being so rude, the curse died on her tongue when she saw the expression on his face. Serious, tense, and alert. ’Twas then she heard the faint crack of a twig coming from the dark forest. The combination sent a shiver down her spine and turned her skin to gooseflesh.
* * *
“ D o ye have a weapon in yer pack?” he asked in a low, hushed whisper.
Frozen with fear, all she could manage was a rapid nod.
He stood then and stretched, as if he were tired and ready for bed. In a loud voice, he said, “I fear this journey has worn me out, lass.” Stepping toward her, he bent over at the waist and kissed her cheek. “Do nae let on ye ken there be someone out there,” he whispered. “Do ye have any more dried beef in yer pack?” he asked, raising his voice.
Confusion enveloped her. Uncertain what she should do, she shook her head. “Nay, ye ate it all.”
“Why don’t ye look again?” he asked as he scratched his belly. “Ye might find some left.” His eyes pleaded for understanding.
It took a moment before she realized he was pretending he did not know that someone was watching them from nearby. Stammering, she said, “Verra well, let me look.” With trembling fingers, she felt through the items in her pack, all the while her heart raced in her chest. Frantically she searched blindly, unable to take her eyes from Aiden’s. After what seemed an eternity, her fingers finally rested on the blade of her sgian dubh. Relief —albeit short-lived — washed over her when she felt the cool steel.
Aiden sat beside her, stretching his long legs out before her. As much as she wanted to look into the darkness, she found she could not pull her gaze from his. “Have ye found the beef?” he asked as he draped an arm around her shoulder.
Her throat had gone dry with fear. “Nay, it be gone,” she managed to reply as she pulled the sgian dubh from the pack and laid in on her lap for him to see.
Another snap and crack from the forest. Without thinking, she looked toward the trees at the sound.
“Dunnae fash yerself, lass,” Aiden said. “’Tis just a badger.”
She knew without seeing ’twas not a night creature lurking in the shadows, but a man. Possibly more than one. She also knew that Aiden knew the same.
Another cracking twig, another footfall and she was trembling with such force that she could scarce find a breath.
“Come, let us go to bed,” Aiden said as he shot to his feet. Extending an arm to her, he took her hand in his. Hoisting her to her feet, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close to his chest. “No matter what happens, ye stay behind me at all times. And should anything happen to me, ye run fer the hills as fast as those skinny legs of yers can carry ye,” he whispered into her hair. “Promise me.”
Terrified tears brimmed as she nodded with understanding. A hundred thoughts raced through her mind as she fought back the urge to cry. What happened next occurred so quickly she had little time to do anything but stand back and watch.
5
“ G ood eve to ye !” cried out a man who stood just on the edge of their camp. Startled, Rianna jumped out of Aiden’s arms while he carefully placed her behind his back.
“Good eve to ye,” Aiden replied.
The man stepped forward into the firelight. One look and Rianna knew he was trouble. Besides his ill-fitting clothes and shaved head, there was something in his eyes, something readily apparent even in the dimly lit space. Madness? Desperation? Whatever ’twas, she found it dark and sinister.
“Could ye spare a few lost souls a bit of yer supper?” he asked as he took another step forward. A moment later, they were surrounded my three more men, all of whom looked equally as menacing as the first. Two of them stood just to the right of she and Aiden, the other to their left.
“I fear we have nothin’ left,” Aiden said. “Nae even a handful of berries or nuts.”
Rianna trembled as she looked at the strange men. Reaching out
* * *
“ D o ye have a weapon in yer pack?” he asked in a low, hushed whisper.
Frozen with fear, all she could manage was a rapid nod.
He stood then and stretched, as if he were tired and ready for bed. In a loud voice, he said, “I fear this journey has worn me out, lass.” Stepping toward her, he bent over at the waist and kissed her cheek. “Do nae let on ye ken there be someone out there,” he whispered. “Do ye have any more dried beef in yer pack?” he asked, raising his voice.
Confusion enveloped her. Uncertain what she should do, she shook her head. “Nay, ye ate it all.”
“Why don’t ye look again?” he asked as he scratched his belly. “Ye might find some left.” His eyes pleaded for understanding.
It took a moment before she realized he was pretending he did not know that someone was watching them from nearby. Stammering, she said, “Verra well, let me look.” With trembling fingers, she felt through the items in her pack, all the while her heart raced in her chest. Frantically she searched blindly, unable to take her eyes from Aiden’s. After what seemed an eternity, her fingers finally rested on the blade of her sgian dubh. Relief —albeit short-lived — washed over her when she felt the cool steel.
Aiden sat beside her, stretching his long legs out before her. As much as she wanted to look into the darkness, she found she could not pull her gaze from his. “Have ye found the beef?” he asked as he draped an arm around her shoulder.
Her throat had gone dry with fear. “Nay, it be gone,” she managed to reply as she pulled the sgian dubh from the pack and laid in on her lap for him to see.
Another snap and crack from the forest. Without thinking, she looked toward the trees at the sound.
“Dunnae fash yerself, lass,” Aiden said. “’Tis just a badger.”
She knew without seeing ’twas not a night creature lurking in the shadows, but a man. Possibly more than one. She also knew that Aiden knew the same.
Another cracking twig, another footfall and she was trembling with such force that she could scarce find a breath.
“Come, let us go to bed,” Aiden said as he shot to his feet. Extending an arm to her, he took her hand in his. Hoisting her to her feet, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close to his chest. “No matter what happens, ye stay behind me at all times. And should anything happen to me, ye run fer the hills as fast as those skinny legs of yers can carry ye,” he whispered into her hair. “Promise me.”
Terrified tears brimmed as she nodded with understanding. A hundred thoughts raced through her mind as she fought back the urge to cry. What happened next occurred so quickly she had little time to do anything but stand back and watch.
5
“ G ood eve to ye !” cried out a man who stood just on the edge of their camp. Startled, Rianna jumped out of Aiden’s arms while he carefully placed her behind his back.
“Good eve to ye,” Aiden replied.
The man stepped forward into the firelight. One look and Rianna knew he was trouble. Besides his ill-fitting clothes and shaved head, there was something in his eyes, something readily apparent even in the dimly lit space. Madness? Desperation? Whatever ’twas, she found it dark and sinister.
“Could ye spare a few lost souls a bit of yer supper?” he asked as he took another step forward. A moment later, they were surrounded my three more men, all of whom looked equally as menacing as the first. Two of them stood just to the right of she and Aiden, the other to their left.
“I fear we have nothin’ left,” Aiden said. “Nae even a handful of berries or nuts.”
Rianna trembled as she looked at the strange men. Reaching out
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