Brendan followed her almost all the way home, ten paces behind. He never spoke to her, walking quickly with a thunderous expression on his face, brow furrowed, head low, shoulders hunched. He wasn’t happy, that was clear, and Freya couldn’t seem to think of a single thing to ease the tension of the moment. So, she contented herself with scurrying along beside him, trying to keep up.
She’d never admit it, but in the deepest, darkest parts of the forest, where silence hung like a heavy, dark blanket, she was glad to have Brendan with her.
He stopped at the edge of the treeline, just as the ground started to slope down towards the convent. It was well-lit there, with lights strung up between the gardens. Generally, a few of the nuns would be moving around the grounds, even at such a late hour, but nobody was out tonight, probably because of the rain.
Freya paused for a moment. She knew that if she turned, she’d glance back up to where Brendan stood, hands shoved in his pockets, watching her. Sheknewhe was watching her.
But then, he’d told her she was no different to him than the other nuns, and that she should steer clear of him. He hadn’tevenspokento her on the way back. Freya clenched her jaw, and forced herself to stalk forward. She didn’t turn back.
When she finallydid, just after reaching the first raised vegetable plot, there was no sign of him. He was gone.
Freya’s head was full of the day she’d had, and of thekiss, as she approached the convent. She didn’t even see the cloaked figure, standing under the jutting lip of the convent roof, until it detached itself from the shadows and lunged at her.
She gave a squawk, flailing backwards and landing on her backside in a muddy puddle. The figure threw back its hood. Senga.
“What are ye doing, ye silly goose?” she hissed. “Where have yebeen?”
“It’s a long, long story,” Freya responded, getting to her feet. Her dress was ruined, and she quietly cursed her own clumsiness. “Ye will never believe what?—”
Senga lunged forward, grabbing her shoulders. “Ye don’t know what has happened. Soldiers came. The Abbess came out to meet them, told them to leave, but they were so cruel and so threatening.”
Freya felt the color drain from her face. “Were-were they here for… me?”
“I don’t know,” Senga sighed. “The Laird and his council hate us, we know that much. We’re too loud and outspoken. We educate the common folk and speak up against injustice, and we have the audacity to thrive. We’re in danger, and have been for a while. The doors are all locked, except this one. Weneverlock the doors. Ye were going to be locked out, except that the Abbess was sure ye were coming back, and had me keep an eye out for ye.”
Freya swallowed thickly, suddenly terrified at the idea of being locked out of her only safe place, in the cold and rain, with darkness falling heavier with each passing moment.
“What about Kyla?” she managed.
Senga shot her a disapproving look. “Kyla is fine, despite ye abandoning her in town. She spent a while looking for ye, longer than she meant to. Ye shouldn’t have left her, Freya.”
Freya felt a rush of shame. The truth was, she’d hardly thought of Kyla. Her head was too full of Brendan.
What sort of friend am I? Kyla would never have abandoned me.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
Senga hustled her inside, closing and locking the door after them. It was just as cold inside, and Freya had begun to shiver, feeling the cold seeping in her bones now that she had stopped walking fast. Senga looked around carefully, and then turned and strode down the hall, leaving Freya to follow her.
“Don’t apologize to me,” she said briskly. “Apologize to Kyla.”
“I will,” Freya promised, hurrying after her. “I was thoughtless. The truth is, I’ve never had many friends, and certainly none that cared much for me. I got used to being selfish, to only thinking about myself. But I know that’s no excuse, and I’m going to tell Kyla so.”
Senga seemed to soften a little, throwing her a wry smile. “Kyla will forgive ye. Really, there was no harm done, but there could have been, ye understand? The town was swarming with Grahame soldiers. It was like they were looking for something.”
Freya stopped dead, cold fear trickling down her spine.
They are looking for me. And if they can’t find me, the next thing they’ll learn is that I was seen with a man, a local man. And they’ll come looking for him.
“Brendan,” she breathed aloud, turning around and making to stride down the hallway. Senga grabbed her, hauling her back.
“What are ye doing?”
“He walked me home,” Freya explained, struggling to free herself. “I have to warn him. If I run, I might be able to catch up with him, and?—”
“He’s gone, lass! Don’t be a fool. Ye will do him no good by running through the forest after him,” Senga hissed. “I can’t let ye go. The Abbess said ye aren’t to leave the convent, not until things have died down. It’s for yer safety as well as ours.”
“I won’t stay here!”
