Escape the Woods

by Gabriella Catherine

  I looked up and noticed that Malachi still stood nearby, observing our situation. “Sir Malachi, you may return to your business. Thank you.”

  He nodded and slowly turned to walk away, a meek expression on his masculine face.

  When I looked back to Elsa and Sabine, they had already turned and begun walking toward the castle.

  Suddenly exhausted, I followed slowly behind.

  KOLTON

  “Tonight, my brother, we shall feast and drink well.” My friend Wolf poured a large goblet of wine and took a sip, tipping his head back. “And most importantly, I am going to find you a maiden.”

  Wolf had invited me over to his rather large house, and while a bunch of his friends waited in the main room, he and I stood talking in the kitchen.

  I grinned at him. “You will be too busy sneaking away with Lucie to seek out a maiden for me.”

  He shook his head. “As tempting as that sounds … I am determined to find you a girl. Truthfully, it’s the main reason I decided to hold this gathering. I invited the prettiest girls in town.”

  “I’m glad I have a friend who cares so much, but I think I can find a girl on my own.” For some reason, my mind went back to the girl I saved while in Darrenberg. I hadn’t told anyone about that yet, not even Wolf or Odelette. I would eventually, but for now I wanted to keep that story to myself.

  Wolf shrugged, refilling his golden cup. “I’m just here to help.” He took his cup and bottle of wine and walked into the other room, and I followed.

  Young men and women — Wolf’s friends — stood in the spacious main room, all of them talking, laughing, and eating. Lucie, a petite young girl with light, straight hair, approached us. She and Wolf hugged, but it looked more like Wolf was swallowing her up, as he was so much bigger than her and she seemed to disappear inside his embrace.

  “You look beautiful, darling.” Wolf ran his thumb over Lucie’s cheek.

  I turned away and walked over to the refreshment table. I was happy for Wolf and Lucie, but I didn’t like standing around and watching when they got affectionate. It seemed strange to me that Wolf would end up with someone as mild mannered and gentle as young Lucie. And not to mention, someone so small. But they looked happy, and that was what mattered.

  Carina and I were never as affectionate as Wolf and Lucie. Our relationship was much more businesslike, as though we both knew that we were marrying for the good of our families, to the best match either of us could hope to get. She was fairly wealthy and so was I. And to us — rather, to our families — that was all that seemed to matter.

  But now that we were no longer together, I knew when I did find a woman, our relationship would not be like mine and Carina’s was. This time, I would love the woman. I’d love her long before I asked her to marry me, and I would make certain she loved me back. I would make sure she loved me, not my title, and not my wealth.

  But so far, the chances of finding a maiden like that didn’t look too promising.

  ###

  Two days later, Sir Jeremiah reported that several Dovehoven knights had arrived, bringing with them a letter from Duke Aaron himself saying they indeed were the knights who were to take Lady Elsa and Lady Sabine back to Dovehoven. Together, the girls packed the few things they had brought with them and came down to the Great Hall to say goodbye. I was disappointed when I discovered Cordel didn’t show up to say farewell like Father, Jack, and I had.

  “I will miss you both,” I told Elsa and Sabine.

  “And we will miss you,” the girls said.

  I hugged each of them, and my heart sank when I noticed they both had tears in their eyes.

  “Thank you very much for the kindness you have shown us, Duke William,” Elsa said to my father.

  “It was my pleasure,” he replied.

  “Goodbye. God be with you.” Jack bowed to the girls.

  “Goodbye.” The two girls curtsied.

  “Where is Lord Erguston?” Sabine asked, looking up at me.

  “I don’t know,” I said, feeling sorry that she wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to him.

  “Oh.” She looked like she would cry again.

  Elsa grabbed her sister’s hand. “Let’s go.” They turned and walked to the three men who stood by the doors. The men quickly escorted them out of the Hall and into the courtyard, where the rain poured down.

  Such a sad week this has been.

  ###

  Almost an hour after the ladies had left with their father’s men, I walked out into the wet, gray courtyard. I sat on a wooden bench with my back against the stone castle. The courtyard was nearly deserted. Drops of warm rain fell on me, sliding down my skin, helping me clear my mind and think.

  After about ten minutes, when I was nearly soaked through to my skin, Sir Jeremiah spotted me from across the courtyard and walked over to join me on the bench. He gave me a kind smile. “Hello, my lady.”

  “Hello, Sir Jeremiah,” I replied unenthusiastically.

  He looked at my face. “Are you all right?”

  I sighed. “Everyone I care about seems to be leaving … even you.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest, feeling a cold chill run up my body.

  “Everyone?” asked Jeremiah. “What about Miss Pierce? I don’t believe she is leaving now, is she?”

  I shook my head. “She isn’t. But you, Cordel, Jack, Malachi, Britta, and now Lady Elsa and Lady Sabine…you are all leaving Darrenberg. And only God knows when you will return.” I looked down at my lap and shivered.

  “You can be assured we will return. You cannot keep me away.” He smiled gently. “Darrenberg is my home.”

  We sat in silence for a moment. I then said, “Just … promise me you’ll bring my brothers back safely. Please?” Something told me their mission was far more dangerous this time than their previous trips to the warriors’ camp.

  “I will make certain it is as you wish,” Jeremiah assured me.

  “Thank you.” I rubbed my arms in an attempt to warm myself.

  “You are cold.”

  “No, I’m all right.” But it was a lie. I felt a slight cold coming on, and my nose was beginning to run. Despite my struggles to hide my discomfort, my teeth began to chatter.

  Jeremiah stood and held out his hand. “Come. Let’s get you out of the cold.”

  I took his hand and rose to join him, but my attention was caught by the commotion coming from the courtyard entrance. We looked over to see two guards blocking a little boy from entering. “Please!” the boy cried. “Let me go see the princess! I need to speak to her. They’re in danger!” The two guards violently pushed the small boy back, yelling at him to get lost or he would be put in the pillory.

  “You there,” I called to them. “Let that boy come to me. I wish to speak with him.” They looked agitated, but they stepped aside to let him pass. Quickly, the boy ran across the courtyard to me.

  “What is amiss?” I asked when he reached us. “Who is in danger?”

  The boy bent over, gasping for breath, and I could tell that he ran a long distance. He finally recovered enough to speak. “Lady Elsa and Lady Sabine. The men who took them aren’t really Dovehoven knights. They have captured the princesses, and I know not where they are taking them.”

  “How do you know this?” Jeremiah asked fiercely.

  “I was down by the river with my mother when they stopped to get water, and I heard Lady Elsa ask the men who they were. They did not reply, and Lady Elsa continued asking them questions. I didn’t hear much after that, but the last thing I heard was Lady Elsa yell, ‘You are not my father’s knights! Let us go!’ Then she and Lady Sabine screamed for help. But they were forced back onto their horses and the men quickly left.

  “My mother told me to run and inform one of Duke William’s guards or family members, and I ran as fast as I could here to tell you.”

  My heart raced. I couldn’t let anything happen to those girls. “You must go after them,” I looked up at Jeremiah. I only hoped he wouldn’t be to
o late.

  “And we will,” Jeremiah agreed. “Wait here.” He ran off.

  I turned back to the boy. “What is your name?”

  “Leon,” he replied.

  “Thank you, Leon. You will be rewarded for this.”

  I ran off after Jeremiah then. When I got to the Great Hall entrance, he was coming through the doors with Jack and Father.

  “There,” Jeremiah said to them. “That is the boy who witnessed this happening.” He pointed at Leon.

  “And even if the boy is fibbing, we must still make certain the princesses are safe,” Jack said.

  I cut in then. “I don’t think the boy would run all the way here and suffer being mistreated by those guards for nothing. I am certain he must have seen something suspicious.”

  Father nodded. “Sir Jeremiah, take a group of men and go after them. Make haste! You must find them before they’re harmed.”

  Jeremiah and Jack sprinted toward the stables. Jeremiah was trained to track people. He could read animal tracks and find criminals better than anyone in Darrenberg. If someone could find Elsa and Sabine, it was him.

  I followed Father inside, but he went to his study, so I ran to my chamber. Anxiety caused my chest to tighten. I thought of the girls out in the cold, in the rain, with those men. What would they do to them? Would Jack and Jeremiah be able to rescue them in time?

  I couldn’t sit here and wait for them to return. I felt helpless. Restless. There had to be something I could do to help.

  I grabbed a warm cloak and draped it over my shoulders. I pulled an arrow from my quiver and placed it in my belt. Then I took a piece of parchment and wrote a note to my father, telling him I was at Merida’s house for the evening. I left it on my desk in case he came looking for me.

  By the time I reached the stables, the men had already saddled their horses and were about to set off. I waited just outside until I saw them all ride off, heading for the back gate and the woods. Then I ran in.

  Because of the rain, the stable boys had gone home for the evening. No one saw me as I quickly saddled Caleb, then hoisted myself onto his back. I pulled the hood of my cloak down to mask my face and rode after the men, splashing through the mud.

  Riding at a dangerously high speed, I caught up to them quickly. Unnoticed, I joined the back of the pack. Jack and Jeremiah led from the front, and because of the rain and the black cloak that covered my dress, I didn’t think the others would recognize me.

  We first went to the river and found tracks in the mud. Jeremiah dismounted and followed the trails on foot for several minutes while we all waited. He went out of sight for a moment, then came running out of the trees and called, “They went west!” He mounted again, leading the way for the other men.

  I held tightly to the reins as we traveled down a bumpy trail. I was shaken violently from the horse’s quick, jerky movements. The rain poured down harder and harder, fogging up the trail ahead of us, and I began to worry Jeremiah wouldn’t know where he was going.

  Even more, I worried that Caleb would stumble or slip in the mud, and both he and I would go tumbling down into the river. He wasn’t trained like the other men’s horses. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea.

  But the thought of Elsa and Sabine out in the rain with those strangers kept me riding on. Besides, it was too late to turn back now.

  After riding for what felt like a long time, Jeremiah dismounted again and looked at the trail. “The rain is erasing their tracks. I assume they went this way” – he pointed – “up the river, but I’m not certain. We can only guess for now, until this rain stops.”

  As we continued on, I hoped Jeremiah’s assumptions were correct. Otherwise, we could have lost Elsa and Sabine. And I would never be able to forgive myself for letting the two innocent girls go with those men.

  We rode along the river for hours, and the rain didn’t stop. I was completely drenched — my hair, my dress, my shoes — as were all the men. My cloak no longer provided any warmth, and I knew I was going to catch a cold from this.

  Soon, it began to grow dark. Jeremiah slowed his horse to a stop, and the rest of us followed.

  Jack pulled his horse up next to him. “I think you and I should scope out the area. Since it’s almost dusk, I assume they will have stopped to make a camp.”

  Jeremiah said, “Agreed. If we find them, we can come back and get the others. But if we bring all these men with us, we will cause too much noise and give ourselves away.”

  Jack turned toward the men. “Stay here until we return. Do not leave until I give my consent.”

  The men muttered their agreement.

  Suddenly, Jeremiah’s eyes locked on me. Confusion filled his expression, and he began riding slowly toward me. I tried to hold my shoulders high to look like the other men, but my frame was obviously smaller. The other men parted, creating a clear path to me. Jeremiah glanced at Caleb, then at me.

  I turned away. I should have brought a different horse.

  “What is your name, sir?”

  I didn’t answer.

  Jack pulled up beside Jeremiah. They all stared at me. There was no backing out now.

  I pulled my hood off, revealing my face and hair. Several gasps came from the men.

  “Scarlett?! What are you doing?” Jack’s jaw dropped.

  “Please forgive me.” It was the first thing that came to my mind.

  “You shouldn’t be here, my lady,” said Jeremiah. “Look at you; you’re already soaked through to your skin.”

  For once Jack seemed to have nothing to say.

  Father’s men stared at me awkwardly. No one said a word.

  I felt a drop of water trickle down my chest, beneath my dress, a very unpleasant feeling. I must look like a mess.

  I suddenly sneezed, the sound echoing off the trees. Yes, I was definitely getting sick.

  “I assume Father doesn’t know you’re here.” Jack looked sincerely worried.

  “Of course he doesn’t,” I said quietly. “I told him I was at Merida’s.”

  My brother shook his head.

  I actually felt bad about coming out here, although I wasn’t sure I fully regretted it. “I’m sorry, Jack. I only wanted to help. I’m worried about Elsa and Sabine.”

  He nodded slowly. He didn’t lash out at me like Cordel would have, but I could tell he was frustrated by the situation.

  “Should one of the men escort her home?” asked Jeremiah.

  “I’m not letting her go anywhere without me. If my father ever finds out about this, I want to tell him she stayed with me the whole time.” His expression relaxed as he looked at me. “But I don’t plan on him finding out.”

  I let out a breath. Thank you, Jack.

  “Besides,” Jack continued, “she’ll be safest with the pack. We’ll find the princesses, then we’ll go straight back. She’ll be safe.”

  Jeremiah nodded. “Yes, my lord.” Then he looked down at Caleb. “My lady, I think you’d better get on the back of your brother’s horse. Your stallion isn’t meant for this kind of terrain.”

  Poor Caleb was wet and muddy, and I could see in his eyes that he was tired. I should have brought one of my father’s or brothers’ horses, but I honestly didn’t think I’d have been able to handle a horse I wasn’t familiar with on that slick path.

  I dismounted and grabbed Jack’s hand. He pulled me onto the back of his horse.

  Jeremiah turned back to the men. “Lady Scarlett will stay with me and Lord Jack. The rest of your orders haven’t changed.” Then he turned down the path. Jack and I followed slowly behind, trying not to make much noise. The rain had slowed, but it still provided the noise we needed to camouflage the sound of our horses.

  After about fifteen minutes, Jeremiah suddenly stopped his horse and whispered, “Be quiet.”

  The three of us listened, and after a moment, I heard noise to our left. We all froze. It sounded like men’s voices, and they were close.

  “Should we get the others?” Jerem
iah whispered to Jack.

  Jack shook his head. “If we ride off to get them, they may hear us. We can’t risk them knowing we’re here. We will walk over to their camp on foot, and if there are too many men for us to handle, we’ll go back to get the others. But if there are only a few, we can take them ourselves.”

  Jeremiah nodded and dismounted. Jack helped me off our horse and set me silently on the ground. The three of us crept slowly toward the loud voices of men coming from a small clearing. It sounded like they were arguing.

  When we were about thirty feet away from their camp, Jeremiah turned to me. “Here, take this.” He handed me a sword in its sheath. “In case you need it. But, for your safety, please stay away from the camp. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  I nodded. “All right.”

  We walked silently up the small clearing until we were close enough to see Elsa and Sabine lying on the ground, huddled together. We counted the men in the camp. There were three. We should have known it was a trap. Duke Aaron would never send only three men to pick up his daughters.

  Jack motioned Jeremiah forward. They were going to rescue the girls by themselves. I believed they could take the three men on their own — Jeremiah was very skilled in combat —but I was still frightened for them.

  I stayed back in the cover of the trees as Jack and Jeremiah approached the clearing.

  Jack stepped on a stick, and it broke with a loud snap. The men’s arguing ceased.

  I bit my lip and waited.

  “Who is there?” one of the men called.

  We said nothing.

  “I said, who’s there?” he demanded. “Tom, is it you?”

  There was another one?

  The three men grabbed the two sleeping princesses and dragged them up onto horses.

  “Stop!” Elsa cried. “I demand you let us go!”

  “Be quiet!” one of the men said. They tried to mount in front of the girls, but Jack and Jeremiah ran out from the trees, their swords drawn.

  “Lord Jack!” Sabine cried.

  The three men were quick to draw their swords, and they met Jack and Jeremiah in the middle of the clearing. They went at each other with blow after blow. I stood hidden, as Jeremiah had requested, and I clasped the sword in my hands so tightly it hurt.