Just as she knew she could never tellhim of her dream, of seeing him fall lifeless into a pool of hisblood.She’d told him her dream of the slaughter at RoncesvallesPass, and it had come to fruition.All her dreams did, one way oranother.
When they returned to camp, Phillipewas waiting outside their tent.“King Charles wants to meet withyou, Captain.Yesterday.”
Talon dismounted, and Lara ignored thehand he held out to help her down from the Black.“Stay here untilI get back,” he told her, then called for Tree and Dardinel tostand guard as she entered the tent.
Unable to sleep, Lara paced theconfines of the small tent, going over and over everything that hadhappened that day, until at last she heard Talon speaking with themen outside.She plopped down on her bedroll and feigned sleep ashe entered the tent, peeking up at him from beneath lowered lashesas he stripped down to his breechcloth, flushing warm at the sightof his well-muscled torso and the trail of dark fur that led downto his breechcloth, and the memory of what lay not so hidden in themanly bulge beneath it.
“Sleep well, my ladywildcat.”
He fell asleep in ten breaths.Laraknew because she counted them, envious of his ability to sleepanywhere, anytime, and to wake up alert and at the ready no matterhow long or short a time he’d slept.She didn’t sleep the rest ofthe night.Not with the chance of dreaming again.She lay stiff andcold despite the warm summer air, fighting the near constant urgeto curl up against Talon’s big warm body, and was up before dawnbroke.She snuck out the back of the tent and was sharing herday-old flat bread with the roan when Talon found her.
“You shouldn’t bewandering around the camp alone.”He came to her side.“Tree andDardinel are beside themselves looking for you.”
Lara shrugged and wouldn’t meet hiseyes.She couldn’t.
He cupped her chin and raised it untilher gaze finally met his.“Lara, what happened between us lastnight—”
“Can never happenagain—”
CHAPTER 15
Birth
Lara
They rode through the gates ofCrossroads Keep at dusk, and a feast of cold meats, cheeses, summergreens, and fruits greeted them from Berta and the kitchenservants.After supper, Talon and Charles escorted Fulrad, oncrutches, to the king’s pavilion, which had been set up in themiddle of the courtyard, and Lara retired to the chamber she sharedwith Talon to find the tub full of hot water and her soap and cleanclothes laid out on her cot.Never had a bath felt sogood.
She soaked in it until the waterstarted to cool and her fingers pruned, then she donned her soft,clean nightshift and passed out on her cot.She woke up screamingPatience’s name at some point in the night, then woke up in Talon’sbed the next morning, alone.She’d woken from her dreams everynight since her dream of Roncesvalles Pass, calling out the namesof those she saw die in them: Talon, Sophie, Wolf, and nowPatience.And every night, Talon would comfort her, whisperingsoothing words into her ears and holding her safe in his arms untilshe fell back to sleep.
As tempted as she was to roll over andsleep the day through, she threw the covers off and stood at theopen window.The courtyard buzzed with soldiers and villagers goingabout the day’s business, hustling and bustling around the king’spavilion of blue and gold as tents of every color along with smallcampfires and lines of horses covered the fields.After splashingwater on her face, Lara dressed for the day in a clean tunic andskirt, then went downstairs.
She looked for Fulrad out of habit,but he wasn’t at his cot.A few stragglers ate breakfast at thelong table, but otherwise the hall was empty of soldiers.Laragrabbed a slice of bread and a plum from the kitchens, thencontinued out to the ovens, where she found Berta, who put her towork making pies.
She’d finished paring the fruit andwas starting to mix the dough when a sharp bark caught herattention.She braced herself as Wolf came bounding toward her,scattering soldiers as they jumped out of his way with variouscurses and exclamations.
“Hey, boy.”She laughed ashe turned circles around her, tongue lolling and tail wagging.Sheruffled his ears and thumped his sides.“How’ve you been,eh?”
The crowd of curious soldiers partedas Sophie walked past, and Lara threw her arms around her and gaveher a big hug.
“Let go of me, child,”Sophie chided, “before you break my old bones.”
Lara stepped back, eyeing Sophie asclosely as Sophie eyed her.
“You look well,Tante.”
“Well enough.”
“How’d Wolfdo?”
“He waited for you by thedoor the first two days and nights, then went missing the thirdday.I’m pretty sure he went looking for you up at the Hollow,because he was gone for four days.When he came back, I dosed himwith belladonna for the next five days until he finally gave uptrying to nose you out and instead lay around moping and lookingmiserable.”
“Aww, Wolf.”Lara easeddown to hug the hound and kiss his nose.“I’m sorry, boy.It was acruel thing to do to you.”
“Was it worth it?”Sophieasked.
Memories of it all hit her, and shefocused on Sophie’s question.“King Charles has left my fate up toTal… the captain.Who hasn’t told me of his decisionyet.”
“Perhaps he’s waitinguntil after the king has left.”
