AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They didn’t waste any time; they gathered their things though Roan did ask Bliss, “You will be at MacAlpin keep soon?”
“We will be there, though when, I’m not sure.”
“You will make it there, that’s all I need to know,” Roan said, and with that, he and Dolca were gone.
“I’m ready,” Ian announced.
Trey admired the lad’s courage. “Stay close and remain silent. We will need to go around the soldiers to avoid them. If nothing stops us from keeping a good pace, then we should reach your home by nightfall.”
“I’ll keep up,” Ian said, nodding, though Trey wondered if he was trying to convince himself.
They traveled single file, not saying a word. They went off the well-worn path to avoid soldiers, the uneasy terrain making it difficult to keep a steady pace. If Trey traveled alone, he would have covered much more ground in a much shorter time, but, then, who would birth the babe?
Bliss was needed and, according to her, so was Ian, but why? How could a lad of ten help them? Ian’s hand went up to alert the two that he was about to stop, and he did, abruptly. Had he heard footfalls? He couldn’t be sure, and so he listened.
Trey startled with Bliss’s sudden appearance at his side. He hadn’t heard her steps, and why not? Had she trod so lightly, her steps were undetectable?
“Farmers escaped from the soldiers,” she whispered.
He waited a moment, and, sure enough, two men stumbled out of the woods right in front of them. What surprised Trey was that Ian ran to one.
“Da,” he cried, and fell down on his knees beside the man.
The man, a bit bloody and dirt-ridden, turned wide eyes on Ian before his thick arms reached out and wrapped around the lad.
Bliss had gone to the other man, dropping to her knees and shaking her head. She didn’t hesitate to take hold of his hand, and the man held tightly to her as if he feared letting go.
He struggled to say, “I’m dying.”
Trey went down on one knee next to Bliss and was surprised to see that she didn’t deny the man’s claim.
“Peter,” the man said, and Ian’s da made his way over to the man, with Ian clinging tightly to him, and reached out to take his hand.
“Corwin,” Peter said, squeezing his hand to let him know he was there. “Please, help my wife Rona and my son Darren. See them safe.”
“You have my word,” Peter said with tears in his eyes.
“Tell them both that I—” He gasped for breath, and Bliss closed her eyes and laid a heavy hand on his chest.
Trey saw that it eased the man’s pain though not enough for him to speak.
“I’ll tell them you love them,” Peter finished for him.
A telltale smile caught at Corwin’s lips before he took his last breath.
Ian started crying, and Peter fought back his tears, trying to stay strong for his son, but Trey knew what the lad had to be thinking ... that could have been his da.
Bliss remained as she was, her hand on Corwin’s chest and her eyes closed. Trey wasn’t sure what she was doing, but he felt that he shouldn’t disturb her, and so he saw to moving Peter and Ian away.
“Tell me what happened,” Trey said, though out of the corner of his eye he kept a watch on his wife in case she was in need of him.
“The group of farmers that the soldiers had taken prisoner decided they would rather die trying to escape than fight for King Kenneth. Many of us made it, spreading out so that the soldiers would have to divide to find us.” He nodded toward Corwin. “He had suffered several beatings by the soldiers, being the most outspoken one, though his strength is what made us all act, especially after Ian’s successful escape. If he could do it, why not the rest of us?”
“You made a brave escape,” Trey said.
“A necessary one though I believe one or two may have been struck down, but most fled. Whether any were recaptured or not, I do not know. I only know that I wanted to find my son.” He wrapped his arm around Ian. “And get home to my wife.”
“We go to your home now to get your wife and bring her to safety,” Trey said.
