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Chapter Seven
Gunnar suggested I come and see the military exercises going on in the woods. While we didn’t have an official army, per se, we did have a volunteer force, sort of a home guard. Since Bors was first spotted, we’d been approached by so many young men and women wanting to protect their kingdom, Gunnar had made it a little more formal.
“We are training three times a week,” he told me as we approached the wooded area in one of the ATVs he preferred to horses. “Since all of our volunteers have other jobs or education that occupies their days, we’ve made it late afternoon.” He parked and came around to take my hand. “We have to walk from here. Silence your phone.”
I muted the device and tucked it back into my pocket, but I was curious about why. And if the off-road vehicle wouldn’t make it, we’d be going through some heavy brush. “I don’t hear a thing.”
“Good. You’re not supposed to. We’re practicing being silent, sneaking up on the enemy.”
“So, that’s why the quiet phone?”
Exactly.” Linking our fingers, he towed me past the tree line. “And guess who gets to play enemy?”
His chuckle was low, but his eyes sparkled before the dense forest cut off most of the sunlight. There was a trail…sort of. Maybe an animal trail.
“Oh, no.” I tried to pull back, but he held firm. “It isn’t dignified for a queen to be set upon by her subjects. Too much like a coup.”
“Nobody is really going to hurt you. Leif is out there with them, and all they are going to do is sneak up on you. Then you can congratulate them on their hard work, invite them back to the palace for refreshments, and everyone feels valued.”
“I assume you’ve made all the arrangements for their visit?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
Of course, my ass. “So, why all the secrecy?” It was getting darker in the forest, although the sun wouldn’t set for some time yet. “Why not share the plans with your monarch?”
“For just the reason you cited. You might have declared it beneath your dignity, and Leif and I thought it was too good a plan to let pass by.”
“When have I ever been snooty like that? Are you pranking me? Is everyone going to jump out and yell boo?”
“No, not at all,” he reassured. “When we get a little farther from the road, we’ll start to listen for them. When you hear them, then we know by their distance away how they are doing. We’ve done it many times, but this is the real test.”
“Honestly, Gunnar, I—” A stick snapped somewhere to my left. I stopped walking and tilted my head. “Did you hear that?” I whispered. “Is it our troops?”
“I’m…unless it’s an animal, it has to be. Who else would be out here with all of those young soldiers everywhere.” He frowned. “But I’m not happy. We shouldn’t have come upon them already. What are they up to?” Lifting my hand to his lips, he kissed the knuckles and let it go. Can I leave you here for a few minutes? I want to sneak around behind them and show them how it’s done.”
“Uh, sure.” There was more shadow than light at this point, and while I wasn’t scared of the dark, I didn’t really want to stand out here alone in a dark woods. He was usually so much more protective of me, but his frustration must have overwhelmed him. Also he knew we were surrounded by friendly, if clumsy, troops. “What do I do if they come up to me? Yell boo?”
“Might as well.” Then he was gone, slipping between two tall, dark pines and out of sight. Silently.
The next sound came from my right. It was a thud, like a footfall, and I jerked to face that direction. Maybe they were doing better than Gunnar gave them credit for. Still, I ducked behind a tree, prepared to jump out and give them thatboo. The first footfall was followed by many more and, as they got closer, they got louder, as if they weren’t even trying anymore. Listening to the crunches and thuds, irritation rose within me, and I prepared to step out from behind the tree, ready to give them a piece of my mind.
Branches swayed, and I heard the mutter of conversation. They weren’t even trying. There would be no refreshment, more like a refresher course for these clumsy young people. I crossed my arms and waited to confront them.
It didn’t sound like too many people, but their voices became clear just before they broke through the brush and appeared before me. A group of about a dozen men, none of them under forty, and all wearing brown or dark-green T-shirts, camouflage-patterned pants, and black boots. They held large semi-automatic weapons and had pistols and various blades, ammunition, and I didn’t know what all. With hats drawn low over their eyes along with scruffy jaws, they were nothing like the group I’d expected.
Poised to lecture a group of innocent freedom-fighters, I faced what could only be described as mercenaries. I’d seen some in a movie the other night—a film selected by my mates because it wasn’t my cup of tea.
And neither were these people.
Somehow, they hadn’t seen me yet, but I wasn’t that well-hidden, and I didn’t anticipate them just continuing on without engaging with me.
I stood, mostly behind the tree, afraid to make a move for fear of ensuring their finding me, and, at the same time, afraid to stay still and being a sitting duck.
A shout galvanized me. “It’s the queen!”
Dammit. And I wasn’t even wearing a tiara! How did they know?
