by Bekah Clark
“We won’t have a fire. Vonn is going to take a nap, but first, we’re going to eat some food from the packs.”
“You should nap, too,” I said.
His eyebrows shot up immediately. “I’m going to take the watch,” he insisted quietly.
“I’ve been asleep, you haven’t. I can look around and listen. If I hear anything at all, I’ll wake you.”
His eyes clouded with worry as he spoke. “If you miss something, you could get hurt before I wake.”
I leaned to him and put my hand softly over his heart, and the fact that it sped up with that simple touch brought a smile to my lips. But he needed sleep, so I gently insisted, “I can do this.”
“She can do this, Torric. Besides, it’s only for a couple of hours.” I twisted my neck to find Vonn watching the two of us with amusement twinkling in his eyes.
I beamed back at him and walked over to the saddlebags. Pulling out some cheese, fruits, and dried meats, I distributed them to Torric and Vonn. Silently, the three of us ate. We were close to the edge of the forest, and I could see the field through the trees. All that lay beyond were more of those vast and rolling green fields. I wondered how we were going to hide from bandits out there.
Once we finished eating, Torric and Vonn both got comfortable. I sat with my back to a tree and settled in to watch and listen. My life had become so different from when I was in Vella. I never thought that I would have to watch over a couple of warriors while they slept to make sure that bandits did not set upon us. I smiled to myself. Even though all of this was a little frightening, I was enjoying the adventure of it all.
As I sat there, every noise seemed like it could be an attacker. Several times, I almost woke them until I realized it was the sound of the wind in the trees or an animal in the bushes. Rising, I quietly walked around the area, checking out my surroundings. There was a small pond—if we didn’t have to worry about possible bandits, I would have asked Torric to watch the area while I soaked in the appealing waters.
Turning to Torric, I studied him for a long moment. Usually, his sleeping face was so peaceful, but now it was tense, as if even in sleep he was ready to spring into action.
Eventually, I woke them and we set out once again. Soon we were riding at a canter across the hills. Once we had put some distance between the forest and ourselves, both men visibly relaxed. They were still a little tense, however, and I knew we weren’t quite safe yet.
It was well past noon when we stopped to eat again. Once more, there was no fire, and we made a quick meal of the food we had on hand. Vonn kept his eyes behind us. Torric let his eyes roam the area on the other side of Vonn. I couldn’t see anyone sneaking up on us, but I had to remind myself that anyone on the other side of any hill could hide.
I drew in a sharp breath as a ripple of panic ran through me. “Are bandits often a problem?”
“Yes,” Vonn answered. “Certain areas of Glane have more than others. Near Fort Nyte, there are relatively few. However, in villages where most warriors have gone to help protect us from Moritzan, bands do spring up.”
My mind whirled trying to find some solution. “Is there nothing to be done?”
“Keig’s been talking about getting a small team together to hunt them.” Vonn’s voice didn’t hold much hope in the idea.
I chewed thoughtfully on my apple. “But can a small group manage to root them out?”
The two warriors exchanged glances before Torric said, “It’ll do some good. It won’t stop the problem, though.”
“But something must be done,” I said, worry for the people of the land filling my heart. In Renth, there were a few bandit groups, but for the most part, it was safe. Well… safe as long as you didn’t have red hair.
Vonn said, “You’re right—something must be done, but as long as this war rages, very little can be.”
“Is there no way to end it?”
“The war? We’ve tried negotiating for peace several times. Each time our ambassadors’ heads came back to us. Moritzan wants our land—it’s very fertile.”
“And Renth?”
Softly, Torric said, “Do you think they’ll stop with Glane?”
A tiny sigh escaped my lips, I shook my head, and suddenly my apple was not so appealing. I really didn’t understand war. Then again, the need for violence also escaped me. If it wasn’t for the fact that we had to keep going and I needed the energy, I may have just tossed the fruit to the side. Instead, I quickly finished before chucking the apple core aside.
Once we finished our lunch, we headed off again, keeping the horses at a steady pace. I knew we couldn’t keep pushing the horses for too long, and so I suspected we were heading to a place that Torric and Vonn thought would be safe for the night.
I found Torric’s found gaze on me. Arching up, I kissed him tenderly and his eyes softened into molten pools of emerald green that stirred the embers in my heart to fiery flames. Wishing we were alone, I rested back against him, my hand softly stroking his arm.
“Where are we headed?”
Torric’s lips brushed my ear as he spoke, sending a thrill through me. “We’re going to Gennon Lake. We’ll replenish our water there, and we can swim.”
“You and I alone?”
I found wickedness dancing in his eyes. “Almost.”
Giggling, I shook my head. “Almost is not good enough for that.”
He snorted. “I really need to free you from that modesty.”
I snickered in turn. “You already have. However, this is as far as I’ll be changing.”
Pressing his lips to my temple, he embraced me warmly a moment. “Good enough. When we get to Kingshold, I’m taking you straight to my room.”
I smiled and let my eyes wander the rolling green ahead. Snuggled into his warmth, it was hard to believe there was anything to fear. On that horse, it could have been just the two of us alone in the whole world. I closed my eyes a moment, and then I remembered the first time I awoke in his arms. I had been afraid at the time, but now I was grateful.
When we reached the lake, Torric and I immediately went for a swim. He made a point of running his hand over my body every chance he got. When we left the water, I was shivering, but not from the cool lake. As we dressed, our eyes met, and I melted at the desire I found in his gaze. I was sure it matched my own.
Our night was much like any other on the road—we ate together, with Vonn teasing the two of us from time to time. After I helped clean up, I slipped into the tent and curled up on my side. Normally I removed my clothing because I enjoyed the warmth of Torric’s skin on mine, but after the bandits, I’d decided keeping my clothing on was wise. Torric curled up to my back, his fingers stretched across my waist, as he held me possessively to him.
I awoke to the sound of voices. As I peeked out of the tent, I found there were seven men standing on the edge of camp. Vonn and Torric had their swords out and were ready for a fight. My eyes went wide as one of the men spotted me and his leering face sent an icy spike of fear straight into my heart.
“We heard of two men travelling with a woman who may be a healer in disguise. There’s a pretty price on her head. I’ll take her for the reward.”
Torric growled and pointed his blade at him. “You’re the first to die.” The venom in his voice caused a shudder to roll through me, and I wondered how the man could stand there and face my warrior with such a gleam in his eye.
His gaze lingered on me, and I glowered up at him. Suddenly, there was a glint of steel as Torric’s blade slashed across the man’s abdomen so deeply he fell to the ground with his entrails in his hands. The need to heal ran through me, but before it could even become a problem, Torric’s sword drove into the man in a rapid stab that ended his life.
Chaos erupted. There were now six men remaining. Vonn faced three, as did Torric. Vonn moved swiftly among them. As three of them attacked at once, Vonn dodged the blade of one while deflecting the blade of another with a knife and cutting down a third with his
sword. These men, whoever they were, had been counting on their numbers. However, Vonn and Torric were skilled warriors.
My eyes flashed to Torric, who was deflecting and parrying the attacks of two of the men he faced. The third was making his way over to me. He leered down at me and horror washed my soul gray as he brought up his sword. Then a blade punched out through his chest. The sword ripped out, and the man fell, dead, revealing Torric, who turned to loop back to the other two men.
Glancing at Vonn, I realized he now only had one opponent. The confidence our attackers once had seemed to falter. All that the three remaining men had left was the terror shining in their eyes. Torric struck down another. The final two turned and ran, and Vonn tore after them. I slipped out from the tent and went to Torric. He had a shallow gash across his chest. I reached for him, and he jerked back. “Not yet. We need to get this camp packed up and ready to go.”
“But Vonn?”
Grimly, he said, “Vonn can take care of himself. I don’t want to take any chances if these men have friends.”
The two of us moved quickly, breaking down the tents and packing up our gear. Once we were finished and the packhorses were loaded up, Torric picked me up and placed me on the saddle. He stalked quietly around our perimeter, searching the night. When I saw him relax, I knew before I even laid eyes on him that Vonn was returning, looking no worse for wear. Torric swiftly swung up behind me while Vonn leaped into the saddle of his own horse. Soon we were off at a quick canter under the moonlight. The need to heal Torric was strong, but I fought it. Torric whispered in my ear, “You should sleep.”
“I’m too anxious.”
“There’s nothing to be anxious about, lass. I will keep you safe. Vonn will, too.”
I huffed in annoyance; he didn’t get it. “I’m anxious for the two of you. I don’t want anything to happen to either of you.”
His lips pressed against my cheek. “I’ll let you heal me if it means you’ll sleep.”
I grasped his arm tightly and let my healing energy seep into him as the ache that had been building in me released. It relaxed me to know that his wound was knitting back together.
When I discerned at last that he was whole, the darkness started to close in on me. It was strange how quickly I fell asleep since being with Torric. I decided it had to do with how safe I felt with him. As I fell deeper into the dark, there was the gentle flutter of his lips on my temple as I sunk into his warm embrace. When sleep finally shut down my mind, I didn’t fight it the way I once did back in Vella.
Chapter Sixteen
When my eyes fluttered open, I could see a village in the distance. My best guess was that we would be there before midafternoon. Torric’s hand softly caressed my belly as it grumbled, and he laughed in my ear. Before I could say anything, a small loaf of bread from the saddlebag appeared before me. I tore into it, feeling quite ravenous. “Is that Pheon?” I asked in between bites.
“It is.”
“It’s beautiful.” And it was. Lying nestled among sloping hills of wheat, the walls around the village were a natural stone color. There was a river that edged around one side of the wall. The roofs were a splatter of various colors. Unlike Fort Nyte, there was no huge building. A thought struck me. “You don’t have temples in Glane, do you?”
Torric laughed. “No, nothing like those monstrosities that you have in Renth. We do, however, have small groups that provide places of worship here.”
“What do you worship?” It had suddenly occurred to me that they probably didn’t worship the Great Spirit Caden as the people of Vella did.
“Each village has its own religion. Some of them, like Pheon, have many different religions within the walls.”
“Well, that explains why there’s no large temple. The people all go to different ones. But what do you worship?”
He paused for a long moment and we rode in silence. The gentle swaying of the horse’s gait was hypnotic. When he finally spoke, I was startled. “I find religion to be confusing. There’s so much suffering in the world, yet none of these Spirits do anything to alleviate it.”
I contemplated what he was saying for a moment. “So you don’t have faith. I suppose I can understand that. I used to go to Temple with the rest of my village every week. I sat and listened, but all Colm taught was hate. Honestly, I don’t think the Spirits would condone his teaching. Then again, I’m not one of them. Still, I went every week.”
His voice was soft, low. “Why did you go?”
My cheeks went red as I explained. “Because as long as I could go in there, it proved I wasn’t an evil witch. I was terrified what the villagers would do to me if I didn’t attend every week.”
He scowled. “Like I said, I don’t understand religion.”
Sighing, I said, “I don’t think it is all bad. I just haven’t encountered religious truth yet.”
He chortled. “Is there such a thing?”
“I certainly hope so,” I fervently replied.
We rode on in silence. The land rolled by in soft hills of green, dotted with flowers that I ached to pick. The wind was cool as it swept the grass and flowers into a frenzy of swirling dances. I watched with a smile as Torric held me close to his chest. The dangers of the night seemed like a distant memory.
When we finally rode up to the gate, I let my eyes roam over its intricate carvings of warhorses and warriors engaged in battle. It was very beautiful—but unsettling. Vonn spoke to the guard and the gate opened to us. We made our way onto the winding roads through the village. Torric followed Vonn, and I had a feeling we were not staying at an inn. My suspicions were confirmed when we stopped in front of an elegant home.
A door opened, and a shapely woman, who was a few inches taller than me, strode out and met us with a friendly grin. She was closer to Vonn’s age than mine, with warm brown skin, dancing black curls, and the most brilliant pale green eyes I’d ever seen. She was dressed in a simple gown of hunter green. Vonn swung off his horse, ran up to her, and kissed her deeply. I blushed and looked up at Torric, who grinned. “That’s his wife, Meg.”
Blinking a few times, I said, “I didn’t know he was married.”
“He is. I suppose we didn’t think to mention it. They’ve been married for years. Come on.” Now I realized what Vonn meant about Torric not having to worry about him with me. I watched the two with a smile as Torric swung off the horse and helped me down. Leading me up to the couple, we stopped just as Vonn pulled back to gaze down at his wife with loving eyes. Turning to us, he said, “Meg, you know Torric. This is his…woman, Zianya. She’s come to help Donner.”
The woman’s eyes lit up as she looked me over. Suddenly, I found myself in her tender embrace. “Come on in, dear, you’re very welcome. Let’s get you fed. You’re too skinny. What have you boys been doing to her? Riding her ragged? I’ll get you a nice bath, too, dear, while the men take care of the horses.”
She radiated warmth like the sun, so it was hard not to beam back at her. Immediately, I understood why Vonn loved her enough to make her his wife. With her arm around my waist like we were old friends, she led me into the house and up the side-stairs. Finally, she took me to a small bathing chamber. The tub would definitely not fit both Torric and me, but the brightly decorated room had flowers painted on the walls. The whole place was immaculately clean and smelled faintly of roses.
“Get yourself washed, dear, and I’ll bring some clothing for you to wear.”
Looking back at her, I said, “Torric knows where my things are.”
Her eyes lit up with mischief. “Oh, I’m sure he does.”
My eyes went wide and I could feel the flames in my cheeks. She laughed wickedly and left the room. When I noticed two faucets, I nearly danced. Renth must have been behind the times, because here in Pheon, they also had hot water. I turned it on and set about stripping off my clothing. It was easy to see they were going to need a good washing. But I decided to tend to that later. As I sunk into the water, there was a knock at
the door, and Meg called out to me.
“Come in,” I answered shyly.
She bustled in with some fresh clothing from my pack. Grabbing my old clothes, she paused to look at me. She strictly kept her eyes to my face, but I still flushed in embarrassment. Her gentle smile, however, set me at ease as she said, “I’ll get these washed for you as well as some of the other clothing in your packs.” She clucked her tongue. “Those men have no idea what a woman needs.”
“You don’t have to go through so much trouble.”
“Nonsense. You have little dark circles under your eyes, dear. Let me at least do this.”
With a chuckle, she slipped out of the room. Sinking deeper into the tub, I let out a long, slow breath. Spotting the soaps, I plunged under the water to wet my hair before I started scrubbing away with the lovely rose-scented products. Back in Vella, I had always been fastidious about bathing. However, since I had left, I’d had to forgo my daily bath for quick washings when I could. When I had gotten to Fort Nyte, I had reveled in having a bath again. I wasn’t sure how long we’d stay in Pheon, but I was definitely going to take advantage of the bath here.
There was another knock at the door. Before I could speak, Torric opened the door and slipped inside. Fire flooded through me as I stared up at him “This bath is too small for your hulking frame to get in here with me.”
The desire in his eyes as they traveled over my body seared me. “Then I guess I get to watch instead.”
I laughed. “Oh, no you don’t. Meg will be shocked!”
“I doubt that. She’s off washing your clothes with Vonn right behind her. I’ve a feeling that there will be a delay in cleaning your clothing.”
Heat of embarrassment washed over me. Torric laughed before he leaned down to kiss my temple. I let my eyes slowly slid over him before a smile fluttered across my lips. His hand traced along my cheek, down the column of my neck, before he slowly settled it on my chest. Softly, he cupped my breast before he started to knead gently, his eyes intent on my reaction. Desire filled my core, and I let out a little gasp as he squeezed my nipple. “Want me to wash you, lass?”