her trunk of herbs. She had given Gwendolyn a curious look, as if to ask her why she wasn't ready to leave, but before she could verbalize her question, there was a knock on the door. Jarin had wasted no time in returning to the castle either.
“I thought I told you to wait in the courtyard,” the defender barked at the lad.
Both Gwendolyn and Millicent moved forward to hear his response. He looked directly into Millicent's face and Gwendolyn noticed there were tears in his eyes. Suddenly, she was even more curious to hear what his plan was.
“I won't be needing your services anymore.”
“What?” Millicent asked incredulously.
“Unless you can bring the living back from the dead, I no longer need your services,” he clarified.
Gwendolyn wanted to laugh when his voice actually broke and one big, fat tear slid down his face. He had missed his calling in life, she thought.
Millicent gasped softly. “My dear lad, I am so sorry to hear. But, how could you know that already? Surely you didn't have time to return home while I was gathering my supplies.”
Her mother was shrewd, she'd give her that. Jarin's eyes widened perceptibly before he turned and fled into the courtyard and disappeared altogether, without further explanation.
“Good riddance,” the defender mumbled as he slammed the door shut.
“How odd,” Millicent mused.
“Yes, how odd. But look at it this way,” Gwendolyn brightened. “You no longer have to miss your trip into the village with Rosalind.”
And that had been the end of that. Gwendolyn had refused Rosalind's invitation to join them on the excursion, feigning exhaustion, but really she had a terribly lot to accomplish if she wanted to escape that night with Jarin. First on her list was finding a tunic and some hose to use for her disguise. She had stalked straight to the stables as soon as her mother and Rosalind had left and quickly secured the items she needed by bribing a young lad with a few coins and swearing him to secrecy.
Now, here she stood wearing the unfamiliar clothing. The tunic was billowy, helping to disguise that she was a woman. The hose fit snugly to her legs, but she thought them rather comfortable. She took the letter she had painstakingly written to her family and placed it on the center of her bed. She had chosen her words carefully, making sure that she did not give any inkling to where she planned to be, knowing that if she did, her brother would waste no time coming for her. Or worse, sending Gavin to retrieve her like he had done before.
She wasn't naïve enough to think that her family would just let her traipse off on her adventure without any consequences. Nay, she knew full well that Terric would send people to look for her and that her mother would be sick with worry, but she was hoping that by the time they found her letter, she and Jarin would have a large enough head start that they could slip into the forest undetected. Mayhap when she came home she'd tell them where she'd really been. Mostly likely Terric would demand it, but she'd deal with that then. In the meantime, she would pray for their forgiveness instead.
Pulling on the worn leather boots that she'd acquired, Gwendolyn straightened. This was it, she thought, time to go. The boots were a few sizes too big, so she had to be extra careful as she made her way through the corridors not to let them clop loudly on the ground. A few times the flames flickering in the scones along the walls would cast eerie shadows, causing her to jump. Her nerves felt on edge as she made her way as quietly and quickly as possible out of the castle.
When she finally reached the courtyard, she breathed a sigh of relief. The cool night air was a welcome relief to her skin that had grown balmy during her escape. Anxious to get to her meeting place, she picked up her pace and jogged towards the gardens, hoping she wouldn't fall in her haste.
***
There was nothing Gavin wished he was doing at the late hour more
“I thought I told you to wait in the courtyard,” the defender barked at the lad.
Both Gwendolyn and Millicent moved forward to hear his response. He looked directly into Millicent's face and Gwendolyn noticed there were tears in his eyes. Suddenly, she was even more curious to hear what his plan was.
“I won't be needing your services anymore.”
“What?” Millicent asked incredulously.
“Unless you can bring the living back from the dead, I no longer need your services,” he clarified.
Gwendolyn wanted to laugh when his voice actually broke and one big, fat tear slid down his face. He had missed his calling in life, she thought.
Millicent gasped softly. “My dear lad, I am so sorry to hear. But, how could you know that already? Surely you didn't have time to return home while I was gathering my supplies.”
Her mother was shrewd, she'd give her that. Jarin's eyes widened perceptibly before he turned and fled into the courtyard and disappeared altogether, without further explanation.
“Good riddance,” the defender mumbled as he slammed the door shut.
“How odd,” Millicent mused.
“Yes, how odd. But look at it this way,” Gwendolyn brightened. “You no longer have to miss your trip into the village with Rosalind.”
And that had been the end of that. Gwendolyn had refused Rosalind's invitation to join them on the excursion, feigning exhaustion, but really she had a terribly lot to accomplish if she wanted to escape that night with Jarin. First on her list was finding a tunic and some hose to use for her disguise. She had stalked straight to the stables as soon as her mother and Rosalind had left and quickly secured the items she needed by bribing a young lad with a few coins and swearing him to secrecy.
Now, here she stood wearing the unfamiliar clothing. The tunic was billowy, helping to disguise that she was a woman. The hose fit snugly to her legs, but she thought them rather comfortable. She took the letter she had painstakingly written to her family and placed it on the center of her bed. She had chosen her words carefully, making sure that she did not give any inkling to where she planned to be, knowing that if she did, her brother would waste no time coming for her. Or worse, sending Gavin to retrieve her like he had done before.
She wasn't naïve enough to think that her family would just let her traipse off on her adventure without any consequences. Nay, she knew full well that Terric would send people to look for her and that her mother would be sick with worry, but she was hoping that by the time they found her letter, she and Jarin would have a large enough head start that they could slip into the forest undetected. Mayhap when she came home she'd tell them where she'd really been. Mostly likely Terric would demand it, but she'd deal with that then. In the meantime, she would pray for their forgiveness instead.
Pulling on the worn leather boots that she'd acquired, Gwendolyn straightened. This was it, she thought, time to go. The boots were a few sizes too big, so she had to be extra careful as she made her way through the corridors not to let them clop loudly on the ground. A few times the flames flickering in the scones along the walls would cast eerie shadows, causing her to jump. Her nerves felt on edge as she made her way as quietly and quickly as possible out of the castle.
When she finally reached the courtyard, she breathed a sigh of relief. The cool night air was a welcome relief to her skin that had grown balmy during her escape. Anxious to get to her meeting place, she picked up her pace and jogged towards the gardens, hoping she wouldn't fall in her haste.
***
There was nothing Gavin wished he was doing at the late hour more
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