by Denise Lynn
‘Lady Avelyn...’ Elrik reached out and lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers, coaxing her to look at him. ‘Avelyn, you are not to blame for what your mother and Brandr did. She might have only been a servant in his keep, but no matter the circumstances of your birth, you are a lord’s daughter and a king’s great-granddaughter, nothing can change that.’
When she tried to turn her head away, he slid his palm to her cheek to keep her focus on him. ‘I know not who made you feel this shame, or lack of worth, but they were wrong to do so.’
She rose, bringing an abrupt halt to this conversation. ‘I am famished.’
As much as he wanted to, Elrik wasn’t going to push the issue—it was none of his concern.
He stood up, saying, ‘Then we should get you something to eat.’
They joined Fulke and Samuel who had unpacked a meagre fare atop a boulder. Samuel waved a hand towards the food. ‘It is nothing grand, but there’s plenty for all of us.’
Avelyn picked up a wrinkled apple and took a bite. After swallowing it, she said, ‘The food here suits me far better than anything you might consider grand.’
Fulke tore off a piece of bread from the dark round loaf and handed it to her. ‘I doubt you would find any of this at your father’s table.’
Samuel inspected the small wheel of cheese before slicing off a few slivers, which he also gave to her. ‘Surely Lord Brandr’s table provides better food than what we can offer.’
Avelyn took the cheese while shaking her head. ‘Since I always made certain to eat with the cook and helpers in the kitchen, I am afraid I wouldn’t know what was served in the hall.’
Fulke offered her a good-sized portion of smoked fish, nearly bumping into Samuel in his haste.
Elrik watched his two men vie for the opportunity to wait on her. Their actions were so out of character that he nearly choked on the piece of bread he was eating.
If he had to guess at their reason for such gallantry, he’d say they had overheard the conversation he’d been trying to have with Avelyn and were going out of their way to be more than kind to a woman who’d apparently experienced little kindness in her short life.
Since he found nothing amiss with their actions, he saw no reason to stop them and slowly backed away from the boulder to watch from a distance.
Avelyn’s soft laugh at something Samuel said made him smile. He was grateful his men were showing her such attention instead of ignoring her as they normally would. From what he’d seen and heard, the lady deserved a few light-hearted moments before she would once again be back in the cold embrace of her family.
From King David’s description, Elrik had believed Avelyn to be lovely yet headstrong. She was indeed quite lovely, but he’d yet to witness much that could be considered overly headstrong. Oh, yes, she’d been defiant when he’d discovered her at the inn, but that had been expected since he was unknown to her. She would have been foolish not to have questioned him. And he’d experienced a small flare of her temper when he’d taken his frustration out on her a short while ago.
But he’d seen no overt stubbornness or any action that could be considered headstrong or wilful, quite the opposite, actually. Even though it was obvious she’d had no experience riding a horse, she’d not complained once yesterday. Nor had she given any argument when he’d essentially tied her into the saddle like a child today. She’d simply accepted the fact that she had no choice in the matter of riding the horse and had made the best of what had to be an uncomfortable situation.
And when he’d suggested she argue her future with King David, she’d not whined or complained. As far as he could tell she had given it some thought, otherwise she’d not have asked him for a man’s opinion on what might be considered valuable.
No. This was not some simple-minded woman who would argue for the sake of arguing. She might not have been raised in her father’s keep and had yet to learn courtly manners, but she was not lacking in wits. She stood up for herself. And she knew what she wanted, along with what she didn’t want.
In a way it was a shame she was so connected to Brandr. He was not someone Elrik wished to be related to in any manner, otherwise, he might be half-tempted to offer for her himself.
Elrik shook his head in an attempt to clear that ludicrous thought from his mind. Things like a wife and family were for other men, not him. But sometimes...times like this when he let his guard down and his musings drew him once again into wondering what if...he had to remind himself of that simple fact.
A hand rested gently on his arm, startling him away from his odd thoughts. ‘What are you thinking about so intently?’
He looked down at her and asked, ‘Did you get enough to eat?’
‘More than enough, thank you.’ Avelyn laughed. ‘I had to walk away before the two of them fed me enough for four meals.’
‘They were simply being kind.’
She let her touch fall away from his arm. ‘I know that. I wasn’t complaining.’
Elrik closed his eyes for a moment at the feeling of loss, then he reached out to draw a fingertip along her cheek. ‘I apologise. I know you weren’t complaining.’
She tightly clasped her hands before her and lowered her gaze. ‘We should be getting back on the road.’
‘In a bit.’ He covered her hands with one of his own and tugged gently. ‘Come, sit with me for a few moments.’
At her nod, he pulled a fallen log to rest at the base of a tree. ‘Here, you can rest against the tree.’
When she settled on to the log, he took a seat on the ground next to her legs, pulled off his helmet and then unlaced and pushed back the chainmail covering his head. The breeze rushed against his damp hair, drawing a sigh of relief from him.
Samuel and Fulke paused to stare at him a moment before they finished packing the food away. Once finished, both men took up a position at opposite ends of the entrance to the small clearing.
Avelyn nodded towards the men, asking, ‘Do they expect trouble?’
Elrik shook his head. ‘No. But this ensures that if any threat should occur, I’ll know in advance.’
‘Ah. So, they see to your safety when you aren’t.’
‘That’s what they are here for, yes.’
‘But aren’t they more than just your guards?’
‘Of course they are. But when there is a task to be done, they do it without having to be told.’
‘Oh.’
‘Oh?’ The tone of her voice seemed filled with censure. ‘Do you have some quarrel with this?’
‘No. I just...it just seems... I don’t know...’
‘Of course you know, otherwise you wouldn’t have said anything to begin with. What do you wish to say?’
‘If you are taking time to rest, don’t they require the same?’
Samuel turned to look at them. Close enough to have heard her question, he answered, ‘Lord Elrik guarded the camp most of the night while we slept, my lady. We have no argument if he takes some rest now.’
Avelyn sighed heavily. ‘Well, don’t I sound like a lack-witted fool?’
‘Not at all.’ Elrik bumped her leg with his shoulder. ‘You wouldn’t know if you didn’t ask.’
‘This would never happen with my father.’
‘What wouldn’t happen? Sitting on a log?’
She returned his bump by bouncing her leg against his shoulder. ‘He does not treat his men in the same manner as you do yours.’
‘That’s because they aren’t his childhood companions. He came of age in King Henry’s court, where I grew up on Roul Isle far away from any king or court.’
‘So, how did you end up being King David’s Wolf?’
Elrik paused. What could he tell her about her father’s involvement without upsetting her, or making her question his explanation?
Nothing.
The two
of them would soon part ways; there was no need to tell her anything. So, he chose to keep it brief.
‘Not pleased with the new laws placed upon them, nor with the newly installed lords, my father and some of the other men thought they could battle their King without any repercussion for their act of treason. My brothers and I are paying for our father’s mistaken thinking.’
‘What happened to him? Did the King take his life?’
‘No.’ Elrik shrugged. ‘Gregor and I were old enough to offer ourselves in his place. Our father was confined to Roul Isle and died in his own bed.’
‘While you and your brothers spend the rest of your lives in service to the King?’
‘Or until he decides to release us from our duty.’
‘That must be a terrible way to live.’
He looked over his shoulder at her. ‘Why do you say that?’
‘Instead of having your own life, you are at the beck and call of another.’
‘Isn’t everyone at somebody’s beck and call? Every man answers to their overlord, just like every woman answers to her guardian, be it husband, father or protector. How is my situation any different?’
‘But you have been forced to do things that make people afraid of you.’
‘Are you afraid of me?’ He rested a hand on her knee. ‘I don’t feel you trembling beneath my touch, nor do I see you pulling away in fear.’
She laughed. ‘That’s different.’
‘How so?’
‘You’ve given me no reason to fear you.’
‘I’ve given very few people reason to fear me, yet they do.’
She frowned. ‘Are the tales told of King David’s Wolf true?’
He ignored Samuel and Fulke’s snorts of amusement to ask, ‘Which ones?’
Avelyn nodded towards the two men. ‘Well, from their response, I suppose I should ask if any of the tales are true.’
‘No.’
‘Then why do you let them exist?’
‘Exist? I’ve done more than just let them exist, I’ve fed them, nurtured them, letting them grow beyond the believable.’
‘Why would you do such a thing?’
‘Because the rumours keep people away. The tales keep me from having to explain myself. And because in all honesty, the fearsome reputation of King David’s Wolves keeps all of us safer.’
‘Safer?’
‘If you believed someone was heartless, merciless and bloodthirsty, would you recklessly attack, or even provoke, that person, or would you think twice about doing so?’
‘Since I would think long and hard about such an action, I suppose your reasoning makes sense.’
‘Good. Just don’t share that knowledge with anyone.’
She toyed with a lock of hair at the nape of his neck. ‘I should be jealous.’ Her voice had been little more than a whisper, as if she’d been speaking to herself.
Elrik briefly closed his eyes at the shiver rippling down his spine, before asking just as softly, ‘Why?’
She twirled the lock around her finger before releasing it with a sigh. ‘Your hair curls so nicely.’
He frowned at another shiver as her fingertips brushed against his neck. The sound of muffled choking as Samuel and Fulke fought desperately not to laugh reminded him that they were not alone.
Elrik reached up to stay her hand. ‘Lady Avelyn, we should be getting back on the road.’
That wasn’t what he’d wanted to say. He’d been torn between ordering her to stop the distracting touch and asking her to continue. Since his men were close at hand, he couldn’t decide. The safest course of action seemed to be avoidance. That would be more easily accomplished if they were once again travelling.
Thankfully she didn’t argue or question his abrupt change of mind. Instead, she quietly waited while he once again donned the mailed head covering and helmet before helping her mount her waiting horse.
Once she was again secured between the rolls of padding on the saddle, she reached down and touched his shoulder. ‘I apologise if I said, or did, anything unseemly.’
‘You did nothing.’
She jerked her hand away, making him feel foolish for using such a gruff tone. Elrik covered her hand, now resting on the pommel, with one of his and moved closer until his chest rested against her leg. ‘Lady Avelyn, I would like nothing more than to spend the day enjoying your company.’ He nodded towards his men, who were both pacing their horses on the road, apparently anxious to get underway. ‘But I would prefer to do so without such an avid audience.’
Without looking at him, she nodded. Then her lips curved into a small smile and she turned to stare at him, a look of surprise on her face as if she’d just now understood his words. ‘Oh!’
She curled her fingers around his to squeeze lightly. ‘Thank you for saying such a kind thing.’
Elrik stepped away, letting their hands fall apart. What he’d said wasn’t out of kindness. He truly wanted to spend some time alone with her.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t at all certain why he felt that way.
Normally he avoided women, going out of his way to do so at times. They were a complication he wished not to deal with in his life.
And any involvement with this particular woman would be more of a complication than others. Besides, whether she agreed or not, she was currently betrothed to another.
He looked at her and fought the sudden urge to reach up and draw her closer to him for a kiss. No amount of logic, no reasonable argument over right and wrong, could shake his desire.
He cleared his throat, an act that did nothing to help clear his mind. ‘I speak only the truth, Lady Avelyn. But we both have some place else we must go.’
She nodded. The smile disappeared from her face. ‘Ah, yes. We need to make haste to King David’s court.’
Elrik ignored the traces of sadness and anger in her voice. There was nothing he could do to change his orders, or her waiting fate. That very lack of ability chafed. Even though he answered to King David, not being in control of a situation was not normal. In this instance, that lack of control set him oddly on edge.
‘We should go.’
At her nod, he moved away to mount his own horse and motioned the men forward.
Chapter Five
When they made camp for the night, the light of day was beginning to fade. Fulke took care of the horses while Samuel started a fire in the centre of the small clearing.
Avelyn hesitated when Elrik reached up to help her dismount. Unwilling to chance a repeat of earlier in the day when she’d needed his support, she made certain to stretch her legs before accepting his assistance.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like the feel of his touch or his arms around her—she did—far too much.
This last couple of hours riding had given her time to consider the strange rush of feelings Elrik’s nearness created.
He made her feel shy, uncertain and nervous as though some unseen danger was near at hand. The closer he came, the higher her sense of alert climbed.
Over the pounding of her heart roaring in her ears, she could hear the sound of his breathing.
Beneath his slightest touch, her skin quivered, twitching like a cat right before someone stroked its fur.
Through all the wondrous scents of the forest—the trees, bushes and earth—his scent—worn leather, sweat, the oil on his chainmail, the lingering aroma of rosemary—teased at her nose.
Yet she wasn’t afraid. The pervading sense of unease didn’t frighten her—it was more of a disquieting anticipation than real fear.
She didn’t understand how he of all people had so invaded her senses. Elrik of Roul was not just King David’s Wolf, he was the man sent to return her to a fate she wished not to face.
Her first instinct should be to run, to find a way to escape. Yet she found herself more
than willing, nearly eager to stay close and discover the reason for her anticipation.
‘Lady Avelyn?’
His question broke through the riotous thoughts chasing each other around her mind.
‘I’m sorry.’ She blinked to clear her head and gazed down at him. Placing her hands on his shoulders to accept his assistance, she said, ‘I meant not to keep you waiting.’
He laughed, his breath rushing warm against her cheek as he lowered her to the ground. ‘Now it is my turn to ask, what are you thinking about so intently?’
She’d asked him that exact question when they’d stopped earlier. Had his thoughts then taken the same direction as hers had just now?
Avelyn laughed softly at her odd thoughts, before answering, ‘Nothing of any importance.’
She lowered her hands from his shoulders and straightened out the skirt of her tunic while stepping away. ‘Although, I could have been thinking about food.’
He held out his arm. ‘Then we should see to it that you eat.’
Avelyn placed her hand on his forearm, accepting his offer to guide her safely over the uneven ground.
‘But I will need to make certain the men don’t feed you four meals’ worth of food.’
She smiled. So, he did remember having nearly this same conversation earlier. That made her strangely happy. It wasn’t as if the conversation had been of anything important. It had been small and insignificant, yet he’d remembered.
Elrik paused in front of a log and shook his head. ‘One of these times I would like to lead you to a better seat than a fallen tree trunk.’
‘I would like that, too.’ She sat down. ‘But for now, this is fine.’ She waved at the growing fire. ‘Soon it will be quite warm, making this spot more than just convenient.’
‘Oh, yes, almost as good as a comfortable and safe castle hall.’
The disdain in his tone was unmistakable. ‘My lord, I am truly comfortable.’ She stretched out her legs and wiggled her feet before nodding towards his men to ask, ‘And what woman would not feel safe in the company of the King’s Wolf and two of his most trusted men?’
Elrik countered, ‘Without a full contingent of armed guards, no woman should feel safe out on the road.’
