that the cookies?” Leith slid onto the bench across from Brandi.
“They were part of it.” Renna retrieved her own fabric-wrapped bundle from a shelf and perched on the bench next to Leith. She placed the bundle in front of Leith. “This is the second half.”
Leith eased the fabric off, revealing Uncle Abel’s Bible, the one Vane had stolen so long ago. A crease furrowed Leith’s forehead. “You’re giving this to me?”
Renna nodded and slid her hand into his. That lump clogged her throat again. “I know you gave Martyn your Bible, and I think Uncle Abel would’ve liked you to have it. Besides, we’re getting married. It’s not like you’ll be taking it very far away.”
“Thank you.” Leith freed his hand from hers, wrapped his arm around her waist, and hugged her.
Brandi shoved her haphazard package across the table. “Mine next.”
Leith unwrapped the fabric with one hand. A pair of black mittens and a scarf flopped free.
Brandi grinned. “I made them myself. My first try wasn’t very good. There were huge holes, but these ones turned out all right. I hope they fit.”
Leith tried them on, then held up his hands for Brandi to see. “Perfect. These will be much warmer than my gloves for shoveling snow. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Brandi hopped up. “They’re also perfect for snow fights. Let’s go. Renna, you too. You can’t get out of it this time.”
Renna sighed. The cold would filter through her mittens and soak through her clothes, but perhaps it would be worth it.
They all bundled up and tromped outside. By this time in the winter, several feet covered the ground, rolling away to the horizon in a dull white expanse. Clouds obscured the sky with the threat of more snow.
Somehow, the teams became Leith and Renna against Jamie, Brandi, and Ranson. And since the three of them seemed more intent on hitting Leith, Renna was spared the worst of it. Either that, or Jamie and Ranson were too nice to throw snowballs at her.
Renna stepped aside and watched Jamie and Ranson toss armloads of snow at Leith while Brandi sneaked behind him. A warmth filled her chest, despite her numb toes, fingers, and nose. This was her family. She could get used to many more winters of this.
Leith whirled and tackled Brandi. Brandi shrieked as she landed on her back in a snowdrift. She flung a handful of snow at Leith. Both of them collapsed on their backs in the snow, laughing and panting.
Renna smiled. Many, many years of this.
20
After three days of howling winds and driving snow, the crystal flakes finally lay silent and shimmering across the jagged cliffs and hollows of the Sheered Rock Hills. Martyn tucked his hood tighter around his ears as he ducked under a pine branch laden with several inches of the fresh snow.
Beneath him, Wanderer trudged through the drifted snow, sometim
es plowing through patches that reached his chest. Even though the blizzard had obscured the trail Martyn had worn into the snow between his cabin and Kayleigh’s, Wanderer automatically followed the same path.
Martyn breathed a little easier when he spotted the curl of smoke rising above the treetops as he neared Kayleigh’s cabin. The blizzard had made it too dangerous to go any farther than the shed behind Old Man Bendwick’s cabin where Wanderer and the pack mule stayed. Not that he’d really been worried that something would’ve happened to her. Of course not.
He and Wanderer crested a rise. Kayleigh’s cabin tucked into the hollow in a nest of pine trees. After turning Wanderer into the corral to paw up what little grass he could still scavenge, Martyn trudged onto the porch and knocked.
After a moment, Kayleigh flung the door open. “You’re all right! That blizzard was a nasty one, and I knew you were too smart to try to make it here, but I…” She trailed off and stepped aside. “Never mind. You’d better come in.”
Martyn stepped into the bright warmth of her kitchen. Venison simmered in a pan, along with two small corn cakes. He grinned as he unwrapped his scarf, hung it on a peg, and unclasped his cloak. Just in time for breakfast. A hot breakfast. So much better than the dried meat and hard biscuits from his pack he’d lived on the past few days.
He grabbed the plates and utensils from the cupboard while Kayleigh brought the pan to the table. After he’d taken a seat, she folded her hands and prayed.
Martyn ignored her, set her plate and silverware in front of her, and helped himself to the food. When she opened her eyes, she claimed her corn cake and half of the venison sausage.
Martyn waved his fork at the cupboards behind her. “How are you set on supplies?”
She glared, furiously chewing on the bite she’d just popped into her mouth. The longer he stared, the redder her cheeks became. Martyn fought to hold back his grin.
She dipped her chin as she swallowed. “A little low on corn flour and other baking supplies. But I can stretch it if we have to. We have more than enough meat.”
Deliver (The Blades of Acktar Book 4) Page 18
