His stomach twisted and he forced himself to look away.
“We’ll stop here for the night.”
Gabe dismounted and helped Sophie slide to the ground. Then he began unsaddling Gingerbread. Sophie helped, then rubbed the horse’s face, talking softly to Gingerbread all the while. He heard her tell the big animal, “Thank you for carrying us so far today. You were magnificent.”
Gabe had never felt jealous of his horse, until now. He deserved her praise too, didn’t he? He’d risked his life for her, and she wasn’t even his betrothed.
But these thoughts were stupid. He was so tired he was going daft. After rescuing a damsel who would surely have been killed if he hadn’t, being chased and having arrows shot at him, and keeping his wits about him while saving Sophie from a pack of wolves … he’d never felt so alive.
Once Gingerbread was taken care of and set free to drink and graze on the new grass on the river bank, Gabe turned to Sophie.
“Take off that bandage and wash your arm.” He’d never get away with barking orders to his sisters that way, but he imagined Sophie understood.
“What about you?” She stepped up to him.
“Me?”
“Your face.” She reached out and ran her fingertips along the edge of his bruised cheekbone.
Her feather-light touch created a tingling sensation that spread down to his stomach. He swallowed and drew in a shallow breath. “It’s nothing.” He turned away from her to his saddlebag and found the roll of clean bandages he’d brought. He yanked out a blanket — the only blanket he’d brought with him besides the sweaty horse blanket that had been under Gingerbread’s saddle. When he turned around again, Sophie was gone.
He spread the horse blanket on the ground to dry, as far under the rock outcropping as he could get. Then he loaded his crossbow with another bolt.
Looking around, he saw Gingerbread, calmly grazing. And he barely made out the edge of the river. But he didn’t see Sophie anywhere. The only sound was his horse cropping the shoots of grass a few feet away. Where was she? God, let her be all right.
Chapter
10
Sophie bent, dipping her hand in the stream for a drink. The water was cold and tasted good.
Poor Gabe. How tired he must be after all he’d been through today. She wanted to apologize to him for what he’d suffered to save her. He had barely spoken all day, although it had been hard to talk while riding. But since the archer had shot at them and chased them into the ravine, he’d been very short with her. Perhaps he was only tired and focused on getting to safety. Or perhaps he was angry about all the trouble she’d caused him.
She hoped he didn’t resent her. Brothers didn’t mind risking their lives for their sisters, did they?
Although at times she didn’t feel very sisterly toward him. Today, he had pulled her up into the saddle and taken her away from the duchess, he had taken care of her when the archer was shooting at them, he had saved her from the wolf … He made her feel so safe, so protected, in a way she’d never felt before. And he was so handsome, the way his brown hair lay thick across his forehead. Once or twice she’d looked back at him and seen such a look of compassion in his brown eyes it had made her heart flop around like a fish on dry land.
In those moments, she did not feel what a sister would feel for a brother. But that would no doubt pass. She would simply ignore the fact that sometimes when he looked into her eyes, her breath left her and she felt a bit weak in the knees. She could never admit those feelings, and if she continued to ignore them, they would go away. She would pretend she had only sisterly thoughts about him. Just as she pretended to Duchess Ermengard that she wasn’t afraid. Just as she pretended she didn’t mind spending time in the dungeon, that she didn’t hate the duchess. Ignoring her pain had made her life bearable.
Grateful to be off the horse’s back and on firm ground, she sank her hands into the water and brought them up to scrub her face. The coolness in the air chilled her wet skin and made her shiver. She still wore her apron, and she lifted it to dry her face. Next, she obediently untied the makeshift bandage and dipped her arm into the cold water up to her elbow. The wound began to throb again, but she ignored it as she held it underwater and smoothed away the dried blood with her fingers. When she finally got it clean, she held it up to the moonlight. The arrow had sliced from her elbow to her wrist, but it didn’t look terribly deep.
She dried her arm on her apron, then dipped the bloody bandage in the cold water. As she wrung it out, a movement caught her eye. Someone was walking toward her. The figure was tall, but she could only make out the outline. She held her breath until she recognized Gabe.
“Sophie.”
She stood and moved toward him.
“I was worried when I didn’t see you.” His voice was barely a whisper.
“I went to wash my arm.”
He reached for her arm. His hand warmed her cold skin as he studied the cut. “Does it hurt very much?”
“No. Not very much.”
“I’ll wrap it. Come.”
She followed him back to the rocky overhang. His crossbow, loaded and cocked, lay on the ground.
“We had better try to make it through the night without a fire,” he said as he motioned for her to sit down. Then he knelt beside her, took a roll of cloth, and wrapped the cloth tightly around her arm several times. “Our healer, Lena, says that cleaning a wound with water and then keeping it bandaged makes it less likely to turn deadly.”
“Oh. I never heard that.”
She couldn’t stop staring at his hands as he cared for her arm, the gentle way he touched her.
“Our healer studied under Frau Geruscha, who’d trained my mother once. In a way, I guess you could say I’m from Frau Geruscha’s line of apprentices.” He tied the bandage snugly and cut off the extra cloth. “And sometimes the training comes in handy.”
When he finished, she whispered, “Thank you.”
There was a bit of dried blood on his cheekbone. She remembered the cold, wet cloth in her hand and lifted it toward Gabe’s face. He looked uncertain. “I just want to clean it,” she said.
He kept still while she gently dabbed at his scraped skin. It was badly bruised, so she applied only the slightest pressure as she repeatedly touched the cloth to his face. Then she dabbed at it one last time.
“Ow.”
Perhaps a little too hard. “Sorry. But you will heal. Not much blood at all.” A self-consciousness came over her but she stifled it. There was nothing wrong with her trying to care for his injury.
He picked up the bag that had been tied to the back of Gingerbread’s saddle and opened it. “Now let’s see what your cook packed us.”
Sophie forgot about awkwardness as they happily perused the contents of Petra’s bundle. Inside lay bread and cheese and some dried fruit. Gabe broke off a piece of bread and handed it to her, then did the same with the large wedge of cheese. They ate silently. Sophie hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and the food made her feel better, but also sleepier.
Gabe picked up his crossbow and sat near the horse blanket, bracing himself against the rock. He set the weapon by his leg and handed her a dry, clean blanket. “Let’s try to get some rest.”
The blanket was not very large. Sophie hesitated.
“I can sleep sitting up.” He demonstrated by leaning his back against the rock. “I’m sorry I only have the one blanket.”
It was spring but the night was cold. She was even shivering a bit. Gabe was only being chivalrous by offering her the only blanket. He needed it as much as she did; neither of them was wearing very warm clothes.
“We can share it.” Sophie shook out the fabric. It was made of wool and would be very warm. She spread it over Gabe’s lap, then lay down with her feet next to him, her head toward the river. Lying this way, they were both covered.
“Good night, Sophie.”
She could just make out his smile in the dim light. Then she remembered the apology she
wanted to make to him. “I’m very sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you. You were almost killed more than once today, because of me.”
“Sophie.” He stopped and sighed.
She waited for him to go on. Would he say he was sorry he had ever left his comfortable home to come and find her? That he hadn’t expected this to be so difficult? That he wished he had let his brother come for her?
He shook his head. “I want you to stop thinking like that. This is the most adventure I’ve ever had in my life. Can you truly think I wouldn’t want to be right here, slaying wolves and evading evil henchmen?” His perfect white teeth showed in what little light there was. “I’ve enjoyed rescuing you more than anything I’ve ever done. And I can rub it in Valten’s face that I saved his betrothed.” He chuckled softly.
It occurred to Sophie that he was only saying these things to put her mind at ease, but since it did ease her mind, she accepted it. Besides, perhaps what he said was true. Men were such strange creatures. Perhaps getting shot at and defending a woman against wild animals and evil archers truly was his idea of enjoyment.
Sophie knew she should try to go to sleep, but her mind was churning. “So Valten was betrothed to me when he was very young?”
“Yes. Our fathers signed the document.”
“But everyone thought I was dead. Why didn’t Valten marry someone else?”
Gabe shrugged. “My parents decided to let him choose a wife for himself. Our region is at peace and we have no pressing need to make powerful alliances.”
“Are you betrothed as well?”
He hesitated for a moment. “No one is as concerned about securing a suitable wife for a second son. But yes, I am considered betrothed, though no ceremony was performed and no documents were signed.”
“Who is she?” Sophie suddenly wanted to know all about Gabe’s future bride.
“Her name is Brittola. She is the daughter of a count. When she and her father came for a visit, I liked her right away, and so it seemed a suitable match. Our parents agreed.”
“When did you last see her?”
“Almost a year ago.”
“So you like her?”
“She is a sweet girl.”
Is that what men liked? Sweet? No matter. She was happy that Gabe had someone to love and marry. Sophie would marry Valten, and she intended to be happy with him — she wanted Gabe to be happily married as well. And now she should let him sleep.
“Good night, Gabe.”
“Good night, Sophie.”
Sophie awoke in the night, and it took her a moment to figure out where she was. When she saw Gabe slumped against the rock at her feet, it all came flooding back — Gabe’s eyes begging her to trust him when he came searching for her after Lorencz left her tied to a tree. Gabe wrapping her bleeding arm, his face intent and serious. Gabe grimly shooting the wolf as it leaped toward her. Gabe smiling as he told her he was having the time of his life. But none of that meant that he cared about her. He was only doing it for the glory and to make his brother angry. It was a competition between them, as Gabe had said. Sophie would do well to remember that. He was not rescuing her for unselfish reasons. Besides, she would marry Valten, and she would belong to him and to his family, and they were all going to love her. Because she would do whatever it took to make him and his family love her.
When she woke up again, dawn was turning the world gray. Gabe was gone.
Sophie sat up and looked around. She eventually spotted him squatting by the river, filling his water flask. Gingerbread was grazing nearby. Sophie rubbed her cheek, then folded the blanket that had covered them. She tucked it under her arm and yanked up the horse blanket lying nearby. After shaking it out, she started toward Gingerbread.
Gabe started for the horse at the same time.
As he came closer she noticed the stubble on his face made him look rugged and achingly handsome. His boyishness was gone, replaced by an older, wiser look. His cheek was no longer swollen, but the bruising and scraped skin made her want to reach out and touch him, to soothe the hurt.
“Did you sleep well?” She tried to ignore her sudden confusion and the way her heart fluttered at the sight of him. He’d said Valten wasn’t as handsome as he was. She believed him. She couldn’t imagine anyone more handsome.
“I did. Did you?”
“Yes, thank you.” They were whispering. No need to alert anyone who might be nearby of their presence. It was a reminder that they weren’t out of danger yet. God, protect us today.
He carried his crossbow over his shoulder at all times now, his arrows within easy reach. He looked very different from when she’d first seen him. Then he had been clean shaven, and his eyes had been bright and well-rested. He’d had an unworried look about him. Now he had slight shadows under his eyes, and his soft linen shirt was wrinkled and askew at the neckline, revealing a bit of his collarbone and the hollow of his throat.
He was very easy to look at.
And even if he did have some wrong motives, she was thankful for him. Thank you, God, for freeing us and keeping us safe.
She may have a murderous archer chasing her, but, at least for the moment, she was free. She had finally escaped the duchess. She’d never been this far from Hohendorf. And she hoped she never went back.
If it turned out that she wasn’t betrothed to Valten, if for some reason he rejected her or didn’t believe she was Duke Baldewin’s daughter, then perhaps she could find someone to work for. She had heard that sometimes, in large towns, women worked as shopkeepers or sold their own goods in the marketplaces. How she would love to see those places and meet those women. Perhaps she could get a job in a town, maybe even Hagenheim, cleaning for someone who paid her money. It didn’t matter what she did, as long as she was away from Duchess Ermengard.
Even if she died here in the forest, at least she could say she was free for one, two, or however many days God gave her. And she had to agree, at least partially, with Gabe. This had been the best time of her life.
As Gabe tied their bags to the saddle, he couldn’t help but keep glancing up at Sophie. “We’re still about six days from Hagenheim, but your cook friend, Petra, said we could go to the Cottage of the Seven, about two days from here. Do you know what she was talking about?”
Sophie’s hair hung down around her shoulders, the black tresses brushing her cheeks. She normally kept it braided and knotted at the back of her head. Now was the first time he’d seen it completely down, and he couldn’t help noticing the way her black hair moved in the breeze. He blinked hard, then forced himself to concentrate on what she was saying.
“Petra used to tell me that if I ever escaped from the duchess and left Hohendorf, I would be safe at the Cottage of the Seven. She never explained who the Seven were, but she said I should ask for Dominyk the Wise. Petra is trustworthy. If she says we’d be safe there, then we’ll be safe.”
“If we need help, we will search out this Dominyk and his cottage. Perhaps he can offer us a knight to go with us the rest of the way to Hagenheim.”
He gestured for Sophie to mount up. She stepped closer and Gabe wrapped his hands around her waist. She looked away from him, as if shy about being so close to him. He boosted her up quickly and she kept her eyes averted.
She truly was a virtuous maiden, not flirtatious like some, nor selfish, nor anxious to put herself forward. She would make a wonderful wife for Valten.
Why did that thought make Gabe feel unsettled? Like he’d fallen on his back and had gotten the breath knocked out of him? Was he so undisciplined that he would covet his brother’s betrothed?
Gabe mounted behind Sophie and took the reins firmly in hand. He urged Gingerbread forward and then nudged the horse to go faster. The sooner they reached Hagenheim, the better.
Chapter
11
After riding hard for a couple of hours, Sophie was grateful when Gabe stopped in a small glade to let the horse drink, which also allowed them to stand and eat some more of their b
read and cheese, as well as some raisins, dried apricots, and walnuts.
Gabe kept watch all around them, carefully searching the trees across the river while Gingerbread drank his fill. He passed the bundle of food to Sophie. Her fingers brushed his and she pretended not to notice how warm his hand felt.
Sophie finished eating, then drank from the cold, sparkling river. She needed a few moments of privacy so she gestured toward the forest. Gabe hooked his thumb in the opposite direction, and they went their separate ways.
After returning, they mounted up. Sophie noticed that Gabe washed his hands in the river as often as she did, and he splashed water on his face morning and night. He wasn’t like most of the men Sophie had grown up with — servants who rarely bathed and smelled like it. Gabe, she couldn’t help but notice, smelled … quite pleasant.
But she was tired of thinking about him, and she knew something that would distract them both.
“I have most of the book of Saint Luke memorized. Would you like me to recite it to you?”
“Of course,” he said. “That would be good.”
Sophie began reciting Jesus’s parable:
“A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ”
“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ ”
She glanced up at Gabe. He appeared to be listening, his brows drawn together as he watched the trail ahead. She went on.
“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ ”
Married. Sophie’s mind went immediately to Valten. What would it be like to be married to him? And why would a man say he couldn’t come to a banquet because he just got married? Sophie felt herself blush as she pondered what it meant to be wed.