“There’s no time.” She slung the strap of the bundle over her shoulder. “He’s already left.”
“Goddesses be with you.” Sister Fallyn’s eyes filled with tears.
“When they notice I’m gone, tell them I was so afraid of the storm that I ran into the woods, and I must be lost.”
Sister Fallyn nodded. “I’ll be praying for you.”
Brigitta hugged her, then exited. One of the oilcloth tarps used to cover up supply carts had blown up against her tent. She draped it over her head to keep the rain off, then made a dash for the woods.
When Brody barked, she spotted him on top of a ridge. She scrambled up the hillside and found Stefan waiting there with two horses.
“He’s already gone!” She folded up the oilcloth, for it was barely raining on the ridge. “He took the path to Norveshka.”
“Then we need to go.” Stefan led her toward one of the horses and wedged the oilcloth between the saddlebags.
She gulped. “I don’t really know how to ride.”
“Then I guess you’ll learn fast.” Stefan hefted her onto the saddle. “Just stay on. I’ll lead your horse.”
She nodded, her heart pounding. This was much higher off the ground than she’d expected. She grabbed the saddle horn.
Stefan mounted his horse, and they moved at a slow trot along the ridge. Brody ran in front of them, then shifted into an eagle and soared into the air. He soon disappeared from view as he went in search of Rupert.
After a while, the path from the valley merged with the path on the ridge. Brigitta glanced back to see the camp in disarray.
As the path curved to the left, she lost all sight of the valley. She was now surrounded by rocks and scraggly trees.
“This is one of the few mountain passes into Norveshka,” Stefan explained as the path grew more steep and narrow.
Soon the horses slowed to a walk as they eased along a cliff. Brigitta glanced to the side and winced. That was a long drop down. She could hear the sound of rushing water in the distance.
“There’s a waterfall ahead,” Stefan called back. “It feeds into the stream close to where you camped.”
“How far to the border?”
“It’s about a mile up from the waterfall. At the highest point of…” Stefan’s voice faded as the sound of rushing water grew louder.
They rounded a bend, and the noise was thunderous. Water shot through a hole in the mountainside, sending mist into the air. Stefan slowed their horses even more, since the path was damp in places. Brigitta was curious how far the water fell before crashing into rocks, but didn’t dare look down into the gorge for fear she would fall.
The path continued its upward climb and became more dangerous, riddled with rocks and boulders, as if nature itself were warning them to turn back. At times, she had to bend completely over, her nose against the horse’s neck, for an outcropping of granite would jut over the path. The wind whistled through the pass, making her shiver in her damp clothes.
Up and up they climbed till finally they reached the top, their horses easing through a narrow gap, surrounded on each side by walls of granite. As they emerged onto a promontory, Brigitta gasped.
It was a world she’d never imagined. A high mountain valley stretched before her with a green pasture surrounded by thick forests and mountain peaks covered with snow. In the distance, the green pasture turned white and barren, and geysers of hot water shot into the air.
Green vibrant life, then the white ash of death. The juxtaposition of beauty and horror was startling.
“Welcome to Norveshka,” Stefan said.
A screech sounded overhead, and Brigitta glanced up. A dragon was circling far above them, its scales gleaming purple and green in the sun.
“They know we’re here,” Stefan muttered. He directed their horses down the path, and they descended into the valley.
The path cut through the middle of the valley with a rushing stream to their right. The air was a bit chilly, but at least the bright sun was drying out her clothes.
Stefan pointed at the stream. “This meets up with another stream at the head of the valley, then goes through the rock wall to become the waterfall we saw earlier.”
She twisted in the saddle, looking around. They seemed to be alone in the valley, except for the dragon watching them overhead. “Why can’t we see Rupert ahead of us? And where did Brody go?”
Stefan slowed to a stop. “Of course.”
“Of course, what?”
“Rupert knows he’s a target. He’ll stay hidden and take to the high ground. This valley is too exposed.” Stefan glanced back at the promontory at the head of the valley. “If One and Two go through the pass, they’ll see us. Come on.”
He led their horses across the stream, then headed for the forested slope along the south side of the valley. As the horses trotted, Brigitta winced as her rump bounced painfully against the saddle.
After they reached the shelter of the forest, Stefan dismounted. “Wait here.”
“Where would I go?” she muttered, shifting her weight.
Stefan snapped off the branch of a bush, then ran back to the stream and erased the tracks left by their horses on the muddy riverbank. When he rejoined her, he tossed the branch to the ground, then remounted.
Brigitta gritted her teeth as they continued on and on down the valley, weaving through the trees. An occasional breeze stirred the trees and ruffled the ferns, and she shivered, since her clothes were still slightly damp. With the leafy canopy blocking most of the sun, a chill began to set in her bones. Every now and then, beneath the shade of a tree, she spotted a small pocket of snow. Brr, no wonder she was cold.
The ground was thick with fallen leaves and pine needles, so their horses made little sound. Far above them, she heard the occasional screech of the dragon. Was it still watching them?
Stefan suddenly stopped and quirked his head, as if straining to listen. Then he dismounted and eased toward the edge of the woods.
Brigitta managed to slip off her horse. Ouch. She hobbled toward him, her legs and rump objecting to being on a horse for several hours. She hunched down next to Stefan and peered around a bush.
Captain Mador and General Tarvis had reached the Norveshki valley, their mounts galloping down the path next to the stream. The dragon screeched overhead, and Mador shouted back, his voice echoing through the valley. Tarvis yelled, too, shaking his spear at the dragon.
“Fools,” Stefan muttered, then motioned for her to follow him back to the horses.
A powerful wind shot down the valley, shaking the trees. Was a storm coming, or was that Rupert? Had he noticed the arrival of One and Two?
Brigitta shivered. “Can we walk for a while?”
“It will slow us down.”
“I think the exercise will help warm me up.”
He sighed. “Fine. I have to admit that I’m starving. It must be past noon now.” He fumbled around in a saddlebag and retrieved a wineskin and two apples.
They ate and drank as they walked the horses through the woods. Luckily, the wind seemed to have died down. They fed two more apples to the horses.
“How is Fallyn doing?” Stefan asked.
“Very well,” Brigitta replied. “Do you think Rupert will actually kill a dragon?”
Stefan shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s not like him to kill for no good reason. I’m sure he couldn’t care less about avenging your brother.”
She thought back to how Gunther had referred to his need for revenge. Had that inflamed Rupert’s own yearning for revenge? “Rupert caused the storm, didn’t he?”
Stefan nodded. “If he gets upset, his emotions can create some powerful winds. But I believe today’s storm was intentional, so he could escape without being ambushed.”
“So there have been times when it wasn’t intentional?”
Stefan winced. “One time, the Tourinian navy sneaked up on us in the fog during the night. We could have lost all our men and ships. Ru
pert was so frantic to save their lives that he unleashed too much power. The naval ships ended up blasting each other, and some men died.”
This must have been the incident Lieutenant Helgar had talked about, Brigitta thought. The Tourinian naval officer had ended up scarred for life.
“We tried to save as many as we could,” Stefan continued. “Some of them joined us, but the officers demanded to be put ashore.” He shrugged. “And then there was the time in Danport when…”
“What happened?”
Stefan snorted. “When Rupert found out about Gunther’s competition, he nearly caused a tornado inside a room.”
Her mouth twitched. “Really?”
Stefan chuckled. “After that, Ansel and I kept hounding him to admit that he cared about you. But he wouldn’t.”
Her smile faded. He’d never confessed to her, either, even though she’d told him that she loved him. “I suppose it’s hard for him to admit.”
Stefan nodded. “He’s lost everyone he loved. And then for years, I kept telling him the same thing—don’t trust anyone. So it’s not easy for him to trust.”
“Especially when my father killed his father,” she muttered.
Stefan gave her a wry look. “There’s that, but I don’t think he ever blamed you for it.”
No, he just wanted to kill Gunther. After he killed a dragon. She groaned inwardly. There had to be a better way.
Every now and then, they checked on Mador’s and Tarvis’s progress. The two horsemen weren’t too far ahead. They’d been forced to slow down when the path in the valley began meandering between piles of white ash and bubbling cauldrons of mud. Every now and then, a breeze would bring the stench of rotten eggs to Brigitta, but for the most part the forest smelled of fresh pine and rich earth.
After a while, a small grassy clearing opened up on the hillside. A small waterfall trickled down the mountain, snowmelt from the white-covered peak.
“Oh, how lovely.” Brigitta sauntered onto the meadow, dotted with wildflowers. This was heaven compared with the hellish scene of hot cauldrons and geysers in the valley.
Without a canopy of leaves overhead, she could see the sky. An eagle flew overhead, and she waved in case it was Brody.
It was! He landed by the edge of the meadow where Stefan was standing by the horses. Stefan pulled some clothes from a saddlebag.
“Oh.” Brigitta backed away. “I’ll leave you alone for a moment.” She hurried across the clearing so she could relieve herself behind some bushes.
After she was done and she could hear two male voices, she ventured back into the meadow.
Brody waved at her, then finished buttoning his shirt.
A screech sounded overhead, drawing her attention. The dragon was circling. It screeched again. Was it trying to communicate? She gave it a big smile and wave.
“Did you find Rupert?” she asked Brody as she leaned over the stream to wash her hands.
“Yes,” Brody replied. “He’s close to the canyon at—”
A huge roar sounded behind Brigitta, and she straightened with a jerk.
Stefan held up a hand. “Don’t move.”
Her heart lurched. What was behind her?
Stefan quickly nocked an arrow in his bow, and Brody palmed a spear. She slowly turned her head.
A bear! With a huge jaw and enormous claws. It stood on its hind legs and growled.
Panic slithered ice-cold down her veins.
“Don’t run,” Stefan ordered. “Hold steady.”
Tears filled her eyes. Was she going to die?
Suddenly a burst of fire shot down from the sky, hitting the ground hard enough that it trembled beneath Brigitta’s feet. With a gasp, she fell to her knees.
A wall of fire rose up between her and the bear. Close enough to the bear that she could barely make out his form through the flames. With an angry roar, the bear turned and charged up the mountain.
Stefan and Brody ran toward her to make sure she was all right, but she hardly heard them. Stunned, she sat back on her rump. The green meadow swirled before her eyes, and she peered up at the sky. The fire-breathing dragon screeched. She lifted a hand toward him. Thank you.
Stefan and Brody quickly emptied saddlebags and filled them with water from the waterfall. Soon they had managed to extinguish the fire.
With trembling legs, she rose to her feet.
“We should go,” Stefan said, glancing up at the dragon. “We’re too exposed here. It could shoot more fire and roast us alive.”
Brigitta shook her head. “It won’t hurt us. It saved me.”
Brody snorted. “It may have been trying to save the bear. We’re the invaders here.”
“We should go.” Stefan reloaded a saddlebag.
Brigitta glanced up at the sky as the dragon disappeared from sight. Was it true what they said, that the dragons stole children? But this one had saved her, she was sure of it. Could she stop Rupert from killing one of them? But if he didn’t, he would fail the quest and be executed, along with the other losers who were waiting in jail cells back in Lourdon. He would also lose his chance to win back the kingdom. And she would be forced to marry either Captain Mador or General Tarvis.
She wandered back to the horses. “We need to talk to Rupert.”
Brody winced. “He doesn’t want to see you.”
She jolted to a stop. “What?”
“I told you he would be pissed,” Brody muttered. “He wants us to take you back to Tourin. He said it was an order.”
Brigitta scoffed. “I’m not very good at following orders.”
Brody smiled. “Neither am I, actually.”
Stefan shook his head. “If he ever becomes king, he’ll make you eat those words.”
“We have to keep him alive for him to be king.” Brigitta took a deep breath. “Then we keep going?”
“Aye.” Stefan mounted his horse. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
High up on a cliff, Rupert watched Captain Mador and General Tarvis urge their horses up the ridge on the northern side of the valley.
He’d been happy when Brody had appeared earlier and grateful to hear that Stefan was following him. But when Brody had mentioned that Brigitta was also coming, Rupert had immediately reacted with shock, then anger. So much anger that he’d caused a strong wind to whistle down the valley, shaking the trees.
Even now, on the cliff, he fumed whenever he thought about how much danger she would be exposed to. Had Stefan and Brody lost their minds? Dammit. Dead leaves fluttered on the ground as his power threatened to erupt with the full force of his fury.
Control, he warned himself. If he lost control here on the mountainside, he could cause a rockslide or avalanche. And that would endanger Brigitta even more.
There had to be a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t have come. Wild animals, dragons, Norveshki warriors, and dangerous terrain that either could smother her with snow or boil her with hot mud or steam. And what would Gunther do to her if he suspected she had allied herself with Seven?
Dammit, didn’t she realize that putting herself in danger would terrify him? He’d already lost everyone he loved. He couldn’t bear to lose—
He stiffened with a jerk. Holy crap. He loved her.
All the yearning he’d been feeling for her, all the joy he felt in her presence, all the desperation to protect her—it should have been obvious to him days ago.
He loved her.
With a groan, he lowered his head. Loving her just made all of this worse. She believed he was an honorable man, but in all likelihood he would be forced to kill a dragon. When the captain and the general tried to ambush him, he would have to kill again. And then when he returned to Tourin, he would have to murder Gunther. Hell, he would have to kill everyone who stood in his way of taking the throne.
Holy crap. For years, avenging his father had seemed like a noble quest, but now … he wasn’t sure what to do. If he murdered his way to the throne, then he was no better tha
n Garold—who had destroyed his family.
And Brigitta was here in the valley. How could he be this person in front of her?
Dammit, she had to leave. If he didn’t lose her to the dangers surrounding them, he might still lose her love and respect when he was forced to kill.
He trudged back to the clearing he’d found earlier with Brody. Even though it was high on the mountainside, there was a small triangular-shaped area that was flat enough to make camp. Surrounded on two sides by a high ridge, it was protected from the cold winds. Three feet of snow sat on top of the ridge, and a steady stream of snowmelt had carved a small basin in a granite slab on the ground. At the apex of the triangular clearing, a narrow cave had formed in the ridge. Inside the cave, more snowmelt had seeped through cracks in the roof to form another basin of water about waist-high.
Brigitta might be safe if she remained hidden in the cave. His nerves tensed once again. But it would be better if she left. He had to convince her to leave.
He stiffened as he heard them approaching. So Brody hadn’t succeeded in chasing them off. Instead, he was leading them straight to the camp.
“Here we are,” Brody announced as he led their horses into the clearing.
Rupert’s heart twisted at the sight of Brigitta smiling at him. Dammit. He glared at Brody. “You were supposed to make sure they left.”
Brody shrugged. “We didn’t want to.”
Rupert clenched his fists, and a wind whistled through the trees.
Stefan glanced up at the swaying branches. “Is that you being pissed?”
“Shouldn’t I be?” Rupert gritted his teeth. “I gave you orders to leave!”
Stefan dismounted. “I’ve been watching your back for nineteen years. I’m not giving up now.” He walked over to Brigitta’s horse to help her down.
“Don’t,” Rupert growled. “Take her back now. You should be able to reach the border by sunset.”
Brigitta slid off her horse. “I’m not leaving.”
More rage seeped out and the trees thrashed overhead. “What kind of future wife refuses to obey her husband?”
Her eyes widened, then she marched up to him. “What kind of future husband thinks he can order his wife around?”