Warriors Of Legend (54 page)

He set the rabbit in the snowy ground and began to break the branches to add to the fire.

The two men worked silently, well acquainted with how the other worked. Usually the cook at home took care of the meat preparations, but Ulric seemed proficient in working with food. Choosing the appropriate wood pieces that had natural notches at the end, he hammered them into the ground with a rock that he found.

Gavin meanwhile took one of the sturdy branches, and began to shave off the bark with a knife that he acquired from his boot.

“Why did you lie about saving my father?” Estella asked him, breaking the silence.

Gavin looked up from what he was doing, the knife glinting as the light of the fire bounced off of it. “I’m a knight,” he said. He went back to whittling the branch until there was a sharp point at the end. “And knights never lie. Is that not right, Ulric?”

He held the sharpened stick up to assess its sharpness before handing it to his companion.

Ulric took the carcass and pushed it through the stick. He placed the skewer onto the prepared wooden stakes. “At least the honest ones don’t,” he replied with a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

Estella pursed her lips. “But it makes no sense to me. If I were to save a nobleman’s life, I would ask for a bigger payment, a ransom perhaps. I would not have asked to marry one of his daughters,” she said, watching Gavin carefully to see his reaction. “Would money not be more useful than saddling yourself with a wife? A wife which by the way, you know nothing about? For all you know, I could be a mad woman.”

“This I already know,” Gavin said mockingly.

She scowled at him, but that only made him chuckle.

He had shed his thick cloak and even in the cold morning air, he seemed unaffected by the chill. Her eyes were drawn to his broad shoulders and massive chest. It then moved down along the muscular arms that held her not too long ago. A flash of heat flooded her body, but it didn’t have anything to do with the fire that burned merrily in front of her.

She looked over to where Ulric was bent over the fire, tending the crude spit. The safest thing was to focus on something else, she reasoned.

Her eyes dropped to the meat cooking on the fire, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. She watched as fat dripped down from the rabbit as Ulric carefully turned the spit. Her stomach rumbled as the smell of roasted meat filled her senses.

Gavin took one of the sticks on the ground and crouched by the small fire, poking at the burning branches. “Now tell me, my lady, why do you put such little value to your life?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, flushing.

“Do you truly see yourself as a burden that a man must bear once he’s married to you?” He turned to look at his companion. “That is what you heard, was it not, Ulric?”

“Aye,” Ulric nodded. He poked his knife into the meat, and watched as the clear liquid dripped out of it. “That’s what I heard. Perhaps we should not have interfered and allowed the outlaws to rob her father.” He grabbed the skewer, and leaned it on a rock nearby to allow the meat to cool. “Perhaps ‘twas best to let him die by the side of the road.”

Estella gasped in horror. She grasped the medallion that hung around her neck as if it was a talisman that protected her from the terrible suggestion. “That is a horrible thing to say,” she said. “I only ask why Sir Gavin would want to marry me when there are far better things to acquire. My father raises quality geese within our castle. Even the King is said to enjoy the birds. You would do far better to get a flock of his geese than to marry me.”

Ulric looked at Gavin, silently questioning him whether he should speak. But the dark knight shook his head. “I have my reasons,” Gavin said. “Now let me ask you another question.” His eyes searched hers as if he wanted to uncover the truth in there. “Why did you want me to choose you over your sisters?”

“You are a stranger to us. Whether you are noble or brutal, this I cannot know,” she said, her voice becoming choked. “I could not in good conscious allow you to take one of my younger sisters. Not when ‘tis my duty to protect them.”

“Ah,” he looked at her thoughtfully. “You are your sisters’ keeper.”

“I see nothing wrong with that. When it comes to my sisters, I would protect them with my life.”

Gavin looked at her for a long moment. Then he nodded to himself, satisfied that he discovered what he was searching for. He turned to Ulric. “Is the meat ready yet?”

Estella let out her breath in a rush. She knew it was risky to speak so candidly to her captor, because it was true, she didn’t know what type of man he was. It was fortunate he wasn’t angered by her blunt questions.

“It still needs a bit of time to cool,” Ulric said. He lifted the steaming rabbit from its resting place on the rock, the fat still dripping and sizzling. She swallowed as he walked closer to them, the aroma making her stomach rumble.

Taking the stick from Ulric, Gavin handed it to her. “Here,” he said, “eat.”

She reluctantly took the skewer. There was barely enough meat on it. The winter had been harsh and even the wild animals suffered from lack of food. It was almost a miracle that Gavin had spotted the rabbit hidden in the snow. “What will you and Sir Ulric eat?”

“Do not worry about us. We’ll survive until we return to my castle.”

She glanced at Ulric but he only shrugged. “One scrawny rabbit won’t make a difference to my belly,” he said. “Neither will bread and cheese but I will eat what I have in my pouch.”

Testing the meat, she decided that it was cool enough. Then, she took a small bite. Before she knew it, she was sinking her teeth into the succulent meat with relish. The night before, she didn’t have much chance to eat, not with all the commotion that occurred. And by the time that everything was resolved, or so she thought, any appetite she had was gone. It was different now. If Gavin presented her with a whole suckling pig, she might have devoured it in one sitting.

She let out a small sigh of contentment, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. But when she noticed Gavin watching her, an amused smile playing on his lips, she flushed a deep crimson. “I was hungry,” she said defensively.

“‘Twould seem so,” he said. He uncorked a sheepskin flask filled with ale and took a long drink. “In a day’s time, we should arrive at my castle. After the marriage ceremonies, we shall feast to our hearts content.”

“A feast is what I’m looking forward to,” Ulric added. “I prefer to eat —”

Gavin silenced him with a wave of his hand. He set aside the flask and motioned to the woods beyond.

Ulric straightened his spine, and became alert as if he too detected an enemy lurking among the shadows. They both stared intently to the right, where the trees blocked the darkness from entering into the shelter. The only comfort was the earthen wall behind their backs.

A rustling noise sounded.

“What is it?” Estella said, fear creeping into her voice.

“Grey wolves,” Ulric said.

Gavin nodded. “They must have smelled our cooking,” he said. “They usually come out at night, but ‘tis barely dawn so they’re still lurking about. Stay behind me. I don’t want you to come to harm as they usually travel in packs.”

There was more rustling among the trees. She could imagine red glowing eyes, peering out them from their hiding spots.

Estella shuddered. She barely escaped death while trying to climb out of her window. Now hours later, she faced a pack of hungry wolves that would relish in ripping her limbs apart. She inched closer to Gavin.

A large, scraggly hound emerged from the trees, looking as if it hadn’t eaten for weeks. It crouched low, advancing menacingly as if it was ready to pounce and tear at them with its sharp teeth.

Gavin picked up the bow that he had leaned against the earthen wall, and slowly got up. He pulled an arrow from the pouch on his back and quickly assembled it onto the weapon. Ulric was already up, his broadsword firmly in his grip. And they both stood, ready and waiting for the wild attack to come.

Gavin partially blocked Estella, intent on protecting her. Stray hounds lived in the forest along with the wolves. Desperation and hunger made them dangerous.

He indicated for Ulric to circle around to the other side.

The hound growled and bared its yellow teeth, warning them to back off and allow it to get at the discarded carcass.

Ulric picked up a stone that lay near his foot and tossed it at the animal. “Go back where you came from, Hound,” he said.

But instead of retreating back into the shadows, it sprang on its hind legs and rushed forward, coming straight at Gavin and Estella.

Gavin could feel the steady thud of his heart. Luckily all the years of training had made his nerves steady and focused. He had the animal within his sights and just need to let the arrow fly.

Estella shoved at his arm, “Stop!” she cried. “Do not kill him!”

Gavin’s arrow shot harmlessly into the sky. Estella pushed past them and hurried over to the animal as if she was reuniting with a long lost relative.

And to Gavin’s utter amazement, the hound was just as eager to see her. It climbed on its hind legs. Putting two great front paws on Estella’s slender shoulders, it licked her face while its tail wagged to and fro.

“You know this beast?” he asked incredulously.

Estella buried her face in the hound’s fur. A smile spread across her face. For a moment, his breath caught in his throat. Her smile had the same effect as a club bashing into his chest.

“I have known this hound since he was a pup,” she explained, a joyous expression lightening up her face. “I know that sometimes he disappears and wanders outside the castle walls for hours on end. He must have been roaming outside the castle when we left and somehow he followed us here.”

Ulric shook his head. “He emerged from the woods looking quite ferocious,” he said. “But from how he’s acting now, you would think he’s a newborn pup.”

The hound dropped down to all fours, and walked over to sniff at the discarded bones.

“Aye,” Estella grinned, “And he is just as tame.”

CHAPTER 8

Estella watched as Ulric broke a dried branch in half and added it to the fire. He then picked up another stick, poking at the wood to encourage the flames to consume it. In a matter of seconds, the sound of snapping and popping filled the air.

She glanced over her shoulder to see if Gavin had come back from putting away his tools. But he was not by the horses. She could only assume that he had wandered off into the woods.

Here was her chance to ask Ulric some questions without Gavin being in the vicinity.

“I am curious,” Estella said, her voice sounding loud in the confines of the shelter.

Ulric sat back and lifted a questioning eyebrow at her.

“Why do you do it? Why do you allow Sir Gavin to command you when you are obviously bigger and perhaps stronger? It seems that when Sir Gavin tells you to do something, you do it without question. Would it not be better to venture out on your own, to be your own commander?”

He shrugged. “I trust him,” he said.

“You trust him because he pays you for your services,” Estella said finishing his sentence.

“Nay, I trust him because he saved my life. I fought as a mercenary, and the life of a hired warrior does not mean much in war. My employer left me for dead when I became injured in battle. So when Gavin found me, half dead, he had every right to kill me, to put me out of my misery.” He stared at the fire pit as if he witnessed the past events unfolding in front of him. “But Gavin spared my life. He nursed me back to health. I don’t know why he did it, but he did. A part of me thinks that as he saw me laying there welcoming death, he caught a glimpse of his own mortality.”

She pursed her lips. “He seems to regularly rescue people in trouble.”

He looked at her, the expression on his face grave. “Aye, ‘tis in his nature. ‘Tis what he does.”

Estella became silent. Her father painted an image of man that was different to the one that she had gotten to know. Was her father mistaken about the events that occurred during the outlaw attack?

She didn’t have much time to delve into the new thoughts or ask further questions, as Gavin soon came back.

“The grey cast of morning has made its appearance, and there’s no point in lingering here,” he said.

“I would like to wash out the smell of smoky meat from my hands first,” Estella said. “Will you come with me to the stream, Sir Ulric?”

Ulric got up. “If you —”

Gavin gestured for Ulric to stay. “‘Tis a good idea to wash up, my lady,” he said. “Ulric will attend to the campsite, and I’ll go with you.”

Estella gave an inward sigh. She preferred to have Ulric escort her because even though he said little, she felt safe with him. It was his companion that made her feel uncomfortable, that caused her thoughts to become jumbled and confused.

They walked a short distance from the campsite when Gavin turned to her and said, “If you need anything I will be down stream.”

A look of relief washed over her lovely face, and Gavin felt a vague sense of irritation. It seemed that he was the only one affected by their proximity.

He left her side and made his way a little further down the small stream, pushing aside the dry bushes that lined the bank.

Gavin could have allowed her to go to the stream with Ulric or even on her own. There really was no place for her to escape. And even if she tried, he could easily track her in the snow. Yet even knowing all this, he volunteered to go with her. He could all but shake his head at his rash behavior. He rarely acted this impulsively and it surprised him. He frowned at himself. There was something about this woman that made him behave out of character and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

Satisfied that he had gone far enough, he turned his head to look over at Estella. The bare bushes obscured most of his view of her and he could only make out the top of her head. She had enough privacy, however if she faced any sort of threat, he could easily get to her in time.

Gavin raised his arms over his head to stretch his taunt muscles.

What he needed was an icy dip in the stream to ease the tension that had plagued him from the moment he met Estella. After all the hours on the saddle with her within his reach, he couldn’t think of much else other than seeing her lying on his bed, his naked body covering hers. The mere thought of what he would do to her made him rock hard. And that wasn’t a state he wanted to be in for the rest of the day.