She smiled a tight smile. ‘My brothers are men of character and tougher than one might think.’
Hal smiled. ‘So is their sister.’
She glanced at him and saw open admiration in his expression. ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘That was gallant.’
‘Well meant,’ he returned. ‘You’ve held up like a soldier.’
Ty turned the rabbits. ‘I suggest we eat and move on. Bury the remnants of the fire, just enough to be discovered if someone chances by, then lay in a false trail to the south.’
‘We go north-west?’ asked Hal.
‘If I can read these hills,’ he said, looking in that direction, ‘there should be water sources up there in that low gap. That means rivers for ample water and caves most likely. We can shelter for a day or two, rest up, fish, hunt, and then strike south-west to Ran.’
‘Rest would be good,’ said the Princess.
Hal reached out and gently touched her shoulder. ‘We’ll get you to safety, I swear.’
Stephane smiled and they gazed at one another for a moment, then the Princess looked away to watch the rabbits cooking.
Ty watched this. Then, with a slight incline of his head to Gabriella he added, ‘I’m going to scout a bit for shelter.’
Gabriella at once got to her feet. ‘I’ll go with you. I want to stretch my legs.’
Both Stephane and Hal frowned slightly at the remark, but said nothing.
When they were out of earshot of the others, Ty said, ‘Stretch my legs? After three days of hiking these mountains?’
‘It was the best I could think of impromptu. Now, what did you want to talk about?’
‘What just happened? Back there I mean, with Hal and the Princess?’
Gabriella’s eyes narrowed slightly. ‘You feeling a pang of jealousy then, young rooster?’
Ty didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed. He chose the first. ‘Hardly. Our young lord there may be dreaming of your charge, but I’ve spent enough time in court to know the Princess will not be married off to some rustic lord, even if he is to be Duke of Crydee some day, let alone a down-in-the-heels, title-poor, back-door-noble son such as myself.’
He grew thoughtful. ‘Men who think they need to protect their women get ferociously brave and stupid. If he’s being courtly, fair enough, but if he’s becoming a love-struck puppy, it would be wise to know.’
She shrugged. ‘I can’t tell. Some of your Kingdom of the Isles nobles are as untrustworthy and conniving as Roldem’s best, but this one?’ She fell silent for a moment as they moved towards the sound of water. ‘I think he’ll do the right thing, no matter what. He’s a very … well-brought-up young man.’
He smiled. ‘And me?’
‘You are the sort my mother warned me about.’
He laughed. ‘And you?’
She looked off into the distance and said at last, ‘I am not usually comfortable speaking about myself.’
‘Fair enough. Comfort has been a quality sorely lacking lately. But if you prefer to remain a mystery, I’m fine with that. I just need to know that if it gets bloody, you’re there.’ He saw her jaw firm and said, ‘I assume it’s safe to conclude you’re not a lady-in-waiting.’
‘I am the Princess’s personal bodyguard.’
‘Damn,’ he said lightly. ‘I knew you were dangerous.’
Caught halfway between confusion and humour, she frowned. ‘Dangerous?’
‘I don’t usually encounter six-foot-tall beauties, and none before have been as adept at woodcraft as you are. You remind me of my mother.’
‘Your mother?’
They found themselves on a slight rise looking down at a large, fast-running creek and half-walked, half-slid down the incline to the bank. Ty looked in both directions then pointed upstream. ‘There I think.’
As they moved against the flow of the water, Gabriella asked, ‘What is your mother like?’
‘Strong, like you,’ he answered without hesitation. ‘But in a different fashion.’
‘Different?’
‘Like a slender tree; she bends with the wind, but endures.’
‘I think I understand,’ said Gabriella. She pointed. ‘Look.’
He saw the cave she indicated and as they walked towards it, continued, ‘Before I was born, the summer my father was undergoing the naming rite of his … our people, the Orosini, a man named Kaspar of Olasko ordered the obliteration of our people, because we would not allow his army to pass through our lands so that he could attack the Duchy of Farinda. Our homes in the High Fastness were destroyed and the few survivors were sold into captivity. My mother was one of those.’
‘And your father?’
‘My father, my real father, was some unknown soldier of Olasko.’
‘But I thought …?’
‘Talwin Hawkins married my mother. He had loved her since they were children, and he gave me his name.’
‘But I saw you together. You look so much alike.’
Ty grinned. ‘An interesting coincidence, isn’t it? My father must have been a handsome devil, I always say.’ His grin faded. ‘Talwin Hawkins is the only father I have ever known and I love him as such. He has cared for me as if I were his own. It’s reasonable I’d mimic him as I grew. My mother has not been able to have more children, so he’s stuck with me,’ he added on a lighter note.
She was silent for a moment then asked, ‘Have you a wife?’
‘Ha!’ he laughed so loudly it echoed through the dell.
He covered his mouth and she looked at him wide-eyed in surprise and covered her own mouth a moment, before saying with a smile, ‘I assume that means no.’
‘I … haven’t had the time,’ he said quickly. ‘My family is … the demands …’ He let the thought go unfinished.
‘I was wondering,’ she said as they reached the entrance to the cave. ‘Rare is the noble that can catch rabbits like a poacher, or fish with mere twine and a tree branch. You know your way in the wild.’
‘As do you.’ He paused, looking at her. She really was a beauty, though her manner disguised that, and being next to Stephane could render a goddess invisible. He quickly tore his gaze away as he realized he was staring and glanced around. ‘I don’t like the idea of going in there without a torch.’
‘Not much dry wood to make a torch,’ she observed.
‘We might not have to,’ he said, hurrying down to the edge of the river. The heavy rain had washed a large amount of detritus into the creek, depositing it here and there on the shore. He found a likely-looking branch and hurried back. ‘Wait here a moment,’ he said, and ducked into the cave. A short time later he emerged with a massive clump of moss. ‘This will burn slowly and give a weak light, but it’s light.’ He wrapped the moss around the branch in as tight a knot as he could, then took out flint from his belt pouch and used his hunting knife to strike sparks. He blew into it and got it smouldering and picked up the torch and blew hard on one sport until a flame flared. ‘It won’t last more than a few minutes, but I’ll get a look around.’
‘Be careful of the bears,’ she asked.
He smiled, knowing the old joke that was coming. ‘How can I tell if there’s one in there?’
‘Usually from the bleeding.’
He shook his head and as he turned to enter he said, ‘How many brothers?’
‘Four.’
‘All older?’
‘Yes.’
Shaking his head he only said, ‘No wonder,’ and entered the cave. She followed him, smiling to herself.
In the gloom they found a widening path that led downward, into a very large cave. Once fashioned by flowing water, the underground hideaway was now above the water table, providing a dry floor upon which to rest. Ty poked the torch around in every corner making sure they were alone, then said, ‘Something made a lair here, but two, three years ago.’
