was an easy thing to follow her spoor. No one smelled quite like Liane with her alluring scent of wild violets. He soon saw her ahead in the trees, her long, dark hair streaming behind her in an ebony trail.
Liane never heard his approach, and so the moment of impact was doubly terrifying. She screamed when he slammed into her, turning in his arms to frantically claw at him as they fell. Karic twisted to take the brunt of their fall as they landed with a thud.
It had rained again that nocte, particularly hard, and the ground beneath the leaves was sodden. Mud oozed up to drench their backs, and the resulting struggle, as Liane fought to free herself, only added to their grime. They were quickly coated with leaves and mud.
''Let me go!" Liane cried, futilely trying to pry Karic's fingers from her arm. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"You have no choice," he snapped, just barely dodging a wildly flailing knee. "Stop this ridiculous struggle. You know I'll win in the end."
"You'll never win!" she screeched back at him, attempting to stuff a wad of leaves in his face. "I'll never give up, not while there's breath left in my body."
Karic lost his rapidly waning patience. He had neither the time nor energy for a protracted battle. He suddenly flipped Liane over onto her stomach. Tearing a large swath off her gown, he used it to tie her hands behind her back.
At the sound of the fabric ripping, Liane gasped in outrage. "How dare you? What are you doing?"
He rolled her over. "Subduing you in the gentlest way I know how."
Liane glanced down at her ruined gown. The back, she knew, was virtually gone, and as soon as she stood, the front would follow. If not for her sleeping shift . . .
She shot him a murderous look, and her temper flared. "You call this gentle? Why, you self-serving insensitive"
"Careful, Liane. Don't say something you might later regret." Karic pulled her to her feet.
Her gown slithered to the ground.
"Regret?" She couldn't help herself. She'd never been so furious, so humiliated in her whole life.
She said the first thing that entered her mind. "The only thing I regret is that I didn't turn you in when I had you."
Karic scowled. The set of his lips tightened, and a little muscle ticked along his jaw. He roughly swung her up into his arms and strode off in the direction they'd come.
"You'll regret more than that if you don't stop while you're ahead," he declared through tightly clenched teeth.
Liane squirmed in his arms. "Where are you taking me? What are you going to do?"
There was an undercurrent of panic rising in her voice which touched Karic, his anger quickly dissipating. He couldn't blame her for running away and fighting. He'd have done the same. There was no reason for him to treat her harshly because of it. The tension eased from his body.
"We both need a bath. It may be our last chance for a long while, and I've no intention of beginning our journey in this filthy state."
"I don't want a bath, and most certainly not with you!"
Karic shot her an amused glance. "Have you had a chance to look at yourself? Believe me, you need a bath."
She clamped down on an angry retort, knowing further argument would be futile. He was so stubborn; he wouldn't listen to her. Perhaps she could find a way to escape once they were in the pool. If only she could get him to untie her arms . . .
That request fell on deaf ears.
Karic wryly shook his head. "I may be self-serving and insensitive," he said, "but I'm not stupid. I only want a bath, not a wrestling match."
"Then how am I to wash myself?" Liane sputtered as he strode into the pool with her still clasped in his arms.
"You aren't. I'll do it for you."
The concept was too mind-boggling for Liane to absorb. She gaped at him, speechless.
Karic stopped when he reached waist-deep water and lowered Liane to her feet. While she stood there, he proceeded to wash the grime from his hair and body, scrubbing the dirt out of his breeches as best he
Liane never heard his approach, and so the moment of impact was doubly terrifying. She screamed when he slammed into her, turning in his arms to frantically claw at him as they fell. Karic twisted to take the brunt of their fall as they landed with a thud.
It had rained again that nocte, particularly hard, and the ground beneath the leaves was sodden. Mud oozed up to drench their backs, and the resulting struggle, as Liane fought to free herself, only added to their grime. They were quickly coated with leaves and mud.
''Let me go!" Liane cried, futilely trying to pry Karic's fingers from her arm. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"You have no choice," he snapped, just barely dodging a wildly flailing knee. "Stop this ridiculous struggle. You know I'll win in the end."
"You'll never win!" she screeched back at him, attempting to stuff a wad of leaves in his face. "I'll never give up, not while there's breath left in my body."
Karic lost his rapidly waning patience. He had neither the time nor energy for a protracted battle. He suddenly flipped Liane over onto her stomach. Tearing a large swath off her gown, he used it to tie her hands behind her back.
At the sound of the fabric ripping, Liane gasped in outrage. "How dare you? What are you doing?"
He rolled her over. "Subduing you in the gentlest way I know how."
Liane glanced down at her ruined gown. The back, she knew, was virtually gone, and as soon as she stood, the front would follow. If not for her sleeping shift . . .
She shot him a murderous look, and her temper flared. "You call this gentle? Why, you self-serving insensitive"
"Careful, Liane. Don't say something you might later regret." Karic pulled her to her feet.
Her gown slithered to the ground.
"Regret?" She couldn't help herself. She'd never been so furious, so humiliated in her whole life.
She said the first thing that entered her mind. "The only thing I regret is that I didn't turn you in when I had you."
Karic scowled. The set of his lips tightened, and a little muscle ticked along his jaw. He roughly swung her up into his arms and strode off in the direction they'd come.
"You'll regret more than that if you don't stop while you're ahead," he declared through tightly clenched teeth.
Liane squirmed in his arms. "Where are you taking me? What are you going to do?"
There was an undercurrent of panic rising in her voice which touched Karic, his anger quickly dissipating. He couldn't blame her for running away and fighting. He'd have done the same. There was no reason for him to treat her harshly because of it. The tension eased from his body.
"We both need a bath. It may be our last chance for a long while, and I've no intention of beginning our journey in this filthy state."
"I don't want a bath, and most certainly not with you!"
Karic shot her an amused glance. "Have you had a chance to look at yourself? Believe me, you need a bath."
She clamped down on an angry retort, knowing further argument would be futile. He was so stubborn; he wouldn't listen to her. Perhaps she could find a way to escape once they were in the pool. If only she could get him to untie her arms . . .
That request fell on deaf ears.
Karic wryly shook his head. "I may be self-serving and insensitive," he said, "but I'm not stupid. I only want a bath, not a wrestling match."
"Then how am I to wash myself?" Liane sputtered as he strode into the pool with her still clasped in his arms.
"You aren't. I'll do it for you."
The concept was too mind-boggling for Liane to absorb. She gaped at him, speechless.
Karic stopped when he reached waist-deep water and lowered Liane to her feet. While she stood there, he proceeded to wash the grime from his hair and body, scrubbing the dirt out of his breeches as best he
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