halt. “Where in the hell were you?”
“We saw a track of raiders and followed it.”
“They led you a merry chase and tried to kill your earl and Lady Gwen.”
Rage burned in Aaron’s eyes. “Forgive me, my lord. The moment we realized the party doubled back on us, we returned with all haste. There are twelve in this party. We will finish them.”
“Be careful, Aaron. I killed four, actually Ebon saw to the last. But there is one left in the glade. If those twelve are in addition...you are seriously outnumbered.”
“Worry not, my lord. We will handle them. Get the lady to safety.”
“I’ll send more men from Montgomery,” Talon barked as he kicked Ebon into a gallop again.
“Talon, stop.” Gwen gasped.
“We cannot--”
“Stop now!” she cried so urgently Talon pulled his mount up before he realized. She flew off the saddle, staggered two paces away and collapsed, retching terribly.
“Sweet Jesu,” Talon whispered and vaulted off. He wrapped his arms around Gwen’s shoulders, grimacing as he felt her body contort. “It’s all right, Gwen,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “We are safe now.”
Her retching finally eased. “How....” she gasped, wiping her mouth. “How can you do it?”
He frowned, tugging her chin until she looked at him. He was stunned to see tears streaming down her cheeks. “How can I do what?”
“How can you bear to kill a man?”
His heart shattered into tiny pieces as he realized just what she had done. She had refused to escape to safety, instead able to control his horse after he had ordered it home. His arms wrapped tightly around her and he held her as if she was his last grip on reality.
“I know, Gwen,” he whispered. “But all I think of is how much more terrible it would be for me to see you dead in place of the man I would slay. When it comes to that question, there is only one answer...one which I never doubt.”
She choked on another sob but her arms wrapped around his neck with surprising strength. “’Tis true,” she whispered in his ear. “I feared you dead and knew I couldn’t let that happen, that’s why I forced Ebon to come back.”
Her words slammed into his gut as strongly as a mailed fist. He held her tightly and buried his face in her thick hair. “Let’s go home,” he whispered.
She nodded, still trying to control her sobs.
Talon returned to Castle Montgomery wearing only hosen, a sweat stained tunic, and carrying a distraught woman. The servants and men at arms gathered in mute surprise. Talon said nothing, but carried Gwen into the keep. He was glad to note her mare had returned, now being cooled down.
Marcus met him as he entered the keep, his eyes wide and worried. “Send more men to assist Aaron,” Talon said. “And fetch my weapons and armor from the glade.”
“Aye sir.”
Alys joined him on the stairs to Gwen’s room. “My lord, is she injured?”
“Nay,” he said. “Call for a bath and see to your lady, Alys.”
“Talon,” Gwen said as he eased her into a chair. “Don’t leave me please.”
“’Tis all right, lady,” he said kneeling before her. Gently he brushed her cheek. “Bathe and I will see you at dinner.”
She looked down at his shredded stockings and her eyes widened.
Talon scowled and glanced at the floor, surprised to see vivid bloody footprints on the stone.
Her fingers latched tightly on his. “Sit, now.”
“Gwen--”
“I said now!” she snapped with the power of a battle commander.
Talon blinked at her in shock, his lips tugging upward.
She jumped to her feet, refusing to release his hand and used all of her strength to haul him toward a chair.
Talon found himself acceding grudgingly. If he resisted with too much power, he might knock her to the ground. He plopped in the chair, suddenly realizing his feet burned with fire.
“Alys, get me the basin and warm water.”
“Lady, what
“We saw a track of raiders and followed it.”
“They led you a merry chase and tried to kill your earl and Lady Gwen.”
Rage burned in Aaron’s eyes. “Forgive me, my lord. The moment we realized the party doubled back on us, we returned with all haste. There are twelve in this party. We will finish them.”
“Be careful, Aaron. I killed four, actually Ebon saw to the last. But there is one left in the glade. If those twelve are in addition...you are seriously outnumbered.”
“Worry not, my lord. We will handle them. Get the lady to safety.”
“I’ll send more men from Montgomery,” Talon barked as he kicked Ebon into a gallop again.
“Talon, stop.” Gwen gasped.
“We cannot--”
“Stop now!” she cried so urgently Talon pulled his mount up before he realized. She flew off the saddle, staggered two paces away and collapsed, retching terribly.
“Sweet Jesu,” Talon whispered and vaulted off. He wrapped his arms around Gwen’s shoulders, grimacing as he felt her body contort. “It’s all right, Gwen,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “We are safe now.”
Her retching finally eased. “How....” she gasped, wiping her mouth. “How can you do it?”
He frowned, tugging her chin until she looked at him. He was stunned to see tears streaming down her cheeks. “How can I do what?”
“How can you bear to kill a man?”
His heart shattered into tiny pieces as he realized just what she had done. She had refused to escape to safety, instead able to control his horse after he had ordered it home. His arms wrapped tightly around her and he held her as if she was his last grip on reality.
“I know, Gwen,” he whispered. “But all I think of is how much more terrible it would be for me to see you dead in place of the man I would slay. When it comes to that question, there is only one answer...one which I never doubt.”
She choked on another sob but her arms wrapped around his neck with surprising strength. “’Tis true,” she whispered in his ear. “I feared you dead and knew I couldn’t let that happen, that’s why I forced Ebon to come back.”
Her words slammed into his gut as strongly as a mailed fist. He held her tightly and buried his face in her thick hair. “Let’s go home,” he whispered.
She nodded, still trying to control her sobs.
Talon returned to Castle Montgomery wearing only hosen, a sweat stained tunic, and carrying a distraught woman. The servants and men at arms gathered in mute surprise. Talon said nothing, but carried Gwen into the keep. He was glad to note her mare had returned, now being cooled down.
Marcus met him as he entered the keep, his eyes wide and worried. “Send more men to assist Aaron,” Talon said. “And fetch my weapons and armor from the glade.”
“Aye sir.”
Alys joined him on the stairs to Gwen’s room. “My lord, is she injured?”
“Nay,” he said. “Call for a bath and see to your lady, Alys.”
“Talon,” Gwen said as he eased her into a chair. “Don’t leave me please.”
“’Tis all right, lady,” he said kneeling before her. Gently he brushed her cheek. “Bathe and I will see you at dinner.”
She looked down at his shredded stockings and her eyes widened.
Talon scowled and glanced at the floor, surprised to see vivid bloody footprints on the stone.
Her fingers latched tightly on his. “Sit, now.”
“Gwen--”
“I said now!” she snapped with the power of a battle commander.
Talon blinked at her in shock, his lips tugging upward.
She jumped to her feet, refusing to release his hand and used all of her strength to haul him toward a chair.
Talon found himself acceding grudgingly. If he resisted with too much power, he might knock her to the ground. He plopped in the chair, suddenly realizing his feet burned with fire.
“Alys, get me the basin and warm water.”
“Lady, what
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