“Aye, and with luck, the continuing snowfall will cover our tracks.” He paused. “How do you fare?”
Exhausted and her body aching, she was ready to collapse. “I am fine.”
He grunted. “Cold and tired, nay doubt.”
She turned, caught the paleness of his face, the fatigue he tried to hide. “As are you.”
“We must keep moving,” he said.
“Once they canna find our tracks, they should turn back.”
“During normal circumstance, aye, but as you are essential to your father’s plans, his knights willna stop.”
She swallowed hard. The truth. “How much longer will we travel before we rest?”
“There is a monastery a half day’s ride from here. We should arrive shortly after nightfall. If anyone is about, the darkness will shield our arrival.”
“A monastery? You said we were riding south a few hours before turning toward the sea.”
“I have”—he muttered a soft curse, shifted—“decided otherwise.”
Surprised by the strain in voice, she glanced back.
His face taut, Sir Thomas kicked his mount into a gallop, forcing her to turn around and hang on. “I thought we were taking it easy.”
“We are.”
Too tired to argue, Alesone sagged against his muscled chest and let the miles rush past.
Hours later, with the moon edging into the cloud-muted sky, ahead of them lay a large copse of rocks smeared with the fall of snow.
Thomas guided his horse to the center, then drew to a halt.
Another burst of icy wind tore at her cape, slapping loose strands of hair against her face. She shivered against the chill. “Why are you stopping? With the moon bright, ’tis too easy to see us here.”
“’Tis. Nor will we remain.” With stiff movements, he dismounted. “I will be but a moment, dinna move.” Wisps of moonlight slipped through the breaks in the clouds, illuminating the falling snow with an eerie shimmer.
Unease wove through her as Thomas collected and stacked twigs and brush. A fire, was he insane? “We canna.”
He shot her a cool look, and then withdrew his dagger and flint. After several strikes, smoke, then flames, crept through the tangle of wood. Moments later, sparks swirled into the sky.
After tossing several larger limbs on top, his movements stiff, the knight returned.
Confused, Alesone frowned. “I thought we were nae going to make camp?”
“’Tis a decoy.” Face taut, Thomas swung up behind her and took the reins. “If anyone is nearby, they will see the flames. Your father’s knights are battle seasoned. Believing we are resting in the dense firs they willna rush in, but encircle the encampment to prevent our escape before they attack.”
“Which buys us time to put more distance between us,” she said, impressed by his shrewdness. “You have set up similar decoys before?”
“Aye.”
Though swirls of snow, she caught the flicker of light. “What if the wind blows out the fire?”
“Shielded by the rocks, and with the tinder at the base, the flames should continue to build. If the fire dies, our pursuers will find ashes.”
The confidence in his voice eased her nerves a bit. “You have fought in many battles?”
“I am a knight,” he said, his voice cool.
