Warrior of Fire

by Michelle Willingham

  What was happening with the Norman soldiers? She had heard no sounds of fighting, nothing at all to suggest that Raine was in danger. He must know the men, she reasoned. Else they would have continued their attack.

  But her sense that all was not right only heightened. She kept her attention on Aoife, hoping the woman could continue walking. And in the meantime, she prayed that Raine would return to them.

  * * *

  Raine faced his commander and regarded him. ‘You were supposed to remain behind us. Lady Carice doesn’t know where we are travelling, but she saw your men.’

  ‘It won’t matter in another day,’ Sir Darren countered.

  No, but if Carice realised how far to the east they had travelled, she would refuse to go any farther. ‘I have kept my word to bring her with me. Wait for us at Tara, and we will join you there.’

  His commander didn’t seem to trust him at all. ‘We will continue to follow you, but I will order my men to wait—for now. You should know that we encountered her father’s men. I made an agreement with Brian Faoilin to help him search for her.’

  Raine kept his face neutral, though he suspected that Sir Darren’s patience was waning. But neither did he want Carice to learn the truth until it was necessary. ‘I will not abandon my duty. But Lady Carice is unwell. She needs another day or two to rest before we can leave.’

  Sir Darren shook his head. ‘I have more men already gathered at Tara. We cannot delay for too long, for I have someone on the inside who may be of use to us.’

  A traitor, he meant. Raine’s mouth tightened, and he gave a nod. Sir Darren would not hesitate to use any advantage he held.

  The knight’s gaze sharpened upon Raine. ‘I saw the way you kissed her. You’ve grown too close to her. What will you do when you have to leave her with Rory Ó Connor?’

  He would slit the High King’s throat before he’d allow the old man to touch Carice. But his commander was right—Raine had to let her go. He’d slept hard with her fragile body against his own. It had felt right to hold her in his arms. And when she had spoken of ending her own life, the idea had filled him with dread.

  He understood suffering. There were moments when he’d been recovering from the burn wounds when he’d longed for a respite from the endless pain. But he’d fought back to regain his strength. He would never consider seeking his own death, for his sisters were relying upon him.

  After his mother had taken her life, the priests would not allow her to be buried upon consecrated ground. Her body had been placed near the woods, far away from the family graves, and all of her possessions had been seized by King Henry’s men. Raine had been left to grieve for a woman who had loved her husband more than her children. He had not been able to forgive her for making that choice, and he would never let Carice even consider the idea of suicide.

  He changed the subject, wanting to divert Sir Darren’s attention away from Carice. ‘Why did your men attack that woman? Were they so desperate to harm a woman expecting a child?’

  Sir Darren shrugged. ‘Her men attacked ours, and we retaliated. She has wealth, so we thought of ransoming her. My men raided their wagons and found gold. She was merely a distraction.’

  ‘I thought you had more control over your men than that, Darren,’ he said softly. ‘They’re turning into common thieves.’

  His commander stared at him, his expression stony. ‘They are away from their homes and families. So long as they obey my orders, I care not if they seize an opportunity where they find it.’

  The man’s blatant disregard for the law irritated him, but there was nothing Raine could do. ‘Let the woman go. I am taking her back to her escorts.’

  Sir Darren’s gaze narrowed. ‘So long as you bring Lady Carice to Tara, it matters not what you do with the other woman.’ He wheeled his horse beside Raine. ‘But if you do not join us at our camp by evening on the morrow, we will come and take her from you.’

  It took an effort to hold his tongue, but Raine knew arguing would accomplish naught. They were outnumbered, and if he did not follow orders, they might hurt Carice. ‘We will be there.’ As he left, he sent his commander a warning look. ‘But if any of your men threaten her, I will tear them apart.’

  * * *

  Carice breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Raine approaching. He drew his horse to a halt and said, ‘Tell the woman the soldiers won’t bother her any more. I’ve sent them away.’

  She translated for him, but Aoife appeared uncertain of whether or not Raine was telling the truth. She clenched her hands together, looking exhausted and afraid.

  Carice wanted to ask questions, but the look in his eyes warned her to say nothing. She guessed that he knew the Normans and had used that influence.

  ‘This is Aoife,’ she said to him, introducing Raine in turn. ‘Her escorts are about a mile from here, maybe less.’

  ‘You are one of the Normans,’ Aoife accused. To Carice, she demanded, ‘Why would you trust this man?’

  ‘He is a Norman, yes. But he has earned my trust, and I swear to you, he will only protect us. I hired him to escort me to the west.’

  The woman rested her hands upon her swollen belly, and she looked uneasy. ‘I need to return to my men. They were taking me home to my husband.’

  Carice translated for Raine, and he spoke in Irish, ‘We will take you to them.’ Although he’d spoken clearly, his discomfort with the language was obvious. She questioned how much Raine had understood of what Aoife had said.

  ‘Can you ride?’ he asked the woman gently. He spoke in the Irish language, but his Norman accent was strong.

  She nodded. ‘I think so.’

  He dismounted from his horse and easily lifted Aoife atop his mount. Though it was awkward, the woman managed to hold on to the reins. Carice worried about Aoife keeping her balance. ‘I don’t want her to fall.’

  ‘She won’t.’ Raine helped her to mount her own horse and then swung up behind her. Carice leaned back against him while he drew their horse alongside the young pregnant woman.

  As they made their way through the woods, Carice translated Raine’s questions. They learned that the woman lived in the north and was travelling home from her father’s dwelling. A sadness crossed her face, and she admitted, ‘He died last year, and I went to visit the home of my childhood. It lies a few miles east of here.’

  ‘Would you rather return there?’ Carice suggested. To her surprise, Aoife refused.

  ‘No. There is no reason to go back, and my husband is expecting me to join him.’

  Though she questioned whether the young woman could reach Leinster, given her pregnancy, it was not her place to interfere. Carice questioned her on Raine’s behalf. ‘Have you enough supplies?’

  Aoife lifted her shoulders in a shrug. ‘They took gold, but I don’t think they stole our food. We can manage until we are home again.’

  ‘I spoke with their commander,’ Raine said, speaking slowly to give Carice time to translate. ‘They will not trouble you again. I promise you that.’

  And Carice believed that he would keep that vow. Raine had behaved honourably towards her, and he’d given her no reason to distrust him. He had the physical strength she lacked, and with this man, she felt protected.

  As they rode east, she leaned back against him, enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. His male scent allured her, and she grew distracted with thoughts of him kissing and touching her. God forgive her, but she wanted this man. She wanted to forget about her body’s weakness and lose herself in his embrace. She was aware of every hardened line of his body, his powerful thighs surrounding her, and the chain mail armour he wore.

  When they found Aoife’s escorts, there were two men present, one of whom was badly wounded. Their leader appeared visibly relieved. ‘My lady, I am so glad to see you unharmed. The other two men are stil
l searching for you.’

  Aoife’s face hardened. ‘They did a poor job of it. But thankfully, I was found by Lady Carice and this Norman soldier.’ She motioned for her guard to help her down. Then she turned back to them, returning the horse to Raine. ‘I owe you my thanks for bringing me back. My husband will see to it that you’re rewarded for this.’

  Carice translated for Raine, as well as his reply, ‘There is no need for that.’ He dismounted from their horse and took back the other mount. ‘I am only sorry that the soldiers took what was yours.’

  Aoife leaned down from her horse and twisted off a ring. ‘You will need shelter for the night. If you ride towards the east, you may stay at my father’s house. Take this, and one of my soldiers will accompany you, to ensure that you are treated as a guest.’

  If they journeyed towards the east, it meant they would be backtracking. Carice told Raine of Aoife’s offer, but started to argue that it wasn’t needed.

  Raine ignored her protest and spoke slowly, ‘That would be...kind. We accept your offer.’ He took the ring and slid it onto his smallest finger.

  What was he doing? ‘We’re travelling west, Raine. I don’t think—’

  ‘You need to regain your strength,’ he argued back. ‘I don’t want you sleeping out of doors another night. Not when you’ve been so ill.’

  Though she knew it was only concern, her greater worry was being found by her father. And travelling east made that a true danger. ‘I’ll be fine. I can manage.’

  He ignored her and directed his attention back to Aoife. To Carice, he ordered, ‘Translate for me.’

  She didn’t want to, but obeyed, repeating his words. ‘If one of your men would guide us to your father’s house, we would appreciate it.’

  Aoife offered a smile. ‘I am thankful for your kindness. And please tell my father’s steward that I am in need of more escorts.’ She gave instructions to one of her men to lead the way while the others began burying the fallen soldiers.

  The guard chosen to accompany them said, ‘We must travel south and then east.’

  Raine didn’t argue with the man, but Carice thought this was a terrible idea. Not only would it bring them towards her father’s men, but there was no need for it. She drew her horse alongside his and said, ‘Why would you have us go the wrong direction, Raine? I am not so weak that I cannot sleep outside.’

  He stiffened in the saddle, but eyed her. ‘You could barely move only a little while ago. If I push you too hard, you’ll collapse.’

  ‘I can manage the journey,’ she insisted. ‘Really, there’s no need for this.’

  He eyed her, and in his gaze, she saw the gravity of his concern. ‘What does one more day matter, Carice?’

  ‘What about the soldiers you spoke with? Won’t they recognise you and tell your commander what you’ve done? I don’t want you to be punished on my behalf.’

  There was a hint of unrest in his eyes. ‘They care not what I do during these next few days, so long as I return to my duties within a sennight.’

  He was lying; she was certain of that. She started to argue again, but then understanding dawned within her. ‘You bribed them, didn’t you? And if it seems that you are travelling east, they will think you are obeying.’

  He neither agreed with nor denied her prediction. It did make sense, however. She supposed another day wouldn’t matter too much, if it meant protecting him from the ire of his Norman commander.

  But as they travelled, it bothered her to realise that they were not retracing their path. It made her wonder exactly where Raine had taken them. In fact, it seemed that they were moving forward instead of backwards. The uneasy suspicions were hard to silence, but she told herself that she had never been to this part of Éireann before. One meadow looked the same as the next.

  But she was beginning to wonder if there was a reason for her misgivings.

  * * *

  They arrived at the settlement in the late afternoon. Raine hardly spoke to Carice at all, for fear that he would reveal too much. They were only two days’ journey from Tara, and his misgivings heightened. He didn’t want to see Carice’s eyes fill up with hatred towards him—not after he had fought so hard to take care of her.

  You’ve grown too close.

  His commander’s words were true enough. Raine had intended to distance himself, to be her escort and nothing else. But when she’d raced him on the ice, when she’d slept in his arms, some of the emptiness had abated. Being with Carice had softened the rage he’d held within him during the past few years. She brought a sense of peace that took away the loneliness. With each moment, he found himself wanting to remain at her side.

  You will never have a woman like her. Not after what you’ve done.

  The knowledge filled him with regret. He followed the guard inside the gates, trying to shut out the voices of guilt. His sisters were depending on him. Their lives rested upon the decisions he was about to make. He had no right to put one woman’s needs before his family’s.

  ‘I feel as if I know this place,’ Carice said. ‘It seems familiar somehow.’ Her expression grew discerning, almost thoughtful as she studied their surroundings. Then a moment later, she seemed to dismiss the idea.

  He only shrugged. ‘I have not been here before.’ Although it was a smaller property, it boasted a large stone donjon and several outbuildings. Thatched roundhouses encircled the space, and he guessed that the outer walls were twelve feet tall and two feet thick.

  The guard introduced them to the steward, and they showed the man Aoife’s ring. Carice explained what had happened, and her words were verified by the guard who had accompanied them. All the while, Raine grew aware of how pale she appeared, as if each step was an effort. Although Carice was putting on a brave front, she needed to rest.

  While the guards arranged for more escorts to return to Lady Aoife, the steward ushered Carice and Raine inside. ‘We are so very grateful that you protected our lady.’ He led them into the tower where they were given the finest room. A large bed stood at one end, while a warm fire crackled within the hearth. ‘Our household would be glad to prepare a feast for both of you.’

  Raine glanced at Carice, and addressed the steward in Irish. ‘We would prefer to eat within this chamber. My lady is unwell.’

  She sent him a sharp look, but didn’t argue. Her face was troubled, as if she didn’t want to admit the pain she was suffering.

  ‘Would you like our healer to examine your wife?’ the steward offered, and Raine nodded, not correcting the man’s assumption. He wasn’t about to leave Carice alone for any length of time. Besides that, he did want someone with healing skill to see her.

  Seeing her so frail and weak the other night had heightened his worry. Not only because of her sickness, but because she had spoken of death so freely.

  ‘I will get food for you,’ he promised Carice, after the steward had left them alone. ‘Let the healer look at you, and she may have medicines that will help.’

  ‘I know I have become a burden to you,’ she said softly. Then she went to stand by the window. ‘You never wanted this journey with me. Especially when your sisters were in danger.’

  The sadness in her voice held more than regret. He didn’t know what had prompted her melancholy, but he didn’t want her to speak of it now. Their time together was running out, and he didn’t want it to be shadowed by regret.

  He crossed the room to stand behind her. She rested her hands upon the wall on either side of the window, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘You were never a burden.’

  She turned to him, and her blue eyes were filled with such pain. ‘I think I wanted to believe that there could be something between us. I always thought you were a handsome man, even if you were stern.’

  He drew his hand over the curve of her cheek, uncertain of what to say. ‘
If our lives were different, perhaps there would be something more.’

  ‘But they aren’t, are they? You must return to the Normans...and I must live out the remainder of my days alone.’

  He cupped her face, wishing to God he didn’t have to betray her. ‘I must obey my duties. But that doesn’t mean I regret the moments with you.’

  ‘Don’t say it,’ she whispered. ‘I’ve been foolish to imagine that you might stay with me.’

  Mon Dieu, how he wanted that. But he had no right to her. ‘You know I cannot.’

  She lowered her gaze, and he pulled her into his embrace. ‘These days were a gift to me, and I do not regret them.’

  She clung to him a moment before she lifted her mouth to his. The gentle brush of her lips sent a bolt of heat raging through him. Although she might be physically weaker, Carice had invisible weapons of her own.

  God help him.

  * * *

  An hour later, Carice relaxed in a small wooden tub filled with steaming water. Her hair was bound up in a knot at the top of her head, and she sighed with relief. The hot bath was sprinkled with herbs that the healer had recommended for her, and the old woman had given her hot tea made with crushed mint. The drink had soothed her stomach, and with each hour, she felt better. She was grateful for the chance to be warm, though her heart had gone cold.

  Raine had gone below stairs to fetch food, and while he was gone, it had given her a chance to think. Her mood was heavy, her mind torn apart with anger and grief. Though he had not recognised this place, she knew it was the home of Diarmuid MacMurrough, the Irish King of Leinster. Lady Aoife was his daughter who had been given in marriage to Richard de Clare, the Norman leader also known as Strongbow. King Diarmuid’s lands were only a short journey southwest of Tara.

  Carice drew up her knees in the small tub, so torn about what to do. It was clear now that Raine had brought her to the east instead of the west. His desire to travel at night was a means of deceiving her, and she suspected he had been obeying orders all along. More than likely he had intended to deliver her into the hands of the High King.