“If you remain perfectly still it won’t charge.”
“I’m not moving,” Emily whispered. “I will stay here until Gabriel sounds his golden horn.”
“What are we to do, milord?” the maid asked.
Personally, Draven wanted his clothes. Especially since Emily had him by his left arm in a grip so tight his hand was starting to tingle from lack of blood flow. He started to shrug her hold away, but didn’t dare lest the movement entice the boar, or worse make her panic and run.
Emily bit her lip. “Can we outrun it?”
Draven didn’t take his eyes from the boar. “‘Tis not so much outrunning the boar, milady, as it is outrunning your maid and myself.”
“Now you find humor?” Her voice was aghast.
Moving his arm as slowly as possible, he shrugged off her grip. “‘Tis not humor. Just a practical fact.”
Slowly, carefully, he waded a little closer to his sword.
The boar snorted and shook its head.
Draven froze.
Emily swallowed in fear as she watched him near the boar. How could he remain so calm while her heart pounded so fiercely that she half expected it to leap from her chest.
“Draven?”
She held her breath at Simon’s shout.
The boar turned at the sound.
“Simon, fetch a crossbow,” Draven shouted.
The boar looked back at Draven and took two more steps nearer. Draven didn’t budge as he stared the animal dead in the eye.
Emily swallowed the lump in her throat.
“A crossbow? Why?” Simon asked as he came through the trees.
The boar snorted once and charged at Simon.
With a foul curse, Simon literally jumped up a tree. Draven ran for his sword and seized it while Simon pulled himself up and out of the boar’s reach.
“Keep it distracted,” Draven ordered.
“Oh, aye.” Simon groaned as he tucked his legs up beneath him. “Keep it distracted, he says. Kill the damned beast, would you?”
As Draven inched near it, the boar turned to face him. Draven froze.
Time seemed suspended as she waited for the boar to charge Draven.
“Here, piggy piggy,” Emily called before she could stop herself.
“Milady!” Alys screamed.
Ignoring her, Emily splashed at the water. “Here, piggy-piggy.”
The boar looked at her.
Her chest tight, Emily trusted that somehow, someway Draven would keep her safe as she continued to entice the boar away from him.
