Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 1)

Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 1) by Nanette Kinslow Page A

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Authors: Nanette Kinslow
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frightening and the memory of his rough handling of her was more than she could bear.
          Mark pleaded with her that she would be perfectly safe and that his father was no lunatic, as she insisted. Eventually Rebecca surrendered, once the boy convinced her that after she took a ride with his Pa they could go down the mountain to town. Rebecca believed that if she could only rid herself of the current situation there might be some hope for her and she ventured up to the giant.
          “I’ll go,” she announced boldly, her hands clasping her tattered attire. “But you will not lay a hand on me!”
          Elgerson agreed, glaring at the girl, and again Rebecca protested when Mark offered to lift her in front of his father to mount the very beast he had used to drag her here.
          After intense prodding, Rebecca plopped down in the saddle in front of the big man and the pair finally set out on their mission.
          “I’ll take you to town and get you back to your family as soon as we finish this up.” Elgerson remarked gruffly as they rode towards the shack.
          “I have no family here,” Rebecca remarked flatly.
          “Where do you plan on going?” The sooner he was rid of her the better, he thought.
          Rebecca choked back a sob and the big man decided to let it drop.
     
          Elgerson felt her tiny form slip to one side in the saddle and he caught her deftly with one hand as they rode through the deep forest.
          Rebecca gasped at the placement of his hand and Elgerson sat upright in shock. Clad in baggy boy’s clothing as she was, he was shaken and stunned that the handful he had captured righting the girl in the saddle was not the thin ribcage of a young girl, but instead the full breast of a grown woman.
          Rebecca huffed in embarrassment and blushed deeply with the insult of such handling by this horrid beast.
         Elgerson blushed as well and shifted in the saddle, increasingly uncomfortable with the woman’s close proximity.
          When they spotted the shack, Rebecca began to shake uncontrollably and her fear brought the realization of her situation clearly to Elgerson. The frail girl turned and buried her face in his chest and he cleared his throat, turning the horse back towards the cabin.
          “It’s alright, Rebecca. Right?” He was at a loss as to how to calm her shaking. He talked to her in a soft voice assuring her that she’d be fine and thanking her for showing him the place. He had hoped to get a look inside but the girl was plainly terrified and Mark’s description of her experience in the shack and her condition when he found her, made Elgerson begin to understand her fears.
          Rebecca lay against the man’s solid chest, more terrified at the sight of the shack than she was of him. His heartbeat calmed her fears and she snuggled against his warmth.
          Elgerson shifted his position. The girl pressing into him left him nervous and self-conscious. He was uncomfortable but greatly relieved when they finally returned to the cabin and he lowered Rebecca from the horse. Her tiny face, encased in the massive wool cap, looked up at him briefly and Elgerson dismounted the animal from the opposite side. The chestnut stood near the side of the cabin, kicking the dust and snorting a greeting to the Arabian and Elgerson gathered both animals by the reins.
     
     
          The three packed their bags carefully in preparation for their descent and Elgerson avoided the girl guardedly. From the doorway he watched her and Mark pack the last of the belongings, witnessing their easy camaraderie and saw Rebecca tussle the boy’s hair the way Corissa had done once. Uneasily he announced that it was time to leave.
          “Rebecca can ride with me, Pa,” Mark suggested.
          “Let her ride alone, Mark. We’ll ride together,” Timothy stated impatiently.
          Rebecca blushed

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