Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

"Eadric!"

Brandle's bellow prompted me to run faster.

Not only would I need to contend with the creatures, but I would also need to worry about?—

Arms wrapped around my waist, tackling me from behind but rolling at the last moment so I was spared from falling face first.

One of the hands was gripping a breast.

"Eadric, your hand placement is deplorable," I said.

The hand immediately released me. I drove an elbow into his ribs and bolted off of him.

Brandle was suddenly in front of me. He bent at the knees to catch me around the waist and hoisted me up so I was draped over his shoulder. My braid dragged on the ground, and I thumped his thighs in frustration as he carried me back toward the cottage.

"She's bleeding," Eadric called.

I glanced at the bloody handprint on Brandle's pants.

"It's from his nose," I said.

"No, it's not," Brandle said, sounding calm.

I lifted my head to look at Eadric, who was following us.

"I didn't mean to grab your breast again," he said with a crooked smile and a hint of worry in his gaze.

"I know. That's why your nose isn't bleeding."

Brandle carefully righted me once we reached the table so I sat on the surface.

"And what of my nose, Kellen? Was I hit for saving you?"

"Never. I hit you for trying to keep me where I don't belong."

He leaned in. Due to my seat on the table, we were now eye-level with one another.

"That was to save you, Kellen. You will die if you go into the forest."

"That is my choice to make, Brandle. Not yours. Release me."

"You are vexing." He pinched the bridge of his nose and winced.

"And you are in my way. Move, Brandle. Please. I don't want to give Edmund any further reason to hate me."

Brandle considered me for a long moment.

"The beasts will be drawn to the scent of your blood."

"I understand," I said, meeting his gaze.

He tipped his head back and closed his eyes. "Stubborn."

"You shouldn't expose your throat like that when you're annoying," I said. "I'm tempted to hit it next and watch you wheeze."

His gaze snapped to mine. "You say you're annoyed? What of me?"

"The annoyance you feel is of your own making, not mine."

He braced his hands on the table on either side of me, and a glint of something flickered in his gaze, reminding me of Edmund. Then he took a deep, calming breath.

"Why do you care so little for your life?" he asked.

"Thank you for providing me with food and shelter. That is the extent of what I can accept from you, though. Please remove your hands."

He pushed away from the table but surprised me by taking one of my hands and turning it palm up. It was indeed bleeding.

"Can you not feel pain?"

"Of course I feel pain," I said.

"What of fear, Kellen?"

"I feel it as deeply as anyone."

"Yet you never show it. That is why Edmund doubts you."

"Showing my emotions as he does will not endear me to him, Brandle. What is the point of this conversation? Do you seek to bore me until I collapse and become more manageable?"

My voice had remained steadily calm as I spoke; however, I could feel the familiar tingle of warning. Brandle was pushing me too far.

"For your safety, please allow me to leave this place, Brandle." I turned my hand to take both of his in mine. "Please."

He looked down at our hands. "What if I told you that keeping you here would guarantee our safety?"

"What if I told you that keeping me here would jeopardize my sister's safety?"

His gaze met mine. "Will your death help her?" He didn't ask it angrily but with the seriousness of someone who expected an answer.

I released his hands.

"No. She would be forced to face this world's cruelties alone then."

"Do you resent her?"

"Never. Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Because I seek to understand why you wish to kill yourself."

"I wish no such thing."

"Do you not? You asked for our help to survive the forest, yet won't listen to our advice when we say you must wait or you will die."

"You know that is not the help I meant."

"We cannot safely guide you through the trees, Kellen. It was a miracle you arrived at all. Do not doubt that we are helping you survive by providing you with a safe place to sleep and food to eat while we wait for the creatures and the tracker to leave."

I frowned slightly.

"Tracker? What do you mean? The man from yesterday?"

Brandle nodded and watched me closely, likely looking for answers I could not give him. The spell that bound me would prevent any damning word from gracing my lips. If the tracker remained, Brandle was right. I couldn't leave now, no matter how desperately I wished to.

When I dropped my gaze, Brandle stepped away from me.

"Help her wash her hands at the well, Eadric, and stop her if she tries to leave. I'll get the honey."

Eadric came close and offered me a consoling smile and help off the table.

"You'll find that Brandle's almost always right. It's annoying at times, but you grow accustomed to it. Do your hands hurt?"

"Dreadfully," I admitted as we walked toward the well.

"I'm sorry I didn't think to grab the rope when we started to fall."

"It's not your fault my hands hurt like this."

He tossed the bucket in and began to draw back up, hand over hand. Every move had a relaxed ease.

"I'm still sorry you were hurt. The honey will make them feel better."

He glanced at me and smiled. It lit his eyes and made him appear even more handsome. With his looks, he could draw many a maid in and press for an advantage, but I realized that Eadric was unlike most people. He had no malice in him. Not a drop of it.

"Thank you, Eadric."

"My pleasure. Now let me help you clean these hands. I don't know everything Brandle does, but I do know how to clean a scrape. I've had my fair share of them."

He rinsed my hands with the fresh water and bent over my palms to gently remove any lingering straw splinters. The care in which he picked out each bit threatened to thaw that place inside of me that I only ever let Eloise see.

"Do you think leaving is foolish too?" I asked.

He glanced at me before returning to his inspection.

"We're all fools for the right reasons, Kellen. I would do anything for my brothers, even attempt to travel the forest alone. It makes sense you feel the same for your sister. But sometimes, we have to ask ourselves if the risk of our immediate death outweighs the risk of waiting." His twinkling gaze met mine. "Brandle made me write ‘No risk is worth my life' more times than I can count so it would stick in my head. But it's not necessarily true, is it? For the right thing, my life is worth the risk. We just need to be smart about deciding what the right thing is."

"Also, my words," Brandle said behind me.

Eadric's grin widened before he ducked his blonde head and continued cleaning my palms.

I glanced over my shoulder at Brandle.

"I will leave. Eventually," I said. "Don't try to lock me in again."

Brandle smiled slightly, and Eadric snorted.

"Since none of us enjoy thatching, we will not lock the door again," Brandle agreed.

"Thank you."

"Rinse it once more," he said, watching Eadric. "I'll dry it and apply the honey."

The water stung, but the soft cloth Brandle used to dab the lingering moisture sent stabbing pain into the palms. Though I didn't flinch away from it or give any other indication, he paused to gently blow on the wounds.

My skin tingled with an awareness I fought not to acknowledge.

"It will take more than a day for this to heal now," he said when he straightened and met my gaze.

"Apply the honey, Brandle," I said.

Eadric leaned against the well and watched us closely. Did he see what I did? The way his brother looked at me?

The honey helped the pain almost immediately, and the wraps Brandle wound around my hands weren't too terrible.

"Are you hungry?" Eadric asked once Brandle tucked the end of the cloth in.

"Yes, but I need to use the privy first."

"Come. I'll help you while Brandle hides away the honey."

"Would anyone be foolish enough to eat it after his explanation?" I asked, walking away with Eadric.

"Without a doubt," Eadric said. "Daemon would do anything to avoid work."

I laughed and waited for Eadric to open the door for me.

"Call if you need anything," he said, closing me in.

Flexing my fingers to untie my pants sent spears of pain into my palm. So much so that I struggled with the ties when I finished relieving myself. The strings slipped from my hands, and my pants fell to my ankles.

I should have changed into the dress , I thought.

Pushing aside my annoyance, I bent and pinched the material between two fingers, which seemed to result in the least amount of pain. Working my pants up to my knees, I widened my stance to keep them there and carefully flexed my fingers. Pain shot through my hand again, despite the honey.

If I ever wanted to leave, I needed to heal. Properly.

"Eadric, this isn't going to work," I called through the door.

"The privy doesn't work?"

"These pants. I'm unable to retie them."

"I can tie them for you."

He opened the door…while the pants were still at my knees. I wasn't wearing any underthings.

He didn't notice my wince as I attempted to grab the material. He was too busy staring at my parted legs until I had my pants pinned against my stomach with my forearm.

Slowly, Eadric's gaze lifted to meet mine.

Neither of us spoke for several seconds.

He cleared his throat. Twice.

"Garron cuffed me after I touched you at the well. I'll probably get another one when Brandle tells them where my hand had landed earlier. This, though, will earn me more than a simple cuffing. Perchance, can we keep this between us?"

"I would prefer to pretend it never happened."

"What happened?" Brandle asked from outside the privy.

"Nothing," Eadric and I said at the same time.

Brandle came to stand behind his brother and looked at me over his shoulder. His gaze flicked to my arm holding my pants, and understanding lit his gaze.

"Perhaps a dress would be more suitable until your hands are better."

"Unless you're familiar with lacing, my shift might be all I can manage."

He nodded and nudged Eadric out of the way to deftly tie my pants.

"The less you use your hands today, the better," he said. "I'll prepare what you need while you eat." He looked at Eadric. "Can you help her without doing anything indecent?"

Eadric's cheeks flushed.

"Any indecency was happenstance," I said quickly, feeling the need to defend him. "He's been nothing but considerate."

Brandle's gaze shifted to me. Something flickered in his expression. Disbelief and perhaps a little hope, which didn't make any sense.

"Then, I will leave you in his considerate care," Brandle said.

When he turned, I felt a small stab of guilt. After all, Brandle had cared for me as well.

"I apologize for hitting your nose," I called.

He waved a hand over his shoulder without pausing. "It was deserved."

I watched Brandle leave and glanced at Eadric.

"Does he get angry?" I asked.

"Often. Usually at Edmund or Daemon, though. I only frustrate him."

A small smile tugged at my lips. "I feel I might do the same."

"Come. I'll feed you."

"This should be interesting," I said, following him. He didn't allow me to use my hands for anything and spoon-fed me the oats they'd kept warm.

"Who cooked?" I asked.

"I did. I paid attention yesterday so we could eat a decent meal today. Not every meal is worth eating."

Once the bowl was empty, he glanced at the door over my shoulder. When I would have turned to look, he placed his hand on my leg just above my knee to keep my attention.

"Do you know any other meals we can make? We have a lot of dried berries that we don't know what to do with. Some went bad last summer. Too old."

"If you don't mind milling flour and being my hands today, we could make some tarts for breakfast."

"Without honey?"

"Without honey or sugar."

He frowned slightly. "We might have sugar and cream later once the others return."

"So you can leave for supplies, but you cannot help me reach Turre."

"Precisely that," Eadric said with a smile. He lifted his hand from my knee and swiped a thumb against the corner of my mouth then brought it to his lips.

"Berry," he said when he caught my stare. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen last fall. Why do you ask?"

"Did your father arrange a marriage for you before he left?"

"No. My mother was strongly opposed to arranged marriages. She said Eloise and I should be free to follow our hearts."

"Interesting that your heart led you here."

I considered his boyish grin.

"Are you flirting with me, Eadric?" I asked.

"I wouldn't dare."

"Why not?"

"I've seen how you hit noses and would prefer not to experience it."

Something dangerous lit inside of me. Affection. I cared for Eadric.

"I don't think you ever will," I said sincerely.

His grin widened, and his gaze shifted to somewhere behind me.

"Hear that, Brandle? Kellen doesn't want to hit me!" His gaze shifted back to me. "You're the first one who hasn't wanted to cuff me."

"Give her time, Eadric," Brandle called. "You haven't accidentally poisoned her yet."

I arched a brow at Eadric, and he gave me a sheepish look.

"Henry used to season our food. I remember how it tasted. Better than what we make. That's for certain. I wanted to do the same but didn't add the right herbs. They all look the same." He shrugged slightly.

"What happened?"

"We were sick for days and had to dig a new privy once we all felt better. Who knew a body could hold so much?"

The laugh that escaped me surprised us both. I quickly swallowed it down and watched him for any signs of discomfort.

"You're pretty when you laugh."

"Thank you."

Brandle approached us and looked at me.

"I have everything ready if you'd like to change."

I nodded and stood. He followed but stopped me at the door where he bent and unlaced my boots so I would be able to kick them off without using my hands.

"Arm over your pants, Kellen," he said, guiding my arm to where it had been in the privy. He tugged the tie loose then reached up to loosen the tie of the tunic. His fingers brushed my neck. If I hadn't been watching him closely, I would have missed the subtle shift in his expression.

Brandle was interested.

In me.

I backed up a step before he finished tugging my neckline loose.

"I can manage the way it is."

His gaze met mine, and he nodded.

"I vow not to lock the door if you choose to close it. Eadric and I will be by the well. Call out if you need anything." He walked away, toward Eadric. I caught Eadric watching me watch his brother. His usual easy smile wasn't tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I closed the door on both of them, and when I faced the room, I saw that Brandle had done more than fetch my shift.

One of the beds from the loft waited in front of the hearth. A small pillow, along with several of the blankets, rested on top of the mattresses. Two of them stacked one on top of the other.

How had we not heard him move those? The bed had to have been difficult with only the ladder to ? —

The ladder was gone, and a blanket plugged the hole I'd made in the thatching.

My gaze swung to the door as I stepped out of my boots. Though he'd given his word, I wondered if I would find it locked once I finished changing. Rather than check, I went to the bed and let my pants drop to the floor. It took a good deal of wiggling and odd elbow thrusts to work the tunic off without the use of my hands, but I managed.

Bare, I considered the shift Brandle had neatly laid out on the bed. It wouldn't cover much of my person but would enable me to use the privy alone.

With the neckline loose, it didn't take as much effort to put on as the tunic had taken to remove. Once the length of material settled over my legs, I faced the door.

"Eadric?" I called.

"I won't open the door this time. Do you need help?"

His answer made me smile.

"I need help opening the door."

"Oh. Oh!"

It swung open while I was still grinning.

His answering smile faded a little as his gaze swept over me, and his cheeks flushed.

"Er. Uh." He turned his back on me. "I don't think this is decent."

I looked down at myself and fought not to sigh at the gaping neckline.

"Eadric. Just come in here and tie it. Please."

He stepped aside and disappeared from view.

A silent curse echoed in my mind as I hurried after him, only to crash into Brandle. Where the impact should have knocked him back a pace, it sent me reeling instead.

He wrapped an arm around me and steadied me as if he outweighed me. Perhaps he did, despite my extra inches. Father always said that men were born with more muscles. But, I'd always thought he'd said it to stop Eloise from trying to do things she shouldn't.

"You need something tied?" Brandle asked.

My pulse jumped dangerously. Frowning, I tried to take a quick step back, but he held firm.

"Not by you. Eadric can assist me."

"Eadric prefers that I take his place."

I turned my head to look for Eadric, but he was missing.

"Coward," I muttered.

"I think this is the first time I've seen you frown," Brandle said.

I carefully composed my expression. "Release me and tie my neckline without touching me. Please."

He nodded slowly and, watching me closely, did as I asked. His gaze never left my face.

"Did I offend you, Kellen?" he asked as he finished tying.

"No. Thank you for your assistance."

I turned on my bare heel and closed the door on him.

"Kellen," Daemon called from outside the closed door. "Come see what we've brought."

His voice pulled me from the quiet contemplation of my damaged hands.

Eadric had knocked on the door at midday to offer me a pitcher of water, which I'd accepted. Afterward, I'd left to use the privy—without assistance—and had returned to the cottage as soon as I'd finished, though the day had warmed considerably under the sun and beckoned me.

It was safer for us all if I kept apart, which is why I remained in my seat until a shout rang throughout the cottage. That and it hurt to put on my cloak even without tying it.

"You what?" Edmund yelled.

A moment later, I heard the sound of scuffling.

I told myself not to go. I told myself it didn't matter if Edmund gave Eadric a thrashing. But it did. Eadric hadn't done anything to deserve it.

Drawing my cloak around my shoulders, I stepped into my unlaced boots and used my arm to lift the latch.

Eadric turned from his position near the door to look back at me. In front of him, Edmund and Brandle scuffled about in the dirt while the other brothers quietly watched on.

Imbeciles.

Edmund was landing too many punches to Brandle's face. For the man's continued well-being, I fetched the pitcher despite the pain it caused and tossed the contents on the pair.

Edmund sprang to his feet with an enraged yell. His head swung about in search of the one who'd doused him. When he saw the pitcher in my hand, his gaze narrowed.

Eadric tried to step in front of me. I moved around him to face Edmund directly as Brandle slowly stood.

"Words, Edmund. They should be used before fists, don't you agree? Or should we disregard the pact we've made?"

He breathed out heavily, his anger boiling inside of him.

"You need to leave," he snarled.

"We are of the same mind. Rather than trying to beat that logic into all of your brothers before they are prepared to accept that truth, use your head to find another solution."

"And what solution would that be?" he demanded.

"Brandle believes I will die in the forest. So teach me something useful each day I'm here. Then, once I'm healed and the beasts have dispersed, the rest will have no reason to detain me."

"Useful?" he scoffed. "You think I'll willingly tell you our secrets?"

"Walking silently isn't a secret. Using onion to cover my scent isn't a secret. Yet both are useful bits of knowledge that helped me survive."

"That explains the smell," Daemon said with a laugh. "It clings to the cloak and dress even after we washed them."

"You washed them?" I asked in surprise.

"Does that make us fools in your eyes?" Edmund demanded.

Most any maid in Towdown my age would have run under the weight of his angry glare. Eloise likely would have thrown a rock. I did neither.

I strode toward him with purpose and the pitcher in my hand. He uncrossed his arms and bent his knees slightly.

"Edmund," Brandle said in warning.

But he needn't have bothered. Edmund was bracing for a fight he thought I meant to start. He wouldn't attack me. He was smart enough to know his brothers would never allow it.

When I reached him, I handed him the pitcher.

"You shouldn't worry about your brothers giving away your secrets, Edmund. You do that well enough on your own."

"I haven't told you anything."

"Haven't you? Your actions speak louder than any truth you might utter. A woman has done terrible things to you."

His shocked expression confirmed it.

"Why else carry such a biased rage toward a woman you do not know? Yes, I appeared in your glade while holding a magic stone. But you live between Drisdall and Turre. One forbids magic, and the other welcomes it. In Drisdall, people avoid anything associated with magic, fearing punishment, not the magic itself. But when I appeared, you didn't fear the stone. You feared me . The woman who hurt you was a caster, was she not?"

His arms dropped to his sides, and he glanced at Brandle.

"Do not look to your brothers now for help, Edmund. Use your own mind. For the sake of your precious secrets, mask your suspicions and use your words the next time you meet someone new. Your reactions give away more than you know."

His anger slowly melted away from his expression but remained simmering under the surface.

"Unclench your fists before you break the pitcher. Hands give away as much as the eyes," I said. "Remember my helpfulness tomorrow when it is your turn to speak a helpful truth to survive these woods."

He set the pitcher on the table and left the front yard.

I turned to look at the rest of them.

"What do you see in me?" Daemon asked with a wicked grin.

"Trouble," I said.