man’s life before?” asked Gabel, signaling Michael to remove the body.
“Nay.” Ainslee shrugged. “Not that I can recall. Certainly not face-to-face.”
“ ’Tis always hard the first time.”
“Why? He was trying to kill me. I should feel nothing, no regret, no mercy.”
“It will take time for that truth to settle into your heart. Just continue to repeat it and soon you will accept it. The man gave you but three choices—flee, which was impossible; hide, another poor choice in such a small place; or kill him before he killed you.” He took her by the arm. “Come, we had best leave this place.”
“The battle is over?” she asked as she looked around.
“Aye. The dogs left alive have fled with their tails atween their legs.”
“Ye didna pursue them?”
“Nay. I think it best if we just leave this place. That may not be all of them. To follow could put us into the midst of a trap. I did not come here to battle outlaws and outcasts. That would only gain me the pleasure of having seen justice done, for I am sure that each one of those men is long overdue for a hanging.”
“Long overdue.” After he mounted her horse, she allowed him to pull her up behind him. “Do ye think that the others, your men who fled with Ronald, are safe?”
He nodded as he urged her horse down the rocky hillside. “We will not meet with them again before nightfall. This battle has delayed us, and I fear we will need to camp the night. If all had gone well, we would have been upon my lands by now.”
She rested against his back and struggled to banish the image of the dead man from her mind. It would not be easy. Ainslee feared she would be forever haunted by the look of surprise upon the man’s face as she had killed him, by the way all the life had seeped out of his eyes. She needed to talk to Ronald. He had always been there for her when she was troubled. She prayed Gabel was right, that Ronald was safe and would be waiting for them somewhere along the road.
Ainslee muttered a curse when she was lightly shaken. Soft, deep, male laughter further pulled her out of her sleep. Blinking and rubbing her eyes, Ainslee sat up straighter, looked around her and frowned. She fixed her gaze on the strong arms wrapped around her waist.
“How did I get here? I was riding behind you,” she muttered, rubbing her temples as she tried to clear the fog of sleep from her mind.
“Aye, but you fell asleep,” Gabel replied as he reined the horse to a stop.
“Did I fall from the saddle?”
“Almost. I stopped and had Michael move you.”
“ ’Tis odd that I canna recall that, that I didna wake up.”
“You roused enough to thank him most sweetly.” Gabel dismounted and lifted her down. “We will camp here for the night and will reach my lands in the morning.”
“Is Ronald here?” Ainslee asked, wriggling free of Gable’s light hold and looking around.
“Aye. He and the men were waiting here for us. He is off to your left by the line of trees.”
Gabel watched her run to her companion’s side and was startled by the pang of jealousy he felt. With each moment he spent in her company, matters grew more and more complicated. As his men set up camp and began to prepare a meal, Gabel walked over to Justice and sat down.
“How do you fare today, Cousin?” he asked the younger man as he offered Justice a drink from his wineskin.
“Too well to be imprisoned upon this litter,” Justice grumbled.
“You will only be on it for a short while longer, and then you may lie upon a soft bed to recover.”
“Gabel,” Justice began in protest.
“Do not try and tell me that you are hale and ready to fight at my side. You are still pale, and you wince each time you move. Unless we face a battle where even your weakened sword arm is needed, ’tis but foolishness for you to ignore your wound. Do not let vanity slow your healing, mayhaps even leave you forever weakened in that arm.”
Justice cursed softly and
“Nay.” Ainslee shrugged. “Not that I can recall. Certainly not face-to-face.”
“ ’Tis always hard the first time.”
“Why? He was trying to kill me. I should feel nothing, no regret, no mercy.”
“It will take time for that truth to settle into your heart. Just continue to repeat it and soon you will accept it. The man gave you but three choices—flee, which was impossible; hide, another poor choice in such a small place; or kill him before he killed you.” He took her by the arm. “Come, we had best leave this place.”
“The battle is over?” she asked as she looked around.
“Aye. The dogs left alive have fled with their tails atween their legs.”
“Ye didna pursue them?”
“Nay. I think it best if we just leave this place. That may not be all of them. To follow could put us into the midst of a trap. I did not come here to battle outlaws and outcasts. That would only gain me the pleasure of having seen justice done, for I am sure that each one of those men is long overdue for a hanging.”
“Long overdue.” After he mounted her horse, she allowed him to pull her up behind him. “Do ye think that the others, your men who fled with Ronald, are safe?”
He nodded as he urged her horse down the rocky hillside. “We will not meet with them again before nightfall. This battle has delayed us, and I fear we will need to camp the night. If all had gone well, we would have been upon my lands by now.”
She rested against his back and struggled to banish the image of the dead man from her mind. It would not be easy. Ainslee feared she would be forever haunted by the look of surprise upon the man’s face as she had killed him, by the way all the life had seeped out of his eyes. She needed to talk to Ronald. He had always been there for her when she was troubled. She prayed Gabel was right, that Ronald was safe and would be waiting for them somewhere along the road.
Ainslee muttered a curse when she was lightly shaken. Soft, deep, male laughter further pulled her out of her sleep. Blinking and rubbing her eyes, Ainslee sat up straighter, looked around her and frowned. She fixed her gaze on the strong arms wrapped around her waist.
“How did I get here? I was riding behind you,” she muttered, rubbing her temples as she tried to clear the fog of sleep from her mind.
“Aye, but you fell asleep,” Gabel replied as he reined the horse to a stop.
“Did I fall from the saddle?”
“Almost. I stopped and had Michael move you.”
“ ’Tis odd that I canna recall that, that I didna wake up.”
“You roused enough to thank him most sweetly.” Gabel dismounted and lifted her down. “We will camp here for the night and will reach my lands in the morning.”
“Is Ronald here?” Ainslee asked, wriggling free of Gable’s light hold and looking around.
“Aye. He and the men were waiting here for us. He is off to your left by the line of trees.”
Gabel watched her run to her companion’s side and was startled by the pang of jealousy he felt. With each moment he spent in her company, matters grew more and more complicated. As his men set up camp and began to prepare a meal, Gabel walked over to Justice and sat down.
“How do you fare today, Cousin?” he asked the younger man as he offered Justice a drink from his wineskin.
“Too well to be imprisoned upon this litter,” Justice grumbled.
“You will only be on it for a short while longer, and then you may lie upon a soft bed to recover.”
“Gabel,” Justice began in protest.
“Do not try and tell me that you are hale and ready to fight at my side. You are still pale, and you wince each time you move. Unless we face a battle where even your weakened sword arm is needed, ’tis but foolishness for you to ignore your wound. Do not let vanity slow your healing, mayhaps even leave you forever weakened in that arm.”
Justice cursed softly and
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