“Try to relax,” Sivar comforted, patting the back of her hand reassuringly. “If the Duke is half the man everyone claims he is, he will make sure our parents are safe.”
“You don’t believe that,” Kaori gently rested her palm against the side of Sivar’s face, cupping his cheek lightly. She needed to be careful not to push him away too quickly. “I can tell you don’t trust him. What I do not understand is why. Has he given you reason to doubt him?”
Frustrated, Sivar moved away, clasping his hands behind his back in a rigid stance, shaking his head sadly. “He has given me no reason to distrust him, I simply do not like leaving sensitive matters in the hands of a man I barely know. The Duke may be friends with our parents, but I know very little about him beyond the rumors which abound regarding his past. While our father believes him an honorable man, I question the Duke’s motives. Especially with you.”
“What are these rumors you have heard?”
“None of them are appropriate for the ears of a lady,” Sivar waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry yourself on it. Dinner will be ready soon and we cannot let Uncle Mudel know anything is awry.”
His heart was in the right place. Kaori felt bad knowing that she was planning to deceive Sivar when he was doing so much to try and ease her spirits. But there was no way around it. She needed to get going soon before Therek got too far away. “Sivar.” The name came from her lips, barely above a whisper, though loud enough to catch her brother’s attention. He turned to face her, the grey light from his eyes staring at her with concern through the darkness.
“What is it?”
“I do not feel up to conversation with Uncle Mudel. Do you think you could have my dinner brought to me here? I need some time to think on what has happened before I can face anyone.”
Sivar’s eyes dimmed for a moment. Suspicious. He doubted her intentions already. Kaori’s heart seemed to sink in her chest, afraid that he would deny her request and call her out on her deception. He drew in a breath as if preparing to speak before releasing it again, his shoulders bowed forward, dispirited. “You know he will ask questions.”
“Then tell him I have a headache – or make up something about my injury. Tell him the stitches are giving me pain and I did not wish to walk the distance to the dining hall.”
“You want me to lie for you?”
“It is not a lie. I told you that I am not feeling well, and it is true.”
She watched the light from his eyes, waiting for a sign that he might bend to her request. She was stubborn, and he knew it. For him to continue arguing was futile. It was just a matter of how long he was willing to drag it out. To her delight, he seemed to have little fight in him. “Fine,” he sighed heavily, revealing his discontent. “I will tell Uncle Mudel that you are not feeling well, but I am going to have one of the servants come here to sit with you while you eat. I would prefer not to leave you alone.”
Damn. That would make her plan more difficult. But not impossible. She could work around it. “I understand,” she replied, hoping her excitement couldn’t be heard in her words. A part of her took a strange pleasure in her plan. The thrill of knowing that what she was about to do was wrong in so many ways, yet she didn’t care. This wasn’t a matter of being a lady. It was a matter of saving her parents’ lives.
Begrudgingly, Sivar made his way out of the room, granting Kaori the moment of privacy she’d been waiting for. There wasn’t much time. Gathering her strength, she rose to her feet, grimacing from the pain the motion created in her ankle, stretching the sutures uncomfortably. She had to get out the window before the servant came in and caught her in the act. Teeth gritted, she dragged her injured leg behind her, shuffling noisily over to the glass. Her fingers found the latch instantly, pulling on it, the soft click like music to her ears. Stealing a glance toward the door she pushed the window outward, feeling the cool evening breeze on her face. She grabbed at her skirts, grateful that the opening wasn’t too far off the ground. It would be a bit of a drop, but if she was careful, it wouldn’t be dangerous.
Bracing herself, she brought her right foot up to step over the sill. Her foot dangled over the ledge, too far off the ground to feel the grass underneath. This was going to take more work than she thought. Fingers clutched tightly around the frame she settled herself on the wooden sill, her lithe body easily capable of bringing the other leg through, bending at an awkward angle to slip down to the ground below. The fabric of her dress caught on the rough wood, hindering her progress only briefly before she heard it rip, leaving a swatch of material behind. It would be an obvious clue to where she had gone. At the moment she couldn’t worry about it. The stable was on the other side of the house. Time was against her in getting to the horses before someone discovered her absence and came to stop her.
Her pulse raced. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt her heart beat so quickly, making her dizzy. The only thing which revived her was the chill in the air, sobering her frenzied mind and helping to keep her focused. It wasn’t much further. The door was in front of her, coming closer, almost within reach. There. In a blur of motion she felt the wooden latch in her hands, suddenly reminded of how heavy it was. All she needed was to get it open. There was no reason to worry about whether the door was secured when she took to the road. Once Sivar became aware of her disappearance, the stable would be the first place he’d check. He and Mudel could clean up whatever mess she left behind.
With a final groan she managed to lift the brace from its resting place. It fell to the ground at her feet with a loud thud, nearly landing on her toes in her haste to get inside. Ignoring the near blunder, she pushed the door open, stepping over the discarded wood to find her way to the stalls. Mudel didn’t own many horses, but the ones he kept on his property were all healthy and capable of making the trip she required of them. There wasn’t time to be picky. The lock on the first stall was practically useless, the tiny metal plate hanging from a half-dislodged nail. Wrapping her fingers over the plate, she tugged downward, feeling what was left of the nail release from the door. Inside the stall she could hear the horse moving around, no doubt startled by her hasty approach.
Slowing her motions for the sake of the animal, Kaori eased the door open, offering her hand gently to the horse. She was wasting time! Voices could already be heard coming from the house. Her absence had been discovered. “It’s alright,” she coaxed the horse, sliding her slippered feet over the hay to the animal’s side. The moment she was close enough, she grabbed onto the horse’s neck, struggling to lift herself onto its back. She would have to ride without a saddle. Another moment spent in the stall would be her downfall.
She dug her heels into the horse’s sides to send it into a wild run similar to that which had caused her injury the day before. Fingers tangled into its mane, she held on for dear life as they rushed through the stable door, the wind whipping through Kaori’s long hair. She’d made it. A door slammed at the front of the house as she reached the road, ignoring the words shouted after her into the dark. There would be time to worry about the repercussions of her actions later. Right now she needed to find Therek. Fast.
It didn’t take long for Kaori to realize a flaw in her plan. At night the roads were shrouded in shadows, making her already hazy knowledge of the route even less helpful in maneuvering the area. She couldn’t be sure which direction Therek would take to Rothdara, if he headed there directly from his meeting with Kaori and Sivar. A trip of that length would require supplies. It was possible he had gone home first before setting out on the journey.
Slowing her pace, Kaori strained her ears, listening intently for anything which might indicate Therek’s presence on the road. In the length of time between when he’d left and when she managed to find her way to the stable, she feared he could have covered too great a distance for her to catch up. She didn’t have the luxury of speed on her side. Therek would be moving quickly. The chance of finding him was unlikely.
A rustle of l
eaves nearby sent her body into a panic, pulse racing. Something was there. It moved behind her, closing the distance in the darkness. Instinctively she set her horse into motion, not wanting to stand still in fear that it might be the Emperor’s soldiers coming to take her away. It was a foolish notion. There was no reason for them to arrest her if they already had her parents. But there was no way to know if her parents had been apprehended. Would the soldiers stoop so low as to kidnap her in order to lure her parents out of hiding? She refused to wait around and see. The horse’s hooves clattered noisily along the gravel, mingling with what Kaori believed to be another not far behind. Faster. She couldn’t let them catch up.
No matter how much momentum she gathered, the person behind her seemed to get closer. She could hear them, the steps more pronounced, a loud click from the rider urging the horse to pick up speed. Looking back was out of the question. Hesitation would leave her vulnerable. Leaning forward she dug her heels into the horse’s sides, praying that it would somehow find a way to increase its speed, though she doubted it to be capable of going any faster than she already pushed. The animal was small. Fast, but not built for racing. She could already feel it starting to slow from the exertion.
She screamed to feel a hand grab at her arm, nearly causing her to tumble backward off her horse. Desperately she clung to the mane, the force of her assailant’s arm pulling her to one side. The horse reared up at the pain of her weight tearing at its hair, sending her to the ground without hope of regaining her balance on the animal. Her lungs burned as the last of her breath was pushed from her body upon impact with the ground, white specks flashing across her vision, nausea welling up in her throat. If she could have caught her breath, she might have vomited. Thankfully she couldn’t muster the strength, swallowing the bile in a painful gulp as she fought to draw in oxygen.
Through the dancing lights over her eyes, a figure came into view, pinning her to the ground with a firm grip on her wrists, the pressure of a knee upon her chest securing her in place. This is it. The soldiers have won…
Closing her eyes, she waited for the worst. She couldn’t fight from her position. Whatever heinous deeds their minds might conjure, she was powerless to stop them. Resigning herself to the fate she’d brought upon herself, she laid there, fearing the groping hands which were sure to tug at the fabric of her skirt. Instead she heard a muffled curse from her attacker, feeling the hold around her wrists lift to grant her freedom once again.
“What in Sarid’s name are you doing out here?”
Therek? Oh, gods! It was him. She’d found him! “It’s you!” she gasped, pushing at his knee to release the weight from her chest. “I thought you were one of the soldiers…”
“I thought the same of you.” Obeying her insistent gestures he shifted his weight back, allowing Kaori a chance to breathe. He looked shocked at first before slowly registering what he had done, leaning forward once again to inspect her for injuries. “You could have been killed. Are you hurt? Can you stand?”
She wanted to laugh. Relief made her giddy, clouding her mind. “I am capable of standing, yes. I suspect the doctor would disapprove, however.”
Wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead Therek frowned. “The doctor is not going to have a say in the matter. Does your brother know where you are?”
“By now I am certain he has determined my intended destination.”
“And where exactly would that be? If you were aiming for Rothdara, you made a wrong turn a ways back.”
“You have been following me?” She stared at him in disbelief. How had she missed him? And why would he chase after her for so long before making his presence known. If she’d made a wrong turn, he placed himself off course by continuing to follow.
Jaw clenched, lips pursed, he said nothing. His hand extended toward her, helping to pull her from her back and to her feet, steadying her to support the weight of her injured ankle. Carefully he watched, searching her posture for any sign of injury she might attempt to conceal. Once content that she was safe he shook his head, exhaling a long, contemplative breath. “I suspected I was being followed. Your odd behavior made it clear you were looking for someone on the road. I blamed your improper sense of direction on the fact that you had taken note of my presence behind you.”
“So you thought it appropriate to chase me down and throw me from my horse?”
“I considered you a possible threat.”
“Yes, I can see where I am quite intimidating,” she huffed, brushing the dirt from her dress. Her body ached all over. Two falls in two days was beginning to take its toll on her. “I wanted to come with you to search for my parents.”
“It is too dangerous. I told you to stay in Siundel with your brother.”
“And what? Wait for news of my parents’ execution?”
Therek’s lips parted, his words lost briefly while he stared at her, awed by her tenacity. “Are you always this stubborn?”
Her anger was waning along with the throbbing in her back. She couldn’t blame him for being cautious. It merely seemed odd that he was prepared to strike at the Emperor’s men simply for the sake of her family.
Thinking on his question, she pondered how to respond. Recalling the words he’d spoken at the ball she gave a soft smirk, tilting her chin upward to catch his eye. “Some men might call it charming, in which case, yes. I am.”
Taken aback by her odd sense of humor, he blinked, squinting at her, as if it would somehow help him to deduce whether she spoke in jest or intended the comment as an insult. She took mild pride in discovering her ability to throw him off his guard. It seemed an accomplishment to ruffle a man of his station. “You are a strange woman,” he shook his head, lost as to what he could possibly say in response to her retort. “I have yet to decide if that is a good thing. Regardless, it does not change the fact that you have placed me in a delicate position. You must be returned home but I cannot risk losing any more time.”
“That is a simple solution, Your Grace. Take me with you.” It was a challenge. One she hoped he would accept. She wasn’t going to give him another choice.
“I cannot do that, Milady.”
“Why? Are you not capable of protecting me?” She cringed inside at the insult her comment brought with it. But what else could she do? If she backed down, he would send her off to Siundel and she would never have a chance to help her parents. She couldn’t let that happen.
Stepping away from her, Therek moved toward his horse, clearly perturbed. His gait was stiffer than usual, revealing a hint of agitation though saying nothing in defense of his own abilities. In a fluid motion he lifted himself onto the animal, pausing for a moment to stare at her. She couldn’t read his expression. It was a combination of respect and frustration, his brow furrowed irritably. “Very well,” he replied coolly. With practiced ease he guided the horse forward, extending his hand toward her. “I must insist you ride with me. We can worry about your uncle’s horse later.”
It was the best she was going to get. Further argument would more than likely result in his denial of her request altogether. Without hesitation she accepted his hand, impressed by the ease with which he lifted her from the ground, boosting her onto the saddle behind him. He released her quickly to take the reins once again, the horse jerking into motion as they continued down the road.
Unbalanced by her awkward position, Kaori wrapped her arms around Therek’s waist, feeling his muscles tense at her touch. She knew it wasn’t appropriate to take such liberties without his permission, but it seemed necessary. The saddle wasn’t intended for use by two people. If she didn’t find something to hold, she would find herself flat on her back again. The thought alone made her body ache. She wasn’t sure she would be able to get up from a third fall so easily.
They rode on in silence through most of the night. Kaori was vigilant, searching the darkness for signs that might tell of her parents’ recent passing. She worried they might have somehow bypassed them on the road and that her parents
were waiting at Therek’s home while she was all the way in Rothdara. But they weren’t to Rothdara yet and she hoped Therek would find his courier and discover the whereabouts of her parents before they had need to travel so far. By the time morning came, they were already through Voiene, nearing the outskirts of a small village in Kisina. Her eyes drooped, sleep threatening to take over while her precarious position on the horse forced her to stay awake.
Their pace slowed significantly by mid-morning, Therek’s posture less rigid than before, exhaustion leaving him more relaxed. “We should have found something by now,” he mumbled, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. “Even if the courier failed to intercept them, he would have returned immediately upon arriving at Rothdara and seeing the guards. Our paths should have crossed between here and Voiene.”
“Is it possible they took a different route?”
“Not likely. The main roads are the safest. Your parents would not have taken any chances.”
He was doing nothing to console her. In many ways it was a good thing, though she wished he could give her a single assurance that everything was going to be alright. Why did he have to be so honest? Or perhaps his lack of sleep caused him to forget that she may need consolation?
Tightening her arms around Therek’s waist she tried to fight back the terrible images running rampant in her mind. She feared not only for her parents but for the safety of the courier. What if the soldiers were watching for them? They might have stopped the carriage and taken her parents into custody long before they came anywhere near Rothdara. The courier could easily have been caught in the crossfire if he tried to interfere with the arrest.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Four: In the Beginning Page 14