Her smile widened as she held them out. “They are a surprise for you!”
Emma struggled to keep from breaking down as she drew the girl into a hug. “My thanks. Never shall I forget you.”
Joneta stiffened in her arms.
Confused, she leaned back, surprised by the girl’s frown. “What is wrong?”
“What is that?”
She turned. A flash of light glinted across the field along the dark shadows of the trees. Emma stilled. God in heaven, they were not shadows, but knights. From the standard, English.
Heart pounding, she stood, glancing to where Patrik awaited her near the crofter’s hut. The lower ground prevented him from seeing the threat. If she yelled, she would alert the knights they’d been seen.
“Do you know what that is?” Joneta asked naively.
Trembling, Emma took the girl’s hand. “Let us show your mother the beautiful flowers,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “She will love them. We must hurry before they wilt.” She started forward at a brisk pace. Please God, let them reach the crofter’s hut before the English attacked!
“Look over there,” the little girl said as they started down the hill, “it looks like knights.”
“So it does.” She kept her voice calm, kept moving. “We must tell your father.”
Joneta skipped at her side. “Do you think they are nice men?”
The thrum of hooves sounded from across the field.
The knights were heading for the crofter’s hut! “Patrik!”
He spun toward her.
“English knights!” Emma pointed. “Across the field!”
Patrik withdrew his sword, waved her back. “Take Joneta and hide!” He sprinted toward the hut.
“Come.” Fear whipping through her, Emma led Joneta back up the hill toward the wall of trees.
The pounding of hooves battering the earth grew.
The little girl began to cry. “I want to go home.”
At this speed, they would never make it to the forest. Emma caught Joneta by the shoulders. “We must hide. Your parents would want that. Do you understand?”
Tears streaked the child’s face, but she nodded.
“Good, now run!” The thunder of hooves increased, drowning out the slam of her heart against her chest. She glanced back. Flames shot from the thatched roof. The bastards had set the hut on fire! Why? Fergus and Marie had done nothing to them in the past but given them food and water.
She made out Patrik and Fergus taking cover behind a wagon. Where was Marie?
The flames on the roof grew, arching into the sky as more crawled down the home’s sides.
Fury built atop fear as Emma pushed forward. The line of trees rose before them. If they made it to the woods, she could hide Joneta.
The contingent closed in on the hut. She scanned the knights. Twenty men. Patrik and Fergus were vastly outnumbered.
Wet blades of grass slapped against their feet. “Keep running,” Emma urged.
“My legs hurt.”
“I know.”
