‘Stay alert.’ He nodded a final farewell at his family, then rode away from them.
The group moved off the road as soon as they could, keeping to the trees until dark. Only then did they move out into the open. Then the trees disappeared altogether, and all they had was open plains.
They continued until their horses’ legs trembled and Blackmane looked ready to fall from the saddle. Roul stopped, dismounted, and looked around. ‘We can’t sleep out here. We’re too exposed.’ He clapped a hand on the neck of his exhausted horse. ‘We’ll continue on foot until we find cover. Put Blackmane on Eda’s horse. It’s the least tired.’
Prince Becket looked to the back of the group. ‘Actually, the donkey is the least tired. Those things can go for days.’
Blackmane slid from his horse. ‘I’m not riding a fucking donkey.’ Then, remembering who he was talking to, he added, ‘Your Highness.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I’ll be fine on foot like the rest of you.’
Three hours later, they reached forest, then continued for another half hour until they found a stream. The horses drank greedily, then began tearing leaves off nearby shrubbery.
‘No fire,’ Roul said. ‘No tent. And leave the saddles on the horses. We need to be ready to leave in a hurry if the need arises.’
Alveye and Hadewaye tended the horses while Eda filled the waterskins. Roul passed around the blankets, and Tatum distributed the food. They wrapped themselves in the blankets and leaned their backs on the trees while they ate. Prince Becket did not complain as he shivered alongside the rest of them.
‘I’ll take first watch,’ Tatum said.
Roul nodded, then opened his blanket to Eda as the rain started to fall. She settled next to him, blinking heavily. He tucked both blankets around her, and they sat watching the rain. When he saw her head drop, he guided it to his chest.
‘Sleep,’ he said.
She pressed her palm to his heart. ‘I’m so cold.’
He drew her closer. ‘I wish I could build you a fire.’
She was silent a while, then said, ‘What if our lungs freeze while we sleep and we never wake up?’
‘No one’s lungs are freezing. Try to sleep.’
He thought she had finally drifted off, but then she whispered, ‘Do you think if your heart stopped beating, mine would stop also?’
He covered her freezing hand with his equally cold one. ‘No.’ He spoke into her hair. ‘I think yours would beat twice as hard to compensate.’
They were silent a moment.
‘Roul.’
‘Mm?’
‘Will you be angry if Basil makes it all the way to Chadora?’
His lips twitched. ‘Angry? No. Surprised? Absolutely. Now go to sleep, or I’ll be forced to knock you out.’
Eventually, her body went heavy against him. Only then did he lean his head against the trunk and drift off to sleep.
CHAPTER31
When Eda blinked her eyes open the next morning, she was relieved to find that the rain had slowed to a drizzle. She could tell Roul was asleep by his breathing.
Alveye was keeping watch. He nodded a greeting at her when he noticed she was awake, and she returned the gesture. The others were curled against trunks beneath the largest branches. Fat drops of water dripped on them from the leaves above. Eda was surprised to find Prince Becket awake and reading a letter, Woottone snoring beside him. She slipped out of Roul’s arms, careful not to wake him, then went to check on Blackmane. He was breathing. She made her way over to the prince, sinking down beside him.
‘We’re stuck in the middle of nowhere,’ she whispered. ‘Who could possibly be delivering you letters?’
He gave her a weak smile. ‘Woottone’s snoring woke me. I thought I should prepare for the reunion with my mother.’
She leaned her head against the tree. ‘I should probably mention that Commander Thornton told me why you’re reluctant to return.’
‘I figured he would given howclosethe two of you are.’ He raised one eyebrow at her.
