The Bravest of Them All

by Laurel O'Donnell

  He had nothing to give her. No drink, no food. Some protector he was turning out to be! Perhaps he could find a farmer who would aid them. She needed to rest, at the very least. He guided her over to a willow tree and lifted the branches for her. “Sit here.” It would keep her hidden from Urien. She fell to her bottom beneath the sheltering wisps with a sigh.

  Luke couldn’t help admiring her. She hadn’t complained. He knew Mel would have been unrelenting about the long trek and her hunger. And her hair. And her shoes. He grinned.

  “What’s so funny?” Nessa asked.

  Luke shook his head. “I was just thinking of Mel. She would never be able to make this trip, let alone get away from Urien. You were very brave to do that.”

  Nessa shrugged her shoulders slightly, brushing a lock of hair from her cheek. “I was afraid he would find out who I was if I stayed. I really didn’t have an option.”

  Luke sat beside her. “Many women would have stayed because it was easier. A horse to ride, food, drink.”

  “It was too dangerous.”

  Luke bridled. “More dangerous than escaping a group of armed men who are now searching for you?”

  Nessa smiled. “I have you to protect me now.”

  Luke felt a stirring inside of him. It was a strange flutter of pride. She felt safe with him, safer than she did with Urien. And she should! Guilt settled like a rock in his gut. He looked at the rushing water. “I’m sorry, Nessa. This isn’t the rescue I had planned.”

  “I meant it, Luke. I have you now. You give me courage.” She rested a hand on his arm. “I’m so grateful you’re here. I’m grateful you came to rescue me.” She settled her head against his shoulder.

  Just like she used to when they were children, staring at the stars. It was comfortable and warm and familiar.

  It was only a moment later he realized her breathing had evened and slowed. He looked down at her to find her asleep. It gave him a chance to truly study her. No longer the little sister he remembered, she had grown into a lovely woman. Golden hair fell over her shoulder onto his plate mail. Her skin was sun-kissed, making her cheeks pink. Her long lashes fanned her cheeks in sleep. Her nose was pert and adorable. But her lips... they were full and lush and... He caught himself and took a deep, cleansing breath. Careful, he told himself. She is not meant for you. Mel is your intended bride.

  Still, he had to admire her natural beauty. Where Mel was polished and bathed in scented water, Nessa had a quality about her that was arousing and seductive. Even sleeping. Little sister, he reminded himself. He would let her sleep for now. He put an arm about her shoulders, pulling her against what little warmth penetrated his armor. He had to admit he was glad he came to save her from Urien. When they were children, Urien had never treated Nessa kindly. He had a mean streak and focused all of it on Nessa. Luke protected her when he could, but he couldn’t be around her all the time. And he had worried about her.

  He and Urien grew up under Lord Tristan’s training. Urien was a quick learner, but he never treated others with respect. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised when Lord Tristan sent Urien home in disgrace one day. Luke had wondered why, but no one knew. He never found out why, but had his suspicions. Nessa had a black eye the following day. She never revealed where she got it from, but Luke wondered if Urien was involved.

  When Mel told him that Urien had taken Nessa, fears plagued Luke. He had to protect her. He had to go after her. He had been afraid of what Urien would do to her. Luke’s biggest fear was that Urien would rape her. He would have killed him for that, for harming her. He stared down at Nessa’s golden head where it rested against his shoulder. He hadn’t known Urien thought she was Mel. He didn’t know she had given herself to save her sister. It was a brave thing to do. She must have been terrified. As he gazed at her, his heart warmed. She was an amazing woman.

  Mel paced the castle walkway, gazing out toward the road. The empty road. The road with no riders. Where was Luke? How could he have left her? She clenched her fists. Nessa was coming between them again. He had rushed out to save her. And deep down, Mel knew it was the right thing to do. She should have sent guards to search for her when she returned, but she hadn’t thought of that. She had been too scared. At least Luke had left an army of guards at the castle to protect her. And father. He still had not opened his eyes and Mel was beginning to think he never would. The physician stayed with him and ministered to him. She couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him. He was so weak and so old, not at all like he used to be.

  Now that she had time to think of what happened in the village, she was grateful Nessa had pretended to be her, grateful Urien had taken Nessa instead of her. One question bothered her more than others. How could Urien have thought Nessa was her? Nessa looked nothing like her! Her eyes were a deeper blue than Nessa’s, a more beautiful blue. She ran a hand over her perfect locks. Nessa’s hair was always wild and sticking out in all directions, a rat’s nest. Nothing like her perfect hair. Nessa was just not as beautiful as she was. It was almost insulting that Urien believed Nessa was her. The dolt!

  Oh, where was Luke? She whirled and paced the walkway again. Was he hurt? Frustrated, she sighed and began her return to the keep. Suddenly, the pounding of hoofbeats reached her ears. She whirled to see a lone rider galloping down the road toward the castle. Luke! Excitedly, she leaned out of the crenel, straining to see. As the figure came closer and crossed the drawbridge, she saw it was not Luke. Dread filled her. She hurried down the stairs toward the outer ward. As she entered the ward, the knight was dismounting.

  “Where is Luke?” she called.

  He turned to her, bowing slightly. “Lady Melwyn. Where is --”

  “Where is he?” she demanded.

  He scowled. “Sir Luke has not returned?” She shook her head. “I come from Kernwith Castle. Sir Luke told me to ride there, but Urien was not there. He didn’t go to Kernwith Castle.”

  Mel didn’t care about any of this. “Where is Luke?”

  “I thought he would be here.”

  Mel’s mouth dropped open and she stepped back. Her mind whirled. The knight didn’t know where Luke was. He didn’t know! She rushed forward and shoved him in the chest. “Go and find him!”

  The knight stared at her, shocked and confused.

  “Go, find him!” she screamed.

  The knight stood, immobile. He looked around, unsure.

  “M’lady!” a voice sounded from behind her.

  She whirled, tears rising in her eyes. The captain of the guard strolled toward her. He was a tall, imposing figure, a man she had come to rely on. In that moment, she couldn’t even remember his name. “Tell him! Order him to find Luke!”

  “M’lady, Sir Peter has ridden long and hard.”

  “I don’t care! Send him!”

  The captain signaled for someone else with a wave of his hand.

  “Do you hear me?” Mel shouted.

  “M’lady,” a kind voice called.

  She turned to see the handsome knight, Sir Gregory, standing before her. She could only stare, appalled that the captain thought he could just brush her into the arms of another knight.

  “You are distraught. I’m sure Sir Luke is fine and we shall find him and your sister.”

  His words were soothing, even though her mind was screaming at her that they were lies. Only when he gently touched her elbow to offer support did she collapse into his arms, sobbing, giving vent to all her fears. His hands went around her, sheltering her, and she finally felt her fears abate. Luke. Oh, Luke.

  When Nessa opened her eyes, the sky was dark and the branches of the willow tree waved softly above her. She stretched and sat up.

  “I brought you some berries.”

  Luke was near the bank of the river where the tips of the willow tree branches touched the water. He had removed his plate and chainmail armor and sat in his gambeson, comfortably on the ground with his legs crossed. He picked a berry from his cupped hand and ate it.
/>   Nessa’s mouth watered. She was famished! She took a couple of berries from the pile on the ground near her feet and put them into her mouth. Sweetness erupted across her tongue and she closed her eyes, groaning softly in enjoyment. She ate more. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

  “I thought we’d have more luck if we traveled at night. We must cross that bridge. Besides, you needed the sleep.”

  Nessa nodded as she ate more berries. She stopped suddenly. “You ate, didn’t you?”

  Luke nodded with that crooked grin. “Eat what you want. When you’re done, we’ll move on.” He watched her eat for a moment. “Didn’t Urien feed you?”

  “A little,” she agreed, watching his grin. Her heart ached. She had missed him. It was amazing how much better food tasted when you weren’t a prisoner! When she had finished, they continued on.

  They skirted the river, looking for another way to cross. It was when the sun was rising that they found a spot where the river was shallow enough for boulders to stick out of the water. After sitting still for a long time, Luke announced, “I’ll go first. I’ll lead you across.”

  Nessa cocked her head, insulted he thought she was so inept. “I can do it.”

  Luke looked at her, startled. His gaze moved over her face. A slow smile started at the corner of his lips and spread across his entire face.

  Nessa’s heart swelled. He was gorgeous. His warm blue eyes, his rugged face. She had never seen a man more handsome.

  “Forgive me. I meant no insult.”

  Nessa dipped her head, partly to keep him from seeing the blush creeping across her skin, partly embarrassed at the way he was looking at her.

  “I forgot how independent you are.”

  She looked up at him, but he was already starting toward the river. Was that a compliment or not? Nessa wasn’t sure. She followed him to the river’s edge.

  “It looks like there are rocks all the way across.” Luke pointed at an imaginary line from boulder to boulder across to the opposite shore.

  Nessa wasn’t going to wait. She wanted to prove she could do it. She wanted to prove to him that she wasn’t useless. She picked up her skirts and hopped onto one of the boulders. She spotted another rock and jumped forward. She was on the third rock when she looked back. Luke was right behind her, holding his armor over his shoulder. The setting sun washed across his shoulders with a red hue, highlighting his dark hair. Nessa turned quickly away before she got distracted and jumped to the next boulder. Her foot skidded on the slick surface and she wobbled.

  Luke grabbed her arm, steadying her.

  She nodded thanks to him and continued forward with a small leap to the next rock.

  She was halfway across the river when Luke hissed, “Nessa!” She turned to look at him and he waved her down. She followed his example and crouched low on the rock. The river rushed by the boulder she stood on, churning around her. The hem of her skirt floated in the water. She scanned the banks of the river behind them, but could not see the cause for Luke’s warning. She glanced at Luke. He was absolutely still, staring behind them at the shore.

  Nessa waited. And waited. Finally, uneasy and confused, she whispered, “What is it?”

  “I thought I heard something.”

  Nessa looked at the bank, anticipating one of Urien’s men rushing out after them or Urien to emerge brandishing his sword.

  A bush rustled.

  Nessa gathered her skirts closer, preparing to flee.

  Suddenly, the shrub erupted and a deer rushed out. Nessa gasped. The deer paused for a moment; the animal seemed as startled by them as they were of it. Then, it hopped elegantly away.

  Nessa’s heart slammed hard in her chest. Her mouth was open in relieved surprise. She glanced at Luke. He was still crouched down on the rock, his expression a mirror of her own. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was evaporating fear, but laughter bubbled up from her throat. A joyful release churned inside of her and she leapt over the remaining boulders with ease. At the last boulder, she paused to look back at Luke. He slammed into her, unable to stop his momentum. She felt herself falling.

  In one swift movement, Luke seized her around the waist and spun, pulling her close to him. He simultaneously tossed his armor onto the shore and landed on his back on the bank of the river, Nessa on top of him. Smiling, she boosted herself up to look down at him. All her jubilant feelings vanished as she stared at him. He was smiling a breathtaking, white-toothed grin that took her breath away. She was close to him, very close. She could feel the length of his hard body along hers, feel his breath fan against her skin, against her lips. Her gaze shifted to his lips. She had the sudden desire to kiss him. To see what kissing him would be like.

  His smile disappeared and his gaze moved slowly over her face to her lips.

  A strange tingling sensation followed his gaze. It was as though he had touched each spot on her skin that his gaze had lingered on. Nessa’s lips suddenly felt full. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. She wanted to know what it was like to kiss him. She leaned forward. With a sudden gasp of realization, Nessa rolled off Luke and shot to her feet. She wanted to kiss Luke and she almost had! Horrified, embarrassed, she stepped back two steps and brushed at her skirt. He was to marry Mel! She couldn’t even look at him. What was she thinking? “We should go.”

  Luke stood up. “Are you all right?”

  “Of course,” she insisted. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Luke was silent for a long moment, and still she couldn’t look at him. But not for the reasons she thought. Not because he was to be married to Mel, but because he might look at her with pity or with humor. She would always be Mel’s little sister, want what Mel wanted. That was how he would see her.

  “This way.”

  Nessa followed him without a word. The problem was, she had always loved Luke. She had thought with his absence, her feelings would disappear, but apparently they hadn’t.

  Chapter Six

  Luke led the way through the forest. He was grateful Nessa trailed him. That way, he wouldn’t have to look at her curves and think about how close they had been, at how much he had wanted to taste her lips. He quickened his steps, moving around trees and over roots. Darkness had descended around them and Luke knew they would have to rest soon. A road came into view in the distance. Luke slowed his pace. Beyond the dirt road, he saw a small village. Nestled between two small hills, thatched buildings lined the road and farms dotted the distant landscape.

  Luke scanned the buildings. Few villagers were out. Could he bargain for a horse here? Nessa came to a halt beside him with a sigh. Even though Luke tried to keep his mind on his mission, he found himself looking at her. She stared at the village wistfully. Her hair hung in waves over her shoulders. Her hands were fisted in her skirts, hiking them up. The hem was torn and caked with mud. Her chest rose and fell with her breathing. Luke found himself staring at the rounded curves of her breasts through her cotton garment with desire. She shifted her large blue eyes to him and he snapped his gaze up to her face. It was a mistake. His stare was drawn to her lips, her lovely moist, full lips. It wasn’t until she scowled that he realized she had said something.

  “Will we stay here?” she repeated.

  Luke shook himself. He was tired, he told himself and jerked his gaze back to the village. “No,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.” Yes, it was dangerous. His thoughts, her lips. He was betrothed to Mel and yet he had not thought of her once.

  “Listen,” Nessa said, cocking her head to one side. “Do you hear that?”

  Luke concentrated. A soft sound was coming from their right, just behind the bushes. It sounded like... weeping.

  Nessa moved toward it.

  “Nessa!” Luke hissed and reached out to grab her, but she was gone, following the sound.

  Luke went after her.

  Nessa halted, listening.

  “We don’t have time,” Luke told her sternly.

  Nessa tilted her head. She wa
sn’t listening to him. Her eyes slowly widened in realization. “It’s a child.”

  Luke heard it. A soft hiccupping whimper. He began to shake his head, but Nessa rushed toward the sound.

  She paused before a tree, bending down near a bush. “Hello?”

  The sobbing stopped immediately.

  “Are you all right?” Nessa asked.

  The shrub rustled.

  “We’re not going to hurt you. I’m Lady Nessa from Castle Greymount.”

  The bush moved, shifting, as if someone was moving behind it. “Is he a knight?” a small, tentative voiced asked from inside the thick shrub.

  Nessa glanced back at Luke with a small smile. “Yes. He is Sir Luke.”

  There was a long silence before the bush parted and a small, thin girl emerged. Her brown eyes were wide and moist, tear streaks cutting through the dirt smeared on her cheeks. Her brown hair hung about her shoulders in long limp tresses. Her cotton smock was dirty and frayed. She shuffled her bare feet. “Are you strong?” she asked Luke.

  Luke glanced at Nessa. He nodded. He didn’t have much experience with children, so he decided to let Nessa talk.

  “He’s a great knight,” Nessa assured the girl. “Do you need his help?”

  Her lips turned down in a pout. “He took Sunny.”

  “Sunny?” Nessa echoed.

  “My cat.”

  Cat? Why would anyone take a cat? Luke stepped up beside Nessa, his hand moving to the pommel of his sword. “Who took your cat?”

  The little girl’s lower lip jutted out in a pout and tears filled her eyes. “He said he was hungry. He said he was going to eat Sunny.”

  At first, Luke thought it was a child’s quarrel, but eating a cat was not something a child would do. “Who did?”

  The little girl shrugged. “I was playing with Sunny and he came out of the forest and took her.”

  “Where did he go?” They should be finding a place to rest, but Luke couldn’t allow a thug to take the girl’s pet.