As Gabe was turning his horse around, Petra came running out of the kitchen.
“Wait!” She thrust a cloth bag into Gabe’s hand. “If you run into trouble, there is a safe place you can go. It’s about three days’ ride from here, to the north. Locals call it the Cottage of the Seven. It’s in a glen on the east side of the river.”
Gabe nodded.
“Ask for Dominyk the Wise and the Cottage of the Seven if you get lost.”
Gabe was already riding across the yard and into the woods. Her words followed him away from the castle.
In a few moments he was at the clearing.
Was this a trap? Or had the huntsman actually set him free from the dungeon in hopes he’d rescue Sophie? God answered prayers in the strangest ways sometimes.
But there was no scullary maid tied to a tree in the clearing. The only sign that Lorencz may have been telling the truth were ropes at the base of a large tree.
“Sophie?” he called quietly, keeping alert in case the duchess had planned an ambush. “Sophie, where are you?”
Now that you’ve given me another chance, God, please don’t let me fail. I can’t fail again.
Sophie trembled from behind the tree as she watched Gabe frantically searching the clearing and calling for her. Until his intentions were clear, she intended to stay put.
Her head still hurt from where Lorencz had slammed her against the tree trunk. She had wakened to find herself tied up and him holding his knife against her throat. The huntsman’s eyes had held the same darkness she’d seen on Duchess Ermengard’s face so many times before, and she was sure he would kill her.
But then Lorencz dropped the knife. He looked at her as if she’d suddenly grown wings and feathers, backing away from her slowly and shaking his head. “I can’t do it,” he whispered. “Oh, God, I can’t do it.” Then he’d turned and stumbled away into the trees.
When her vision stopped spinning, she squatted down, stretched her arm, and managed to reach his knife with one of her fingers. Slowly, she nudged the handle close enough to grasp it. She’d freed herself from the ropes just as she heard a horse’s hooves approaching, and she ran into the woods. When she saw it was Gabe, she’d been relieved — but only for a moment.
What was he doing out of the dungeon? Had he been sent to lure her into the open? She had never imagined Lorencz would slam her head against a tree, tie her up, and hold a knife on her — her mind was still reeling with the thought that he’d actually intended to kill her — so how did she know she could trust Gabe? His kind words and incredible promises could easily be a ruse.
Gabe dismounted from his horse and knelt to examine the ropes. Sophie turned and ran, still clutching the knife. She sprinted as fast as she could, bushes snatching at her clothes, limbs slapping her in the face, leaves temporarily blinding her.
Her foot caught on a root and she fell headlong to the ground, flinging Lorencz’s knife in front of her.
“Sophie, stop! It’s me, Gabe!”
She heard his horse’s hooves pounding toward her. She’d never be able to escape him on foot. She jumped up and whirled to face him, grabbing the knife off the ground, ready to defend herself however was necessary.
“Sophie, it’s all right. I’m here to help you.” He looked bewildered. “I won’t hurt you.”
She wanted to believe him, but her heart pounded in disagreement. The thought of Gabe turning against her, trying to kill her, was even worse than Lorencz’s attempt.
Although that had been enough of a shock.
Gabe leaned toward her from the back of his enormous horse. Then she noticed his cheekbone. It was bruised, scraped raw, and swollen. “When the duchess finds out that I escaped and that you’re still alive, she will kill us both. We have to make haste.”
His warm brown eyes looked so sincere, Sophie decided to take the risk. She put the knife into her pocket and placed her hand in his.
Gabe hauled her up in front of him. To remain stable, she was forced to sit astraddle like Gabe. It wasn’t proper, but it was better than getting herself and Gabe killed, and her skirt was full enough that it hid most of her legs. She adjusted it slightly just to be sure.
He slapped the reins and the horse leaped forward. The saddle was roomy, but Sophie was still practically sitting in Gabe’s lap.
“Where are we going? Where will you take me?”
“To Hagenheim, to my family.” His prickly chin brushed her cheek as he bent to speak next to her ear.
“Wait!” Her heart seized at the thought of leaving behind her beloved Gospel of Saint Luke. “I have to get something!” She looked up into his brown eyes. “Please. I need it. We have to go back.”
“We have no time as it is.” After a moment’s pause, he asked, “What is this thing you’re willing to get us killed for?”
“It’s a piece of the Bible, a section from the book of Saint Luke.”
“If we make it to Hagenheim, you can have the entire Bible. I will personally get one for you. But you won’t need the book of Saint Luke if you’re not alive to read it.”
He was right, of course. It made her ache to think of losing her precious book, the words that had comforted her through the past ten years of her life, but not enough for Gabe to lose his life retrieving it.
She turned her head and looked up at him. There was a serious look on his face, which softened when he looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry, Sophie.”
She shook her head, hoping he understood the gesture meant it didn’t matter. She was afraid if she spoke, she might choke on the words.
The bruise on his cheek was quite prominent. She wished she could hurt whoever had hurt him, wished she could command he be thrown in the worst dungeon and locked away for as long as Gabe’s bruise remained visible.
She sighed. It was a silly thought. She’d never have that kind of power. Besides, her former priest would scold her if he knew she was wishing for revenge.
As the trail grew more rugged, Sophie was thrown back into Gabe’s chest by the sudden upward charge of the horse. The spot on the back of her head where Lorencz had slammed her into the tree hit Gabe’s breastbone, sending a sharp, shooting pain through her skull. Gabe wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her snugly, and gripped the reins with his other hand. She turned her neck slightly and rested against him.
They were both silent as Gabe guided the huge horse through the dense trees.
“Are you hurt?” Gabe spoke the words by her ear, his deep voice surprising her, his warm breath like a feather against her ear.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I am well.”
“Are you sure? I can’t imagine how Lorencz managed to tie you to a tree. Did you let him do that to you?”
“Of course not.” Sophie bristled. “I was unconscious. My head hit the tree, and I blacked out.”
“You hit your head? Where?” The hand that had been around her waist was now on her head, rubbing, his fingers probing.
“Stop that.” But she couldn’t get away from his examination.
He found her injury, and she winced at the pain his touch caused.
“That’s a bad bump. It’s bloody too. Are you sure you’re well?”
It was strange he should ask, because at that moment she felt as though her last meal was trying to come back up. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths as Gabe’s arm circled her waist again. The horse’s gait jarred her head and every joint in her body. She hung her head.
“Sophie?”
His voice was so kind and gentle. Will Valten’s voice be as gentle as Gabe’s? She rested her head against Gabe’s chest again and breathed deliberately and slowly. Gradually the sick feeling in her stomach subsided. But she didn’t lift her head from his chest. It was too hard to try to hold herself steady against the horse’s jolting gait.
Gabe had said he was taking her to his home, to his family. As she rested against him, holding her hand over the wooden cross around her neck, a sense of joy and peace bloomed
inside her. If they were able to escape the duchess’s guards, she would be free from Duchess Ermengard. She would see the sun and feel it on her skin, have the freedom she’d always lacked. Her dream was coming true. And Gabe was taking her to her betrothed. She would marry Gabe’s brother and then they would be family.
“I’ve never had a brother before.”
Gabe tightened his grip around her waist. He seemed so intent on getting them as far away from the castle as quickly as he could, she wasn’t sure if he’d even heard what she’d said. But then he pulled on the big horse’s reins and stopped.
“Sorry, but I have to let you down for a moment. Can you stand?”
She nodded.
He let Sophie slip off the saddle, then he dismounted and stepped toward a half-fallen-down wooden structure amongst the trees. Sophie watched curiously as he went inside then came back out with a large leather pouch and a crossbow he slung over his back by a strap around his shoulder.
Tall, with his head high and a grim, determined glint in his eye, he looked quite capable of keeping her safe.
He strapped the leather pouch tightly to the back of the saddle, next to a cloth bundle she hadn’t noticed earlier. “Where did you get that?”
“The cook handed it to me as I was leaving. I hope it’s full of food.” He helped Sophie back on to the horse, then hauled himself up to sit behind her once more.
Knowing Petra, the bundle was filled with food, the kind that would not spoil on a long journey. Petra always did like to show her love by feeding people.
They pressed onward once more. She was nestled against Gabe’s chest again — not an unpleasant place to be at all, she discovered. With his arm circling her waist, she felt safe.
“Gabe, does the duchess know you’re helping me? Will her guards be after us?”
“I hope she thinks I’m still in her dungeon, and that you’re dead. It could buy us some time, because as soon as she finds me gone, she’ll send her guards. And she may wonder if you’re still alive when she discovers Lorencz has disappeared.”
“Did he leave?”
“Yes. The way he took off, I don’t think he’ll be back.”
“Good. I never want to see him again.” Sophie suppressed a shudder as she pictured his face again just before he smashed her head against the tree. “How did you get out of the dungeon?”
“Lorencz. He let me out.”
“Oh.” Perhaps Lorencz was repentant. She hoped so. For his sake.
They’d been traveling since before midday, and the sun had already sunk behind a peak at his left shoulder. Gabe pushed Gingerbread to get as far away from Hohendorf as possible before nightfall. The duchess had probably discovered him missing by now. If so, her guards could easily catch up to them at any minute. Then again, they would probably have some trouble tracking them, since Gabe and Sophie hadn’t followed a trail, just headed in a general northerly direction. Every so often they encountered the small river that wound north and south through the mountains and forests. Whenever Gabe saw it, he knew he was going in the right direction.
Gabe was all too aware of the way Sophie felt in his arms. He kept reminding himself that she belonged to Valten, and he conjured up Brittola’s face often — as often as he started enjoying the trusting way Sophie leaned her head against his chest, the silkiness of her hair brushing his chin.
But she thought of him as a brother. And that’s just what he was, for she and Valten would be married as soon as he could get her back to Hagenheim.
It was a long way to Hagenheim, about seven days. His heart sank a bit as he thought about just how far it was. Petra had said the “Cottage of the Seven” was three days’ ride to the north. He wasn’t sure what this cottage was, but she had said it was a safe place. In three days, they would probably be in desperate need of food and a comfortable place to sleep. Sophie surely wasn’t used to sleeping outdoors, and he had precious few supplies with him. Although he doubted Sophie would complain. She had lived too hard a life to bemoan a few days of living off the land.
She was different from any other girl he had ever met.
But he couldn’t let his thoughts about Sophie distract him from his purpose, which was to keep her alive and deliver her to Valten, her betrothed. With two people on one horse, the going was slow, and if he didn’t focus, they might end up back in Hohendorf — or dead.
The terrain was getting rougher. They would have to pass through some mountains in order to get to Lower Saxony and Hagenheim. They were now on a narrow trail that led them through a valley that had fewer trees than the mountainside and was parallel to another valley where a river lay. They had only stopped briefly to let the horse rest and get a drink of water, but they hadn’t eaten, and Gabe knew they would have to soon. Sophie must be as exhausted as he was, but she hadn’t said a word. Neither of them had spoken much, in fact.
A forest-covered mountain lay just ahead, and the trail was already ascending again. They couldn’t camp here in the open expanse of the valley where there was almost no foliage. It was too dangerous. Perhaps after they got to the other side of the mountain they would find a sheltered spot. It would be a cool night, unfortunately, but they would have to do without a fire. With all the wolves around, he would try to sleep sitting up, with his crossbow in his lap.
Sophie had gone limp, her head bobbing on his chest. She must have fallen asleep. He forced himself to focus on the trail, which had grown slippery with wet, moldy leaves that covered the path as it grew steeper. Gingerbread was surefooted for such a big beast, but he was slipping more often than not, and Gabe hoped the trail would soon level off.
Just then, Gabe heard a crisp whoosh and felt something hit, hard, against the crossbow strapped across his back.
He turned his head and saw the butt of an arrow sticking out behind him.
If not for the heavy wood and iron of his crossbow, the arrow would have gone right through his body.
Chapter 9
Gabe kicked his heels into his horse’s sides as he turned his head again and saw his foe. Through a break in the trees, a man on horseback raced across the valley they had just left. He would close in on them in no time.
Gabe urged Gingerbread to hurry, but speed only seemed to make his hooves slip even more on the steep hillside.
If the man following them was using a crossbow, he’d have to stop to reload. But if he was firing at them with a longbow, he could keep shooting. Gabe couldn’t risk looking behind again, but he’d soon know.
Another arrow whooshed by his ear. Longbow. God help us. Gabe leaned lower, pressing Sophie securely between his arms as he held onto the reins with both hands. She lifted her head and looked up at him, wide awake now. She leaned her head to one side to look behind him, but he pushed her back in front of him. “Someone’s shooting at us. You’d better move your arms.”
Another arrow whistled by. Sophie jerked her left arm and gasped. She tucked her arm against her stomach, a flash of bright red on her torn sleeve.
They had to get out of the valley, had to find cover, or they would be dead in a matter of minutes. Not to mention that their pursuer could hit Gingerbread, may have already wounded him.
Gabe prodded Gingerbread off the trail, and they plunged between trees, dodging limbs. Gabe kept Sophie snug between his body and the horse’s neck.
He sensed the animal’s nervousness at their breakneck speed between dangerously close tree trunks. They continued their climb up the mountain, but at a more managable angle. Gingerbread was slipping less now, but sometimes the tree limbs were coming at him so fast Gabe couldn’t see where they were going.
God, please guide this horse.
They were crashing through the woods with such noise, their pursuer couldn’t fail to hear exactly where they were if he stopped to listen. But it couldn’t be helped. Until Gabe could find a likely place for them to hide.
He glanced down at Sophie’s arm. The red stain was growing bigger, but there was no arrow sticking out of the wo
und. That was good. Perhaps it had only grazed her.
Gabe glanced around, frantically looking for someplace they could take refuge. He tried to listen, to detect how far behind them their attacker was — or attackers, since he wasn’t sure how many there were — but he couldn’t hear anything except Gingerbread’s crashing hooves as he smashed through dead limbs. Green boughs were pushed aside by the horse’s powerful shoulders. Gabe was thankful he had taken Gingerbread, his destrier, rather than the smaller gelding in his father’s stable who would have tired much more easily with two riders on his back.
Just in front of him, Gabe glimpsed a ravine. He couldn’t see the bottom of it, and it pitched almost straight down, but it might be their only escape.
He steered the horse toward the edge. Gingerbread hesitated only a moment, then stepped off. Immediately his hooves began to slide. Had Gabe made a mistake? Gabe and Sophie leaned to the left as the horse’s body leaned precariously to the right. All four of his hooves were sliding down the steep, leaf-covered embankment. The horse began to fight for footing. Gabe let go of the reins and wrapped both his arms around Sophie as the horse began to topple over.
Gabe yanked his right leg up and pulled Sophie with him to the left, barely escaping being pinned underneath the huge horse. Gabe’s feet hit the ground, almost gently, as the horse came out from under him and slid helplessly down the steep bank, struggling to get to his feet all the while.
Gabe set Sophie on her feet, not aware that he had been holding her completely off the ground until that moment. She clung to his neck, her eyes wide. Then Gabe grabbed her hand and they headed down into the deep ravine, into darkness, after his tumbling horse.
Sophie held tight to Gabe’s hand as they hurried down the steep hill, their feet slipping and sliding. Sophie fell to one hip but jumped back to her feet, following Gabe down into the dark ravine.
God, please help us escape. She knew Gabe was hoping their attacker wouldn’t realize they’d come down this way, and it did seem like a good place to hide. But it also seemed a likely place for a bear’s den or a wolf’s lair. Only God knew what they would find at the bottom.
The Fairest Beauty Page 10