them and she had just
met them that morning.
“No, someone is coming over the plains.” Merlin got off his
horse and drew his sword. “I don’t know if it is friend or foe but our mission
is secret, so we’d best hide. Go deeper into the forest and take the first path
to the right. You’ll find a grove of holly. Stay there and wait for me.”
Tamara started to say something along the lines of “I don’t
take orders from a male”, but she bit her tongue and nodded. Merlin and she
were both leaders of this troop. He had taken charge this time.
“Come,” she said to the men, and they galloped down the
path.
The holly grove was dense, and the dark green thorny leaves
made good cover. Red berries glowed brightly in the trees, making the scene
look festive. Tamara knew holly was prized for many things, being hard and
smooth-grained. At another moment, she would be searching for branches to cut
for arrows. But her heart wasn’t in it. She fiddled with her horse’s reins and
wondered why Merlin was taking so long. Surely he could turn away whatever
meddlesome person had followed them. The group of men obviously thought along
the same lines, because they started to wonder aloud what could be keeping
Merlin.
Hoofbeats alerted her to someone approaching. She held her
hand up for silence and the men behind her quieted. Merlin cantered into view,
his expression unfathomable.
“What is it?” she said, then caught sight of two other
riders, not far behind him. Her throat closed up. “Llewellyn,” she managed to
say.
“I suppose Branagh let you go,” said Merlin. They had made
camp and were sitting around a small fire, grilling their meat on a skewer.
This would be their only warm meal for the day. At night it would be too risky
to light a fire.
“No. He wanted me to stay.” Llewellyn looked bleakly at the
fire, then smiled at Tamara. “I told him I’d be there for the first battle,
that I’m not much use until the wounded start arriving. He finally agreed. It
took Melle’s intervention to convince him to let me go, however. Otherwise I
wouldn’t be here at all.”
“What about you, Sebring? What’s your excuse? Aren’t you
supposed to be with the archers?” Merlin didn’t sound angry with his twin.
Instead, Tamara heard relief in his voice.
“Well, you’re supposed to be with the archers too, don’t
forget. Just because you’re off on a vacation trip north…” Sebring’s words
trailed off and he gave a little cough. “I wanted to go with you at least part
of the way to see for myself what was happening. My men are highly trained, we
don’t need to shoot arrows at targets. Actually, I told them all to go home,
say their goodbyes and get ready for battle. Some of them hadn’t been home in
months.”
“That was a wise move,” said Llewellyn. “But some may not
come back, you know.”
“I know. It’s a chance I had to take.” Sebring shrugged. “I
have a feeling my men will be waiting for me though. All of them.”
Tamara’s hand crept out and found Llewellyn’s. “I’m glad you
came,” she said. It was incredible how light her heart felt now that he was
here beside her. The war and all its possible horrors receded. Alone, she was
just half a person now. But with Llewellyn she was complete.
“We’re in this together, all of us,” she said, and the men
looked at her and nodded.
They ate lunch and were on their way before the hour had
gone. The whole afternoon and evening would be spent riding, and then the night
would be spent camped in the dark, hidden in some cold corner of the great
woods. But she would have Llewellyn beside her, his cloak over her shoulders,
his arms around her body, keeping her warm. Her cheeks grew hot at the thought
and Llewellyn, riding beside her, gave a soft chuckle.
“I can read your thoughts,” he said in a whisper.
“Then you know how much I love you,” she said.
“I know how much I’m glad I came along.” His horse jostled
against
met them that morning.
“No, someone is coming over the plains.” Merlin got off his
horse and drew his sword. “I don’t know if it is friend or foe but our mission
is secret, so we’d best hide. Go deeper into the forest and take the first path
to the right. You’ll find a grove of holly. Stay there and wait for me.”
Tamara started to say something along the lines of “I don’t
take orders from a male”, but she bit her tongue and nodded. Merlin and she
were both leaders of this troop. He had taken charge this time.
“Come,” she said to the men, and they galloped down the
path.
The holly grove was dense, and the dark green thorny leaves
made good cover. Red berries glowed brightly in the trees, making the scene
look festive. Tamara knew holly was prized for many things, being hard and
smooth-grained. At another moment, she would be searching for branches to cut
for arrows. But her heart wasn’t in it. She fiddled with her horse’s reins and
wondered why Merlin was taking so long. Surely he could turn away whatever
meddlesome person had followed them. The group of men obviously thought along
the same lines, because they started to wonder aloud what could be keeping
Merlin.
Hoofbeats alerted her to someone approaching. She held her
hand up for silence and the men behind her quieted. Merlin cantered into view,
his expression unfathomable.
“What is it?” she said, then caught sight of two other
riders, not far behind him. Her throat closed up. “Llewellyn,” she managed to
say.
“I suppose Branagh let you go,” said Merlin. They had made
camp and were sitting around a small fire, grilling their meat on a skewer.
This would be their only warm meal for the day. At night it would be too risky
to light a fire.
“No. He wanted me to stay.” Llewellyn looked bleakly at the
fire, then smiled at Tamara. “I told him I’d be there for the first battle,
that I’m not much use until the wounded start arriving. He finally agreed. It
took Melle’s intervention to convince him to let me go, however. Otherwise I
wouldn’t be here at all.”
“What about you, Sebring? What’s your excuse? Aren’t you
supposed to be with the archers?” Merlin didn’t sound angry with his twin.
Instead, Tamara heard relief in his voice.
“Well, you’re supposed to be with the archers too, don’t
forget. Just because you’re off on a vacation trip north…” Sebring’s words
trailed off and he gave a little cough. “I wanted to go with you at least part
of the way to see for myself what was happening. My men are highly trained, we
don’t need to shoot arrows at targets. Actually, I told them all to go home,
say their goodbyes and get ready for battle. Some of them hadn’t been home in
months.”
“That was a wise move,” said Llewellyn. “But some may not
come back, you know.”
“I know. It’s a chance I had to take.” Sebring shrugged. “I
have a feeling my men will be waiting for me though. All of them.”
Tamara’s hand crept out and found Llewellyn’s. “I’m glad you
came,” she said. It was incredible how light her heart felt now that he was
here beside her. The war and all its possible horrors receded. Alone, she was
just half a person now. But with Llewellyn she was complete.
“We’re in this together, all of us,” she said, and the men
looked at her and nodded.
They ate lunch and were on their way before the hour had
gone. The whole afternoon and evening would be spent riding, and then the night
would be spent camped in the dark, hidden in some cold corner of the great
woods. But she would have Llewellyn beside her, his cloak over her shoulders,
his arms around her body, keeping her warm. Her cheeks grew hot at the thought
and Llewellyn, riding beside her, gave a soft chuckle.
“I can read your thoughts,” he said in a whisper.
“Then you know how much I love you,” she said.
“I know how much I’m glad I came along.” His horse jostled
against
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