Boots suddenly scraped the floor behind them. “But he did leave you, Princess.” The last word was spat out, full of venom. “Perhaps you should get used to it.”
Gretchen and Clarysa turned as Patrulha entered the kitchen, dressed in full battle gear. She assembled some food and stuffed it into a number of sacks.
Clarysa stood, the blanket hanging askew from her shoulders. “Where is she… Patrulha, where are you going? I want to find Stellan. Will you help me?”
Patrulha ignored her.
“Leave her alone, child!”
“But where is she going?” Clarysa stared at Gretchen expectantly.
“Eh, for a patrol, I think.”
“What do you mean, ‘I think’?”
Gretchen turned and busied herself with a pot over the fire. Ignored on both fronts, Clarysa marched up to the Captain. “You’re going to look for Stellan, aren’t you?” She laid a firm hand on Patrulha’s arm. “You know where he’s headed, don’t you?”
Patrulha turned, her one good eye firmly set on Clayrsa’s hand. The warrior woman slowly picked Clarsya’s fingers off one by one. She turned abruptly and strode from the kitchen.
“I’m not stupid, you know!” Clarysa cried after her. She spun around and headed for the clotheslines. “Tell Ghyslain I’m borrowing some of his clothes,” she told Gretchen. Clarysa snatched pants, a shirt and a furred cloak. She began to change where she stood.
Gretchen stared at her, seemingly at a loss. “Gods of fortune, missy, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Finding Stellan. Patrulha knows where he is, and I’m going with her.” Clarysa shoved her feet into a pair of boots and paused to glare at the gypsy. “Why are you trying to keep him from me?”
Gretchen stomped a foot. “Because we don’t know where he went! Sure, my daughter has an idea, but she isn’t certain.” The gypsy woman turned her attention back to her pot. “We’ve sent word for more of our men, so stay put. They’ll find Stellan one way or another.”
Clarysa pursed her lips. “So Patrulha’s heading a search party? Then that’s where I belong too!” She grabbed the cloak and threw it over herself. The material nearly swallowed her whole, for it was at least two sizes too large for her petite frame.
Gretchen grabbed her by the shoulders. “Listen, Clarysa! He brought you back because he wants you to be safe.”
Clarysa gritted her teeth, feeling rage swell as her gaze bored into the other woman. “But he needs me.”
“He needs you to be safe! Now think for a moment. What if he returns and you’re not here? Or worse yet, this folly of yours leads to your death? Do his wishes mean nothing to you?” Gretchen scowled, and her voice dropped to a grumble. “Begging my lady’s pardon, but you’re being selfish. Very selfish indeed.”
Wrenching out of her grasp, Clarysa covered her ears and stormed out the door.
* * * *
She strode purposefully through the castle halls on her way to the stable. Why couldn’t others see past her royal person? Did they think of her as some helpless girl, unable to fight or help in the search? Hadn’t she braved the dangerous journey to this castle twice by herself? Clarysa shook her head and increased her pace.
Approaching the west wing, she heard whistling emanating from the stables. There, she found Ghyslain brushing down a stout Palomino. The boy ceased his tune and looked at her with concern. “My Lady! You should be resting. What are you doing here?”
“I need your assistance. I should be out trying to find Stellan.”
Ghyslain frowned. “But it’s not safe for you out there.”
She stepped forward and laid her hand on his. “Ghyslain, please! I can’t stay here and pace in circles like your mother wants me to do.”
“Mum will have my head if I let you go.”
Clarysa suppressed a sigh of frustration and went to stand by the opening. Dawn had broken, but here in the Snowflake Kingdom it merely meant the overcast sky became a lighter shade of gray.
“Ghyslain, Stellan is my life. I’ll go on foot if I have to. At least on horseback I’ll have a fighting chance.” She looked back over her shoulder. “I love him. Please help me.”
Ghyslain expelled a breath. He pushed a hand through his hair and paced the stable. At a wooden hutch he paused, and then withdrew a bulging sack of feed. Returning to the middle of the stable, he proceeded to saddle the Palomino. “I’m only doing this because you’ve helped us in so many ways,” he said. Sighing, he muttered, “Gods of fortune have mercy on me when Mum finds out.”
“Patrulha’s party, when did they leave?” Clarysa asked, mounting in a rush.
“A short while ago, heading north.” The young man placed a hand on her arm. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I won’t.” Clarysa turned the horse toward the gate and called over her shoulder. “We’ll bring him back, I promise. And thank you!” With a final wave, she rode away, leaving a maelstrom of snow in her wake.
Chapter 32
Stellan’s massive jaw tore at the young hare’s raw flesh. Blood spilled over the sides of his mouth and dripped down onto the snow-white ground beneath him. The meal took the edge off of his ravenous appetite, but he needed more.
As he sniffed the air, he struggled to remember his mission. What was it? Another rabbit, perhaps?
No! He had to find the man who could reverse his deadly condition.
He leaned against a tree to get his bearings. How long had he been running? He couldn’t remember. In fact, with every passing hour, it seemed more and more difficult to think. He cupped his head with two massive paws and tried to concentrate, to remember the task at hand.
Clarysa! Memories of her flooded into his mind. Sweet memories, but also painful ones. The way she had kicked, cursed and
