Nathan took a great drink from his canteen. “Then we will do the same.” He squinted at Danni in the moon’s dim light. She was nearly asleep upright. “I will set up your tent and—”
“No,” she panted. She took her blankets, spread them out, and fell asleep on them before he could say more.
A horse neighed and Nathan squinted through the darkness toward where the horses rested. He wished he had more horses to get his group to safety. His mind began to spin. He didn’t need to get his entire group to Norlin—just Danni. Lord Donavan wanted her, not the others.
Nathan held out his arm and stopped Lane as he passed.
Lane turned brooding eyes to him.
“I have to get Danni to safety.” He looked around and found Will, Edward, and Garin listening to his words. Doc, Peter, and Colter were also near enough to hear, though they continued their work in the faint light. “Lord Donavan wants her, not us. Before dawn tomorrow, I will take her to Norlin ahead of the rest of you. We will take the riding horses, which leaves you little means to scout.” He glanced at the others who nodded pensively. It was risky, but they seemed to understand the necessity. “You will still have to move fast. I hope you can reach the city before they do. Without Danni, you can travel faster. She is too small and exhausted.”
Lane’s frown deepened. Then he nodded. “It is the best you can do.”
“I will leave you in charge. Get the men moving early. Stop when you must. Danni and I will hide out in Norlin until the army has passed.”
Lane agreed to meet them a mile-and-a-half beyond the city along the northern road. When all was settled, the men retired for the night, with Nathan and Doc taking first watch.
∞∞∞
Danni slept soundly, unaware even of her dreams. Then as through a fog, she felt someone shake her shoulder. She moaned and rolled over. The shaking continued and she heard her name.
“Danni…” Nathan’s voice. It couldn’t be him already. Her legs ached and her eyelids were too heavy to open, so she left them closed.
“Danni. It is time. We must go!” He shook her shoulder again.
She rolled back over and forced her eyes to open. At first she could see nothing in the near-darkness, then his silhouette appeared.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I know it is early and I wish I could let you sleep longer, but I dare not.”
“I know.” She yawn and blinked to clear her vision. “I am coming.”
She gathered her bedding, then stumbled into Peter who passed near her, also packing things. Edward handed her a cold biscuit and some water which she tried to balance while still holding her bedding, then Nathan pulled her away from the group and toward the clearing. The sky lightened in preparation for dawn and her surroundings came into clearer view.
“You and I will take the horses and hurry to Norlin. You will be safe there while we wait for the enemy to pass through.”
She couldn’t believe he wanted to leave the others. “Nathan…”
“They want you. And besides, the others will be able to travel faster without—” He stopped as though realizing what he was about to say.
“…without me.” She knew she was small and couldn’t travel as fast as the men. She had tried her best to keep up and not slow them down, but she knew she had anyway.
Nathan put his arm out to stop her. “Where are the horses?”
Danni peered through the pre-dawn light. She didn’t know where the horses had been tied the previous night, but they were not in the clearing. “Where were they tied?”
“Edward!” Nathan ran back to where the men readied themselves. Danni dropped her things and stumbled after him.
“Edward!” he called again. “Where did you tie the horses?”
Edward paused with a biscuit raised to his mouth. “Just in that clearing.”
“They aren’t there.”
“What?” Edward stood. “I tied them myself. They have to be there.”
“They are not.”
The men ran past Danni to where the horses should have been. The sky lightened even more and she knew they had lost precious time.
“Did anyone see or hear anything in the night?” Nathan asked them.
They all shook their heads.
“Edward, are you sure you tied them securely?”
“Yes, Nate. I am sure!” Edward glared at him.
Nathan let out a frustrated breath. Danni watched his lips form a hard line and his jaw clench. His fear brought a lump to her throat that she could barely draw a breath around. Without the horses, they were not going to make it—and he knew it.
The men raced off to search in different directions. Danni took a step to help, but Nathan grasped her arm. “You stay with me. Let’s go this way.”
They searched for a quarter of an hour but didn’t find the horses. The men returned with little to report.
Nathan remained silent for a moment. “We have to move on. We cannot spare any more time.”
Edward and Garin gathered the few supplies that had been unloaded from the horses the night before and slung the packs over their shoulders while Nathan sent Will and Colter off as scouts. Then they hurried off.
“I am sorry, Danni.” Nathan urged her along. “I had hoped to let you ride to safety.”
“It is fine. I will keep up.” She dared not waste any more breath.
They continued their race against their enemy, and she felt the knot of fear in her stomach expand.
Will returned from scouting with an ill report. “They are less than a half-day behind us. They are traveling fast—faster than yesterday.”
Nathan grunted, took Danni’s hand, and quickened his pace. She had to practically run to keep up with him, but the fear that pulsed through her body gave her the strength to push forward.
The sun rose in full and started its journey across the sky. She felt it tick the day away, bringing the men and her fate ever nearer.
Chapter 20
Nathan pushed his group on. He knew every step that Danni took was a struggle. She couldn’t keep pace much longer. He wished again that he had been able to take her on the horses.
He couldn’t figure out how the horses had escaped. Edward said he had tied them securely and Nathan had no reason to doubt him. It was possible that Edward had simply been careless in his exhaustion. Perhaps someone else untied the horses after Edward secured them. He trusted his men, though. They shared the common goal of returning Danni safely to the Central Palace, and all their lives were at risk if she was caught. The timing, however, was too suspicious for it to be an accident.
Perhaps someone from Donavan’s group had snuck up on them in the night and freed the horses to slow them down. His men had kept watch all night and no one had heard or seen anything unless someone had fallen asleep on watch. There were so many questions and possibilities, but no answers would bring the horses back.
Nathan listened to Danni’s heavy breathing as they walked, and tried to judge her condition. He only stopped when he knew she could not go on. No matter how fast they traveled or how briefly they stopped, the army closed in. Half-a-day’s journey behind. Three hours. One hour.
His legs felt like jelly by early afternoon and every small rise in the road felt like a huge hill. He knew his eyes must be red from stress and little sleep. His temper, so rarely seen, boiled below the surface as the great weight and responsibility of leadership bore down on him.
“Nate, this is senseless!” Will stepped before him and forced him to stop. “They are right on top of us. We cannot outrun them, they are faster. You must think of something else!”
“I know that, Will!” Nathan knew he shouldn’t let his frustration out on Will, but he felt so trapped with no means to protect those in his care. “If you have a solution, by all means bring it forward, otherwise don’t waste my time!”
“Nate.” Lane placed a firm hand on his chest and spoke in a calculating voice. “Will is right. We cannot outrun them.”
Nathan gla
red at his cousin, but held his tongue in hopes that Lane’s careful thinking could help them. “What do you suggest?”
Lane took a deep breath. His gaze never left Nathan’s. “We have to confuse them and throw them off her trail.”
“How do we do that?” Will asked. “We would have to split up, or something.”
Nathan shook his head, not at all pleased with the idea.
Peter hobbled over, his limp more pronounced from overexertion. “You cannot hope to fight them. They would destroy us in a few moments and then they would have her and the ring. I don’t like it either, but I think they might be right.”
Nathan’s voice rose. “It will weaken us to split up.”
“Listen, Nate.” Lane placed both his hands on Nathan’s shoulders. “They know you are the leader. They will follow you, assuming Danni would be with you. Will and I could take her with us. I know this area. There is an alternate route into the city. It isn’t used often because the trail is harder and longer. You could cover our tracks and lead them into the city.” His eyes held a desperation that Nathan had never seen him express before. “It is the only way to keep her safe!”
Nathan ground his teeth together while he thought over Lane’s plan. He hated it—hated the thought of separating from Danni—but he had no other option. The army would reach them in a few minutes. “I don’t like it—at all.”
“No one wants to split up,” Will said, “but it might save Danni!”
Nathan growled and kicked at a rock in the road. He could not let them split up.
“Nate.” Lane’s voice was calm and serious again. “Think of Emma. You couldn’t save her, but you can save Danni. It is your duty.”
Lane’s words cut Nathan like a sharp knife. Emma. She was dead because of him. He couldn’t let Danni meet the same fate.
He did not want to split up, especially if Danni wouldn’t be with him. It felt wrong, but perhaps those thoughts were his deep feelings for her trying to surface. He had to protect the group as a whole and there seemed few other choices. They might be able to fight them off until they reached the city and then lose them once they got there, but he knew it was risky. The soldiers would likely kill them all before they even set eyes on the city—especially if there were even fewer of them. Separating was risky too, but if he could draw the enemy off and allow Danni some time to escape, then it wouldn’t matter what happened to him.
“Fine.” He tried to ignore the great pit in his gut. “Lane, Will, take Danni and go. Peter, Colter, go with them. The rest of us will cover your tracks and continue on the road.” Before Lane or Will could move to obey, Nathan seized them by their shirt fronts. “Do everything you can to keep her safe. Do you understand me?” He tried to make his words sound harsh and commanding, but his voice cracked and sounded far more like a desperate man’s plea.
They nodded, their eyes wide.
He released them and turned to Danni. Never had anything in his life seemed as hard as letting her go at that moment. She was in danger and he had to let her walk away. He had to leave her in someone else’s hands, not knowing whether she would be safe. He yearned to take her in his arms and carry her off to some mystical haven where no one could ever harm her or disturb them, but he knew that wasn’t possible.
She blinked up at him and he felt his heart rend in two. He could no longer deny the intense emotions within him. She meant everything to him and he would not be able to bear his life without her in it. Nor could he bear the thought of dying before they had the chance to explore their love for each other. He pulled her to him and felt her body tremble against his own.
“It will be all right.” He stroked her hair, not sure if he could really promise such a thing. So much could happen while they were apart. He hoped she, at least, would be well. He would likely be overcome and killed, but if she survived… “I will see you tomorrow.” He released her and turned to Will and Lane. “When you make it to the city, lay low. When all is clear, get through the city, take the north road, go a mile-and-a-half, and wait for us there. If we don’t come …get her to James.”
He shuddered at the finality he felt as he watched Danni move away with Will, Lane, Peter, and Colter.
He wiped at something irritating his eye, then turned to the others. “Cover their tracks and then we must go.”
They did their best to erase any trace of the path the others had taken, then continued on the road toward Norlin.
Not even ten minutes later Lord Donavan’s men galloped into view, their riders clad in full armor. Nathan drew his sword, and the others followed. Then as one, they broke into a full run toward the city wall.
An arrow whistled over Nathan’s head and impaled a tree not four paces before him. More arrows whizzed nearby. A horse and rider barreled down upon him and he stopped to face him. The rider bellowed and swung his sword. Nathan ducked, but his opponent must have anticipated it, for his swing went low, but Nathan deflected it with his own sword. The great weapon’s force unbalanced him and he stumbled as the horse galloped on. He steadied himself and prepared for his next opponent. A massive blade swung through the air. Nathan spread his feet and positioned his sword to meet the blow. Steel met steel with a great clash. The force knocked him to the ground.
He rolled in the dust, scrambled to his knees, then lunged at the horse and buried his sword in its thigh. The horse reared and let out an unearthly shriek that reverberated in Nathan’s ears. Then it fell and crushed its rider.
The soldiers advanced. There wasn’t time to look after his companions. He hoped they reached the city and found shelter. He might not be so lucky.
A rider leapt from his horse into Nathan’s path. Nathan studied him for a brief moment, then raised his sword, ready for the fight. The soldier also stepped into position, then charged with power and speed. Nathan met the attack. Their swords clashed again and again. Nathan advanced and forced his foe toward the city wall. The man stumbled under the fury of Nathan’s attack and fell backward to the ground. Nathan strode forward and buried his sword in the man’s chest.
He wiped sweat from his brow and braced for another fight.
Two riders pursued him, one on either side. He ducked and threw his body against a horse which veered and then turned completely to avoid hitting the city wall. A searing pain coursed through Nathan’s left arm, but he ignored it, raced through a gate, and disappeared into the bustle and chaos of the street market.
The rider—and indeed the whole group—pulled back and left the city gate the way they had come. Their retreat confused him. They shouldn’t have given up so easily. As desperately as Lord Donavan wanted Danni and the ring, he expected them to continue in pursuit until they had her. Something was wrong, though he couldn’t place what. The ache in his arm intensified until he could no longer ignore it. He glanced down. The muscle of his upper arm had a large gash that appeared deep enough to reach his bone. Blood dripped heavily from the torn flesh. With nothing to staunch the flow, he covered it with his other hand and went off to find his companions.
He saw Edward and Garin in the city center and hurried to catch up to them.
Edward stripped off his tunic when he saw Nathan’s arm and wrapped it around his wound.
Garin removed his belt and tied the tunic on. “We need to find Doc.”
“We need to learn why they turned back!” Nathan ignored their fussing. “I fear they know Danni is with the others.”
They spotted Doc who ran across the market square to meet them. He balked at Nathan’s bandaged arm and the blood covering him. “I must tend to your wound.”
“There isn’t time.” Nathan brushed Doc’s concerned hands away. “We need to see what they are up to. We have to keep them from finding the others.”
“We need to take care of you,” Doc insisted. “You have lost a lot of blood.”
Nathan closed his eyes and sighed. He felt strength slip from his wound, and knew he needed to rest, but not while the others were in danger. “Edward, Garin, look
for the army. Doc, see what you can do to clean this up.”
Half-an-hour later, Doc had tended to his wound, cleaned it, and rebandaged it. Nathan shook with exhaustion, but dared not rest until he received word from Edward and Garin.
They returned twenty minutes later with nothing to report. There was no word of the soldiers entering the city. Night was nearly upon them and Nathan could hardly stand, so he decided to find a place to spend the night.
Chapter 21
Danni’s eyes remained fixed on Nathan while Will led her away. She already dreaded leaving him, but she had seen something in his eyes when he let her go that truly frightened her. She had seen pain so intense that he had turned away and let her go because he couldn’t bear it.
She gasped. He wasn’t going to make it! He knew the army would overtake them and he wasn’t likely to survive.
Will’s hand tightened around hers. “Are you all right?”
She watched Nathan until the road curved into the hills. When he was gone, an uncontrolled panic swelled deep inside her and her body went cold. She shook Will’s hand away from hers and tried to run back to Nathan. Will grabbed her and held her back, though she fought him.
She tried to cry out for Nathan, hoping to see him run back to her, but it came out as nothing more than a sob.
“It’s all right.” Will tried to contain her flailing arms. “I will keep you safe.”
She wasn’t worried about her own safety. She pulled her gaze away from the hill Nathan had vanished behind. Will’s concerned blue eyes steadied her. “We have to go back, Will! We have to protect him!”
Will studied her face, then swallowed. “Nathan is a skilled fighter. He will be all right. The others, too.”
She sensed his hesitation. “You don’t believe that. You fear for them.”
“Danni.” Will grasped both her gloved hands. “We are all in danger right now, but what really matters is your safety. You bear the ring and the hope and future of so many lives. You must be kept safe.” He pulled her forward. “Please. We must go.”
The Power of The Ruby Ring Page 10