“My heart nearly stopped when she almostfell.”
“Mine as well,” Fallon admitted.
The woman was foolhardy. Brave, but seriouslylacking in judgment. Though this was no cliff, it wasn’t any saferventuring into a camp full of hardened warriors. One of them mightdecide to keep her. He’d hate to have to kill a man loyal enough tofollow him this long.
She was his. And he’d make sure she knewthat, just as soon as he caught her.
Knowing Darius had captured her and she washere waiting had given him the patience to deal with his warcouncil’s petty squabbling. He’d been in an unusually good mood forthe rest of the session, despite having to referee the gripes andsubtle undermining that was rampant in his advisors. It had takenanother two hours before he could pull himself free. In that time,his quarry had slipped away once again.
“Did she have any companions with her?”Fallon asked.
“Yes. There were six men with her.”
“Bring them to me.”
“Should I give orders they be taken to yourtent?”
“No, bring them here,” Fallon said. “Severalof the clan heads have been making interesting moves as of late,and I can’t be sure of their loyalty. I don’t want any informationI learn to be broadcast to potential enemies.”
Darius inclined his head and left to give hismen orders that the prisoners from Goodwin of Ria were to bebrought to his tent immediately.
Fallon stared at the spot where Shea shouldhave been and shook his head again. To be bested a second time bythis mere slip of a woman. She would have much to answer for whenhe finally caught her. And catch her he would. He’d never failed inany of the challenges set before him, and he wasn’t about to startnow.
His eyes glittered in the torchlight. He waslooking forward to this. Almost as much as he was looking forwardto conquering the rest of the Lowlands.
Witt sawed through the last of Dane’s bonds,thanking every deity he knew that the knife Shea had slipped himthat first night had gone undiscovered. They’d concentrated onsearching his hands and back because of the hug she’d given him.They hadn’t noticed the pat on the knee right after.
Good thing for Witt the woman was a wily one.Always thinking two steps ahead.
Dane slipped free, and Witt moved to Burke.They’d taken Shea’s advice and waited until they reached the mainencampment before attempting an escape.
As always, she’d been right. As soon as theymade it to camp, their captors dropped them off with a new set ofguards. Ones who had no idea why their new prisoners needed to bewatched so closely.
Witt and Dane’s group were escorted to acorral and given blankets along with a small meal. Their hands werebound, and they were left alone with the other captives for thenight.
There were nearly fifty other men in the penwith them. It was unlikely the guards would notice when the six menin Witt’s group slipped away.
Paul and one of his friends had blusteredabout trying to escape that first night. Dane put his foot downwhen they tried to push the issue and told them if they made anyattempt to leave, he’d rat them out to their captors.
The fools had no sense. If Shea hadn’t beenso dead set on everybody making it out, he’d have left them to rot.But if he did that, he knew she’d try to mount a rescue. Dane knewit too. That’s why they were taking the others with them when theyleft. No matter how much of a pain in the ass they turned out tobe.
It was going to be tough getting Dane toleave without Shea. He’d had a massive crush on the girl sinceEdgecomb. Witt couldn’t blame him. Shea was a looker. Only reasonhalf the men in the village weren’t knocking down her door wasbecause she intimidated the hell out of them. Her no nonsense gazehad a way of stripping a man down to size. Witt got a kick out ofit every time she did it. She reminded him of another time. Anothergirl who had that same clear gaze.
She wasn’t half bad for a pathfinder. Softhearted under the hard exterior, not like the rest of them.
Dane kept watch as Witt freed Paul. He’dsaved him for last because he didn’t want the man trying to runbefore he cut everyone else loose.
Now freed, the six picked their way throughprone bodies and one by one crawled past the guards. Though itwasn’t long since dark had fallen, most of the men in the pen werealready asleep. Their Trateri captors were rigid taskmasters andworked them hard all day. By the time dinner came around most ofthe men were so tired their eyes were beginning to drift shut evenbefore they finished their last bite. The sheer exhaustion theLowlanders felt made even the thought of escaping an impossibleone.
It’s why Witt and his men were making theirmove tonight rather than waiting even a day longer. They werealready weary from the forced march. Before they were exhaustedfurther, they needed to make a break for it.
Dane led the way to the edge of the corral,timing their movements to when the guards had their backs turned.At the edge of the enclosure, the men laid flat, as if they weresleeping, while Dane climbed over to scout the next portion.
Witt kept everybody else in line while he wasgone. It was necessary since Paul and his friend were the type toget the others riled up.
Witt’s lip curled. Before the night was over,he had a feeling he’d regret saving Paul. The boy had almost asmuch sense as his father. Which was to say, none.
Dane, on the other hand, had come a long waysince that trip to Edgecomb. He’d gotten his head out of his assand begun paying attention to more than just the simpering villagegirls. He was a good man to have on your side at times like these.Even if their captors had taken his boomer.
