vulnerable, and he felt like he could see right into her soul. The hurt he saw there nearly broke his heart.
How could he have done such a terrible thing?
He'd had no idea agreeing to show the Grandurians a way through the mountains would hurt her so, but he cursed himself for it anyway.
Connor fell to his knees before this lady and shook his head. "No. I didn't mean it."
Verena, who had stood forgotten close beside him, snorted and said, "Oh, please."
The other woman ignored Verena, leaned forward and placed a hand on his head, as if in blessing. She slid her finger tips down along his cheek, almost in a caress. "I believe you. It was unfair of them to do this to you."
Connor could barely breathe. He wanted to nod in agreement, but didn't dare move his face with her fingers still touching his skin. His cheek seemed to burn at her touch and his heart beat so fast it was a wonder she could not hear it from where she stood over him.
"I am Shona." She glanced at Ilse and said. "I am their captive."
"Enough," Ilse said. "Very nice performance, Shona, but it changes nothing."
"We shall see." Shona gave Connor a reassuring smile and said, "Remember your allegiance."
Ilse called out in a loud voice, "Break camp. We march in five."
Everyone seemed to move at once and the camp filled with bustling soldiers. Verena gave Connor a long, thoughtful look that made him distinctly uncomfortable before she moved off.
Exactly three minutes later, the group headed upriver with Connor walking in the lead beside the captain and Verena. Shona, who walked in the middle of the group, surrounded by four watchful soldiers, filled Connor's thoughts.
He was such an idiot!
What better reason for Grandurian soldiers to be here in Obrion than to kidnap a noblewoman? He'd heard rumors of skirmishes between High Lord Dougal's soldiers and Grandurian forces, but that all seemed so far away.
What else could he have done, though? No one in these peaceful lands could stop a war party like this. If the other soldiers were half as tough as Eric, they could slaughter the entire population of Alasdair. Getting them away would be the safest course for his home town, but what of Shona?
He was still pondering the situation, trying to determine what to do, when they reached the barge that Erich had drawn up onto the bank. The group paused and Ilse asked, "What is the barge carrying?"
Connor shrugged. "Bags of powdered granite, and a few unfinished blocks."
She gaped at him for a second before shouting, "Erich! Anika! The barge."
Erich and his sister leaped aboard, and a moment later Erich called out, "Is right, Captain. Many bags. Powder much good." The soldiers of the company, who had remained stoically silent ever since Connor met them, broke into excited murmurs.
Why would a war party lost and trying to get home get so excited about granite? Sure, it was valuable, but it wasn't like they could do anything with it here.
Grandurians were weird.
"How many bags?" Ilse called.
"Twelve!"
The excited whispering grew and Ilse grinned. She placed a hand on Connor's shoulder. "This is wonderful news." She raised a hand. "Secure the powder."
Men raced to obey. In less than a minute, the dozen sacks of granite powder were carefully stacked nearby.
Erich raised one of the unfinished blocks. "What do these with?"
"Throw them overboard."
"Wait!" Connor cried. He'd watched with growing concern as they pillaged the powdered granite from the barge. He couldn't imagine what they intended to do with it, but couldn't just watch as they threw the precious stones into the river.
Ilse said, "Do not interfere."
"But why?"
"Such resources cannot be left in the hands of the enemy."
"You're the enemy," Shona snarled as she approached. Even though the two women stood almost the same height, somehow Shona made it appear as if she were looking down at Ilse. "Enjoy your ill-gotten gains. It won't matter. Your venture is doomed to failure, and you know it."
"I
How could he have done such a terrible thing?
He'd had no idea agreeing to show the Grandurians a way through the mountains would hurt her so, but he cursed himself for it anyway.
Connor fell to his knees before this lady and shook his head. "No. I didn't mean it."
Verena, who had stood forgotten close beside him, snorted and said, "Oh, please."
The other woman ignored Verena, leaned forward and placed a hand on his head, as if in blessing. She slid her finger tips down along his cheek, almost in a caress. "I believe you. It was unfair of them to do this to you."
Connor could barely breathe. He wanted to nod in agreement, but didn't dare move his face with her fingers still touching his skin. His cheek seemed to burn at her touch and his heart beat so fast it was a wonder she could not hear it from where she stood over him.
"I am Shona." She glanced at Ilse and said. "I am their captive."
"Enough," Ilse said. "Very nice performance, Shona, but it changes nothing."
"We shall see." Shona gave Connor a reassuring smile and said, "Remember your allegiance."
Ilse called out in a loud voice, "Break camp. We march in five."
Everyone seemed to move at once and the camp filled with bustling soldiers. Verena gave Connor a long, thoughtful look that made him distinctly uncomfortable before she moved off.
Exactly three minutes later, the group headed upriver with Connor walking in the lead beside the captain and Verena. Shona, who walked in the middle of the group, surrounded by four watchful soldiers, filled Connor's thoughts.
He was such an idiot!
What better reason for Grandurian soldiers to be here in Obrion than to kidnap a noblewoman? He'd heard rumors of skirmishes between High Lord Dougal's soldiers and Grandurian forces, but that all seemed so far away.
What else could he have done, though? No one in these peaceful lands could stop a war party like this. If the other soldiers were half as tough as Eric, they could slaughter the entire population of Alasdair. Getting them away would be the safest course for his home town, but what of Shona?
He was still pondering the situation, trying to determine what to do, when they reached the barge that Erich had drawn up onto the bank. The group paused and Ilse asked, "What is the barge carrying?"
Connor shrugged. "Bags of powdered granite, and a few unfinished blocks."
She gaped at him for a second before shouting, "Erich! Anika! The barge."
Erich and his sister leaped aboard, and a moment later Erich called out, "Is right, Captain. Many bags. Powder much good." The soldiers of the company, who had remained stoically silent ever since Connor met them, broke into excited murmurs.
Why would a war party lost and trying to get home get so excited about granite? Sure, it was valuable, but it wasn't like they could do anything with it here.
Grandurians were weird.
"How many bags?" Ilse called.
"Twelve!"
The excited whispering grew and Ilse grinned. She placed a hand on Connor's shoulder. "This is wonderful news." She raised a hand. "Secure the powder."
Men raced to obey. In less than a minute, the dozen sacks of granite powder were carefully stacked nearby.
Erich raised one of the unfinished blocks. "What do these with?"
"Throw them overboard."
"Wait!" Connor cried. He'd watched with growing concern as they pillaged the powdered granite from the barge. He couldn't imagine what they intended to do with it, but couldn't just watch as they threw the precious stones into the river.
Ilse said, "Do not interfere."
"But why?"
"Such resources cannot be left in the hands of the enemy."
"You're the enemy," Shona snarled as she approached. Even though the two women stood almost the same height, somehow Shona made it appear as if she were looking down at Ilse. "Enjoy your ill-gotten gains. It won't matter. Your venture is doomed to failure, and you know it."
"I
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