sedately down her back, and yet there was something about her that was compelling. She looked calm this morning, but some inner part of him missed the hellion of the night before.
Do get dressed, Christian, and put the matter aside.
That would be the wisest course of action. Christian got up and wasted no time getting himself armed and dressed again. Once he was ready, he went in search of his party.
He found Adara in the refectory with Phantom, Thomas, and Lutian while they broke their fast.
“How do you feel?” Phantom asked him as he set his cup aside to pin him with a frown.
Christian leaned his head to the right to stretch one of the sore muscles in his neck. “Fit to ride.”
Phantom scoffed. “Interesting, since you look as if you’re only fit to fall over.”
Christian gave him a gimlet stare.
Phantom disregarded it. “But if you’re willing to die—”
Thomas cut him off by clearing his throat. “I was telling Velizarii earlier that this monastery was built during the height of the Viking invasions, so there is an old tunnel beneath it that runs for a league out into a shallow bit of woods on the outskirts of a small village.”
“At first light,” Phantom continued, “Thomas had several servants leave the monastery one by one with our horses, to await our arrival in the village.”
Christian smiled at their plan. “So if the Sesari are watching, they will think we are still here.”
Thomas nodded. “They may be soldiers, but according to Adara they are Christian and won’t dare to attack the monastery.”
Phantom laughed bitterly at that. “I wouldn’t bet my life on that presumption, Thomas.”
Christian concurred. The best thing they could do for the monks would be to leave as soon as they were able. “Where is this tunnel?”
Thomas took a torch from the wall, lit it in thefire, then led them to the antechamber of the church. He lifted the corner of a bright red tapestry that depicted Christ rising from the cross, to show a door behind it. The old door hadn’t been opened in quite some time and it took both Phantom and Christian to shoulder it back into working order.
Lutian was “kind” enough to hold the tapestry out for them and verbally encourage them.
“He could hurt himself,” Adara said when Phantom commented on the fool’s lack of use.
“Better him than me,” Phantom muttered as they finally managed to get the door open.
Christian rubbed his sore shoulder as he stepped back from the opening. “Might I make a comment, Thomas? In the event of the monastery being attacked, this would prove a most useless escape route if it takes the monks an hour to open it.”
“Aye,” Phantom concurred. In a feigned ancient voice that sounded much like an old monk, he added, “Wait, good and decent attackers, don’t burn us out yet. We’ve still got a little more pushing to do. We’ll be through with it shortly. Here, pull up a seat and give us a few so that we might escape you. God will bless you for it.”
Adara squelched her laughter, while Lutian and Christian gave full rein to theirs.
Thomas looked less than pleased. “You really are a heathen, aren’t you?”
Phantom shrugged as if it concerned him not atall. “To the farthest depths of my damned and rotted soul.”
Mumbling a prayer for him. Thomas led them into the dark, damp passageway that reminded Christian far too much of the place where they had spent most of their youth.
“Oh, what fond memories this evokes,” Phantom said sarcastically as he followed them. “All we need now is the stench of excrement, rats running over our feet, and the tortured screams of men.”
“Better than riding straight into your enemy’s clutches,” Thomas reminded him.
Phantom snorted at that. “If I have to die, I’d rather do it with the sun on my face and fresh, untainted air in my nostrils.”
“Well, with any luck none of us shall be dying today,” Lutian said.
“How far is this York?” Adara asked as
Do get dressed, Christian, and put the matter aside.
That would be the wisest course of action. Christian got up and wasted no time getting himself armed and dressed again. Once he was ready, he went in search of his party.
He found Adara in the refectory with Phantom, Thomas, and Lutian while they broke their fast.
“How do you feel?” Phantom asked him as he set his cup aside to pin him with a frown.
Christian leaned his head to the right to stretch one of the sore muscles in his neck. “Fit to ride.”
Phantom scoffed. “Interesting, since you look as if you’re only fit to fall over.”
Christian gave him a gimlet stare.
Phantom disregarded it. “But if you’re willing to die—”
Thomas cut him off by clearing his throat. “I was telling Velizarii earlier that this monastery was built during the height of the Viking invasions, so there is an old tunnel beneath it that runs for a league out into a shallow bit of woods on the outskirts of a small village.”
“At first light,” Phantom continued, “Thomas had several servants leave the monastery one by one with our horses, to await our arrival in the village.”
Christian smiled at their plan. “So if the Sesari are watching, they will think we are still here.”
Thomas nodded. “They may be soldiers, but according to Adara they are Christian and won’t dare to attack the monastery.”
Phantom laughed bitterly at that. “I wouldn’t bet my life on that presumption, Thomas.”
Christian concurred. The best thing they could do for the monks would be to leave as soon as they were able. “Where is this tunnel?”
Thomas took a torch from the wall, lit it in thefire, then led them to the antechamber of the church. He lifted the corner of a bright red tapestry that depicted Christ rising from the cross, to show a door behind it. The old door hadn’t been opened in quite some time and it took both Phantom and Christian to shoulder it back into working order.
Lutian was “kind” enough to hold the tapestry out for them and verbally encourage them.
“He could hurt himself,” Adara said when Phantom commented on the fool’s lack of use.
“Better him than me,” Phantom muttered as they finally managed to get the door open.
Christian rubbed his sore shoulder as he stepped back from the opening. “Might I make a comment, Thomas? In the event of the monastery being attacked, this would prove a most useless escape route if it takes the monks an hour to open it.”
“Aye,” Phantom concurred. In a feigned ancient voice that sounded much like an old monk, he added, “Wait, good and decent attackers, don’t burn us out yet. We’ve still got a little more pushing to do. We’ll be through with it shortly. Here, pull up a seat and give us a few so that we might escape you. God will bless you for it.”
Adara squelched her laughter, while Lutian and Christian gave full rein to theirs.
Thomas looked less than pleased. “You really are a heathen, aren’t you?”
Phantom shrugged as if it concerned him not atall. “To the farthest depths of my damned and rotted soul.”
Mumbling a prayer for him. Thomas led them into the dark, damp passageway that reminded Christian far too much of the place where they had spent most of their youth.
“Oh, what fond memories this evokes,” Phantom said sarcastically as he followed them. “All we need now is the stench of excrement, rats running over our feet, and the tortured screams of men.”
“Better than riding straight into your enemy’s clutches,” Thomas reminded him.
Phantom snorted at that. “If I have to die, I’d rather do it with the sun on my face and fresh, untainted air in my nostrils.”
“Well, with any luck none of us shall be dying today,” Lutian said.
“How far is this York?” Adara asked as
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