“Outside, begging treatsfrom Berta.”
Sophie pressed her lips together andshook her head, her way of chastising Lara for not waiting forWolf, for walking into the stables alone when there were twentystrange men about.For doing exactly what Sophie had taught her notto do her whole life.“Couldn’t you have called out forhelp?”
“I asked him to leave mebe.”Lara leaned in close.“But he wouldn’t heed me.He was drunkand determined to have his way.I tried to get around him, to getaway, but he grabbed me and pulled me down into the straw.I foughthim and managed to get back up, and I stepped on his knee.”Ashiver ran down her spine at the crunch of knee giving way beneathher foot, the snap of bone breaking.“He screamed, and Wolf camerunning in and took him by the throat.I was afraid Wolf had killedhim, and I panicked.I ran.”She glanced at the captain, who hadpulled a pair of leather breeches from the chest and was inspectingthem.“The captain chased us down and brought us backhere.”
She sat back, expecting to get anearful from Sophie on how she had once again acted rashly andgotten herself into a mess for it.Sophie let out a long, slowsigh.
“I saw this soldier, thisFulrad, lying drunk on a bench outside the stables when we rodein,” she said.“I saw him ogling you then and didn’t say anything.I should’ve warned you to keep an eye out for him.I’m gettingold.”She pursed her lips and shook her head.“My sixth sense isslipping.”
“Your eyes are still hawksharp, Tante.I too saw him outside the stables when we rode in,but not inside the stables, not until he was on me.”
Sophie nodded and patted Lara’s handon the table, then she narrowed her eyes at the captain sitting onthe edge of the bed, lacing the breeches he’d pulled from thechest.“What does the captain plan to do about it?”
“He’s determined to be agood soldier and follow the king’s law to the letter, which meanshe intends to take me before the count, next Mallus.”
“Before Nithard?”Sophiehissed.
“Yes.”
“We must get you free ofthis place,” Sophie whispered in the cleric’s Latin, the languagethey used when they didn’t wish to be understood by others.Alanguage Sophie had been taught by nuns, and Lara had learned fromSophie.“Get you to the Hollow until this troop packs up andleaves.”She took in Lara’s torn, dirt-stained gown.“PerhapsBer—the cook could offer to escort you to the bathing house.There’s a window to the river’s side if I rememberright.”
“You remember right,” Laraanswered in kind.
Sophie squeezed Lara’s hand.“I’llspeak with the cook on my way out.You ask the captain for abath.”
Lara took her first full breath inalmost a day, smelling fresh air and freedom.The captain foldedthe breeches and put them back in the chest, seemingly oblivious totheir whispers.
“He’s neat,” Sophiesaid.
Lara nodded.
“And handsome.”
Lara shrugged.
“And spellbound by a goatherder with the longest, tannest legs a man ever laid eyes on, I’mtold, who sliced his hand with her dagger in the river the daybefore yesterday.”
Lara swallowed, hard.
“By all the saints, ofwhich I should be one—” Sophie’s look scolded.“—you’ve met the mantwice in two days and have left him bleeding both times, and youwounded and likely crippled one of his men.”
“I only protected myselfagainst his drunkard of a man, whose injuries are a result of hisown actions,” Lara said in her defense.“And though I did slice hishand the first time, it was the brambles that made the captainbleed the second time.”
“Aye, while chasing youdown.”Sophie looked long and hard at the captain, who was nowrummaging through the other chest.“You be careful, Lara.There’smore to him than meets the eye.”
Lara scoffed.“He’s a man like anyother,” she said, knowing she was lying as she said it.He was aman like no other she’d ever met, handsome without being vain, neatwithout being prissy, a warrior who could’ve easily killed Wolf,yet chose to only lay him out, then carried him half a league backto the keep.A jailer who could’ve forced himself on her, yet hadslept on the floor and offered her the bed.“I can take care of himas well as any other man.”
“As well as you took careof the count’s son?”Sophie challenged.
“I thought I took care ofhim quite well.”
A loud slam made Lara jump in herseat, and she turned to see the captain scowling at them from hisclosed chest.He strode over to the table.
“I have business to attendelsewhere,” he told them.“And I’m tired of your whisperings.So….”He addressed Sophie.“Your visit is over, madam.”He looked toLara.“If you have any requests, ask them now.”
“Let me go?”Lara gave himher most ingenuous smile, and it was hard to tell which was louder:his snort or Sophie’s tsk.
“I meant personalbelongings,” he said.“Clothes, necessities, that sort ofthing.”
