Storm Trilogy

by Ria Cantrell

  Randall’s eyes welled at seeing his sister. He knew her. Thank God, he knew her! He choked back his emotion and said, “My beautiful Rhianna. You don’t know how good it is to see you.”

  “Oh, Randall, I thought you were dead…we all thought you had met an untimely end.”

  “Well, here I am, mon cherie. Back where I belong.”

  Rhianna hugged him. He appeared thinner, but overall, he seemed hale. She looked up into his face and noted that, though he knew who she was, there was a sense of distance about him. He was tentative in his welcome. She kissed his face over and over and cried, “What happened to you? Why did you not come home?”

  “I--I did not know where home was, my sweet girl.”

  Rhianna’s brow knitted together.

  “What do you mean? You have forgotten your birthplace and you have forgotten me?”

  “For a time, aye. It is coming back to me now, mon cherie.”

  Rhianna laid her head on his chest and tears drizzled down his doublet. What horrible thing had happened to her brother to cause such a malady?

  Erik stood by, his guts twisting at the anguish ripping his beloved Rhianna’s heart in two. He felt a lump form in his throat at the scene before him and he hovered near, wishing he could somehow ease her tears once again.

  Randall patted her back and he said, “There now. I am home safe. Who is this big brute standing behind you?”

  Randall could see that before they entered the grounds of the keep, the Nordic beast was not set in welcome, but as he stood behind his sister, the look on his face changed and softened. Randall could tell that this man cared for his sister. When he saw her turn around and glance at the man, Randall saw that it would seem his sister cared for the man as well. More than cared, actually. There was a sexual tension that was visible to him and something else. Love. His little sister, the ice maiden, was in love!

  Rhianna took Erik’s hand and she said, “Randall, this is Sir Erik Ragnorsen, one of the king’s men sent to secure du Montefort in your absence. He is my….,” Her voice faltered. She could not just blurt out that Erik was her lover.

  “Betrothed,” Erik offered easily. His left arm snaked around her waist and he offered his right hand to Randall. A loud gasp mixed with glee was heard behind Randall and now, all heads turned to the woman waiting in the background. There were tears in her eyes and as they, too, splashed down her face, Randall smiled. “She is my sister, Janelle. And I remember her.”

  “Oh, praise God. She is your sister.”

  Randall beckoned Janelle to come join him and he presented Janelle Fitzhugh to his sister. He then clasped Erik’s forearm and said, “That was quite a welcome party you sent out for us.”

  Erik quirked a half smile and he sheepishly said, “I could not be sure that there was no trap being set for us. There has been some trouble to your neighbors and we have opened the keep to protect your vassals. Forgive me for my…hem…overly zealous caution.”

  Randall nodded. In truth he was quite grateful for the protection offered to his home and he was even more grateful that somehow, his sister had fallen in love. Thinking of love, he looked at Janelle and he winked at her. He kissed her fallen tears off her face and he said, “See; it is going to be alright…I think.”

  He turned back to Rhianna and he said, “Mon cherie, I don’t have a wife or a betrothed, do I?”

  Rhianna laughed. It would seem that her brother had found a mate as well.

  “No, Randall. You were quite the eligible catch, but it would seem that you are finally taken.”

  “So too, it seems that you are.”

  Rhianna rolled her eyes. So his thorny little rose and the Viking god were not smitten at first sight. He might have known that Rhianna was going to give the man a run for his money, but Erik Ragnorsen seemed up to the task and there was no doubt that there was a strong connection between the two.

  Randall turned to face Janelle and he said, “I remember, Janelle. I remember many more things. You were right. Being here has helped me to remember.”

  Janelle smiled, although tears hung on her lashes still. She said, “That was my hope, beloved. Now you will finally recover.”

  ~Chapter Twenty-Seven~

  Randall’s brows were drawn together as all his memories seeped back, slowly at first, then like a growing trickle until, they poured forth like an unstoppable flood. It was almost too much for him to bear. Rhianna noticed the stricken look on her brother’s face. He had gotten deathly pale and looked like he was going to collapse before them. With an unspoken communication, she beseeched Erik’s assistance. He and Drew each took one of Randall’s arms and they quickly helped him to a private sitting room off of the main hall. Once they were inside, they closed the door behind them. They bid him to sit down, but he looked dazed. Rhianna was horrified. Something was very wrong with her brother. Erik went back into the hall and spoke to a serving maid, instructing her to bring some strong spiced wine to the antechamber along with some bread and cheese.

  Erik had seen this sort of thing happen before to men who had seen too much on a battlefield. It was like the images of horror could not be stopped. Some memory was too much for Randall to process. Something horrible had happened to him and his memory lapse had spared him this agony, until this very moment.

  Janelle was calling to him, “Monty, Randall, speak to me…please, my love…speak to me.”

  But he could not. He could only look at her as one from a distance. Instead, the images that had been kept locked away these months suddenly surfaced and replayed themselves like a terrible nightmare. Only he was not asleep. He was very much awake and aware of all those things that he had been shielded from since he had shown up on Janelle’s doorstep.

  When the maid brought the wine and food, Erik again closed the door and brought it over to Rhianna’s brother. He said, “Take a sip, man.”

  Randall turned and looked at the tall stranger who was his sister’s betrothed. Something in the way he said it made Randall seem to snap back to the present.

  “I don’t know what just happened. I started remembering things and…I…”

  “Just take a good gulp. You can talk about it when you are ready. It is like being battle weary. It happens to us all at times.”

  Randall took a deep draft of the spiced wine and he felt its warmth seeping into his veins, which had suddenly seemed to flow with ice. He took another steadying sip of the strong wine and he looked up at the tear stained faces of Janelle and of Rhianna. He had upset them and he felt embarrassed. He stammered, “I am so sorry.”

  Janelle knelt before him and took his hand to her lips. She covered the back of it with kisses and she said, “Oh Monty, what happened? I have never seen you react so.”

  “The memories, Beloved. They flooded me. I--remember--everything.”

  Turning to face Erik, he stood; still feeling unsteady on his feet. He said, “I do not know how to thank you.”

  “It was just a goblet of wine.”

  “No. It is much more than that. The evilness of the man who caused this injury to me cannot be underestimated. You have protected my keep and my sister.”

  Erik said humbly, “I have been here less than one full moon.”

  “Your presence here marks this keep protected.”

  Rhianna spoke up and asked, “Randall, who did this to you? What was done to you to cause this ill humor cast upon you?”

  Taking another gulp of the strong spiced wine, Randall swallowed as if he was preparing for a bout with Satan himself. He said, “Aaron Jasper,” and when he said the name, it was as if he had indeed mentioned the devil in the flesh.

  Rhianna now paled and Erik caught her lest she swoon. If Randall had fallen victim to the evil lord of Morcar Keep, it was her fault and Jasper would not stop until he had inflicted pain on each of them. She knew that now. She was not going to swoon but she felt sick to her stomach. Whatever had befallen Randall was her fault. She had rejected the advances of that hideous monster and he
had seen to try and destroy Randall.

  Randall looked from Rhianna to Janelle and he saw their anguish visibly present on their faces. He wished he could comfort them, but what he had to say was going to frighten them terribly, only they had to hear it. They had to be aware of what this evil man was capable of.

  He steeled himself and drained the goblet. He said, “I think I need another drink.”

  ~~~~~

  Aaron Jasper cursed in a blind tirade when his spy returned with news of a small riding party seen seeking arrival at Montefort. He had his spies hidden well within the village. He even had a trusted serf who worked within the castle walls who would carry tales and news of the goings on inside the keep back to his ears. His consort confirmed his fear. The wraith had returned from the dead, it seemed and was nestled back in his feather bed, he supposed. The drugs he had given the dog had been out of his body for some time now, since he escaped Morcar’s clutches. By now, his memory would be returning and du Montefort would remember Aaron’s hand in his sorry state.

  Aaron did not know how he was to proceed now that his plans had been heartily thwarted. He should have killed du Montefort when he had the chance and then his precious sister would be Morcar’s for the taking. He had been satisfied with the terror that had been inflicted on the good people. Why, they practically had run in fear to du Montefort Keep at the news of the neighboring village’s demise. It was perfect. He was not going to strike again for some time. He would let the people be lulled into a false sense of security and then, when they were back to their complacent little idylls, he was going to cut them a blow that would undermine the king’s men sent to watch over the du Montefort demesne. But first, he wanted them filled with fear and his goal of inflicting terror in their hearts had been achieved.

  Now, Aaron would have to rethink his plan to take that she dog, cur in heat, Rhianna, for she was ripe for the taking. Randall would surely give Aaron up as soon as he was able to tell the tale of his capture and mistreatment by Aaron’s hand.

  While the price to keep his informant at du Montefort was steep, Aaron paid it willingly because no one suspected the serf to be carrying tales to their vicious enemy. She had better not get stupid or greedy and let her ruse slip. The bitch was not as bright as she proposed herself to be, but she was useful. She also did not mind the other duties he required of her. He only knew her as Devina, bastard daughter of the town cooper. As the cooper’s daughter, no one gave her much thought. She was no more than someone who brought barrels and casks to the keep for its daily use. They did not give merit to a baseborn serf that just plied her wares. Not one person seemed to find her presence within the walls to be suspect.

  She fancied herself to still be a girl of great beauty, but really she was a dried up old whore. Still, she was good for a hard ride when he had need of her. Aaron did not care at times about the face of the whore beneath him, only where he landed his seed. Devina, the cooper’s by-blow, was trained in the tricks that men liked, but she was a hideous creature. She had a foul temper that matched the pure ugliness in her sagging face. Her black eyes did not hold any light, like the eyes of a venomous snake. She was just his sort; soulless, untrustworthy and merciless.

  Somehow, she had ingratiated herself into du Montefort with her cunning and lies and she went about, seemingly invisible. Devina was very good at eavesdropping and going undetected. Being a natural gossip, she enjoyed carrying her tales to Aaron for a coin or tumble, or for that matter both. She was as distasteful a being as he was, but that suited his needs perfectly for now. Because she was such a vicious gossip that could not keep her nasty mouth shut, there would, no doubt, come a time when she would have to suffer a most unfortunate accident. That accident would have to wait for now, until the du Montefort chit warmed his bed. For now, the whore, Devina, had her uses, indeed.

  Oh, he was not a patient man, by no means and so he would have to carefully plot his next strategy. He had to have Rhianna du Montefort at any cost. He would come up with a plan that was failsafe. This time, Randall du Montefort would not just lose his memory. If all went as planned, he was going to lose his precious sister and then finally his own life would be forfeited. Aaron Jasper was going to see to it that he was never going to be thwarted again. Both Randall and Rhianna were going to pay for humiliating him by rejecting his offer to wed the haughty little bitch. Aaron Jasper could scarcely wait for that very day.

  ~Chapter Twenty-Eight~

  They all had sat and listened to what Randall had to say once he had calmed enough to speak of it. The memories, once returned were hard to suppress. No one would leave until he had talked his throat raw. The things he bore witness to and had to endure were so horrible, it was a wonder that he had not lost his mind. Janelle sat, rapt in disbelief that the man she had grown so easily to love had suffered so before he made his escape from the clutches of one so evil. It was hard to reconcile that one would ever be able to break free from such a terrible fate. He had remembered being ambushed on his return from the king’s campaign. Many of the men who had fought alongside of him had either been killed or had returned home to their own families. The few that had remained with Randall were either still in the dungeons at Morcar or they, too had been slain.

  Randall recounted the strife he had seen in the pits of Morcar Keep. Unspeakable things were done to the prisoners that dwelled in those hideous places of human offal. He had been lucky, he supposed, for he was only used to test terrible concoctions that Aaron prided himself of conjuring. Many of those vile draughts rendered Randall helpless and he was quite certain that they were greatly the cause for his memory loss. That and the fact that he had been beaten and starved and suffered a particularly hard blow to his skull when he fought off the one-eyed demon himself.

  Rhianna listened to the accounts of her brother’s suffering. She processed the possible potions that he had been forced to swallow in her mind and the healer in her was already thinking of things to counter the lingering effects of the poisons he had no choice but to drink. The woman in her felt such deep sorrow, that she pulled into herself and allowed the sadness to take root in her heart. The warrior in her spirit wanted revenge for the indignities that Randall had suffered and she felt she would not rest until that part of her was satisfied.

  Erik watched the girl he had only recently admitted that he had grown to love. Her thoughts were unreadable and he could see she was greatly disturbed by Randall’s telling of his misadventure. He wanted to comfort her, but she was in a place that was not easily reached. She had sat beside her brother, at his feet, next to the fire and once again, she had pulled her knees up and hugged them while she listened. Erik knew that, while she needed his strength, he would not be able to comfort her now. Not yet, anyway, for under her pensive demeanor, there was a simmering fury that could not be missed. He looked over at his guard and Drew nodded, in unspoken understanding. Drew had an uncanny way of reading his thoughts and Erik wondered if he was attuned to Rhianna’s thoughts as well.

  He and Drew stood up and excused themselves. Erik wanted the guards doubled. He would guard Rhianna himself, but he wanted to make sure that all available men lined the castle walls this night. Rhianna called, “Wait, I would speak with you both. Give me a moment.”

  She unfolded herself from her place at the hearth and stood to follow the two powerful men that she was growing to trust and rely on. Once out in the corridor, Rhianna turned to both men and she said, “I need to tell you something and I want you both to hear it. Aaron Jasper is a very dangerous man. He is known for his cruelty and his practices of dark alchemy. He plied Randall for my hand about six moons ago and I would not agree to it. Nor would Randall, but Randall has had to pay for my decision, I fear. There is nothing I can do to reverse what has befallen him and it is entirely all my fault.”

  Drew spoke up and said, “My lady, it was not your fault.”

  “It was, Sir Drew and I shall have to live with my guilt of it for all my days, but I would not have anyone else p
ay for my offenses.”

  Erik folded his arms across his chest and he said, “So what would you have us do? Hand you over to the man on a silver platter? Rhianna, do not think to be so foolish. You are going to be my wife. Sacrificing yourself would not buy back Randall’s peace of mind.”

  Rhianna faced her betrothed. Her face bore the ire that she culled in her heart and she said, “I have no intention of sacrificing myself, Erik. Nor do I want you or Drew to pay for my mistake, but I vow I want you to aid me to cut that bastard down. I do not care what it takes to do it.”

  Erik’s face split into a grin. He might have known his feisty girl was not going to let this matter drop without a fight. Unabashed pride for her welled in his chest. He allowed her to continue and she said, “I am quite certain now, that Aaron Jasper was responsible for the horror inflicted on the neighboring village. He is the most despicable man that you would ever have the displeasure of meeting. But you both are very valuable to me. I have grown to…care for you both very much in this short time that you have been sent to my home. I would not have either of you sacrificed in this fray that is not your own to fight.”

  “My lady, my place is ever to guard Erik’s back. As his lady, I vow my protection to you as well.”

  Rhianna placed a gentle kiss on Drew’s cheek. Then taking Erik’s hand, she said, “I would beg a promise from you.”

  He took her hand up to his lips and after kissing it, he said, “What is it? I will try to grant it if I can, for it seems there is little I can deny you.”

  “I would like to be allowed to be part of the plans to both fortify du Montefort as well as to cut Morcar down, for I know it is only a matter of time before he strikes again. This time, he will go for the heart of du Montefort; my people. Will you honor this request?”

  “Rhianna, your safety is my main concern. I will not risk you.”