“Ye may relax yerselves,” she informed them, yawning. “I know I would not get far before ye caught up with me, and that I would be a sorrier lass for it during the remainder of our ride.”
Bryan had been conferring with the other Oliphants, and when he saw she had risen, he strode over to her, looking fully refreshed. “I hope ye passed the night well enough,” he said pleasantly. “Do ye need a bit of time tae compose yerself, or shall we continue on?”
Katherine briefly considered telling him that she did require a bit more time, just so she might have a chance to take a lookaround and see if there was anything that might aid in an escape attempt—and, more to the point, to stall before having to face whatever fate awaited her at Castle Oliphant.
But ultimately, she knew there was no use. She could not outrun them, she could not outfox them, and she certainly had no hope of outfighting them. Her best option in terms of eventually making an escape would be to simply go along with them, pray they did not imprison her out of hand, and earn enough of their trust later on to plot something workable.
If, indeed, escape remained her intention.
There was some part of her that wondered whether she might somehow join in the Oliphants’ efforts to prevent an all-out war from occurring between their two clans—presuming, of course, that they were being truthful in stating this intention. Was there some way she might see to it that no one on either side needed to lose their lives in combat?
In doing so, would she earn the respect of her father? Or simply more of his scorn, since he had schemed violence and conquest against the Oliphants for as long as she could remember?
Perhaps he would disown her. Perhaps her own sister might as well.
If the Oliphants turned out to be as honorable and welcoming as Bryan had indicated, though…
She tried to tell herself it was foolish to hope that this man, who had grabbed her off the main road in her own clan’s lands and whisked her away, could be telling the truth. Even so, her hope continued to poke its head up.
“Nay, we may ride when ye and yers are ready,” she answered mildly. “And thank ye for cutting my bonds last night so that I could eat and sleep more easily. If ye feel the need tae replace them today, I will not object.”
Bryan studied her face for a moment, then shook his head. “So far ye have given me no reason tae believe ye intend trouble, or harm, and out of respect, I shall leave ye unbound. I ask that ye dinnae make me regret it.”
“Not that ye have any compelling reason tae believe me, but I will not, ye have my word.”
“Very well.” He led her to his horse, helped her up onto the creature, then joined her as he had before. The other Oliphants were trying not to be obvious about it, but it was clear that they were sneaking glances at him and wondering among themselves whether he had grown too fond of his own captive. If he noticed this or was bothered by it, though, Bryan gave no sign at all.
They rode for many more hours, until the sun had passed its zenith. During that time, they did not stop again to take refreshment or allow their horses to drink or rest. This told Katherine that they must be getting close.
Just as shebegan to scan the horizon, searching for the spires of Castle Oliphant, a massive stag burst forth from the edge of the forest near the side of the road. Its fur shone gold and bronze in the midday sun, and it lowered its crown of antlers and charged forward toward the convoy of Oliphants with a blind fury.
Bryan drew his horse to a sharp halt and raised an arm, commanding the men who rode behind him. “Hold!”
The horses skidded to a stop, but they had all been riding at high speeds, and the foremost ones slid upon blankets of fallen leaves due to their momentum. Which placed them directly in the path of the frenzied stag, now seconds away.
Bryan acted without thinking; he threw his arms around Katherine—her scream still quivering in her throat—and heaved them both to the left. They tumbled from the horse together, and when they landed in the dirt of the road, their bodies collidedtightly and knocked the breath from each other. Bryan was on his back, and Katherine touched down directly on top of him.
The moments that followed seemed to stretch out into eternity. The hoofbeats and panicked screeches of the animals overlapped, creating a hideous roar that felt like dirty fingernails scraping against Bryan’s eardrums.
Then he was inches away from the infinite dark pools of Katherine’s eyes, and he felt all else fade away within seconds as he sank into them like a stone. There was mystery there, but there was also comfort, which he could not explain.
Barclay called Bryan’s name several times, but Bryan could think of little else but her intoxicating scent in his nostrils, like roses and honey, or the feel of her chest heaving against his own.
We fit together.
It was a peculiar thought that glided across his mind, but nevertheless too clear to be denied. And was it his imagination, he wondered, or did her face seem to repeat those same words to him, as clearly as if they’d been inked across her fair brow?
A few more moments, though, and the insistent calls of Bryan’s soldiers broke through his reverie. He turned to look at the road ahead.
The stag had pierced two of their horses quite badly, but Bryan’s horse had apparently escaped injury. The stag itself lay dying by the side of the road, its side heaving sharply, bleeding from several lethal bolts that had been fired by the Oliphants whose steeds had escaped injury.
Still, two men were now without horses.
And Bryan and Katherine remained in the dirt, feeling more exposed and foolish with each passing moment.
As he prepared to roll aside and stand up, Bryan noticed something; Katherine’s wrists were pressed together as she braced herself for the impact, and now they were mere inches away from the dagger that was sheathed at his side.
Her eyes met his, and so each knew that the other had noticed it at the same time.
