Chapter 2

They had traveled a distance before the pungent scent of smoke lingered only slightly in the air and during that time Lord Slayer had not said a word and neither had Sky. She had endless questions for him, but fear of what she might hear kept her tongue prisoner.

As if he sensed her discontent, he said, "You have nothing to fear from me."

She was not sure about that.

"As long as you obey my word."

Obey my word.

The monks were forever saying the same to her. Obey their word. But it did not matter if she did or not, they still believed she was evil. She had spoken up little for herself through the years, always having her sisters to rely on to defend her. But not now. She was alone and would learn nothing of her situation if she did not speak up for herself. A frightening thought but a necessary one. "You say I have nothing to fear from you, but I do not know you, though I do know of you."

"Of me or of the Gallowglass?" Slayer asked, glancing over her dirt-smudged face and light-colored hair that needed a good washing to be able to see its true color. Her odor was not that bad. He had dealt with far worse smells. Besides, the fresh spring air would help to dissipate it.

"A bit of both," she admitted, too fearful to speak anything more than the truth to him.

He was abrupt in his response. "You need not be concerned. No harm will come to you."

Her stomach roiled and she had to force herself to say. "And yet you sound annoyed."

"I am not annoyed with you, and I owe you no explanation."

His anger at seeing her chained like an animal and made to suffer with a hood over her head had yet to subside completely. Burning the abbey did not seem like a fitting enough punishment for what had been done to her. It had taken extreme control for him not to strangle the monk. But that was no concern of hers. She only needed to know she was well-protected.

Sky tried to keep her stomach calm, but his annoyance set her on edge, leaving her anxious. He was a powerful man who explained himself to no one, and though that intimidated her, and grew her even more anxious, she feared she would never find her way home if she held her tongue. The thought of never returning home, never seeing her da and sisters helped to loosen her tongue.

"You said that I am your brother's wife and now his widow. I am truly sorry for your loss, but I know nothing about an arranged marriage to your brother."

"Your father and my father arranged the marriage."

Sky needed to hear that from her da, but she could not very well call the mighty Gallowglass warrior a liar. She chose to present a more rational reason for him to take her home to her family.

"You are kind to offer me a home even though I never knew your brother, but I would prefer to go home to my family," she said, her heart thumping madly, worried that he would deny her.

"You have a new home now and will remain at Clan Ravinsher."

It was a proclamation issued with authority, leaving her no choice in the matter, and it sent a chill through her.

Her affliction had caused her to shy away from confrontation for fear of the endless trouble it could cause. Couple that with her sisters never failing to defend her, and it left her with a lack of courage to defend herself.

She thought a minute and asked, "At least a visit so I can find out if my sisters are home and safe?"

"Elsie is home with her husband, Cavell. Leora has yet to be found," he said as if that should suffice.

Her heart thumped more madly at the news. Eslie had agreed to wed Cavell for the sake of their clan, and Sky hoped—prayed—the marriage would be a good one. She prayed even harder for Leora, fearful that something dreadful had happened to her.

"Elsie will search for me. I must get a message to?—"

"By now she knows, but I will see that a message is sent to Cavell."

"And Leora?"

"I sent my most skilled Gallowglass tracker to find her."

That was a relief, though no doubt Elsie was doing what she could to find her, and Elsie would also do all she could to bring Sky home. She would not rest until she did. The thought gave her hope. Worry surfaced soon enough when she realized it would probably take time before she returned home. What would happen when Slayer learned of her affliction? Or did he already know?

Her da would have never arranged a marriage for her without revealing her affliction to a future husband. Though not a secret, it was not often spoken about, clansmen fearing to mention it, worried it would bring harm upon them. So, it was not widely known.

Leora would have come right out and asked him directly if he knew. Elsie as well, though more mannerly. Sky found the prospect daunting, so she decided to talk around it to see if it would surface during the conversation.

"Do you know why your brother chose to marry me?"

"Why does anyone agree to an arranged marriage? Convenience. Benefit to the clan. An alliance." He hesitated before saying, "Duty."

"I cannot see what benefit I would bring to Clan Ravinsher."

"Evidently, my father and your father thought differently."

His father, of course. "Perhaps your father can shed some light on my query."

"He's dead as well, though he was poisoned, whereas Warrand was attacked after leaving your clan and killed."

"Good, Lord," Sky said, and recited a silent prayer for both men.

"I will avenge their deaths and those responsible will not meet their deaths easily."

Sky did not know what to say. Her concern for her own dilemma seemed trivial to what Slayer was going through. At least her sisters were still alive.

"We will camp at dusk. It will be a good time for you to open your eyes and allow them to adjust to the fading light and a low campfire."

Fear surged through her. Even in the fading light he would see why everyone thought her evil, possessed, a witch, and countless other names she had been called. Her clan had accepted her because her mum and da had given them no choice. Though the clan truly never accepted her since they had paid her little heed. It never mattered to her, since she had her sisters and the animals who loved her, or at least that was what she told herself. She had no idea what Slayer, his troop of men, and his clan would do when they looked upon her and that frightened her.

With nothing more to say, though truly not knowing what to say, Sky remained silent. She was not wise in the way of men, mostly averting their glances when they spotted her, others shaking their heads at her as if she had done something wrong.

When she was just a young lass, a lad approached her one day when she was drawing with a stick in the dirt. He smiled and they talked and for a brief time she had been thrilled to have made a friend. But when his mum had caught sight of him, she had yanked him away from Sky and admonished him for speaking with her. The lad had avoided her after that.

Through the years people grew accustomed to her and some would nod a greeting, but no one ever sought her as a friend. Hence, she relied on her sisters for friendship. Again, she realized how alone she truly was and that she only had herself to rely on. There was no one, absolutely no one she could turn to for help. That thought continued to frighten her, and the ache to go home squeezed at her heart.

The steady rhythm of the ride soothed her and gently rocked her senses into a state of calm. Each stride of Lord Slayer's mount seemed to synchronize with the beating of her heart, creating a comforting cadence that enveloped her. The warmth of his body pressed against hers, a tangible shield against any chill, while the firm strength of his arms wrapped around her provided a sense of security she had not known in ages.

Finally free of the oppressive confines of the abbey, she allowed herself to relax, if only for a fleeting moment. Weariness, like a heavy blanket, settled over her, pulling at her. She fought to keep her head erect, to stay vigilant, but exhaustion overpowered her. With a soft sigh, her head fell to rest on Lord Slayer's shoulder, finding an unexpected pillow to comfort her.

As she drifted off into a light sleep, her mind remained on high alert, a skill honed through her wanderings in the forest and her time imprisoned in the abbey. Every rustle of leaves, every distant sound was noted, her instincts attuned to the slightest sign of danger.

"We follow as planned?"

"Aye, Ross. It would be best for now."

Sky recognized Lord Slayer's voice through her hazy slumber. It was distinct and held authority that one was not likely to disobey. His powerful voice alone would capture one's attention. But what of his features? Did he have fine features or plain features? Or common features like most folks? What color were his eyes? His hair? She knew it was long since her face rested against several thick strands that laid on his chest. It was softer than she expected, and she was not sure if the scent of smoke came from his hair or had lingered in her nostrils. She did, however, catch a hint of pine in the hair strands and wondered over its color. Was it dark like the earth in the forest or lighter, perhaps touched by the light of the sun?

Her thoughts drifted along with her uneasy slumber and a sudden chill raced a shiver through her for a moment, leaving her to think she was still imprisoned in the cell at the abbey. Her tremble barely ended when she felt a blanket slip over her and get tucked around her. The tender gesture and added warmth were enough to further relax her and she allowed herself to linger in a light slumber.

"The camp awaits just ahead."

Sky recalled the voice. It was Ross and his words worried her. Soon she would open her eyes. What then? She pulled the blanket tighter against her as she heard Ross ride away.

"Are you cold?"

That he thought to ask could mean he was not completely unkind. "A slight chill, nothing more. And thank you for the blanket. It was most kind of you."

"I am not kind. I gave my word that I would keep you safe. You were chilled and required a blanket. I gave you what you needed," he said matter-of-factly.

It was difficult carrying on a conversation with only a voice, no face to put to it. So much could be learned from a simple look and what was reflected in a person's eyes. But then one paid more heed to the words when there was only a voice to speak to.

I gave my word that I would keep you safe.

To whom had Slayer given his word?

"We camp by a creek," Slayer said. "You can wash your face to help ease your eyes open."

It was an order, not a suggestion, but then he expected obedience as he had warned her.

The scent of campfire smoke struck her nostrils, letting her know that they were not far from their destination. It would not be long now. He would see for himself, and she wondered and worried what would happen when he looked into her eyes.

Sky's stomach roiled when he brought the stallion to a stop, removed the blanket from around her, and dismounted. His hands settled at the sides of her waist, and he gently eased her off the horse and released her once she had firm footing.

"I am going to take you to the creek," he said, closing his hand around her arm. "It is nearly dusk so you can open your eyes once we are there and let them adjust to the twilight before sitting in front of a low-burning fire."

Once again, she was reminded of his strength, the way his fingers dug into her arm just enough to keep her from tripping or falling as he guided her steps. She wished she could run, but her legs were not strong and how safe would she be on her own? And with his many warriors, she was bound to get caught. Before Leora had escaped the abbey, she had told Sky to rely on her courage and stay strong until she or Elsie came for her. She did not know what courage Leora was talking about, but if she did have any, she certainly could use it now.

"Stand here while I spread the blanket for you to sit on," Slayer said when they came to a stop.

Sky's heart began to pound in her chest and no amount of trying to calm herself helped.

His hand returned to her arm, and he helped her to sit. "The creek is in front of you. I will return shortly."

She listened as he walked away. With the creek in front of her that meant the camp was behind her, leaving her a modicum of privacy. She did not waste the time she had alone. With a soft flutter, she opened her eyes slowly.

Everything was a blur, but she had expected that. She focused her eyes on the edges of the brown blanket beneath her and her sight slowly began to clear. She allowed her eyes to linger on the blanket until she believed her sight strong enough to shift her focus to the creek. The water flowed gently and was too tempting to ignore. She leaned over and scooped up a handful of water and drank. She had forgotten how refreshingly delicious drinking from a stream could be and she scooped up two more handfuls.

The chilly water invigorated her and though it first stung her raw wrists, it did not take long to soothe them. She eagerly set to scrubbing her face and cleaning what felt like grit from her eyes. She wished she could scrub her whole body but that was not possible. She scrubbed and scrubbed as if she could scrub away the horror of the last few weeks, until she finally took a deep breath and stopped.

She raised her head, and a soft gasp left her lips as she gazed upon the sky. She had forgotten how beautiful the sunset could be. A deep orange and blue mingled in a dance across the sky as it heralded the night.

"A cloth to dry your face."

His sudden appearance startled her, but she kept her head turned away from where he stood by her side, not looking up at him. She stretched her hand out to take the cloth.

"Look at me, Sky," he said, ignoring her waiting hand.

The timbre of his voice made it clear she was not to refuse him.

What choice did she have? She could not continue to hide it from him. She had to face him eventually, even as terrifying as that was. She disliked the shocked reaction from people who met her for the first time and how they quickly turned away from her. The hurtful memories had her turning to him with her eyes closed.

She heard him crouch down in front of her and was shocked when his fingers grabbed her chin to turn her face toward him.

"I detest repeating myself. When I tell you to do something I expect you to do so without hesitation. It is time to open your eyes, Sky," he ordered.

His remark struck something strange inside her. Was he right? Was it finally time to open her eyes in a deeper sense? Had she kept them closed too long to all that went on around her? Could that be why she was in this predicament, because she always shied away from situations or hid herself away, and relied on others to speak for her?

His tongue snapped at her. "I grow impatient. Open them, Sky."

She was trapped. She had no choice. She opened her eyes slowly.