Chapter 11

I zzy walked along the gravel path, lost in thought, heading back towards the abbot’s study. But as she turned the corner and came in sight of her destination, she stopped dead. The door hung wide open, creaking gently in the breeze.

Her stomach sank. Oh, no. Hurrying inside, her worst fears were soon confirmed. There was no sign of Snaffles, but Izzy’s breakfast dishes were scattered across the floor, all licked clean. She groaned. This was all she needed.

She had barely finished the thought when she heard shouts of alarm in the distance, accompanied by terrified squawking—and very excited barking.

Spinning on her heel, Izzy sprinted in the direction of the rumpus. She sped through the kitchen garden, apologizing to the monks whose morning work she trampled, and through a gate at the far end that led into the area where the brothers kept their hens.

She arrived just in time to see startled chickens scattering in all directions, whilst an excited Snaffles—realizing he’d failed miserably to catch any chickens—picked up a stick and dropped it expectantly at the feet of the terrified novice who he’d backed up against the henhouse.

The novice couldn’t be more than ten years old and as Snaffles went down on his forepaws and barked at him, demanding he throw the stick, the lad shrank even farther back, his face pale and his eyes wide. He gripped the cross around his neck as if trying to ward off the Devil .

“Oh bloody hell,” Izzy muttered under her breath. She was just about to go to the aid of the terrified novice when someone appeared from the other side of the enclosure. It was Magnus.

“Snaffles! Here, boy!”

Snaffles swiveled around, gave another excited bark, and bounded over to Magnus, who knelt next to him and gave him an affectionate scratch behind the ears.

“What have ye been up to this time, eh? Chasing chickens?” Snaffles yipped and licked at his face, apologizing in his own slobbery way.

“It’s alright, lad,” Magnus called to the novice, who was still pressed against the henhouse wall, clutching his cross with trembling hands and gaping at Snaffles. “He willnae hurt ye. He isnae half as scary as he looks. Come here and I’ll introduce ye.”

Magnus’s voice was calm and soothing enough to lure the novice out of his terrified trance. With slow, hesitant steps, the lad shuffled towards Magnus. His robes were dusted with straw and his eyes still wide with fright. Snaffles wagged his tail eagerly, panting as he looked from Magnus to the novice.

Magnus held Snaffles’ collar as the novice hesitated before him, clearly uncertain. “This big lug is Snaffles,” Magnus said with a smile. “And that’s exactly what he does—snaffles every bit of food he can get his paws—or his jaws—on.”

The novice gave a nervous laugh and inched closer. Hesitantly, he stretched out a hand towards Snaffles. Snaffles sniffed the hand, then promptly lavished the boy’s fingers with kisses. The novice chuckled with delight .

“See? He’s mighty friendly once ye get to know him, not at all what he seems on the outside.”

Izzy’s stomach fluttered at those words . Not at all what he seems on the outside. Was he talking about the dog or himself? The words applied to both.

On the outside, Magnus was a huge, imposing warrior with the strength to snap a man’s neck. On the outside, he was a man who would threaten to blind a blacksmith to get what he wanted. But was that the man on the inside? Or was the man on the inside the man she had seen at the village? The one who’d not fought back as that irate villager took out his rage and frustration on him? The one who’d found her amidst the horror of Hodwell’s slaughter district and carried her to safety? The one who took the time to calm a frightened novice and show him that a seemingly scary beast was nothing to be afraid of?

Magnus looked up suddenly and saw her standing by the gate. He straightened slowly, holding Snaffles’ collar as the dog wagged his tail in delight. His eyes met hers and the fluttering in Izzy’s stomach only intensified.

The novice, on the other hand, blushed brightly, realizing that his fear and panic had been witnessed by a lady. Izzy cleared her throat and strode over to the three of them. “I’m really sorry about this,” she said to the novice. “I thought he was safely shut away. I should have known better. I’m Izzy. What’s your name?”

The novice stammered, his blush spreading from his freckled cheeks to the tips of his ears. “I...I...I’m Brother A-Aiden.” He stuttered out, his gaze flitting between Magnus and Izzy .

“Nice to meet you, Brother Aiden,” Izzy said gently, offering the young boy a warm smile. “And once again, I apologize for Snaffles’ behavior.”

She frowned at the dog who was looking at her expectantly. “And you! What am I going to do with you? You’ve caused quite enough trouble for one morning!” She looked around at the chicken coop which was a mess of feathers, spilled feed, overturned buckets, and very angry hens. “Well, I think the least I can do is help you clear up the mess he’s caused.”

“Aye,” Magnus said. “I’ll help.”

Izzy looked at him, surprised, but then nodded her thanks and took Snaffles over to the fence where she tied him up securely. The last thing they needed was him getting loose again and causing more chaos.

“Okay,” she said cheerfully, rolling up her sleeves. “Let’s do some chicken herding.”

The process was not as easy as she’d hoped. The chickens had scattered widely across the enclosure, and were not keen on being gathered up. The three of them—herself, Magnus and Aiden, clambered about, trying to coax chickens down from the branches of trees in the orchard next door, herd them from out of the rows of vegetables in the kitchen garden, and somehow get the recalcitrant birds back in the coop.

They must have looked a ridiculous sight. A woman, a novice, and a giant warrior all being outfoxed by a flock of fowl determined to keep their newly-found freedom.

Izzy found herself laughing as she watched Aiden chasing a chicken along a row of cabbages, his habit flapping about his skinny legs, and laughed even harder when Magnus let forth a string of colorful curses as he pounced at a chicken that fluttered out of reach, leaving him grasping at nothing but air.

She felt all the tension leave her and for the first time since she’d arrived here, she forgot everything but the simple joy of the moment, and the hilarity of the three of them running around the chicken enclosure like idiots. Soon Aiden was laughing uproariously, and even Magnus was grinning.

Once, her fingers brushed against Magnus’s as they both reached for a particularly stubborn chicken who’d fled to the rafters of the henhouse. Magnus’s hand was warm, rough from years of wielding weapons, and she felt a thrill go through her at the touch. She quickly withdrew her hand and watched as he gently and deftly grasped the chicken and brought it back down. Each time she glanced at him, she noticed that he watched her with an intensity that made her heart race.

They hadn’t spoken since the incident yesterday, but as they worked together, Izzy felt some of the strain that had grown between them begin to lessen. It was hard to stay mad at someone when you were both running around chasing recalcitrant hens together.

The sun had risen considerably higher by the time they were done, casting shadows on the ground as they stood panting and sweaty in the middle of the now-orderly chicken coop. Brother Aiden beamed up at them, clutching a squawking chicken in his arms, triumph lighting up his face. Snaffles had given up barking and was now peacefully napping by the fence, the morning’s chaos having tired him out .

“Well,” Izzy said, dusting the straw from her skirts. “I think that’s the last of them.” She glanced at Magnus and Brother Aiden, their faces flushed with exertion and the thrill of victory. A part of her wanted to capture this moment forever—the laughter echoing through the coop, the sun highlighting Magnus’s usually stern features in a soft golden glow, and Brother Aiden’s boyish delight.

Magnus straightened, grinning as he wiped sweat off his brow with his sleeve. “That was not how I envisioned spending my morning.” His eyes gleamed with mirth as his gaze met Izzy’s.

She returned his smile, feeling an unexpected warmth spread through her chest. “What can I say? Never a dull moment with me and Snaffles around, eh?”

“Aye, ye can say that again.”

Izzy turned to Aiden and put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for your help. You did great.”

Aiden blushed to his hairline. “I...um...I better get this last one back inside.” He scurried off, leaving Izzy alone with Magnus.

It was the first time she’d been alone with him since yesterday. Since she’d panicked, ran off, and needed to be rescued. Since she’d seen him beat up that blacksmith. An awkward silence fell. Then they both spoke at once.

“Listen, Magnus—”

“Isabelle, I’m—”

They fell silent, neither looking at the other. “You first,” Izzy said.

“Right. I...um...” Magnus kicked at some pebbles. “I was just going to ask if ye are feeling better. After yesterday. ”

“After I freaked out, you mean? Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better. Thank you for bringing me here.”

Magnus glanced at her. “It was the least I could do after...after...” He looked away, staring off into the distance. “After frightening ye and causing ye to run off in the first place. I...I didnae want ye to see that.”

Once again, her mind’s eye was filled with images of the terrified blacksmith’s face as Magnus held the hot poker above his eye. Such easy violence. Such ruthlessness. Yes, it had scared her. And she’d done what she always did when she was scared. She ran. Sometimes she felt like she’d been running all her life.

She blew out her cheeks and a moment of silence passed between them before Izzy spoke again.

“Yes, you scared me,” she said softly.

A spasm of pain crossed his handsome face. “Isabelle...”

The way he said her name made her heart thud loudly in her chest. It was spoken so softly, so gently, it was as if he were afraid she might break at the mere utterance of it. He paused, his gaze shifting away from hers and staring into the distance.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “For yesterday. For avoiding ye at Terce this morning. For...for everything.”

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, trying to lighten the mood. “Oh, so you admit you were avoiding me in the chapel?”

“Aye,” he insisted, his voice gaining strength. “I couldnae face ye. It wasnae right for ye to see that part of me. I...I dinna wish to be that man ye saw at the forge yesterday. ”

She looked at him, studying his profile. The strong jaw, the thick hair. His eyes were downcast, avoiding her gaze.

“Magnus,” she said softly. “Don’t you realize that you don’t need to apologize to me? Without you...” Jeez, she couldn’t bear to think about what would have happened to her without him. “What I saw yesterday, yes, it scared me. But that’s not who you are, is it?”

“Isabelle—”

“Let me finish. What I mean is, it’s not all you are?”

He didn’t answer for a long time. “I...I dinna know,” he said at last.

“But I do.” She took a step closer and laid a hand on his arm. His skin was warm and smooth and she could feel the innate strength in his arm, strong and sinewy like tree roots. “So I’m sorry too. For running away and forcing you to find me like that. It must have been...difficult.”

He cocked his head and a tiny smile curled his lips. “Actually. I quite enjoyed carrying ye here.”

He put his hand over hers and Izzy’s heartbeat ramped up a notch. She suddenly had the wildest urge to reach up and touch his face, to run her thumb over those full lips of his. Flustered, she stepped back.

“Did you...um...did you get the information you needed? From that blacksmith, I mean?”

He nodded slowly, still watching her. “I did.”

“Great!” she said, a little too brightly. “Then we can get going, can’t we?”

“Aye, as soon as I’ve been to Hodwell to gather some supplies. Stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He glanced at the dog napping in the sun. “And try to keep Snaffles out of trouble while I’m gone, aye?”

She rolled her eyes. “Ask for the earth why don’t you?”

He smiled, gave her one last penetrating look, then turned and strode away. Izzy watched him go, already counting the time until he came back.