something she could not quite describe. “Mayhap ye would like to rest now?”
They were moving farther away from the fire and into darkness. Confused, terrified, she tried to make some sense of his question. She could no longer see his face clearly, for they were nearly enveloped in the inky blackness of the trees.
Now. Rest now. It suddenly became clear what he needed her to do. In an instant, she fell completely limp in her attacker’s arms.
As she did so, the man was caught off guard. Concerned with lifting her back up to maintain his hold on her, he took his eyes off Aiden. ’Twas the only opening Aiden needed.
Before the fool realized what was happening, Aiden thrust his sword into the man’s neck. Rianna’s stomach roiled at the sound of metal piercing flesh and bone. She could feel the blood as it spattered against her head, face and neck. The dead man fell to the ground, taking her with him.
A moment later, Aiden was prying her out of the dead man’s hands. Without a word, he lifted her into his arms and took her back to their camp. “Are ye hurt?” he asked as he sat her upon the ground near their packs.
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she trembled violently. “Nay,” she scratched out as she tried to hold herself together. ’Twas impossible, for the air was filled with the cloying scent of blood and death and burning flesh. She had to close her eyes against the sight of the man still burning upon the fire.
Soon, Aiden had returned to her side, lifted her up once again, and sat her atop their mount. Moments later, he tossed their belongings up before taking his place behind her.
Into the darkness of the night, they fled as if the hounds of hell were on their heels.
* * *
S he sobbed uncontrollably for heaven only knew how long. Crashing through trees, splashing through streams, over hills, and through glens, they raced away from the dead men as fast as his horse would take them.
Rianna clung to him, burying her face against his chest, soaking his tunic with her tears. Never in all her life had she been more terrified or more appalled.
Finally, her sobs and tears waned, yet she still clung to her champion, her protector. He had fought to save her. To protect her from four nefarious, violent men. Her mind was assaulted repeatedly with the images of those men, lying lifeless on the forest floor or burning in the campfire. What would they have done to her had Aiden not been there? What would she have done had he fallen dead at their hands?
Exhausted, she did her best to push those images aside, but ’twas next to impossible. She wanted nothing more than to bathe and sleep. To run away and hide from the rest of the world.
Aiden slowed their mount to a walk, then stopped.
Rianna raised her head, afraid to look around. “What is it?” she asked, her voice scratchy from crying.
“I think we have stumbled upon shelter,” he said, looking straight ahead. “A hunter’s croft.”
All she could see was blackness ahead and the indigo sky above. Tapping the flanks of their mount, they pushed onward.
“Stay here,” he said as he dismounted. “I shall go in to see if it be safe.”
Terrified of being left alone, she urged him to stay.
“I shall hurry, lass, ye have my word. If ye hear anything, just kick yer feet against his flanks and he shall see ye to safety. The road to yer father’s home is to the west.”
“Aiden, please,” she cried. A moment later, he disappeared into nothingness.
* * *
A iden’s instinct had been correct. ’Twas an old, dilapidated hunter’s croft, barely big enough for two grown men. Thankfully, ’twas empty, save for two three-legged stools, a few empty clay jars, a brazier and kindling. He doubted Rianna would care about the condition of the croft, for she was still far too upset.
Soon, he had her sitting on a stool before the brazier. His chest tightened with sorrow and guilt when he noticed she could not look at the flames. This, he declared
They were moving farther away from the fire and into darkness. Confused, terrified, she tried to make some sense of his question. She could no longer see his face clearly, for they were nearly enveloped in the inky blackness of the trees.
Now. Rest now. It suddenly became clear what he needed her to do. In an instant, she fell completely limp in her attacker’s arms.
As she did so, the man was caught off guard. Concerned with lifting her back up to maintain his hold on her, he took his eyes off Aiden. ’Twas the only opening Aiden needed.
Before the fool realized what was happening, Aiden thrust his sword into the man’s neck. Rianna’s stomach roiled at the sound of metal piercing flesh and bone. She could feel the blood as it spattered against her head, face and neck. The dead man fell to the ground, taking her with him.
A moment later, Aiden was prying her out of the dead man’s hands. Without a word, he lifted her into his arms and took her back to their camp. “Are ye hurt?” he asked as he sat her upon the ground near their packs.
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she trembled violently. “Nay,” she scratched out as she tried to hold herself together. ’Twas impossible, for the air was filled with the cloying scent of blood and death and burning flesh. She had to close her eyes against the sight of the man still burning upon the fire.
Soon, Aiden had returned to her side, lifted her up once again, and sat her atop their mount. Moments later, he tossed their belongings up before taking his place behind her.
Into the darkness of the night, they fled as if the hounds of hell were on their heels.
* * *
S he sobbed uncontrollably for heaven only knew how long. Crashing through trees, splashing through streams, over hills, and through glens, they raced away from the dead men as fast as his horse would take them.
Rianna clung to him, burying her face against his chest, soaking his tunic with her tears. Never in all her life had she been more terrified or more appalled.
Finally, her sobs and tears waned, yet she still clung to her champion, her protector. He had fought to save her. To protect her from four nefarious, violent men. Her mind was assaulted repeatedly with the images of those men, lying lifeless on the forest floor or burning in the campfire. What would they have done to her had Aiden not been there? What would she have done had he fallen dead at their hands?
Exhausted, she did her best to push those images aside, but ’twas next to impossible. She wanted nothing more than to bathe and sleep. To run away and hide from the rest of the world.
Aiden slowed their mount to a walk, then stopped.
Rianna raised her head, afraid to look around. “What is it?” she asked, her voice scratchy from crying.
“I think we have stumbled upon shelter,” he said, looking straight ahead. “A hunter’s croft.”
All she could see was blackness ahead and the indigo sky above. Tapping the flanks of their mount, they pushed onward.
“Stay here,” he said as he dismounted. “I shall go in to see if it be safe.”
Terrified of being left alone, she urged him to stay.
“I shall hurry, lass, ye have my word. If ye hear anything, just kick yer feet against his flanks and he shall see ye to safety. The road to yer father’s home is to the west.”
“Aiden, please,” she cried. A moment later, he disappeared into nothingness.
* * *
A iden’s instinct had been correct. ’Twas an old, dilapidated hunter’s croft, barely big enough for two grown men. Thankfully, ’twas empty, save for two three-legged stools, a few empty clay jars, a brazier and kindling. He doubted Rianna would care about the condition of the croft, for she was still far too upset.
Soon, he had her sitting on a stool before the brazier. His chest tightened with sorrow and guilt when he noticed she could not look at the flames. This, he declared
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