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His laughter vanished, replaced by a glare that for a moment frightened her, especially when his hand shot out to grip the back of her neck and hold it tight.
“Listen well, wife, I forbid, ABSOLUTELY FORBID, you to do such a foolish thing.”
Her shoulders slumped as her whole body sighed along with her. “It is necessary, Varrick. There is something there that will help me discover the answer.”
He looked ready to argue.
“Please,” she said softly. “I would not take such a chance if I was not sure there was something there to find.”
He shook his head before resting his brow to hers. “You make sense far too often, wife, leaving me with a dilemma.”
“We could go at night when no one is about. You trust Argus, so he could go with us to see that nothing strange happens in case we are discovered.”
He raised his head and let his hand drop away from her neck. “It should not be necessary for me to sneak around within my own castle’s walls.”
“I agree it is unfortunate, but what other recourse do we have?”
Varrick could not believe what he was about to say. “We go tonight at the late hour when all are in bed asleep. I will have Argus join us, possibly Marsh as well.”
“Whatever it takes since there is something there to be found,” Fia assured him.
* * *
It was late,not a soul stirred. Light flurries fell and the cold wind that blew stung the face.
Varrick kept his wife tucked close against him as they made their way as quietly as possible to the shelter where the monk’s body had been placed. It was where bodies of those who died during the winter when the frozen ground made burial impossible were kept. The shelter had been placed a distance from the village since none wanted to live near it, an advantage for their task at hand.
Varrick was aware that the sentinels made one nightly pass by the shelter. Still, precautions would be taken, Marsh keeping watch while Argus joined Varrick and Fia in the shelter to witness that nothing improper had taken place in case her visit was discovered.
“This is foolish, my lord,” Argus said outside the shelter.
“So, you have told me several times,” Varrick said.
“I mean the monk no harm,” Fia whispered. “Besides, he has a secret to share with us.”
Argus shook his head as he entered the shelter first, carrying the torch that lit their way.
Four bodies occupied the small space, three of which were wrapped ready for burial when the time came. Fia hurried to the only body that lay on the ground uncovered.
She squatted down beside the dead monk. She ran her glance over him when she would have rather it be her hands, seeing what might be hidden somewhere upon him but she worried she would be met with disapproval from both men. She did, however, carefully open his cloak that had been closed over him to expose his robe and heard Argus mumble his displeasure.
Fia was not sure what she was looking for, she only knew something on him contained a secret. She ran her hands along the hem of his cloak to see if something may have been sewn into it and did the same to the hem of his robe and sleeves but found nothing.
Where? Where would the monk have hidden something?
Her glance fell on his boots.
She began to tug at one boot and heard Argus mumble again.
Seeing his wife struggle and Argus uncomfortable, Varrick hurried to help her, wanting this done and his wife back safely in the keep.
He brushed his wife’s hands away and with one tug the boot slipped off and they both stared when they saw a small pouch fall from the boot.
Argus stepped closer, curious, having seen something fall.
Fia snatched up the pouch and with her husband’s hand to her arm helped her to stand. She opened the pouch and peered inside, then she tipped the pouch to spill a small amount of its contents into the palm of her hand.
Argus lowered his head to get a look at what was in Fia’s hand and wrinkled his nose as he pulled back his head. “That stinks.”
