Chapter 4

Sky watched the activity with interest and concern. The troop was being divided in two groups, one smaller in number and the other larger, and she wondered why. As she expected, the warriors avoided looking at her and she did her best to avoid looking at them. Hoping it would alleviate senseless blame if one or more of them were harmed or took ill and claimed it was because she glanced upon them.

Ross had taken the folded blanket from her but left her with the cloak, and she was glad he did. There was a chill in the air, the sun not having shown itself this morning, and the ever-present chill she had suffered in the cell continuing to linger in her bones. She bounced on her feet lightly, her need to see to her morning duty growing stronger.

Slayer had yet to speak with her, busy with his warriors, and there was no reason to bother him. All she needed was a few minutes alone in the woods. This was one time she was glad no one paid her any mind. She turned and slipped into the woods.

It did not take her long to see to her morning needs and was on her way back to camp when she spotted two frisky red squirrels at play. They chased each other up and down around a tree trunk. She stopped and smiled at the familiar scene, having witnessed it time and time again in the woods and enjoyed it every time. Sky had never felt more grateful for standing here right now after having been locked away in a dark, damp cell. The confinement had been horrible, and she never wanted to be forcibly imprisoned and robbed of the beauty of the forest ever again.

How she wished she could linger and visit with the animals, or simply sit and inhale the numerous lovely scents the forest had to offer. But she had been gone long enough and she did not want to do anything that might cause Slayer to forbid her from going into the forest alone. The forest was where she found solace, a peaceful heart and mind, complete contentment. She could not lose that, especially now that she was deprived of seeing her family.

"SKY!"

Slayer's powerful shout echoed through the woods sending the two squirrels fleeing in fright and having Sky ready to flee as well.

She took two calming breaths before calling out, "I am here!" Then she retraced her steps back to the camp, though it was not necessary since instinct served her well in the woods.

She heard rushing footfalls and a tingle of fear raced through her. He would be angry, and she had seen for herself the consequences of his anger at the abbey. She continued walking. This time in the direction of the rushing footfalls.

Sky almost stumbled when she halted abruptly after catching sight of Slayer's face and worry knotted her stomach. Anger contorted it and, for a moment, she thought a demon possessed him. It was only when he got closer, and she surprisingly caught a spark of concern in his eyes that her worry eased. At least she thought it was a concern that she saw there since it was gone so fast, she could not be sure.

His hand closed around her arm as soon as he got close enough. "Never. Not ever, do you go off by yourself again."

"You were busy?—"

"Then you wait."

"I waited as long as I could. I did not think?—"

"About that you are right. You did not think. You were foolish," he admonished, and keeping a firm grip on her arm, headed back to camp.

Sky wanted to defend herself, but she was too fearful.

"I gave you no permission to leave camp," he snapped, and quickened their pace.

"I did not think I needed permission," she said, the prospect of seeking his permission for various things a daunting thought.

"You need permission from me for everything," he decreed.

Such a command truly sounded unreasonable, and she had to ask, "Why?"

"Because I say so," he commanded, his heart pounding in his chest and his anger yet to calm completely, and worse was the spark of fright that had ignited in him when he discovered her missing from camp. Fright was not something he suffered from, so why then had he felt it?

"Nay," she said softly, sensing something was amiss. Why would he threaten her with punishment for a simple wander in the woods? It made no sense. "There is more than you are telling me."

The oddity of the colors of her two different colored eyes seemed more pronounced here in the forest and they captured him for a moment and would not let go until he forced himself to look away.

He did not respond and Sky wondered if it was because they had reached the camp or that he did not want to acknowledge her concern.

Sky was surprised to see that only ten warriors remained at the camp. The camp had been laid bare and the campfires doused. The warriors and horses appeared anxious to leave and with a nod from Slayer, they all mounted their horses.

He swung her up on his horse when they reached his stallion and he mounted with ease behind her. Two warriors took the lead, Slayer following behind them.

They traveled a distance in silence. It was unsettling, and Sky considered saying something, anything that would ease the tension she felt sitting tucked against him. His body was as taut as the string on a bow that she expected to snap at any moment. Which was what had her holding her tongue, fearing she would be the target if he did. By now, however, she had expected to feel his body at ease and that he would have at least said a few words to her even if he admonished her again.

Not able to sit in worry any longer, she tilted her head back to look into his eyes. "You are not an easy man to come to know."

"You know what you need to know about me."

She frowned. "I know very little about you."

"That is more than most. Now be silent. We need to keep alert."

"Are we in danger?" she whispered anxiously, not having considered the possibility. "Is that what you are keeping from me?"

She caught a flash of conflict in his eyes and sensed he debated about answering her, leaving her to believe the news would upset her.

She rested her hand on his arm, giving it a light squeeze. "Please tell me."

Her voice was whispery soft, her touch tender, and the worry in her eyes disturbing, though more disturbing was the danger she had placed herself in earlier. He could keep it from her no longer. "You cannot go home. You and your sisters' lives are in danger."

It took a moment for Sky to digest and believe the shocking news, then questions spilled out of her. "Danger? Why would our lives be in danger? Are my sisters aware of this? Are they well-protected?"

"It is a puzzle that needs solving. Cavell and Elsie are aware of it, but with Leora unable to be found, I doubt she knows of it. All that is presently known is that someone wants one of you dead and since it isn't known which one of you it is, all three of you have been targeted by any mercenary group willing to accomplish the mission."

Concern for her sisters' safety took priority over everything and forced her to speak. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Until there was more to share with you there was no reason for me to worry you needlessly."

"Yet you tell me now. Why?" She shook her head, realizing the answer. "It is the reason you don't want me going into the woods alone."

"Aye. I need you aware and alert to your surroundings and for you to realize the severity of the situation."

"Does the danger my sisters and I face have any connection to your brother and father's deaths?" she asked, needing as many pieces as she could get to help solve the odd puzzle.

"I do not know, though I do not see why they would be connected."

"It is a thought to consider since your brother died after visiting my da concerning the marriage arrangement."

"But if it had anything to do with the arranged marriage, it would have been more likely that the attack on my brother would have taken place before arriving at your clan."

"Unless the documents had yet to be signed," Sky suggested and with worry for her sisters mounting she asked, "Do you think this man you sent to find Leora has a good chance of finding her?"

"No man is a better tracker than Noble. He will find her," Slayer assured her.

"I pray you are right, and Leora is found safe and unharmed. I still cannot fathom why anyone would want us dead. We are of no importance to anyone."

"Evidently, someone believes differently."

Sky's brow scrunched. "If danger stalks me, why did you divide the troop and have the smaller group of warriors go with us?"

"The sizeable troop will be the one followed, thinking I surround you with more warriors. It will give us time to reach a different destination then they do," he said.

He had not planned to discuss any of this with her, at least not yet. But with her little escapade into the woods, it left him no choice. She had to be made aware of the dire situation if he was to keep her safe.

However, what he had not expected was the rush of concern and even more so the spark of fright that had gripped him when he discovered Sky missing. He had steeled himself, voided his feelings so that nothing would stand in the way of victory. Where had the stab of concern for this woman, most people deemed evil, come from and how had he not been able to stop it?

"We take a different path to your home?" Sky asked.

"We are not going directly home."

"Where do you take me?" she asked anxiously, fearing he might place her in another abbey.

Slayer spotted the fear in her eyes, and it was easy to understand what caused it. He was quick to assuage her worry. "You go to a safe place and the only place I know for sure you are safe… is beside me."

* * *

Sky hada restless night of sleep on the cold ground and was not looking forward to another day of endless travel. She also worried over the distance growing between her and her family. No matter what Slayer said about her remaining at Clan Ravinsher, she intended to find a way home sooner or later, though sooner was preferable. The growing distance would only make it that more difficult.

Sky stood with her hands braced on her hips as she arched her back to work the ache out of it. She looked around for Slayer and fear ripped through her when she saw his face filled with rage as he rushed toward her. Instinct told her to run not from him but toward him and she did not hesitate. When she got close, his hand shot out, gripped her arm, and flung her to the ground, vaulting over her. She hit the ground so hard that it dazed her, and she lay there gathering her wits about her. It was not long before she was being swept up off the ground.

"Bloody hell," Slayer said and brushed her hand away when she went to reach for her nose. "Don't touch it."

She did not need to be told her nose was bleeding profusely, she felt the blood pouring from it and tasted it on her lips. She needed something to stem the flow of blood and was surprised when Slayer tore his sleeve off from the top of his shoulder, scrunched it, and pressed it to her nose.

"Hold it there," he said and took hold of her arm to walk her over to sit by a campfire that was nearly extinguished. He crouched down beside her. "I need to look at your nose. If it is crooked, broken from the fall, it is better I try to straighten it now before any bones can mend."

Sky nodded, having seen it done to men who had the misfortune to break their nose. It was painful though some looked better for it, others worse. And all she needed was a crooked nose to go along with her mismatched eyes for people to deem her evil, since tales persisted about witches having deformed faces.

Slayer turned away from her a moment to call out to his two warriors who held the man who had foolishly attempted to kill Sky in front of them but failed.

"Keep him secured," Slayer ordered, though that wouldn't prove difficult since he was still reeling from the powerful blow he had delivered to the man's jaw.

"He's not going anywhere, my lord," one warrior assured Slayer.

Slayer knew his men would not fail him, but he was impatient, his anger still seething, anxious to see what he could learn from the man. However, Sky came first. He had to tend to her nose, an injury he was responsible for while attempting to keep her safe.

He eased the cloth, nearly soaked through with blood, away from her nose, pleased to see the bleeding was no more than a dribble. It did not take long for him to see that her nose had suffered no break, an image of her beauty having been burned into his mind since first meeting her. Though it did surprise him how relieved he felt. It disturbed him to think that it might have been necessary to cause her such pain and that troubled him as well. He always did what was necessary without any concern for anyone. It was the only way he could lead. If he allowed himself to feel, decisions would be that more difficult to make.

"It isn't broken," he said, and without giving thought to it, he tore off his other sleeve, folded it, eased it against her nose, then took the soaked cloth from her and tossed it on the campfire. The cloth sparked the embers to life, and they quickly fed on it.

Sky sighed. "That is good to hear."

"Sit here and rest until I return for you," he said as he stood.

Sky watched him fist his hands as he walked, the muscles in his bare arms growing taut, and she did not want to think about what he intended to do to the man who, no doubt, had all intention of taking her life.

"I have met many fools in my life, but I believe you are the most foolish one I have ever met," Slayer said, coming to a stop in front of the sizeable man whom two warriors held tight. His jaw was swollen and already bruising but Slayer couldn't care less what the man suffered. "Do you really think you could rush into my camp, kill the woman, and escape to collect the coins?"

The man shrugged. "Coins don't matter to me, only her death matters."

"You care nothing for the coins?" Slayer asked, troubled by his remark.

"The only thing I care about is to see her dead," the man said and spit on the ground as he laid eyes on Sky.

His words infuriated Slayer and he wanted to kill him there and then, but he needed answers first. "Why? Why do you want her dead?"

"I will tell you nothing, so kill me and be done with it. It is a fate I deserve for failing my mission and dying without honor." The man snarled. "She deserves to die."

Slayer landed a blow on the man's jaw that would have knocked him off his feet if his warriors hadn't been holding him.

The man laughed, blood dripping from his mouth. "Do what you will to me, I will not give you a shred of information. I am as loyal to him as your men are to you and I would suffer the torments of hell before betraying him. So do what you will."

That he almost challenged Slayer to torture him gave Slayer reason to pause. He could be trying to gain time for more men to join him. He could not take the chance, not knowing how many men might follow him.

"Your reputation is well-known and well-respected. I would have enjoyed fighting you. At least then I could die with honor."

Another delay tactic. He had to move fast. "I would give you such a chance, but you intended to kill the woman I protect and for that you can die without honor."

Slayer moved so fast that the man's eyes bulged with shock when he grabbed his hair on the top of his head, yanked his head back, and slit his throat.

The two warriors released the man after Slayer wiped the blood from his dagger on the man's shoulder. They let him drop to the ground as his life spilled out of him.

"Take his weapons and make haste. We leave here now," Slayer ordered, then pointed at two other warriors. "Go find out if anyone follows him and find out how he reached the camp without being noticed."

While his men saw to the task, Sky watched as Slayer approached her. He slid his dagger back into the sheath at his waist while the muscles in his arms remained taut. The death of the man had not diminished his anger.

"Are you in pain?" he asked, crouching down in front of her.

"I don't feel anything right now," she said, thinking it odd, then realizing she did feel something. She felt numb and that frightened her. She had witnessed a horrible sight and all she felt was numb. Was she as unkind as Slayer himself claimed to be, not feeling any sorrow for what she had just seen? Or was she simply too shocked to feel anything?

"I fear that numbness you are feeling might not last once we are on our way. You will tell me if you are in any pain as we travel," Slayer said.

"How long before we reach our destination?" she asked, praying it was soon.

"Two days at the least."

She cringed inwardly, fearful of causing her nose to bleed more. She did not want him to be aware of her worries, so she kept her voice light. "I will do fine."

She did not do fine. After riding for a while, not only did her nose hurt, but her head did as well. She was left with no choice but to rest her head on his shoulder, the pain of holding it erect too much for her. She tried not to tense when a wave of pain washed over her, knowing he would feel it. But it was senseless, and she gave into it. Besides, it would not matter to him.

Slayer steeled himself against the pain he knew she suffered, or at least he thought he did. His anger sparked every time he felt her tense in pain. He thought to stop and let her rest, but a short reprieve would do her little good. It was better they kept a good pace so once they stopped, she could rest for the night. He would, however, stop earlier than planned, so she would have longer to rest.

When Sky woke from a fitful sleep, she tilted her head back to look at him. "I need to stop for a bit."

"We stop just ahead to camp for the night," he said and saw the relief on her face. He also saw that the hit to her nose had caused some bruising to form under her eyes and again, his anger sparked.

It sparked again a short time later when he saw how exhausted she appeared as he reached up, his hands taking hold at her waist to lift her off the horse.

Alarmed at the strange way he looked at her, she could not help but ask, "Do I look that bad?"

The fact that she was able to detect the slightest display of expression on his face stunned him, though more so that he allowed it to show. He had to be mindful not to let that happen again. It was far easier and wiser to never let anyone get a hint of what he felt, or it could prove disastrous.

"Your eyes are bruising some, not badly but enough to last a few days," he said after lowering her to stand beside him.

She sighed. "I must look a fright."

"I doubt there is anything that can rob you of your beauty."

His unexpected remark left her speechless and with a strange, yet pleasant flutter in her stomach. Her da had been the only man to ever tell her she was beautiful. Most men made disparaging remarks about her or avoided acknowledging her at all.

What the bloody hell was wrong with him?He never spoke such flowery words to a woman.

"We camped by a creek. Go clean the blood from your face," he ordered gruffly, annoyed with himself, and grabbed his stallion's reins and walked away to settle the horse for the night.

The flutter in her stomach faded and was replaced by a twinge to her heart. He probably regretted his words, but why say them in the first place?

With a few sorrowful expressions and many shocked ones that she received from the warriors as she walked past the campfire, she assumed she looked even worse than she thought. There was little she could do about her appearance except wash the dried blood off. Time would heal the rest.

With a soft moan, she lowered herself to the ground at the edge of the narrow creek. Her body ached from the hard fall she had taken and riding all day on a horse had not helped. She still had the second sleeve Slayer had given her and she soaked it in the creek. A shiver raced through her from the biting sting of the chilled water, and she hurried to rub what blood she could from the cloth and rinse it so she could use it to wash the dried blood off her face.

She gasped and her shoulders cringed when she placed the wet, cold cloth on her face and another shiver ran through her.

The cloth was suddenly snatched out of her hand as Slayer dropped down beside her. His hand slipped under her chin to turn her head toward him, then he proceeded to gently wipe the dried blood away.

"You should have told me how exhausted you are instead of moaning and gasping," he admonished.

"You heard me?" she asked with a small gasp. "I did not mean for anyone to hear or know of my discomfit."

"Well, I did," he said, though did not bother to clarify that it was not because he had heard her but that he had seen it in her uneasy movements. "Now be still and let me clean your face."

Sky's eyes drifted closed as he gently scrubbed her face, rinsing the cloth a time or two before he continued. His tender ministrations relaxed her tense and aching muscles, and she wished she could linger in his gentle touch.

Slayer never tended to a woman before Sky. He could not recall a reason why he would or perhaps he never paid heed to it before now. Though most likely he was seeing to her care because it was his duty to keep her safe. Whatever the reason, he did not seem to mind. An odd thought for him since women were not a priority to him. Their purpose was minimal and yet that was not the way with Sky. She had been utmost in his mind since meeting her and her protection grew more important to him by the day.

He ran the cloth lightly over her lips even though they were clean as was the rest of her face. She required no more tending and yet he could not take his focus off her lips. There wasn't anything different about them, except they seemed rosier than most and he wondered if rosy lips would taste any different to kiss.

Kiss?

What was he thinking? Why had he let his thoughts wander? That would not do. He controlled his thoughts. They did not control him.

Her eyes fluttered open when she no longer felt the cloth on her face. She was sorry it ended since his touch had comforted her. "I am most grateful for your help."

He stood and reached down to take both her hands and help her to her feet. "Food will be ready soon. You can eat then rest. Tomorrow will be a long day since I wish to reach our destination before nightfall."

Sky easily got to her feet with his help. The strength in his hands alone was remarkable, but the way the muscles in his arms shifted and tightened demonstrated an even greater strength. He could easily protect and just as easily cause harm, just like the various animals in the woods she befriended. So, she would be wise to come to know him and befriend him since that would be far better than fearing him.