Page 49 of Warrior’s Lady

He jumped from the horse and leered up at her, keeping a firm grip on the reins. "Too true, but I expect ye'll be gone 'afore he arrives."

Rhiannon tried to keep her expression neutral. "You're going to kill me?"

A flicker of grudging admiration lit the man's face. "I'd hoped ye'd be more afraid."

She was afraid and sick to her stomach, but she wouldn't let him know that. She cast a furtive glance at the reins in his hands. If only she could yank the reins away, she might have a chance to save herself. "Wouldn't it be better to use me to bargain with?"

The man's smirk of satisfaction faded. "Why would he bargain for ye? Yer family helped tae murder his kin. I'm sure he is more than grateful tae be rid of ye."

Rhiannon flinched at the truth of his words. Why would Camden waste his time on her?

"Fear not, sweetlin'. I won't kill ye right away. The men and I are looking forward to a bit o' sport." He drew a dagger from his belt, running the blade of his long knife between his fingers. "Get down."

When she remained on the horse, he yanked her foot, hard. She landed in the snow with a thump. Cold, wet clumps of snow clung to her skin chilling her even more.

With a sharp laugh, her captor left her there while he and the others tied the horses to the surrounding shrubs, then lit several torches to illuminate the area.

Rhiannon gained her feet and sprinted away from the men, only to be dragged backward a moment later. "Ye aren't goin' anywhere, sweetlin'," her captor growled. He forced her back toward the others, then tossed her on the ground once more before he joined the other men. Her body ached and her temples throbbed. A crescent-shaped sliver of moon hung in the sky. Stars twinkled by the millions, but their light did little to alleviate the ghostly shadows that had fallen over the land.

Again, Rhiannon slowly rose to her feet. When the men started to argue with one another about what should be done with her, she took two steps back into the shadow of the trees. She hoped her captors were as disoriented by the falling darkness as she was. She cast a glance at the horses several feet away. Should she risk it? Could she slide over to the beasts unnoticed this time, untie the tethers, then slip away?

She took another step toward the animals. A branch, partially hidden in the snow, caught in her skirts. She tugged the fabric, praying for silence. The branch snapped. The sound seemed overly loud in the quiet of the trees, but the others seemed not to notice as they continued to argue.

"We should wait 'til he gets here," a large man growled.

"He won't want her. He's a holy man, ye idiot," a smaller captor said, jabbing the first man in the gut with his elbow.

The big man staggered back a step as he doubled over. His arm flew out to deliver a lashing blow to the right side of the man's face. While the two men brawled, the others surged forward, trying to stop them.

Rhiannon ran for the closest horse and untied the reins with trembling fingers. Her heart thundering in her chest, she threw herself onto the animal's back. She put her heels to the horse's flanks and slipped into the darkness.

A thunderous shout sounded, followed by hoofbeats.

Rhiannon leaned forward and pushed the horse into a faster gallop. Wind whipped at her cheeks and the loose ends of her hair flew into her face. With the back of her hand, she forced the hair out of her eyes. All thought centered on the black path before her. She had to find a way to veer off into the trees and hide the horse's footprints before she would be safe.

She pressed her cheek against the horse's trembling neck. The horse was scared. Probably as terrified as she was. "Come on, boy. We have to go faster," Rhiannon urged.

"Ye little hellion. Ye've gone too far this time." A cold, hard edge had crept into the man's voice. He rode alongside her, like a man possessed.

Rhiannon pressed her horse harder, plunging ahead one moment, only to be ripped from the back of her horse a moment later by his cruel grip on her hair. Flung sideways in the darkness with nothing to catch her, Rhiannon hit the ground, her head cracking against something unexpectedly solid beneath the snow. Pain exploded through her right temple moments before she was plunged into darkness.

When she awoke, the world was pitched in darkness, not from the night, but from the blindfold that pressed so tight against her eyes she could not force her lids to open. She realized that she stood upright, her hands bound behind her back. She seemed to be tied to a pole by the waist, arms, and feet. With a surge of panic, she struggled against the bindings, but found no slack.

Robbed of sight, Rhiannon listened to the world around her. She could hear shuffling off to her left. She drew in a quick breath of the pungent odor of her captor's breath.

"It's about time ye woke up," the voice said, from close to her head. "I'd started tae worry I killed ye too early." He chuckled, then stepped back; she could tell by the less intense scent of his rotten teeth.

A shudder of fear rocked her. What did they intend to do to her? By the scent of pine and musty leaves, she knew they had not left the cover of the trees. An odd stack of timber rattled beneath her feet.

They would burn her alive.

"Please," she begged, thrashing her head back and forth.

"I'll make you an offer." The voice was a little more cultured, more sophisticated than the others A newcomer?

"What offer?" she asked.

"Spy for me and I'll let you go."