“He is trustworthy and solid.” Alique clutched her upper arms, her nails white. Her blue eyes pierced him. “Did he say who was there? My parents? Goddess! My sister takes the boys out to visit this time every week. She is heavy with child …”
“Lady Alique,” Kain said, “I know this must be distressing news but I’m sure the situation can be resolved. I’ll get word to you as soon as I know what has occurred.”
“Don’t try to reassure me, general. We both know how this could end.”
“I’m not underestimating the situation, in case you are concerned about my handling of it.” Kain clenched his teeth to stop the angry words he wished to utter. Of all people to be involved in this, Alique was the last he wished to deal with.
“I’m coming with you,” she said.
“Out of the question, my lady.” The thought of Alique in the midst of negotiations with armed bandits was almost enough to send a shiver up his spine. Almost. Thank the Goddess he wasn’t that easily troubled.
She gathered herself and stood to full height, which was average at best, but those eyes could cut stone at fifty paces. “This is my family, general, and I will not sit here safe while they are under threat. Make me promise whatever you like, but I am going with you.”
Kain stared at her but she met his gaze unflinching, something not many could do. He raised and discarded several arguments in his head, but in the end came up with nothing.
“What does the Queen say to this?”
“I doubt she knows, but I also doubt she could stop me, short of a royal decree. Adriana understands how I feel about my family.”
“You’ll only get in the way,” Kain said.
“Then I will try to stay out of the way,” Alique said. “I have healing skills which might be of use.”
Kain examined the stubborn set of Alique’s delectable mouth and knew that he was wasting precious time. Let her come! “You may accompany us but stay back. I’ll detail a guard to watch over you and you must stay with them. We’ll be out overnight.” He turned to a nearby soldier and ordered the man to pack a tent and a few other items that he thought Alique might need. “Do you have a medical kit, my lady?”
“Packed on my horse, general. I am ready to leave when you are.”
Alique’s black mare was brought from the stable and held for her to mount. Kain almost groaned out loud when he realized she’d be riding side saddle. No chance of pushing the pace then. Perhaps he could take a group ahead and allow Alique to follow with her guard. Already the woman was giving him a gut ache.
Kain let out a long sigh. “Mount up and move out. Darin, take nine men and guard the lady.” With those orders he trotted his horse across the stable yard and out the palace gates.
*
Alique and her guard were one hundred paces behind Kain and his men. From her position amongst the soldiers, she could just make out the general’s gray uniform atop his prancing black stallion. At least he had impeccable taste in horses, but the man was an arrogant ass. To think that he had tried to stop her checking on her own family. And now he refused to ride with her?
Each time Alique tried to pick up the pace, the soldiers with her would crowd her mare, Ebony, and she would have to pull back. None of them seemed to respond to her glares. They had their orders.
As the afternoon wore on, the wind freshened and Alique pulled her cloak around her – a serviceable cloak that she had used when checking stock on the family farm. It was a deep forest green and would be unlikely to draw attention. She could not be faulted there.
Two hours into the ride, Kain called a halt and Alique’s party caught up. Kain had dismounted and was talking in hushed tones with his second in command, a nondescript, stocky sergeant called Jer Blas.
Alique pushed her way into their conversation and Kain glared at her but held his tongue.
“What do you plan?” she asked.
Kain cleared his throat. “We need to be closer yet before we decide on tactics. How far would you say we are from the estate now, my lady?”
Alique looked around at the countryside. “An hour or a little more, perhaps,” she said. “Forest borders the northern edge of the farmland. It is a possible vantage point from where we can formulate a plan.”
Kain studied her, his eyes narrowed. “Yes, that would work, as long as the bandits aren’t holed up in those very woods.”
“It’s a risk we must take, general,” Sergeant Blas said.
“I don’t like this,” Kain said, as if talking to himself. “I wish I knew who they are and where they came from.”
“And what they want!” Alique’s nerves were raw. What if she lost them all?
“We’ll know soon enough, my lady.” Blas turned to Kain. “Mount up, general?”
“Mount up,” Kain ordered.
Alique hurried to Ebony and mounted, kicking her out from the pack of soldiers and joining Kain. She would not be left behind again.
*
Kain tried to ignore Alique as they trotted toward the Zorba estate, but it was difficult with her riding right beside him. After the first few miles, he gave up trying to convince her to drop back and detailed a dozen men to ride up front of them. She scowled at that, but said nothing. Alique would soon find out that she could not have her way in all things. Unfortunately she was getting her way in far too many things.
Lady Alique Zorba was not a woman who had been said “no” to often enough. Kain knew the type, having two younger sisters who were very similar and equally as spoilt. His sisters, however, had not the advantage of being beautiful blonde noblewomen. Alique was quite used to being the center of attention, and her months spent as lady-in-waiting, and with Doctor Mosard, had done nothing to change her high opinion of herself.
Not that she didn’t deserve to hold herself in high regard … Goddess! Why was he talking like this in his head? He had important matters to deal with, and the least of his concerns should be the alluring young woman who rode beside him.
Kain turned his attention to the countryside they were riding through. It was open farmland, the lifeblood of Wildecoast, along with the fishing industry. They passed all types of farms, from dairy through to beef and pork, cereal crops and fruit trees. Most farms had a mixture to spread their earnings and risk, and most consisted of several small holdings under one local lord who oversaw the entire operation.
He noticed Alique’s knuckles white on her reins. “What sort of farms make up your estate, my lady?” Perhaps that would distract her.
She frowned. “Similar to the other mixed farms, but larger,” she said. “Also we breed horses for the army, which you would already know about. And then we have a sizable lumber business, leasing the woods I spoke of earlier.”
“Ah, yes, my father uses timber from your farm. He says it’s the equal of any in the kingdom.”
Alique smiled. “Not as good as that from further north and west, I think. I didn’t know that your papa was a carpenter.”
“He’s a master carpenter. His business is in the town and thriving, so much so that he’s too busy, and wanting myself and my brother to help him out.”
“But you don’t wish to?”
“It’s not that, so much. I’d do almost anything for Father, but giving up my whole life? That’s too much to ask.”
“The army is that important to you? You don’t seem that content, if you don’t mind me commenting.”
Kain flicked his gaze across to Alique, stunned at her perception when she knew him so little and seemed to like him even less. “The army is a compromise, a way I can work with horses.”
“Ah, so that’s what you love, what stirs you?”
He’d achieved his goal, to distract her from the job ahead, but at what cost? Kain unclenched his jaw with difficulty. He didn’t wish to expose too much of himself, especially to Alique, who was almost a complete stranger.
“Never mind, general,” she said. “If you don’t wish to tell me of your dreams and desires, you need not.”
The way she said desires stirred him. She was just being flirty, but the reaction of his body was disturbing and unexpected. Perhaps if he treated her as he would his youngest sister, it would put everything between them on a safer footing?
Before he could reply though, Alique changed the subject. “The stallion you ride is beautiful. I know he’s not one of ours. From where did he come?”
Kain cleared his throat. “A horse trader from up north sold him to me last year. Snow was a mean one when I first acquired him, but he’s coming around with a lot of patience. Still likes to get a nip in if I’m not careful.”
“Snow?” Alique’s azure eyes were puzzled. “That’s his name?”
Kain shrugged. “I thought it was original at the time. He’s almost been more trouble than he’s worth, but I saw something in him that day, and he has pulled me out of the fire on more than one occasion. Fearless he is.”
Alique ran an appraising eye over the coal-black stallion. “Deep of chest and strong of leg,” she said. “Looks like he’d have endurance and speed. A good prospect for breeding.”
Kain opened his mouth and snapped it shut. Oh, she was good, this woman. Worming in under his guard with her observations and questions. It’d be difficult to stay one step ahead of her. “You should know.”
“Ah,” she said, non-committal. “Let me know if you ever decide you want Snow to become a daddy. I’m sure papa would jump at the chance to have him at stud for a season.” Her eyes clouded and she looked ahead and pointed. “That smudge there is the forest to the north of the Zorba estates. Another half hour and we will be there.”
Chapter 3
Alique, Kain and the soldiers reached the Zorba estate in less than half an hour, crowding in under the trees after ascertaining that no bandits lurked there. Alique led them to a small clearing that she and her brother and sisters had played in as children. It was large enough for a dozen soldiers and their horses, and the rest of the men spread out through the trees to keep watch for the enemy.
Alique dismounted, trying to peer through the trees to the estate house, but seeing nothing. She turned to Kain, who had squatted to draw in the dirt with a stick, and looked over his left shoulder.
“We’re here,” he said, scribbling in the dirt. “The manor house is here, the stables behind the house, the staff quarters here.” He looked up at Alique. “Correct?”
Alique nodded, impressed. It appeared he had done his research.
Kain looked back at his dirt map. “Dolf told me there is a lane that runs south of the house and winds its way past thirteen other estate properties.” Kain drew the road in and handed the stick to Alique. “Can you sketch in the properties, my lady?”
Alique frowned as she completed the task, including the locations of the buildings on each farm. It was not easy to remember it all but when she had finished, she was happy with her dirt map.
Kain raised one dark brow. “Very good, my lady, most comprehensive.” He gathered his men together. “Have a look at this map. This is the area of our search. As you can see, the task is a large one, or potentially so. We’ll work methodically through all these buildings, beginning with the manor house.”
A thought occurred to Alique. “Why didn’t Dolf come back with you?” she asked.
Kain’s eyes dropped. “He was in no fit state. The bandits beat him before they sent him off. I think they wished to give us the message that they were serious. They certainly did that.”
Alique’s heart lurched at his words. That her family could be exposed to barbarians that would harm a gentle man like Dolf! “Will he heal?”
Kain stood, still not meeting her gaze. “He was badly shaken, my lady, his fingers broken, and his face so misshapen he could only see from one eye. He passed out soon after bearing his message.”
“Will he be well?” Alique said, her teeth clenched.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
Kain barked out a few orders and the soldiers broke into five groups of ten men so that they could search all the buildings of the home farm simultaneously.
“Where do you want me?” Alique asked.
“You stay with me. I wouldn’t like to have to explain to the Queen if you were injured.”
“Perhaps I can take care of myself, general?”
“How? I don’t see any weapons.” His hard gaze ran over her and Alique felt summarily dismissed.
How dare he? Well, he didn’t have to know about the five knives she had hidden about her person. She could defend herself well enough if any bandit was stupid enough to lay hands on her. She wasn’t bad at knife throwing either. Perhaps not a skill most ladies possessed but her father had insisted his children all learned basic self-defense. And they had practiced it on each other growing up. Many were the nights one or the other of them had lain with cuts and bruises, or worse. Mama had patched them up and said not a word. Oh yes, Alique could defend herself if needed.
“Let us see what we are dealing with,” she said, and pushed her horse toward the trail that led to the homestead. Behind her, Kain growled. Let him! He would see that she was not just some fine lady to sit at home and allow others to do the dirty work. Alique did not examine the reason she needed to prove herself to Kain too closely. He was insufferable and had to be put in his place, that was all.
A trio of solders passed her and she found herself beside Kain again, with the remainder behind. Two groups had been sent into the homestead via the front entrance, and the other two would beat their way through the forest and come at the buildings from the back. Her group would enter the clearing after the front two groups had approached the homestead and completed an initial inspection. That way if there was immediate hostility, not all the force would be engaged.
They reached the edge of the sheltering forest and drew up within the cover of the trees, waiting. Alique’s horse fidgeted, sensing her impatience to get moving, to discover the fate of her family. She calmed her features, hoping her heart would follow suit, and glanced across to Kain.
Alique had heard great things of Kain Jazara and so far she couldn’t fault his tactics. The men respected him and he was obviously a supreme horseman. He was rumored to be a master swordsman and almost as good with a horse bow. It was even said that he had an uncanny knack of anticipating the enemy. But now, as he sat his horse, he seemed focused inward, as though he were listening. His preoccupation unsettled her. What was wrong with the man?
The thought only served to make her tense and so she practiced her deep breathing to steady her nerves. All would be well, she would make it so. The Zorbas had already borne more than their fair share of grief, with her older sister Elinor, Ramón’s twin, dying in childbirth four years past. And they had gone so close to losing Ramón himself just a matter of weeks ago. Alique still felt a pang of dread that she might never have seen her big brother again. When they were reunited she would set about healing the hurts she had inflicted by being self-centered and mischievous. Ramón had always been her best friend and she had never recognized that until she almost lost him.
The twenty soldiers appeared under the leadership of Sergeant Blas, and formed up in front of the homestead in ranks of five abreast, with the sergeant in the center of the front row. Alique could already see the other two units circling around the back through the outbuildings. It appeared they had broken up into bands of five men, and were conducting a quick check to ascertain if anyone was present.
Sergeant Blas dismounted and drew his sword, four men following his lead. They approached the front door, some of the other fifteen soldiers leading their horses around the sides of the mansion and peering into windows. Blas sent three men through the front door but all was quiet inside. Alique tried not to dwell on what that might mean.
“Let’s go,” Kain said, and pushed his horse forward. Alique followed, happy to be moving at last.
They pulled up at the house and Kain dismounted. “Stay here.”
Alique did not think her jaw could be any t
ighter and despite her urgency to see her folks, she nodded.
Kain wasn’t long. “They’ve been in the house. Furniture is tipped over and breakfast interrupted. No blood, but signs of a struggle.” He mounted his horse and they turned their attention to the outbuildings.
Alique nodded. “I knew it could not be that simple.”
The twenty men who had searched the outbuildings were now strung out amongst the stables, cottages and plow sheds, keeping watch on the paddocks.
Corporal Darin approached. “No one inside the stable from what we can see, general, but we need to enter to be sure. The worker cottage has been checked.”
Kain dismounted, followed by Alique. “Stay here,” he said.
He continued to walk toward the stable entrance as if his word would be followed. Alique came behind him with some of the soldiers. Kain was still distracted, for he did not notice her dogging his steps.
The odor of the stable assailed her and calm descended. This had been her favorite place when she had lived on the farm, and she had spent many a day in her troubled teens up in the loft, breathing in the soft scent of the hay and listening to the gentle snorts of the horses.
All was quiet today, too quiet. There were no sounds of horses, and at least some of the breeding stallions, and the work and riding horses, should have been stabled here. The hairs stood up on Alique’s neck. She hurried forward to mention the horses to Kain but he had already placed his hand on the ladder that led to the loft. Alique heard a soft click followed by a sharp cracking and hurled herself forward against Kain, shoving him aside as the loft and dozens of bales of hay came crashing down. Alique grunted, the air knocked out of her chest, but soon she was coughing, her eyes smarting at the dust. The soldiers made quick work of shifting the avalanche of hay and pulling Alique to her feet.
“Thank you, soldier,” she said, dusting her dress off. Her face and hair must look a mess, but better than Kain buried under the loft timbers. She saw that his face was white and that he wasn’t moving.
“Something is amiss!” Alique felt underneath his head and her hand came away red with blood. “He must have smacked his head as he fell,” she said. “Someone get clean water.” Alique sat on the stable floor amongst the hay and debris from the loft, and laid Kain’s head in her lap. She could now see the small cut and swelling behind his right ear. It was not deep but there could be serious consequences to a concussion. Some she had treated never awakened.
The Elf King’s Lady: Wildecoast Saga Book 2 Page 2