here.
Punching out your senior officer was likely as bad now as it would be in his own time.
He glanced to Halldor to see his friend’s face uncharacteristically drawn in anger.
Christiana ignored Ulfr as if he’d never spoken, climbing down from the wagon and hopping the final distance to the ground.
“I’m only going as far as the trees. I’ve a need for a moment of privacy, so I’d appreciate yer no following me.”
Seemed a perfectly reasonable request to Chase.
Apparently Ulfr didn’t see it that way. He dismounted and started after her.
There was a definite line between acceptable and unacceptable that Ulfr seemed determined to blunder across. With a tug on his reins, Chase moved his horse forward, blocking his captain’s path.
“And what do you think yer doing?” Ulfr demanded. “I gave an order and I expect it obeyed. We’ve precious little daylight left us as it is, especially with the speed at which this storm is rolling in. We’ve no time to waste.”
“Let her have her moment of privacy. Five minutes one way or another isn’t going to make that much of a difference now.” Chase glanced up toward the dark, heavy clouds roiling overhead. “If we’re going to get caught out in bad weather, whether it’s here or five hundred feet down the trail won’t matter much, now will it?”
Halldor moved his mount closer. “There’s no need for disagreement, gentlemen. Here’s our lady now,” he announced.
Christiana had emerged from the trees, clutching her cloak against the rising wind as she made her way back toward the wagon.
Ulfr stepped around Chase’s horse and strode in her direction, grabbing her arm to jerk her forward, causing her to stumble.
That did it. Line was officially crossed and, job or no job, Chase could tolerate no more of Ulfr’s behavior.
One moment Chase was sliding from his saddle and the next, his fingers closed around the linenat the back of Ulfr’s neck, bringing the man to an abrupt halt.
“If you plan on keeping that hand, asswipe, you better keep it to yourself,” Chase advised. “Now let go of the lady and get back on your horse.”
Chase led Christiana to the wagon, assisting her up into her seat. Her gasp as she turned had him spinning just in time to avoid Ulfr’s charge.
“Son of a—” Chase ducked under the other man’s arm, leading with an uppercut to Ulfr’s chin that sent the captain staggering sideways against the wagon even as Halldor roared a warning.
Thunder cracked overhead and Christiana screamed as her frightened horses reared and bolted forward. Chase grabbed for Ulfr’s plaid, yanking him away from the out-of-control wagon just in time to avoid his being crushed under the massive wheel. He let the other man fall to the ground, running for his mount, urging his horse to a gallop even before he had both feet in the stirrups.
Christiana had fallen backward over the seat into the bed of the wagon. She wrapped her arms around one of the barrels of flour as the wagon pitched perilously over rocks and dips in the trail with the horses gaining speed.
One side of the wagon lifted entirely up off the ground and hit back down with a loud crash of splintering wood as the back wheel gave way. The horses, in full frenzy, dragged the broken wagon off the trail and through the brush.
Chase was so close now, he could see the reins flapping uselessly over the lead animal’s back. He tried not to think what it meant that Christiana’s body bounced between the barrels like a rag doll. Another few feet and he should be able to reach . . .
The horses darted away in another direction, speeding across an almost dry riverbed, sending the wagon off-kilter. His heart thudded in his chest as he raced toward them, so close he could see Christiana’s face but too far to do more than yell, when the whole thing tilted onto its side and rolled completely over.
As if by some random intervention of a benevolent god, the front of the wagon jammed into
Punching out your senior officer was likely as bad now as it would be in his own time.
He glanced to Halldor to see his friend’s face uncharacteristically drawn in anger.
Christiana ignored Ulfr as if he’d never spoken, climbing down from the wagon and hopping the final distance to the ground.
“I’m only going as far as the trees. I’ve a need for a moment of privacy, so I’d appreciate yer no following me.”
Seemed a perfectly reasonable request to Chase.
Apparently Ulfr didn’t see it that way. He dismounted and started after her.
There was a definite line between acceptable and unacceptable that Ulfr seemed determined to blunder across. With a tug on his reins, Chase moved his horse forward, blocking his captain’s path.
“And what do you think yer doing?” Ulfr demanded. “I gave an order and I expect it obeyed. We’ve precious little daylight left us as it is, especially with the speed at which this storm is rolling in. We’ve no time to waste.”
“Let her have her moment of privacy. Five minutes one way or another isn’t going to make that much of a difference now.” Chase glanced up toward the dark, heavy clouds roiling overhead. “If we’re going to get caught out in bad weather, whether it’s here or five hundred feet down the trail won’t matter much, now will it?”
Halldor moved his mount closer. “There’s no need for disagreement, gentlemen. Here’s our lady now,” he announced.
Christiana had emerged from the trees, clutching her cloak against the rising wind as she made her way back toward the wagon.
Ulfr stepped around Chase’s horse and strode in her direction, grabbing her arm to jerk her forward, causing her to stumble.
That did it. Line was officially crossed and, job or no job, Chase could tolerate no more of Ulfr’s behavior.
One moment Chase was sliding from his saddle and the next, his fingers closed around the linenat the back of Ulfr’s neck, bringing the man to an abrupt halt.
“If you plan on keeping that hand, asswipe, you better keep it to yourself,” Chase advised. “Now let go of the lady and get back on your horse.”
Chase led Christiana to the wagon, assisting her up into her seat. Her gasp as she turned had him spinning just in time to avoid Ulfr’s charge.
“Son of a—” Chase ducked under the other man’s arm, leading with an uppercut to Ulfr’s chin that sent the captain staggering sideways against the wagon even as Halldor roared a warning.
Thunder cracked overhead and Christiana screamed as her frightened horses reared and bolted forward. Chase grabbed for Ulfr’s plaid, yanking him away from the out-of-control wagon just in time to avoid his being crushed under the massive wheel. He let the other man fall to the ground, running for his mount, urging his horse to a gallop even before he had both feet in the stirrups.
Christiana had fallen backward over the seat into the bed of the wagon. She wrapped her arms around one of the barrels of flour as the wagon pitched perilously over rocks and dips in the trail with the horses gaining speed.
One side of the wagon lifted entirely up off the ground and hit back down with a loud crash of splintering wood as the back wheel gave way. The horses, in full frenzy, dragged the broken wagon off the trail and through the brush.
Chase was so close now, he could see the reins flapping uselessly over the lead animal’s back. He tried not to think what it meant that Christiana’s body bounced between the barrels like a rag doll. Another few feet and he should be able to reach . . .
The horses darted away in another direction, speeding across an almost dry riverbed, sending the wagon off-kilter. His heart thudded in his chest as he raced toward them, so close he could see Christiana’s face but too far to do more than yell, when the whole thing tilted onto its side and rolled completely over.
As if by some random intervention of a benevolent god, the front of the wagon jammed into
Similar Books
