Briar Rose

by Jana Oliver

  He led the way to the rear of the building where coals still glowed in the forge and the sharp tang of iron filled Pat’s nose with each breath.

  ‘We must keep our voices down. My wife and children are asleep inside, and have no knowledge of what this is about. I will put them in great danger if it is learned that I helped you.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Reena said. ‘What we really need are weapons. A sword, a bow and some arrows. A couple of knives if you have them. Once Ruric wakes the princess, the regent will come after us with all those monsters of hers.’

  ‘By all the saints, that is what I fear most,’ the smithy murmured. ‘She can conjure at will. It is unholy.’ He poked at the forge absentmindedly. ‘I remember the day Ruric came to the town. He was wearing nothing that spoke of wealth, but it was his eyes that told me that he was of noble birth. He wasn’t haughty or overbearing – it was that quiet strength you see in those who have held power in their hands, and know how to wield it without hurting all they touch.’

  ‘So now you’re working together to overthrow the regent?’ Reena asked.

  ‘Yes, there are a few of us, but not enough.’ He looked over at Pat. ‘Help me shift the anvil, lad.’

  Pat did as ordered, though to be honest he doubted that he’d contributed much. Compared to the smithy’s bulk, he looked like a half-starved chicken. They wrestled the anvil aside and then the smithy moved the log that served as its base. Scraping back the dirt on the floor, he revealed a series of boards. It took some prising, but finally the boards were removed. The smithy began handing out items, all wrapped in burlap.

  As Pat unwound one of the bundles, he found two swords and a pair of knives, all in scabbards.

  ‘No bow?’ Reena asked.

  The smithy shook his head. ‘It would not store well in the ground. Help me put this back and I’ll show you where to find one.’

  Again there was more straining that made Pat’s back ache. He had to admit it was a clever hiding place – few would think of looking underneath the anvil.

  Then it was Reena’s turn as the smithy directed her to climb up into the rafters and then into a far corner. She executed the climb, dug around, gave a slight eep when a mouse streaked out, then returned to the ground bearing a wrapped bow and full quiver.

  ‘That do you?’ the man asked.

  Reena nodded, testing the weapon. ‘This is great. Thanks.’

  ‘Any chance you have a quarterstaff or something?’ Pat asked. ‘I don’t handle swords that well.’

  The smithy thought for a moment. ‘I have something that might serve.’

  He tromped off into the back of the structure and began rooting around.

  ‘A staff?’ Reena asked.

  ‘I learned bōjutsu when I lived in Ohio – it’s a Japanese martial art.’

  ‘Colour me impressed,’ she said.

  ‘I never fought for real, just in practice. This could get ugly.’

  ‘It already is,’ she said, caressing the bow. ‘At least now we have weapons.’

  The smithy returned and handed Pat a hardwood pole, one about six foot long. ‘Will this do?’

  Pat judged its weight, then he stepped back and performed a couple of moves. It wasn’t too bad, not as finely balanced as the bō he had at home, but it would work.

  ‘Yes, thank you.’

  The smithy nodded. ‘I’ll show you out the back.’ Then he hesitated. ‘If you see Ruric, tell him to send the signal when he wakes the princess and we will come to his aid. If he fails, we have to hold back, to keep our families safe.’

  ‘We’ll tell him,’ Pat said. ‘Thank you for all your help. We appreciate it.’

  As they left the smithy behind, he couldn’t help but notice Reena’s strange expression. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘You were very polite in there. I just wondered what happened to the old Patterson Daniels.’

  He huffed. ‘I think the wolves ate him. Yeah, I’m sure of it.’

  With accurate directions from the smithy, they reached the wine cellar in no time, without encountering any wolves. For that, Pat was grateful. Soon a candle was lit and they were settled into the cellar, eating what food was left.

  Pat knew his hands were shaking, but he had no way to stop them.

  Reena noticed. ‘Scared?’ she asked.

  ‘No,’ he replied, too quickly. ‘Well, maybe just a little.’

  ‘I hear you. It all sounds heroic – rescue the princess, save the kingdom – but, if we screw up, the smithy and his family are dead. So are a lot of other people.’ She shook her head in dismay. ‘I’m not used to being responsible for others.’

  ‘That’s not true,’ he said. ‘You watch over your brothers. From what I hear they’re a handful.’

  The worried lines on her face diminished. ‘The youngest bro is. The others are pretty decent, but that isn’t the same. I help get them ready for school, put Star Wars bandages on their skinned knees. Nothing like here.’

  At the mention of injuries, Pat rolled up his breeches and checked his leg wound and found it oozing and swollen. There came a ripping sound as Reena tore off a section from the bottom of her skirt. Then she rummaged in her canvas bag and pulled out a small pouch of herbs. She dribbled some into her palm and then gently pressed them against the wound.

  He sniffed. ‘Is that oregano?’

  ‘Yeah. It’s a natural antibiotic. I’m hoping it’ll keep your leg from rotting off.’

  He angled his head until he could see her face. ‘You’re joking, right?’

  ‘No, oregano does have some antibiotic properties. Or at least that’s what my gran told me.’ She tied the strip of cloth round his calf. ‘Sorry, it’s not that clean,’ she said. ‘We should have asked the smithy for some bandages.’

  ‘It’s OK. He did enough as it was.’ Once she was done, he pulled one of the knives from its scabbard and began to sculpt the staff more to his liking, trying to improve its balance.

  As he worked, Reena laid out the arrows, examining each one critically. ‘They’ll do,’ she said, nodding to herself. She took one and dipped the metal tip into the pouch holding the fata dust.

  ‘What are you doing?’ he asked.

  ‘Testing to see if this stuff works on everything that’s metal. If it does, it’s not an option as it’ll eat right through the arrowhead.’

  When the arrowhead didn’t disintegrate, Reena cracked a smile. ‘All right! We got ourselves a long-distance weapon against the regent’s metal creatures.’

  ‘Then this might actually work?’ he asked, picking up her enthusiasm.

  ‘Yeah. Maybe. If we get really lucky.’ She looked down at the bow and arrows. ‘I never thought I’d have to kill someone with one of these.’

  ‘Maybe it won’t come to that,’ Pat said, though he suspected that was a lie.

  After a bit more targeted staff trimming, he pulled himself up to his feet. His calf throbbed, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been. Mindful that Reena was watching him, he executed a few test moves and was pleased to find that the staff would do.

  ‘I figured it was all partying with you. I didn’t know you’re into martial arts.’

  ‘I am full of surprises,’ Pat said, arching an eyebrow. Then he grinned. ‘Maybe when we get back home the horse dude and me should pay Briar’s ex a little visit. Teach that lying jerk some manners.’

  Reena’s mouth parted in surprise. ‘You’re going to kick Mike’s ass?’

  ‘Why not?’ he said, grinning at the thought. ‘I bet Quinn would be up for that. You can see by the way he looks at Briar that he’s all hot for her.’

  ‘She doesn’t see it. She’s still looking for her prince. Always has been.’

  Pat huffed. ‘Good luck with that. They don’t exist, at least not in the real world.’

  Reena’s arched eyebrow matched his now. ‘You might be surprised.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  As Briar descended into the depths of the castle, the acrid stench of stale ur
ine, wet straw and mould nearly choked her. Joshua was down here somewhere. Had they hurt him? Tortured him?

  Please, not that. She’d seen the haunted look in his eyes when they’d been separated. The helplessness. The fear. Maybe even regret.

  When she and the guards reached the bottom of the stairs, three crude cells awaited her, all set in a row. The floor of each was covered in straw and two buckets sat in opposite corners, one full of water. The other was probably the toilet.

  Joshua was in the middle cell. ‘Briar!’ he called out, managing to roll worry, relief and joy into that one word.

  ‘I want to be in with him,’ she said. ‘Please.’

  ‘One cell it is,’ the jailer said. He clanked the door closed behind her and locked it with an immense key.

  Neither she nor Joshua spoke until the guards were gone, just staring at each other as if they’d been apart for years.

  ‘Please tell me no one hurt you,’ he said, his face drawn and haggard. ‘I’ve been going mad here, thinking that—’

  ‘I’m good. You?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m OK. What about Ruric?’

  ‘They caught him too. It was the princess who sold us out.’

  ‘That doesn’t surprise me.’

  Would Joshua remember that he’d almost touched her, or would he avoid her now? She had to find out. ‘When we were caught, you tried to touch me. Why would you do that?’

  ‘I was afraid they’d hurt you,’ he admitted. ‘I thought I would never see you again.’

  That had come out so easily. Has he had a change of heart?

  Joshua made her think that was the case when he took a step towards her, his body trembling with emotion.

  ‘If you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?’ he asked.

  She spread her hands. ‘To get out of here.’

  ‘Besides that. Let’s say you’re home and the curse is history. What would you want the most, Briar?’

  To touch you again.

  When she didn’t reply, he sobered. ‘I know what I’d want.’ Another step closer. ‘I want to hold your hand, touch your face, your hair.’

  Briar retreated out of instinct: the cell bars pressed into her back now. ‘I don’t want you hurt,’ she said. ‘I don’t want you to . . . die because of me.’

  ‘I’m so tired of living our parents’ fears. If the curse comes back to me, then that’s what happens. I wouldn’t want it any other way.’ A half-step put Joshua so close she could see deep into his eyes. He was breathing faster now.

  ‘When they took you away, I knew one thing – I don’t want to go to my grave never having touched you again.’

  Her breath caught. ‘You’d risk your whole life for that?’

  ‘Yes.’

  She didn’t know how to respond.

  ‘We used to play together all the time, before our families made us enemies. Do you remember those days, Briar?’

  Briar did remember the two of them growing up together. The long summers filled with abundant laughter. It had always been her and Joshua, until it wasn’t any more.

  ‘Do you have any idea how much you mean to me? How hard it’s been to stay away from you all these years?’ he asked, his voice quavering now.

  She hadn’t, not until this moment. A single tear broke loose and tracked down her cheek.

  As if drawn to it, he raised his hand.

  ‘No!’ she said, flattening against the bars. ‘We can’t.’

  ‘We can. We must,’ he said simply. ‘It’s the only way for us to regain what we lost in the river.’

  Trembling, Briar closed her eyes as his fingers delicately traced the track of the tear. His fingers moved down her cheek, in no rush, as if he were savouring the journey. They curved round her cheek and settled against her neck, his warmth filling her. His other hand sought hers and took hold of it. This time she made no move to pull away.

  ‘See, that wasn’t so bad,’ he whispered near her ear. ‘What were we afraid of?’

  ‘You dying,’ she whispered back.

  ‘We’re not dead yet.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Only now matters.’

  Deep inside she felt something uncurl within her. Briar gasped, fearing it was the curse taking root, but this felt different than that dark night in the river. This was all heat and light, with a sweetness that recalled a spring breeze. It wove through her like a song, erasing the emptiness, leaving peace in its wake.

  ‘It’s . . . good?’ he asked.

  She nodded. ‘It doesn’t feel like the last time.’

  ‘Want to really push our luck?’

  His playful tone caused her eyes to flutter open. ‘How?’

  ‘Like this,’ he said, and then his lips were on hers.

  It was a faint touch, as if he wasn’t sure how it should be done. Then it grew and began to take on a life of its own. It was as if Joshua was the only one who knew how to kiss her the way she really wanted.

  When it ended, he looked deep into her eyes, judging her reaction. ‘Why did we wait so long?’ he said.

  Because neither of them had had the courage to tempt fate.

  He pulled away from her, gazing at her as if she were the most beautiful girl in the world. It made her self-conscious.

  ‘Oh man, I’m a mess. I mean . . . why couldn’t this have happened at the party when I looked good?’

  ‘Because you were too busy flirting with Daniels?’ Joshua teased, but she could hear the resentment. ‘Seriously, you look OK.’

  ‘No, I smell and I’m wearing someone else’s clothes that don’t even fit.’ Then she remembered the princess’s jab. ‘I’m not plump, am I?’

  ‘No,’ he said, laughing. ‘You’re perfect.’ A deep sigh escaped him. ‘Unfortunately, we’re still here, so that means you’re still cursed.’

  ‘I noticed that. At least I’m trapped with a really cool guy.’

  He seemed to appreciate that. ‘Come on, sit over here. It’s less chilly and the floor isn’t as gross.’

  Briar joined him. The stones were cold under her butt so she wrapped the cloak tight. He put his arms round her and she laid her head on his shoulder. It seemed so natural, as if they’d done it for years.

  ‘What happened with the regent? Do you want to talk about it?’

  It was time he knew it all, so Briar told him of what she’d learned, and why the situation was more dangerous than they suspected.

  ‘Man-eating drazaks?’ Joshua said, both eyebrows rising.

  ‘Yeah, those. She was way ugly, like something out of a horror movie. I’m going to have nightmares forever.’

  ‘You already do,’ he replied.

  ‘It’s my fault Aurora ratted us out,’ she admitted. ‘I really got in her face. I shouldn’t have done that.’

  ‘Yeah, well, Ruric didn’t help with his When we wed line.’

  ‘He’s a fairy-tale prince. That’s what they do.’ She looked up. ‘I’m really worried about him.’

  ‘He’ll be OK. He seems like a survivor.’

  ‘Are we?’

  He placed a quick kiss on her forehead. ‘We better be. When we go home, we’re going to have a talk with the folks, both sets. It’s not going to be pretty.’

  ‘Mom will have kittens when she finds out we touched. Yours too.’

  ‘You know, I like kittens,’ Joshua said, grinning. ‘Our barn cat just had a litter. They’re really cute, even though they’re still blind.’

  He’s trying to make me feel better. That earned Joshua a lot of points.

  Briar wiped a line of dried blood off his cheek.

  ‘Ouch,’ he said, but she could tell it hadn’t hurt him.

  ‘Big baby,’ she replied.

  He chuckled. ‘You know, I used to talk to Arabella about you. Crazy, huh? Chattering away at a horse about a girl you liked but couldn’t get anywhere near. And now . . .’

  Now they had a few hours together. Briar hoped it would be enough.

  Joshua selecte
d a strand of her hair and studied it with a curious expression. ‘Does it just curl like that on its own?’

  ‘Yeah. I hate it.’

  ‘Why? It’s so pretty, all those waves.’

  She frowned up at him. ‘You should try brushing it sometime. It’s a pain.’

  ‘At least you don’t get burrs in it like Arabella.’

  She chuckled. ‘You miss her, don’t you?’ He nodded sadly. ‘I miss my peeps too. My parents, even my cat. I always liked snuggling with Dragonfly on rainy days. I’d read fairy tales to her. She’s really into “Puss in Boots”.’

  Joshua snorted. ‘Go figure.’

  ‘When we get home . . .’ she began. ‘What if the curse moves back to you then and—’

  ‘We’ll worry about that later,’ he cut in. ‘Right now, we’re together. That’s what counts.’

  He tipped her chin up to kiss her again. It wasn’t rushed and it made Briar wish they were home, near the lake, just him and her.

  They jolted apart at the sound of voices and footsteps that came from the stone stairs that led up into the castle. The jailer appeared first, then two guards dragging Ruric who hung limply between them.

  ‘What did you do to him?’ Briar demanded, struggling to her feet.

  Her question was answered as they hauled the prince past their cell. His back was branded with angry red stripes, and blood oozed through his torn shirt.

  Ohmigod. ‘Put him in here with us. Please?’

  For a time it looked as if the jailer wasn’t going to be that helpful, but finally he shrugged and Ruric was dumped in the centre of the cell.

  ‘Let’s get him back near the wall. We don’t want him lying on this filthy floor,’ Joshua said.

  It took a lot of pulling and tugging to position Ruric where they wanted him; he seemed all solid muscle. As they did, he kept shivering and issued the occasional moan.

  ‘Oh man, his shirt is stuck to his skin,’ Joshua said. ‘We’ll have to soak it off or it’ll hurt like hell.’ He returned with the bucket of water, which didn’t look that clean.

  With considerable effort, Briar ripped off a fist-size section of her dress and dipped the cloth in the cold water. ‘This is going to hurt. Sorry.’