With a grumble, he leaned forward, secured part of the blanket around him. “Sit.”
Pleased to have won this battle, she settled beside him and rested her head against his muscled shoulder. Feeling safe for the first time since the attack on her home, she closed her eyes and savored the heatfrom his body.
Her mind hazed, and slowly her thoughts tumbled onto one another, blurred until blackness enveloped her. An image of herself at home, wandering in the gardens, grew clear, then of knights encircling her and marching her into the castle before the Earl of Dalkirk. Eyes dark with malice, the noble reached outfor her. “Nay!”
“Elspet!”
Caught in the nightmare of the earl’s attack, she fought theguard’s grasp.
“Elspet, ’tis Cailin.”
Heart pounding, she stilled. The faint smell of smoke and man filled her every breath, and memories of Dalkirk’s attack faded. She opened her eyes.
Illuminated within the flames, sitting by her side, Cailin’s worried gaze held hers. “You were having a dream.”
“I…” Try as she might, she couldn’t pushout the words.
He tucked the blanket around her. “More nightmares will come, but over time, they will fade.”
His quiet assurance was said with such confidence, such belief. After all he’d endured, he would know. “What did you do toovercome them?”
He gave a bitter laugh. “When I knew that I would live, I poured myself into learning how to use my weapons to become a warrior.”
“To reclaim your home?”
“In part, but more, to help those whoneeded my aid.”
How many men would give so unselfishly of themselves?“’Tis noble.”
“Nay, ’twas necessary to survive.”
“You are makinglittle sense.”
“Try to rest.”
From the flatness of his voice, it was clear he wouldn’t entertain more questions. She yawned and closed her eyes, and in moments lost herself in sleep.
* * * *
Snow whipped against Cailin and Elspet, seated before him, as he guided his destrier through the growing drifts. “How much farther to Father Lamond’s home?” he called as another gust hurled past.
Elspet shoved aside the whip of chestnut hair slapping her cheek and tucked it into her braid. “We should arrive before dark.”
Blast it, the weather was growing steadily worse. If they hadn’t traveled most of the morning, he would head back to the cave. Nor did it help that several times they’d caught sight of his uncle’s knights and been forced to hide. Now, with the snow starting to deepen, ’twas slowing theirtravel further.
Cailin guided his warhorse into a dense stand of fir, then drew him to a halt. “We will rest here a bit.” He swung down, lifted her to the ground. “How does your ankle feel?”
She gingerly walked around.“’Tisna worse.”
He gestured to the flat expanse of a nearby rock. “Sit there until we depart.”
With a nod, she complied.
A horse whinnied nearby.
Cailin placed his finger over his lips, then crept to the dense boughs. He slightly pushed them aside and peered out. Stilled. Several of the earl’s knights were riding toward where they hid. Bloody hell!
Chapter 5
