Vernon left the room, after receiving Aura's verbal agreement and in doing so he let Wolf in. The wolf had lain before the door, lost as for what to do, until a little after dawn, when he had been driven down to the fields to relieve himself, and to catch a few mice for a meal. Wolf had returned to the door just as Vernon had stepped out, and he had slipped through the opening before he could be stopped, to check on his mistress. Vernon shrugged a careless shoulder and chuckled at the wolf's intent. Thinking to himself, Vernon walked on, let Thorn deal with the beast.
Wolf went from one side of the bed to the other, sniffing at the air until he had contented himself that all was well. He then placed a paw and his nose on Thorn's arm and whined. Thorn stroked the animal's head and Wolf nuzzled him back for further attention.
Aura watched her pet's acceptance of Thorn and objected. "What a traitor! Whoever named dogs as man's best friend, certainly knew what they were talking about. Wolf, you are a Benedict Arnold."
Thorn chuckled at the indignant tone in her voice and explained. "He smells your scent on me. As you have chosen to accept me, then so does he."
It was not what Aura either wanted or needed to hear. She sighed her disappointment and suggested. "Why do you not go do whatever it is that you do in the morning, and leave me to my own devices for now. I will see you later."
Thorn, seeing through her ploy, smiled at her and teased. "You could not be trying to get rid of me, could you?"
"Yes," Aura replied bluntly.
"You will not attempt to run from me?" He asked in concern, fearing that above all things from her.
"I have already promised Vernon that I would attend the wedding. What more do you want from me?"
"Promise me Aura," he replied huskily.
"As I recall, I promised you everything last night." Aura lifted her eyes to meet his as she spoke.
He held her gaze for a while, as if searching for something in particular then replied. "I will never give you reason to regret your decision."
It was a promise he had every intention of keeping.
Aura sighed as she lowered her lashes over her eyes and admitted. "I already do."
Thorn rose, dressed then leaned over to press a lingering kiss on her lips before he left, teasing as he walked away. "That is a promise of better things to come. I will see you later." He knew that she did not love him yet, but that would come, and it would be like a good rare wine, its worth proved over the length of time.
As soon as the door closed behind him and she was sure that she was alone, Aura got up and dressed in a hurry. She felt filthy and needed a bath desperately. She checked the halls as she left to make sure nobody saw her leave then ran down to the stables to collect the mare.
Thorn had sent word to both Signi and Edwin that he wished to speak with them and, while Aura sought out her bath place, his siblings arrived together for their meeting with their brother.
"You still plan to marry her?" Edwin growled sullenly.
"Yes," Thorn answered then added. "And you can thank our beautiful sister for that. Well Signi, how does it feel to outwit everyone about you, while deciding who should marry whom?"
"In this case Thorn, it feels great." Signi replied with a smug smile, before turning to her other brother to admonish him. "You Edwin, can quit pouting. Thorn had to marry sooner or later. She is a good woman. You married and he never made a great fuss about it, although he could have. So what happened after you stormed off after her Thorn?"
"Neither you nor Edwin need ask. You already know what happened." He answered in a touchy tone of voice.
"How did you ever manage to get close enough to touch her without getting seriously injured?" Edwin wanted to know.
"I had no problem, why do you ask?" Thorn answered Edwin’s question with one of his own.
"Alex tried, in the line of duty, and he had a sore set of balls for a week."
Thorn choked on the beverage he was drinking then coughed as he tried to regain his breath and laugh at the same time. He was not even going to ask about that.
Edwin cracked a smile at Thorn’s reaction then joined in the laughter. "Perhaps you were meant for one another. Nobody else seems to be able to handle her. Who stands as your witnesses?"
"You two, if you will."
"We would be honored to, big brother. I thought I would never see you with a wife and children of your own. This could be your chance. Maybe when you have your own brood you will leave mine alone."
"Yes, I agree. It is very difficult, even for me to imagine myself with a family, but I am at peace with the decision. It is right."
"Well brother, until you are safely and fully wed, I would guard her against Roberts. It seems you were not the only one who thought her worth more than the dowry and we all know how vindictive that man can be." Edwin warned Thorn on a more serious note.
"He would have to move fast to oppose this. We are to wed this afternoon in Vernon's private chambers.” Thorn informed his siblings. He didn’t have to tell either of them that he wasn’t afraid of Roberts. He felt he could handle Roberts.
"In that case I had better go to see to Aura." Signi spoke as she left.
"I really wish you well Thorn, but you will have some trouble keeping her in line." Edwin warned his brother. He felt he owed him that much. Aura would not be an easy woman to live with.
"What man does not have trouble keeping his wife in line? It is not that which worries me about her Edwin. It is being able to keep her at all." Thorn admitted.
"What do you mean?"
"She seems to prefer life alone in a cave with her wolf than life with a husband to care for her."
Edwin gave his brother a sly smile then spoke proudly of his future sister in law. "You should have seen her at the battle. Vernon forbade her to attend until after the fighting was over, but no sooner had we gotten into it than she was on the field, flitting from man to man as they lay dead or wounded. She didn’t seem to care whether they were friend or foe. I must say I thought she helped save more enemy lives than I would have liked. You know how you keep telling me that the only good enemy is a dead enemy? I don’t think she shares the sentiment."
"Then our enemies know about Aura as well?" Thorn spoke on a more serious note. His wife could be a weak spot for him and he knew it. He hoped the enemy would never think to use her against them. Having a wife you loved was a liability for any warlord.
"They know, though I doubt if they have any idea what to think of her." Edwin assured his brother.
"Good," Thorn replied. "Leave them wonder. Perhaps they will tire of thinking about the matter and forget about her. After all, she is not the only woman talented in the healing arts."
"You know about that?"
"Yes, long before you did. She is the one who cared for me when I had been ambushed. Some would even say she saved my life."
Edwin gave a low whistle, then remarked. "No wonder you acted as you did about her."
"No brother, there is a lot more to it than that. Just right now, however, I need time to decide what it is, but I knew I had to have her. I doubt if I can explain it any better than that. She was meant for me, only for me." He knew that Edwin would understand what he spoke of. It was one of the many secrets they shared.
CHAPTER XVII
Signi came rushing into the tent and interrupted her brothers conversation as she blurted. "Aura is gone, so is Wolf and her horse."
The two men exchanged a look then took off at a run to get their own mounts.
"She has a habit of disappearing at least once a day. It has been a practice of hers to take a bath and swim, at least that is what we have believed as she always returns damp.” Edwin commented as they mounted their warhorses.
"She is unlike any woman I have ever known." Thorn replied. "But at least she is consistent. She used to bathe daily at the cave as well. We will follow the river. If she is bathing she will head for some place secluded. Gather a few of the men and send them in another direction, I will go this wa
y."
Thorn swore under his breath as he spurred his horse into a gallop. Damn the woman. It was getting late. She should have been up in her room preparing for the marriage ceremony, not off swimming in some pond. He smiled at that thought as he rode. He remembered the pond by the cave. Even then she had surprised him with her penchant for cleanliness. He understood the reasoning for bathing and did so often himself, after long hard rides, long workdays or battle; but seldom on an everyday basis, not without reason.
He had to admit that he did prefer the smell of the fresh mosses and things that had surrounded Aura, rather than the sour odor of some other people and beddings he had experienced. He noticed that she was not prone to holding grudges, which he was a point in his favor, considering the type of treatment she had received from him in the past.
Aura finished her bath and was sitting, fully clothed by the river, indulging in some daydreaming and a few private thoughts. She feared she was never going to wake to find herself back at home again and she feared more than ever, that what she was experiencing was, in fact, reality. She was not so certain she wanted to acknowledge her life, as it was right now, as real. Not with the man she was about to marry or the memories of the night they had just shared. Somehow, she thought to herself, she had always known that this man had spelled trouble for her.
She felt sure she could have fought him if he had been brutal or even in the least bit rough with her, but the gentleness of his assault on her senses and body had inflamed her and she had acted in a most unpredictable and embarrassing fashion. Even now the memory of how she felt in his arms inflamed her. She could almost feel the touch of his body against hers. It was positively indecent!
The images that popped into her mind, unbidden, almost made her want him again and she forced herself to think about something else. It was starting to get late and she had to get back for there ceremony. She had promised.
She got onto her horse and was headed back to Vernon's stronghold when she saw a small troop of men riding hard towards her. They were led by a dark man on a dark horse, who she knew immediately was not her prospective bridegroom. Nor did she trust a meeting with anyone she did not know, not without some form of protection. Wolf was not with her. She kicked her horse into a gallop, riding to avoid meeting up with those who were following her. The dark looking man noticed and immediately gave chase.
As she noticed the man racing after her she urged her mare into a full gallop, knowing well the horse would never be strong enough, or fast enough to keep her lead for long. She did; however, hope that the head start that she had would last long enough to get her to safety.
The pursuing man kept gaining on her. He was about a horse length away when Aura noticed Thorn and Edwin, as they were headed for them at a full gallop, approaching from the opposite direction. They were, however, too far away yet to be of much help and the assistance she needed was immediate. She remembered some of the riding tricks a girl from Canada had taught her and decided to try them, despite it being years since she had. She slid off the horse's back, to hang, in a clinging position, on the side of the horse, while it continued to gallop at a breakneck speed. It had been a move that they had been severely reprimanded her for when she had tried it back at school.
Thorn gave a battle cry as he drew his sword and headed for the man who had been chasing Aura. Edwin followed close behind his brother. He also drew his sword to lend his brother support.
The man, who had been preparing himself to pull Aura off of her horse, had been doubly surprised, first by Aura’s sudden disappearance then by Thorn's appearance. Thorn's battle cry was successful in causing the man to freeze in his confusion. A few moments later he lay dead on the ground. The man's supporting staff scattered, faced with the prospects of the two fierce warlords before them. Thorn, noting their defection, turned his attention to Aura's retreating form. He saw her pull herself back onto the horse's back, and saw that she continued to ride. He decided to leave her go on her own.
"That was Roberts," Edwin stated as he rode up beside his brother and watched Aura right herself, her wolf hot on her heels with his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he ran.
"I know." Thorn answered his brother as he chuckled at her earlier action. "I guess I will not have to worry about him anymore. I will tell Vernon about it when we get back. Roberts, for all his faults and weaknesses, was still a good fighter. He will be sorely missed.
"She has learned a few tricks or remembered some old ones. I must say I am glad she did not ride like that when I chased her. I am not sure what I would have done if she had disappeared in the darkness of the night. It would be an interesting battle trick."
"I would not want to try it in full armor, think on that. You might also take note that the maneuver takes time. It could be time you don’t have in a fight." Thorn pointed out.
"Perhaps not, but it is still an interesting trick." Edwin refused to be swayed from his admiration of the feat.
'Doubtlessly it has a place and you probably saw where it is best used." Thorn's voice was toneless, although a hint of a smile touched his mouth, belying his words.
Thorn was amused by his brother's awe, almost as much as he had been with Aura's actions. He knew his brother would have hared after her, if it would have been his place, but he also knew that with any other woman than Aura he would have had to personally escort her home. Then, with a short laugh, he revised that thought. With any other woman than Aura he would have never had to worry about riding to her defense in the first place. The Lady would have stayed in her room all day, preparing herself for the marriage and the arrival of her bridegroom.
Life was definitely going to be interesting with Aura, but he had decided on a method of taming her down. Fall was in the air early this year, which meant that it was time to head for home. She would find herself stranded on the North Western corner of England with nothing better to do but to see to his home, and bear his child. He had every intention of making sure she conceived his heir as soon as possible. The thoughts of long winter nights lying with Aura brought a full smile to his lips and a sparkle to his eyes, and he urged his horse into a trot. It was getting late.
Thorn did not have to tell Edwin what was going through his mind. Edwin had noted the changes that had passed over his brother's features. Edwin smiled at Thorn's impatience and wondered just how welcoming his brother’s bride really would be tonight. He had listened in on the maids gossiping in the courtyard earlier as they had labored. All the talk had been of nothing other than how the Lord Thorn had been so hot and impatient for the Lady Aura that he had taken her on the cover of the bed, without the blessings of the church and without even letting her get into the bed, as was considered proper. It seemed they approved, and in some cases, even envied her. As far as Edwin was concerned, it gave his brother a more human aspect. Thorn had always been so damned methodical before and although he had often shared his bed, Edwin knew that none of the women had ever meant anything to his brother before. Not like Aura.
Aura arrived in her room and slammed the door behind her, leaning against it as she raised shaking hands to her face to cover her mouth as she burst into great racking sobs. It was too much. Nothing was unfolding as it should. She was caught in a horrible time. She had to get away, but could not. She had given her word that she would remain for the ceremony and she felt trapped.
FELT TRAPPED! She was trapped. If she was back at home right now she would get onto to the first seven forty seven out of the country and disappear into one of the great cities of the world. Unfortunately she was not at home. She was stuck in some time where there were no cars, planes, trains, or any other decent forms of transportation for that matter; nothing that she could find, nothing they could not strip her of.
She had just had a narrow escape from one man, was destined to marry another, and felt the whole world hated her, or something did. She was scared, tired, and wanted no more than to crawl into her own bed and just go to sleep. For once she wanted to wake up to
a normal day in her own time. She just wanted to wakeup and find that this had all been a long and terrible dream.
Signi, after being told of Aura's return, went to Aura’s room and knocked at the door. Aura, hearing the rap and guessing who it might be, got up to let Signi into the room. She knew that anything different would be a waste of time. Signi just took one look at Aura's white, tear streaked face and took her into her arms to comfort her as she crooned.
"It will be all right Aura, Thorn will make everything right, you will see. Why, any woman at court would have killed to become his wife."
"I do not want Thorn," Aura wailed. "I want to go home. I do not want to be here any longer. I am sore and tired, and I just cannot stand the idea of spending another night in your illustrious brother's arms. I am sorry Signi, I just cannot help it, but that is just the way it is. I want to go home."
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