Then a hunter’s horn sounded in theforest.
The sound made Annelise look up in alarm. Why would there be hunters in this remote forest? To whom did this section of forest belong? She doubted it wasTulley.
The horn blew again, the sound echoing moreloudly.
“They come closer,” she whispered and rose to her feet. Rolfe stood beside her, bristling withattention.
In but a moment, Annelise heard the hunting party crash through the undergrowth and knew they were close at hand. Men shouted to each other and she discerned a cry that made her blood runcold.
“Wolf!”
Rolfe dug his nose into Annelise’s knee. He shoved her toward Mephistopheles, his agitation making it clear he intended for her tomount.
“I cannot leave you,” sheprotested.
He snarled, resolve in hisgaze.
“But if they hunt wolves, then you areprey!”
Rolfe pushed at Annelise until she was in the saddle. Then he barked and snapped at the destrier’s heels. Mephistopheles stamped and stepped sideways, snorting with disapproval. The one palfrey was more than ready to run but Annelise had seized the reins, not wanting to lose any of her husband’s possessions. Rolfe kept up his attack, nipping at the palfreys and growling at Mephistopheles until the destrier broke and ran. The palfreys were fast beside him, their ears folded back and their nostrilsflaring.
Rolfe pursued them, ensuring that the horses ran quickly. At least they would flee together, Annelise thought with relief. The horses crashed into the forest and toward the distantpath.
Annelise clutched the reins. The sounds of the hunting party grew louder and her heart leaped to herthroat.
Would they be able to escape intime?
The path became more clear ahead. Annelise thought she would follow it to the left, for the hunting party sounded as if they were to the right. And the left she thought was west, thus heading forBeauvoir.
Annelise glanced over her shoulder to check the position of the sun, only to see that Rolfe haddisappeared.
Mephistopheles snorted indignantly when Annelise reined him in. She turned and peered into the shadows of the trees. Was the flicker to her left the silhouette of a quickly moving wolf? What about the one far to her right? Which wolf was Rolfe? Without seeing his eyes, she could not becertain.
The hunting party’s dogs bellowed as they found ascent.
Annelise’s heart skipped. Where wasRolfe?
She could not leave him to behunted!
Surely he had not deliberately drawn the party away fromher?
That was precisely what her protective husband might have done. Annelise growled in frustration and dug her heels into the destrier’s side. She retraced their route, hoping to track Rolfe. To her dismay, the snow was glazed with a crusty surface that left few marks of their passage. She could not tell where Rolfe had broken off and could not identify the point in the forest where she had last seenhim.
A hunter burst from the woods ahead of her and Annelise pulled Mephistopheles up short. Her heart sank at the color of hislivery.
“Good afternoon, Annelise de Sayerne,” Enguerrand said, his voice soft withthreat.
Annelise stared in astonishment at the knight she had never expected to see again. “Enguerrand! But you rode forBeauvoir.”
“So I did.” Enguerrand smiled but it was not a pleasant sight. “Only to discover that there are many tales of hungry wolves this winter. I organized a hunt on the behalf of the Lord de Beauvoir to eliminate the fiends from thisforest.”
“Surely that is not yourobligation.”
“Surely any knight of honor would do the same.” His smile broadened. “It is not a bad strategy, Annelise, to have a powerful man in one’sdebt.”
Annelise caught her breath. “You think Beauvoir will grant you aprize.”
“Or Tulley. In truth, I do not carewhich.”
