her horse. She rummaged in the saddlebags and handed him her water bottle and part of a biscuit.
He started to guzzle the water, but Mariah pulled it away from him.“You must go slowly, or you will be sick.” She seemed fairly appalled at the sight of him now that she could fully see his feeble, filthy state.
Rowan nodded and took small nibbles of the biscuit, followed by shallow drinks of water.
“You ride Sierra,” Mariah said. “Once we get to my farm, we’ll get the rest of your chains off.”
Mounting the horse was problematic because of Rowan’s physical state and his leg chains, but with Mariah’s help he finally managed to perch sidesaddle and lean heavily on the animal’s neck. Exhaustion was quickly overtaking him, and he wondered if he would even be able to ride very far.
With frequent stops and much patience on Mariah’s part, they finally made it to her farmhouse. Rowan nearly fell from the horse, not caring if he even made it indoors, but Mariah refused to give up. She all but carried him inside and to a bed. The glorious softness of the mattress beneath him pulled him to slumber. He was vaguely aware that Mariah was occupied with various tasks nearby, but he didn’t care. He just hoped that the bed wouldn’t fade to rock and dirt again.
HOMEWARD BOUND
When Rowan awoke, at first he didn’t dare open his eyes.
Please let this be real
, he pleaded within himself.
Then the delightful sound of Mariah’s voice filled the air with song and his heart with gladness. He finally opened his eyes to see the beautiful smile of his rescuer.
“Good morning,” Mariah said.
Rowan filled his lungs with delicious air.
“I have a surprise for you.” She lifted his hand into the air.
The shackles were gone. He looked at his feet, and they were unfettered too.
“I don’t know how I can thank you.” Rowan rubbed his abraded wrists and looked up at her. To him, at that moment, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Blue eyes peered at him from behind loose tousles of dark brown hair. She was tall, slender but strong, and though the features of her face were feminine, they were also quite distinctive, with high, slanted cheekbones and a generous mouth that revealed dimples when she smiled.
“Why don’t you sit up if you can?” she said. “I have some breakfast for you, but you must remember to eat slowly.”
Mariah helped him sit up and propped a pillow behind him. Thenshe brought a tray with a glass of diluted juice and a small bowl of warm corn mush with stewed fruit. To Rowan it looked like a meal fit for a king. He looked back up at Mariah. She smiled and tilted her head, then sat down in a chair next to him.
“Do you have a family here with you?” he asked, peering down the hallway behind her.
Mariah hesitated. “Since you’re certainly not much of a threat right now, I guess I can tell you I am alone here.”
“I’m sorry to be such a burden to you,” Rowan said. “I’ll leave straightaway.”
Mariah raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t make it ten feet past the front door in your condition. You can stay in this spare room until you’re strong enough to move about. After that, I’ve an outbuilding that would suit well until you can travel.”
Rowan nodded. “I’m very grateful for your kindness.”
“When you’re ready, there is water for washing … and some clothes in the armoire.” Mariah nodded with her head to the corner of the room.
Rowan glanced at the armoire and back at Mariah with a puzzled look on his face. She dropped her gaze to her hands. “My husband died late last summer.”
“I … I’m sorry,” Rowan said.
Mariah nodded and blinked back tears, then forced a smile. “I’ve considered leaving the farm and joining my family, but that seems like giving up on Palson. He worked hard to build this farm, and we’ve only been here two seasons. I just can’t leave—not yet anyway. I’ve decided to try it one season, and
He started to guzzle the water, but Mariah pulled it away from him.“You must go slowly, or you will be sick.” She seemed fairly appalled at the sight of him now that she could fully see his feeble, filthy state.
Rowan nodded and took small nibbles of the biscuit, followed by shallow drinks of water.
“You ride Sierra,” Mariah said. “Once we get to my farm, we’ll get the rest of your chains off.”
Mounting the horse was problematic because of Rowan’s physical state and his leg chains, but with Mariah’s help he finally managed to perch sidesaddle and lean heavily on the animal’s neck. Exhaustion was quickly overtaking him, and he wondered if he would even be able to ride very far.
With frequent stops and much patience on Mariah’s part, they finally made it to her farmhouse. Rowan nearly fell from the horse, not caring if he even made it indoors, but Mariah refused to give up. She all but carried him inside and to a bed. The glorious softness of the mattress beneath him pulled him to slumber. He was vaguely aware that Mariah was occupied with various tasks nearby, but he didn’t care. He just hoped that the bed wouldn’t fade to rock and dirt again.
HOMEWARD BOUND
When Rowan awoke, at first he didn’t dare open his eyes.
Please let this be real
, he pleaded within himself.
Then the delightful sound of Mariah’s voice filled the air with song and his heart with gladness. He finally opened his eyes to see the beautiful smile of his rescuer.
“Good morning,” Mariah said.
Rowan filled his lungs with delicious air.
“I have a surprise for you.” She lifted his hand into the air.
The shackles were gone. He looked at his feet, and they were unfettered too.
“I don’t know how I can thank you.” Rowan rubbed his abraded wrists and looked up at her. To him, at that moment, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Blue eyes peered at him from behind loose tousles of dark brown hair. She was tall, slender but strong, and though the features of her face were feminine, they were also quite distinctive, with high, slanted cheekbones and a generous mouth that revealed dimples when she smiled.
“Why don’t you sit up if you can?” she said. “I have some breakfast for you, but you must remember to eat slowly.”
Mariah helped him sit up and propped a pillow behind him. Thenshe brought a tray with a glass of diluted juice and a small bowl of warm corn mush with stewed fruit. To Rowan it looked like a meal fit for a king. He looked back up at Mariah. She smiled and tilted her head, then sat down in a chair next to him.
“Do you have a family here with you?” he asked, peering down the hallway behind her.
Mariah hesitated. “Since you’re certainly not much of a threat right now, I guess I can tell you I am alone here.”
“I’m sorry to be such a burden to you,” Rowan said. “I’ll leave straightaway.”
Mariah raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t make it ten feet past the front door in your condition. You can stay in this spare room until you’re strong enough to move about. After that, I’ve an outbuilding that would suit well until you can travel.”
Rowan nodded. “I’m very grateful for your kindness.”
“When you’re ready, there is water for washing … and some clothes in the armoire.” Mariah nodded with her head to the corner of the room.
Rowan glanced at the armoire and back at Mariah with a puzzled look on his face. She dropped her gaze to her hands. “My husband died late last summer.”
“I … I’m sorry,” Rowan said.
Mariah nodded and blinked back tears, then forced a smile. “I’ve considered leaving the farm and joining my family, but that seems like giving up on Palson. He worked hard to build this farm, and we’ve only been here two seasons. I just can’t leave—not yet anyway. I’ve decided to try it one season, and
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