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Gruesome
It took only five minutes back on the hill for Adelina to fully appreciate the rustic coverings Godric lashed to her feet. She’d worried they made her look like a barbarian but quickly discovered the fleece kept her feet warm and the outer skin kept them dry. In any case, her own shoes were beyond repair and she couldn’t have continued the trek north without the shepherd’s efforts.
Despite a fitful sleep, she found the crisp morning air of the wild moorland refreshing. She suspected from his morose demeanor that Roland hadn’t slept well either. The sheepskin mantle borrowed from Godric made his shoulders seem even broader. He was garbed like a shepherd, but no one could ever mistake Roland de Montbryce for anything other than what he was—a well-muscled warrior.
It was difficult not to appreciate and admire the strength in his powerful thighs as he helped her navigate the rough terrain. But the dream kept reminding her it would be foolish to surrender to the wanton feelings he provoked. She recalled casual remarks Becket had made about his brother during the brief, aborted visit to Melton Manor years ago. Roland was a favorite with the ladies, and she would do well to remember it. Making a woman feel special was just his way. His attentions meant nothing beyond that. It was absurd to think he’d developed feelings for her before they’d even met.
Godric’s short, stumpy legs and sturdy frame negotiated the steep hills with the same ease as his sheep; he paused frequently, chuckling while he waited for them. He wasn’t even out of breathe when his three panting followers caught up to him.
The sun was high in the sky when he pointed to the crest of a hill. “Waingate Fort, yonder. Almost there.”
Windblown and sweating despite the chilly air, Adelina shaded her eyes, just able to make out a row of twenty or so blocks of stone up ahead.
Ten minutes later, she stood at the edge of a massive ruin. The ancient fort built by the Romans sprawled across the crest of the hill, dominating the landscape, even in its ruined state.
“This is incredible,” Terric exclaimed. “How did they get these huge rocks up here?”
“Slave labor, probably,” Godric replied.
“It’s the perfect vantage point,” Roland observed. “They could see for miles in every direction.”
“Aye,” Godric agreed, pointing away from the sea. “Yonder their garrison at Ambleside.” He turned, nodding in the opposite direction. “And there lies our route to Ravenglass and Aigremont.”
“Ravenglass must have been an important port for them to go to so much trouble to protect this route,” Terric shouted from the center of the ruins.
“Aye,” Godric replied. “Too silted up now but, in them days, ’twas the way to bring goods and supplies to this northern outpost they’d conquered.”
“No sign of our soldier,” Roland lamented, scanning their surroundings. “I’d hoped…”
“Over here,” Terric yelled from the far side of the ruin. “It’s Mandeville.”
Adelina’s hopes rose. They might yet recover the stolen dowry.
* * *
Terric regretted calling his sister’s attention to the major. “Keep her away, Godric,” he shouted, his belly rebelling as he knelt.
The wolf lying atop the major’s body was obviously dead. He’d be astonished if Mandeville was alive, though it was the dagger still in his grip that was buried to the hilt in the beast’s body. The deep gouges on his face and neck bore evidence of the wolf’s determination to rip out his throat. In the unlikely event he recovered, he’d be horribly scarred for life.
“Stay where you are, Adelina,” he warned as she struggled to escape Godric’s grip.
He stood when Roland arrived on the grisly scene and made the sign of the Savior. “Is he dead?”
“I think so, but we need to get the wolf off him.”
Together they dragged the animal’s dead weight off the major’s body, startled when the stricken soldier’s arm jerked.
Roland fell to his knees and put an ear to Mandeville’s mouth. “He’s breathing.”
“What’s happening?” Adelina shouted.
“She’s seen the wolf,” Roland said. “You’ll have to tell her something.”
“But I don’t want her to see this,” Terric replied.
“Too late.”
Terric hurried to restrain his sister as she came toward them. “He’s about done for. It’s a ghastly sight.”
