In no time, he cut me off again. I hurled the dagger at my attacker, but he leaned back fluidly and the blade sliced past him, lost to the underbrush. As he jumped off the horse and drew his sword, his hood fell back so the early moonbeams caught his face.
“You!” I spat, my breath coming in ragged bursts.
“Me,” he answered, his voice annoyingly level. Even with the dim light, I could see a brilliant bruise was already blooming around his right eye, and I felt a brief, vicious satisfaction that I had been the one to put it there.
I scanned my surroundings, slowly backing away from Baron, but it seemed that no matter where I moved, brambles, roots, and stumps caught at my feet. My dagger was gone, and I was too hungry and lightheaded for a hand-to-hand fight. He’d have me within seconds if I fell.
Baron moved slowly, watching me with an overly vigilant gaze. I matched him, eyes darting across the forest floor for something useful—anything heavier than a twig would work—but it offered nothing but damp leaves and roots so entrenched in the ground that I’d never get them free.
He motioned with his sword. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, his voice just as calm and gentle as when I’d spoken to his horse, which I noticed stood politely behind her master. Useless nag.
I laughed once, sharp and humorless. “That’s hard to believe when you’re holding a sword.”
He shook his head. “Honestly. I would never hurt a lady.”
“Pity I can’t say the same,” I replied. “How’s your eye?”
We circled each other, both watching for any weakness. If only I had a weapon. Or Father. Or any of the Merry Men.
“That was an impressive display back there,” Baron admitted. “I have never had that particular trick used on me before. Well done. It was a good move.”
Was he mocking me or actually complimenting me? I frowned. “I thought you would have been used to it from all your experience kidnapping innocent, harmless girls.”
“No one would ever classify you as harmless,” he said.
“So what now?” I asked, playing for time.
“Now, you come quietly and you won’t get hurt. Like I said before, I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I don’t do the meek and mild routine.”
“Yes,” he said dryly. “I noticed.”
I stopped circling. The sword gleamed in the fading light. If I lunged, I would end up bleeding on the ground before my fingers even brushed his sleeve. Little John had taught me how to disarm similarly sized opponents, but Baron was far too large and strong for those tactics to work.
I ground my teeth in frustration. “How did you find me? Do you know how to track people through streams?”
He shook his head. “No. You did a much better job covering your tracks this time. But I figured you knew where to head, and this is the most direct route.”
I swallowed my anger that he had anticipated my movements so easily yet again. Was I really that predictable? “How about I promise not to run and you don’t tie me up?”
He was undeterred. “Unfortunately, I trust you about as much as you trust me.”
“Touché.”
He took a step closer and I refused to retreat. I wouldnotshow any fear or weakness.
“Look,” he said, and re-sheathed his sword. “Can I tie you up now? I promise I’ll be gentle.”
I considered my odds. Baron outweighed me by more than a hundred pounds and stood a full head taller. The only way to win in a fight against him was if I had a projectile weapon or he had a broken leg. And if I couldn’t fight and win… I pressed my lips together, angry again. I would have to comply. It would become another waiting and watching game until the first moment his vigilance waned.
“Okay,” I said suddenly. “You got me.”
I walked toward him and extended my wrists. He took a step back and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. I opened my eyes wide. “Aren’t you going to tie me up? That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”
Skeptically, he wound a length of rope around my wrists and knotted it firmly, watching my eyes closely for any hint of deception.
I smiled my most winning smile. Let him figure out what that meant.
