Chapter Six
Luke led the way through the forest. He was grateful Nessa trailed him. That way, he wouldn’t have to look at her curves and think about how close they had been, at how much he had wanted to taste her lips. He quickened his steps, moving around trees and over roots. Darkness had descended around them and Luke knew they would have to rest soon. A road came into view in the distance. Luke slowed his pace. Beyond the dirt road, he saw a small village. Nestled between two small hills, thatched buildings lined the road and farms dotted the distant landscape.
Luke scanned the buildings. Few villagers were out. Could he bargain for a horse here? Nessa came to a halt beside him with a sigh. Even though Luke tried to keep his mind on his mission, he found himself looking at her. She stared at the village wistfully. Her hair hung in waves over her shoulders. Her hands were fisted in her skirts, hiking them up. The hem was torn and caked with mud. Her chest rose and fell with her breathing. Luke found himself staring at the rounded curves of her breasts through her cotton garment with desire. She looked at him with those large blue eyes and he snapped his gaze up to her face. It was a mistake. His stare was drawn to her lips, her lovely moist, full lips. It wasn’t until she scowled that he realized she had said something.
“Will we stay here?” she repeated.
Luke shook himself. He was tired, he told himself and jerked his gaze back to the village. “No,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.” Yes, it was dangerous. His thoughts, her lips. He was betrothed to Mel and yet he had not thought of her once.
“Listen,” Nessa said, cocking her head to one side. “Do you hear that?”
Luke concentrated. A soft sound was coming from their right, just behind the bushes. It sounded like… weeping.
Nessa moved toward it.
“Nessa!” Luke hissed and reached out to grab her, but she was gone, following the sound.
Luke went after her.
Nessa halted, listening.
“We don’t have time,” Luke told her sternly.
Nessa tilted her head. She wasn’t listening to him. Her eyes slowly widened in realization. “It’s a child.”
Luke heard it. A soft hiccupping whimper. He began to shake his head, but Nessa rushed toward the sound.
She paused before a tree, bending down near a bush. “Hello?”
The sobbing stopped immediately.
“Are you all right?” Nessa asked.
The shrub rustled.
“We’re not going to hurt you. I’m Lady Nessa from Castle Greymount.”
The bush moved, shifting, as if someone was moving behind it. “Is he a knight?” a small, tentative voiced asked from inside the thick shrub.
Nessa glanced back at Luke with a small smile. “Yes. He is Sir Luke.”
There was a long silence before the bush parted and a small, thin girl emerged. Her brown eyes were wide and moist, tear streaks cutting through the dirt smeared on her cheeks. Her brown hair hung about her shoulders in long limp tresses. Her cotton smock was dirty and frayed. She shuffled her bare feet. “Are you strong?” she asked Luke.
Luke glanced at Nessa. He nodded. He didn’t have much experience with children, so he decided to let Nessa talk.
“He’s a great knight,” Nessa assured the girl. “Do you need his help?”
Her lips turned down in a pout. “He took Sunny.”
“Sunny?” Nessa echoed.
“My cat.”
Cat? Why would anyone take a cat? Luke stepped up beside Nessa, his hand moving to the pommel of his sword. “Who took your cat?”
The little girl’s lower lip jutted out in a pout and tears filled her eyes. “He said he was hungry. He said he was going to eat Sunny.”
At first, Luke thought it was a child’s quarrel, but eating a cat was not something a child would do. “Who did?”
The little girl shrugged. “I was playing with Sunny and he came out of the forest and took her.”
“Where did he go?” They should be finding a place to rest, but Luke couldn’t allow a thug to take the girls pet.
The little girl pointed to a trodden path in the forest.
Nessa stormed down the path, her fists clenched, her back straight.
“Nessa!” Luke called, but the little girl grabbed his hand.
“Will you get my cat back?”
Luke patted her head and raced after Nessa. He caught her wrist. “Stay behind me. We don’t know how many there are or what kind of weapons they have.”
Nessa acquiesced with an unconvincing nod, her gaze focused on the path.
Men that picked on children were desperate and unpredictable. Luke had no coin to offer for the cat. Although, perhaps a good blow to the head would do. Who eats a child’s cat? A small clearing came into view. A man with long, brown scraggly hair sat on the ground, holding a screeching black and white cat pinned to the forest floor in one hand and arranging sticks for a fire with the other. Luke scanned the clearing. It appeared he was alone, but Luke couldn’t be certain.
A whimper from his side caused him to look down and see the little girl with tears in her eyes. He glanced at Nessa who swept the child into her arms, holding her tight and trying to turn her away from the sight.
When Luke glanced back, the man was rising, the cat held by the scruff of its neck. He moved toward them, a dagger in his hand. “Who’s there?”
Surprise was out of the question. Luke stepped through the bushes to confront the man. “That cat doesn’t belong to you.”
“I found it,” the man said, narrowing his small eyes. His face was round and his clothing was ragged, dirty, and covered with holes.
“I didn’t ask where you got it. Give it to me and I will let you go on your way without incident.”
The man looked Luke over slowly, assessing. He knew he was no match for a man with a sword. He scratched his chin. “I’ll sell it to ya.”
“You can’t sell what doesn’t belong to you.”
“Then I’ll give ya half when I’m done cooking it.”
Distaste curled Luke’s lip. “This isn’t up for negotiation. Give me the cat and you can go.”
“You’re hurting her!” the child shouted from behind Luke.
The man’s gaze swung to the girl and Nessa. Understanding dawned on his face. He hauled the cat up before him like a shield. “I’ll kill it before I give it up. I’ll rip its head off.”
The little girl screamed. The cat hissed.
Luke drew his sword. He stared hard at the desperate, starving man. “You might kill the cat, but that will be the last thing you ever do.” He twisted his sword in his hand. “Is your life worth that of a cat?” Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw the rising sun reflect off his blade onto the trees behind the man and an idea came to him.
“I can run faster than you,” the man snarled. “I can—”
He wasn’t going to give the cat up. Luke’s muscles tensed, preparing. He twisted his hand and the sun reflected off his blade into the man’s eyes. He winced and put up his hand to block the sudden blindness. Luke raced forward. As he neared, the man lifted his dagger. Luke drew his sword back, smashing the handle into the man’s head.
The man fell, releasing the cat. The terrified animal landed on its feet and dashed into the woods. With a cry, the child chased after it.
Luke stood over the fallen man. Nessa joined him.
The man shook his head, trying to clear it. Blood dripped from a cut at his hairline.
“You should have let the cat go,” Luke advised.
The man crawled back, holding up his hands. He had dropped the dagger somewhere on the ground. “Don’t kill me. I’m sorry. Don’t.”
Luke shook his head. He would never kill a defenseless man. He took Nessa’s hand. “Let’s go.” He turned to leave, but stopped. Ernest Wood stood before him, one of the men he had taken with him to find Nessa. “God’s blood!” Luke exclaimed. “Wood! Where have you been? How did you escape the fight with Urien’s men?”
Ernest scratched at his cheek where a scar ran from his hairline to his jaw. “I fought the best I could, but couldn’t save them.”
Luke stepped toward him, but Nessa caught his arm.
“He was speaking to Urien in the camp. I remember him,” Nessa proclaimed.
Tingles raced along Luke’s neck as he looked back at Ernest. There was not a mark on his body from the fighting. He had been speaking to Urien. Traitor! Luke raised his sword before him, snarling, “Betrayer! That’s how Urien’s men were able to overpower us! It was a trap. A trap you set up!”