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She dismounted and her feet sunk into the thick mud. She shook her head and took the reins to lead her horse.
“Slow and steady, girl,” she said and with some difficulty they moved along.
They were doing fine when suddenly she heard a shout from behind her. She turned to see that one of the men had lost control of his horse, the animal’s one hoof having become stuck in the mud. She was frantically trying to free herself, but she only managed to bury herself more. The man’s angry shouts didn’t help and were beginning to upset the other horses around him.
Alyce couldn’t stand watching the man’s stupidity and after consoling her horse and tethering her to a branch; she went to take control of the dangerous situation.
“Stop shouting,” she ordered the man.
“Get away from here,” he yelled and waved her away, which frightened the already frightened horse more. “Go! I know how to handle this idiot animal.”
Alyce booted the man in the leg, grabbing the reins from his hands as he went tumbling into the mud. “You’re the only idiot animal around here.”
He wiped the mud from his face, his eyes flashing wide and he made ready to get up.
Alyce made a tight fist and shook it in his face. “Try it. Just try it and I’ll knock what teeth you have left out.”
She didn’t wait to see what he would do; she turned to help the horse. First, she calmed the mare with a soft voice, so the mare would stop fighting and digging herself in deeper. Then she gently tugged on the reins and the horse slowly inch by inch began easing herself out of the mud.
Alyce was familiar enough with animals to know that if the horse wasn’t free soon, she would panic again and sink even deeper. She needed a good shove to help her take that last step.
She continued talking to the mare while bracing her hands on her chest. She pushed easy at first and then she urged the horse to backup putting all her weight into pushing against her.
“You can do it,” she encouraged and urged, “Go. Go. Go.” And she shoved hard against the mare’s chest and with one sudden step the horse was out, and Alyce fell facedown in the mud.
Chapter 25
Lachlan couldn’t believe his eyes and wiped the rain from his face twice to make certain it wasn’t an apparition he witnessed. His pregnant wife was attempting to free a horse, and not even her horse, from the mud when she suddenly fell forward.
He hurried as fast as he could, though the thick mud slowed down his steps. He cursed and muttered as he watched her face disappear into the muck. By the time he reached her she was struggling to get up.
Grabbing her under the arms, he yanked her up and turned her around. He was struck silent by her laughter and the brilliance of her wide eyes that resembled bright moons in a pitch black sky.
“Did you see that? Did you see what happened?” she said through her laughter.
“I certainly did,” he snapped. “And it was a foolish thing to do. You could have been hurt.”
Her laughter dwindled. “But I wasn’t, and the horse is free and I—” She poked his chest with a muddy finger. “Got to play in the mud.”
“You fell in the mud,” he corrected.
“It’s the way you perceive it,” she argued with laughter. “Besides I knew perfectly well what I was doing unlike your idiot warrior who caused the problem.”
“It wasn’t your concern,” Lachlan said and almost smiled, for while she was covered in mud there was an appeal to her that Lachlan had a hard time ignoring. Perhaps it was her tenacious ability to find humor and courage in adversity.
“Don’t even think of restricting me from helping a poor animal in distress,” she said, mud and rainwater flying off her hand as she shook a finger at him. “Your dictate will fall on deaf ears.” She hefted up her mud-soaked, rain-drenched cloak and skirt and headed to her horse.
Lachlan followed on her heels. “My concern is for you and the babe.”
Alyce didn’t answer until she reached her horse and had the reins in her hand. “Don’t for once think that I would do anything to harm our child. He is nestled safe inside me and I will keep him that way. I will always protect him, with my life if necessary.”
“By falling in the mud?” he accused.
“Mud provides a soft, protective cushion.” She shook her head. “Don’t you think I considered that before I took action? How can you claim to love me when you don’t truly know me?”
“I could claim the same, since you knew full well your actions would upset me.”
“Then perhaps neither of us knows each other.”
“Then it’s about time we learned,” he said and took hold of her waist to swing her up on her mare. “Now stay there until we make camp.”
