My Lady Mage: A Warriors of the Mist Novel

by Alexis Morgan

  Chapter 13

  Merewen had not planned on seeing her uncle off, but she’d been unable to sleep more than a handful of minutes at a time after Duncan had left her room. Nightmares combined with fear for what the next day would bring had kept her tossing and turning.

  The hall was chaotic as the men gathered their gear for travel while the servants moved among them with trays of drink, bread, and sliced meat. Merewen stopped halfway down the stairs, trying to locate Murdoch and Averel in the crowd. She spotted the younger warrior’s two dogs first. They were stretched out in the rushes in the far corner, clearly in no hurry to start their day.

  Murdoch strode into sight. He paused only long enough to grab a fistful of bread and meat from a passing server before heading for the door. Rather than follow him directly, Merewen wandered through the hall, helping as she could before slipping into the kitchen. She cut directly through to the door that opened out into the bailey.

  As soon as she did, she spotted Averel patrolling up on the walkway that encircled the inside of the palisade. Good. If he’d been assigned guard duty, it was unlikely that he would be among those riding with Fagan.

  As she watched, Murdoch entered the stable. She skirted her workshop around to the far end of the stable and found him inside helping Jarod’s stable hands saddle the horses.

  No one would think anything of her being there, especially if she pitched in to help. When she stopped to adjust the cinch on one of the geldings, Murdoch wandered closer.

  She offered him a smile. “Sir Murdoch, I don’t see your horse among those being saddled for travel.”

  “I turned her out to pasture this morning.” He led another horse out of a stall. “Your uncle wants to leave soon. I thought I’d be of the most use in here. Once he and his men ride out, I’ll join Averel on guard duty.”

  It was hard to disguise her relief at learning for certain that Gideon’s two warriors would remain at the keep.

  “Why are you out here?”

  At Fagan’s question, Merewen patted the gelding and handed off the reins to one of the boys. “I came down to help ready the horses. However, I see they have things well in hand, so I’ll return to the hall.”

  Fagan caught her arm before she could escape. “Make sure our provisions are ready.”

  She forced herself to stand still and not fight against his hold. “Yes, sir. Does Ellie know how much to prepare?”

  Her uncle finally released his hold on her. “She should. I told her myself. We need enough for three days.”

  All of which meant he would be gone a minimum of six days. In the past, his stays in the capital usually ran three to four days. She couldn’t count on that being true this time, but the longer he stayed gone, the more time Gideon and his men would have to establish themselves as the new power in control of her lands.

  She realized that Fagan was staring at her with growing impatience. “Sorry. I will go speak with the cook now.”

  Inside the kitchen, Ellie was in full command of her helpers, reminding Merewen of a military leader planning a campaign. She moved up next to the woman, waiting for a break in the line of people needing direction.

  When the woman finally acknowledged her, Merewen gave her an apologetic smile. “Uncle Fagan asked that I ensure that his provisions were ready and adequate for three days of travel.”

  Her friend shook her head in disgust. “You notice he did not have the courage ask that question himself.”

  Merewen laughed. “True, he didn’t.”

  Then she dropped her voice. “With fewer men to guard the keep, it would be wise of you to have your helpers sleep in here and to bar the doors tonight.”

  The cook’s eyes widened, but she asked no questions. “Thank you for the wise advice, my lady. I will see to my people.”

  Merewen gave the woman a quick hug. “As will I.”

  As soon as she stepped back, Ellie gave her a considering look. “I do not like the way Olaf’s eyes follow you. Take care not to be caught alone by him now that your uncle will not be here to interfere.”

  “I will.”

  The memory of last night was still fresh and filled her with terror. She drew comfort from the knowledge that Fagan’s rule of fear and abuse was about to end, and Olaf’s along with it. In but a few hours, Gideon would arrive.

  Since her father’s passing, the only time she’d felt truly safe was in Gideon’s embrace. For the briefest second, it was as if she could still feel his lips against hers, his arms holding her tight.

  Feeling better than she had in hours, she smiled at Ellie. “If you don’t need me, I’ll go see how things are progressing outside.”

  Kane had been going over his weapons for the past hour. His daggers had come first, followed by his throwing knives. At the moment, he was honing the edges on both of his swords. Gideon had already finished his own preparations and now regretted having begun so early. He never enjoyed empty time, especially before a battle.

  The final hours before a fight were always difficult, and each of his men handled them differently.

  Kane polished steel. Duncan read a book or studied a map. Murdoch groomed the horses, and Averel played games with those misfit dogs. But right now, with only Gideon and Kane in the cottage, the silence was burdensome.

  Kane held his sword up to the light to study the curved blade. Evidently it wasn’t quite up to his standards, because he went back to working the edge.

  He looked across at Gideon. “Why don’t you go for a ride?”

  Gideon had already considered the idea and rejected it. “Kestrel will need all his strength for tonight.”

  “Go for a walk.” Kane grinned. “Of course, you’ll need all your strength for what we face this night and for after.”

  Somehow Gideon didn’t think Kane was referring to maintaining control over Merewen’s people. “After?”

  “Your lady will be satisfied once we return control of her lands to her. Do you think she will like knowing that is only the start of our battle?”

  Gideon didn’t like the idea much better. “Don’t you ever grow weary of fighting one battle after another?”

  The sunshine outside drew him toward the doorway. “How many times have we routed the evil from this land only to have it return, perhaps in a different form, but otherwise the same?”

  Kane’s teasing mood disappeared. “Such is all I have ever known, Gideon, even before we two first crossed paths.”

  He held up his swords. “The only value people have ever seen in me is my talent with these.”

  They’d had this same discussion before, and Gideon always ended up on the losing end of it. There was no convincing Kane he was worth far more than simply his ability to outfight and outkill his opponents. If nothing else, he was Gideon’s friend. That counted for a lot. The gods knew he’d had few enough of those over the centuries.

  “Lady Merewen sees beyond your blades, Kane. She would not trust you with one of her horses otherwise. Thanks to her uncle, she has had little cause for happiness in her life, but seeing you and Rogue together definitely brought her joy.”

  Having had his say, he walked outside. Kestrel and Rogue stood nose to tail, dozing in the afternoon heat. A few seconds later, Kane joined him at the fence to watch the horses.

  They stood without speaking for some time. Finally, Kane broke the silence. “I fear this battle will prove the toughest we’ve ever fought. This calling unsettles me.”

  “How so?” Gideon asked, although he was not confident he wanted to hear the answer.

  “I’m not sure. Normally we’ve been called by a priest or maybe a clan chieftain. Lady Merewen is the first woman to call the Damned from the river.”

  Gideon pointed out the obvious. “If she weren’t female, she would be the head of her family.”

  “True enough. Mostly it is because the battle we’re to fight is unclear. Despite our best efforts, we have yet to track the source of the attack on Scim or the poor bastards who used to live in this c
ottage.”

  Kane stopped talking to stare out toward the grasslands. Gideon followed his line of sight and finally spotted what had caught Kane’s attention. Something was headed in their direction. Too small to be a horse and rider, it was most certainly one of Averel’s dogs. He tried to be happy about that, telling himself to be relieved that Lady Merewen had heeded his warning to stay away.

  Oddly it felt more like disappointment.

  He walked out to meet the messenger. As it turned out, it was both dogs. They trotted up to him with their tongues hanging out and plopped down in the dirt, panting from the day’s heat.

  Gideon patted the white one on the head and unfastened the pouch from around his neck. Kane came with a pan of water. The dogs lumbered back to their feet and slurped it up with lots of noise and splashing. Averel had named them Alabaster and Ebony because of their coloring. Everyone else had a variety of less complimentary names for them.

  Kane watched in disgust as they finished drinking and decided to roll in the dirt, sending up a cloud of dust. “Did these misfits bring good news?”

  As soon as he read Duncan’s message, Gideon started cursing. It didn’t help that Kane started laughing.

  “Would I be correct to guess it is something Lady Merewen did that has soured your already bad mood?”

  There was no use in denying it. “Rather than let Murdoch or Averel open the gate for us tonight, Merewen is most likely going to be right in the middle of things.”

  Kane’s smile faded. “Has that woman no sense at all?”

  “Not that I have seen. She’s going to have one of her farmers come knocking on the gate when we’re ready to enter. He’ll tell the guards that he has need of Lady Merewen for an injured animal. They’ll send for her and open the gate to let her out.”

  Gideon headed back inside the cottage to send a reply, asking—no, ordering—his men to come up with a better idea. If all else failed, Murdoch should lock Merewen in her room or, better yet, tie her up and stuff her in a trunk.

  How did she expect the five of them to fight Fagan’s men and defend her at the same time? With the enhanced strength and abilities of the Damned, common men-at-arms would be no problem for them, but what if they managed to take Merewen hostage?

  He understood and even admired her determination to protect her people, but he couldn’t let her risk herself. He couldn’t bear to see her hurt, not to mention that the gods’ retribution against Gideon and his men for failing to protect her would be swift and terrible.

  He scratched out a return message to Murdoch. He could only hope Merewen would listen to reason.

  The dogs followed their noses into the cottage, no doubt hoping for some of the meat Kane had roasted earlier. He cut off two sizable chunks and tossed them to the dogs.

  After they’d finished their treat, he attached the message to the white dog’s neck and sent them coursing back to their master. As they disappeared into the long grass, he could only wish that he had run with them. Even with Merewen’s uncle gone, she was far from safe.

  Come nightfall, though, all of that would change. For the first time in only the gods knew how long, the Damned would fight, but not alone. There were men loyal to both Merewen and her late father who would join their cause.

  The avatars were formidable warriors in their own right, joining the battle with fang and tooth and claw. More than one enemy had lost his life while trying to fend off Scim’s attacks.

  Speaking of Scim…

  Gideon grinned. Perhaps there was one other way to enter the keep without risking Merewen. He yelled for Kane, who had gone back to honing his weapons.

  * * *

  Merewen spent most of the day visiting the closest farms, dispensing herbs and ointments for any of the livestock that needed it. She’d been tempted to warn her tenants to stay close to home and avoid the keep for the next few days, but she held her tongue. While she trusted most of them, she couldn’t trust them all.

  If even one person passed along the warning to Olaf or one of his cronies, things could go badly for Gideon and his men. When she finally returned to the keep, Murdoch himself opened the gate to let her inside. His expression was far from welcoming.

  She quickly dismounted. “What’s wrong?”

  “Only that you left without telling any of us where you were going or why.”

  “I’ve been tending to the horses and other livestock on my own for years, Sir Murdoch. Today was no different.”

  But it was. They both knew it.

  He led her horse toward the stable. “Olaf has been looking for you for the past hour. It is not wise to provoke him unnecessarily.”

  “I’ll go see what he wants.”

  “Let’s tend to your mare first. Then I’ll make sure Averel is inside the hall before you enter. He’s been waiting for his dogs to return from Gideon, but they should be back by now. If he’s not there, I’ll stay, even though I’m supposed to be manning the gate. You shouldn’t face Olaf alone, especially not after what Duncan overheard last night.”

  Merewen’s skin burned cold at the memory. She couldn’t hide her relief. Her uncle’s orders were to leave her untouched. That didn’t mean Olaf couldn’t punish her if he thought she’d defied him for some reason. He’d even make up an excuse if she didn’t provide him with one.

  It didn’t take the two of them long to strip off her mare’s tack and dry her off with a couple of rags. While Merewen finished up, Murdoch went to check on Averel. He was back all too quickly, giving her no more excuse to linger in the stables.

  “Averel has yet to return, and Olaf wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Perhaps you should retire to your quarters for the time being.”

  “If you think that’s best.”

  As they crossed the bailey, Murdoch paused to look up toward one of the windows on the second floor. “It would be best if you stayed out of sight, but I would ask a favor first.”

  “Anything,” she responded, although she was puzzled as to what it could be.

  “I would ask that you check on your aunt. I know she rarely leaves her bower except for meals or at your uncle’s orders, but I have not seen her at all today.”

  A sick feeling settled in Merewen’s stomach. “I didn’t see her this morning before Uncle Fagan left, but that’s not unusual. Sometimes she’s not able. She doesn’t always feel well.”

  Merewen paused, not sure how much of her aunt’s situation she should share.

  Murdoch’s expression hardened. “I’ve seen the bruises, my lady. Only a fiend would treat any female in such a brutal manner, especially one as delicate as Lady Alina.”

  He shifted from foot to foot as if uncomfortable with the direction their conversation had taken. Did he have any idea how much he’d just revealed? Was there something between the rather dour warrior and her aunt? She wouldn’t press for answers, not when she had her own secrets to protect.

  “Let me know if she needs anything.” He looked as if he wanted to say more, but he started toward the door.

  She hurried her steps to keep up with his longer strides. “I will.”

  Inside, the hall was empty except for a few servants setting the tables for the evening meal. It seemed so strange to see all look normal, routine.

  Any other time she would have washed up and helped with the preparations. Not today, though. She couldn’t risk anyone noticing how tense she was or the way her eyes kept straying to the three men who would be fighting for their lives, and for those of her people, in only a few hours.

  How would she ever repay them?

  Worse yet, how would she bear it when the gods called her warriors back to the river, knowing she’d never see any of them again? How had they become so dear to her in just a few days? Even Kane was no longer as frightening as he had been that first night.

  And she wouldn’t let herself give name to what she was feeling for Gideon even if she hungered for his touch, his rare smile, and the safe harbor of his arms. There was no point in it, and she had other
s who had first claim on her.

  She made it upstairs without incident. Murdoch’s concern for Alina had Merewen heading for her aunt’s room. If all was well, then perhaps she’d lie down for a while to make up for the sleep she had lost during the night.

  It was no surprise that her aunt’s door was closed. Merewen knocked softly. “Alina?”

  No response. She knocked harder this time. Although she respected Alina’s privacy, Merewen needed to know she was all right. Finally, she heard the shuffle of footsteps toward the door.

  It opened just a crack, but it was enough to see that her aunt was far from well. “Let me in, Alina.”

  “I’m tired, Merewen.”

  The two women weren’t particularly close, but Merewen wasn’t about to walk away until she knew Alina’s condition. Tired could mean so many things.

  “Please let me see you. Once I know you are truly only weary, I promise I’ll leave.”

  Although he might not appreciate Merewen’s using his name, she added, “Sir Murdoch was concerned. I thought you’d prefer that I was the one who came to check on you.”

  She thought she might have to actually force her way into the room. Finally Alina sighed and opened the door far enough to allow Merewen to slip through.

  Once inside, she almost wished she’d taken Alina at her word and walked away. But that was a coward’s reaction, and it wasn’t in Merewen to let anyone suffer, especially alone.

  “Let me send for a bath for you.”

  Alina turned aside. “That’s not necessary.”

  Merewen wanted to draw the battered woman into her arms, but she was afraid it would only cause Alina more pain. She clenched her fists at her side, wishing her uncle were home right now. If Murdoch were to see what Fagan had done to his wife, her uncle would not live long enough to ever raise his fist against anyone again.

  But right now Alina needed her help, not her temper. “A warm bath with some of my special herbs will soothe both your injuries and your spirit. Please let me do that much for you.”