Eventually, she cried herself out. Her breathing steadied and a bit of strength returned to her limbs. Oskar didn’t let her go and she had no desire to leave the warm cage of his arms. As her sobs died away, she rested her forehead against his shoulder and just breathed, letting his solid presence calm her a little, concentrating only on the rise and fall of his chest.
But finally she lifted her head and looked at him. She couldn’t read the expression in his bright blue eyes. The usual scowl was gone and instead she read something else on his stern features, something she couldn’t quite place. He almost looked...tender.
She felt the strongest urge to reach up and run her fingers through his hair. Flustered, she cleared her throat and stepped back, putting some distance between them. Slowly, she pulled the cloak of self-reliance she’d so carefully cultivated over the years back around herself, shutting Oskar out.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what came over me.”
He smiled wryly. “Lass, it’s me in the wrong here. I shouldnae have been pushing so hard. Ye may have noticed that I can be a little impatient at times.”
Lily widened her eyes in mock surprise. “Really? You? I don’t believe it!”
“I know, shocking isnae it?” A rare smile crossed his rugged features.
“Was it my fault?” she blurted suddenly.
“Was what yer fault?”
“That Alfred got away? If I hadn’t insisted he had those crutches, maybe it would have been harder for them to snatch him. Maybe—”
“Lass,” he cut her off. “Lily. It wasnae yer fault. If I’d been more diligent when I scouted the camp I would have found the ambushers. If Emeric hadn’t taken Alfred to the stream to bathe two days ago, he could never have tried to escape and broken hisleg in the first place. If Kai had sent more men with us, we could never have been ambushed to begin with. If the Order hadnae been so hard-pressed in the north, maybe he’d have been able to do just that. If, if, if. That kind of thinking will drive ye mad.”
Lily sighed. The sun was beginning to fall towards the horizon and she guessed they only had perhaps a couple of hours of light left. Dark came early in winter.
“So what now? We are miles from anywhere and I don’t fancy sleeping out in the open.”
He barked a harsh laugh. “Nay, lass, nor will we. A few miles in that direction we’ll come across somewhere we can stay for the night. It’s not much but it should at least be warm. Are ye ready to go on?”
She wasn’t. She wanted to sit down and not move another inch all day but she only nodded. They began walking again and this time Oskar kept pace by her side. Neither spoke but Lily found herself more comfortable in his presence than before and there was something reassuring about having him stalking along at her side, his blue eyes ever vigilant, his auburn hair blowing in the breeze.
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink through a break in the clouds, when Oskar suddenly stopped and pointed.
“There it is,” he said in his gruff voice. “Our home for the night.”
Lily followed his gaze and saw a settlement squashed against the base of a hill, barely visible in the fading light. It was a collection of small, stone houses huddled together with a few protruding chimneys puffing out smoke that curled up into the sky like tendrils of fog. A stream ran nearby, its waters swirling and twisting around smooth stones, reflecting the colors of the sky in its depths.
It was the first sign of civilization since they’d left Lord Eberwyn’s manor house. Oskar’s expression was grim as he looked out at it.
“Dinna trust anyone while we are here,” he said in a low voice. “We wouldnae have stopped if we had a choice but needs must in a pinch.”
His tone startled her. “Why? What is this place?”
“I’m not sure it even has a name,” he said, looking from side to side at the brush that screened the road. “It’s a reiver village, a place where people can hide from the law. All around here is disputed land claimed by three different lords and so there are very few patrols. Vermin will congregate in such places.”
“Reivers?” she asked, not liking the sound of that at all. “What are they?”
Oskar grunted, his eyes narrowed. “Raiders and thieves. Murderers when they have to be. In the border regions, it’s an ongoing battle, tit-for-tat. They steal cattle and livestock, goods and whatever else they can find. When they’re on the run from the law, they hide up here, try to lose themselves. They’re like wolves, preying on the weak and unsuspecting. And they’re cunning, too. That’s why we have to be on our guard here.”
Lily nodded, swallowing. She could feel her heart pounding, her breath growing shallow. They set off again but no sooner had they taken a few steps when a voice suddenly rang out behind them.
“No further, if ye please!”
Oskar froze. Then, so quickly she barely tracked the movement, he drew his sword and spun at the same time, bringing his weapon around in a flashing riposte that struck the sword of the man behind them and sent it spinning out of his grasp.
The man, large and barrel-chested, with lank black hair and beard was left staring at his empty hand for a second before his gaze flicked to his sword and then back to Oskar.
“Well, that’s lost me ten coppers,” he said, grinning suddenly. “Seems ye havenae lost any of yer touch after all, Galbraith.”
Oskar did not smile. His eyes flashed dangerously as he held up his sword. “Ye should know better than to draw a weapon on me, Colin.”
