The reminder gave her the strength she needed to hold back the tears—most of them, anyway. She straightened but didn’t pull out of her father’s arms as his hands shifted to grip her elbows. His gaze roamed her face, as though hungry for details.
She worked for a smile. “I’ve missed you. Are you well? Eating enough?” Those last words weren’t what she meant to say, but they simply slipped out.
His face wreathed in a smile and tears moistened his eyes even as he chuckled. “My Audrey.”
Motion behind him forced her to turn away as Chief Durand stepped to her father’s side. She made herself meet his gaze, though the churning in her middle attempted to rise up into her throat.
The look he gave her seemed to be a mixture of relief and sadness. “Audrey. We didn’t think we would see you again.”
Her father shifted to stand at her side, holding her arm with one hand and slipping his other around her waist. “Come and sit. Tell us what’s happened.” Papa’s voice graveled more than she remembered. It felt as though she’d been gone for months, not less than two weeks.
Chief Durand stepped to her other side as the three of them moved toward the chairs around the hearth. Brielle’s quiet tread barely sounded behind them, but her presence weighed like a stone in Audrey’s chest.
Even though her father seemed relieved that she’d returned, she still had much to answer for to the entire village.
22
When they’d taken seats in a semicircle around the fire, Audrey glanced from her father to Brielle, then finally to Chief Durand. “I know you have lots of questions. Be assured, I’ll tell you everything.”
All three were silent as she relayed the events of the morning she’d helped Levi escape. How she’d known in her soul he was innocent of any evil intent, how she’d feared what the council might do to him, how the chance to free him had seemed almost God given.
“I may have acted too rashly. I’m sorry I broke your trust.” She met the gaze of each person as she spoke. “I’m sorry I went against our laws and the decision of the council. I was only trying to protect an innocent man, but I’m sorry I took the decision into my own hands.”
She looked at Chief Durand with those final words, but his only response was a nod. So she dove into the rest of her story. How when she heard that Levi had been shot by Brielle’s arrow, she knew she had to treat the wound and make sure he reached safety. How she planned to return to the village as soon as she’d accomplished that. And then the awful events of the next morning with Leonard.
“I never ever meant for my actions to cause such a horrible thing. Watching Leonard tumble down that slope ... then seeing Levi cling to him with every shred of his strength as Leonard dangled over the edge ... It was awful. I’ve relived it so many times in my dreams.” More than one tear had slipped down her cheeks while she spoke, and Papa gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
She turned to Brielle. “He’s been given burial?”
Brielle’s face had taken on a grimness as Audrey relayed the tale, but now she nodded. “In the graveyard. It’s good that we know how it happened.”
Audrey’s throat ached. “I imagine you thought Levi did it. In reality, he did everything he could to save Leonard—much more than I was able to do.”
She inhaled a breath for strength. “Levi was exhausted from his efforts to save Leonard, but I wanted to know for sure there was nothing more we could do, so I insisted one of us go down and check to see if he might still be breathing.” This last part of the story came easier than the other, maybe because it didn’t involve someone from the village.
Yet the emotion welled stronger within her as she told of Levi’s dislocated hip, how he had to stay still until the joint healed, and even how she’d found the horse nearly frozen and starving. She glanced at Brielle. “That’s why I came down to the trees again, to gather more bark for him to eat.”
A line creased her friend’s brow—whether from anger or simply depth of thought, she couldn’t tell. Brielle gave a short nod. “Something kept telling me to go out and search that area once more, even in the storm. I didn’t really expect to find you, though.”
The dreaded silence settled as she waited for the others torespond. Her father squeezed her hand again, and the support helped. But she kept her focus on Chief Durand and Brielle. The chief was well-known for being fair and taking all sides into consideration before making a decision. She’d always appreciated that quality in him and could only pray he would do the same now.
At last, he spoke, drawing everyone’s attention. “This situation grieves me in so many ways. Not the least of which is that it all could have been avoided.” His gaze turned sad as it locked on her, and his voice softened. “I had spent that first morning of the fast in long hours of prayer and felt the Lord telling me this man was no threat to us.”
Shame slid over her as his words registered. Had she really gotten it so wrong? When the chance presented itself to free Levi, she’d assumed that was God’s provision. She should have asked Him instead of jumping to the conclusion.Lord, redeem this situation. And help Levi.What would he think when she didn’t return? Would he try to return home before his body had sufficiently healed?
The thought of him leaving the area, of never seeing him again, rose up to swell her throat and sting her eyes. His safe departure had been her goal from the very beginning, to allow him to return to his people. Yet the thought of living without him felt nearly unbearable.
Chief Durand spoke again, saving her from trying to form a response. “We need to deal with matters as they are now.” He leaned forward a little, moving into his chiefly demeanor. “I’ll call the council to discuss what should be done next. I’m sure news of your return has already spread.”
As she’d expected.
The tears ran down her face, and Audrey didn’t attemptto stop them. Yet they didn’t stem as much from facing the council’s punishment as from the thought of never seeing Levi again.
He had to help Audrey.
Levi held in a grunt as he dropped to his knees to gather their supplies into the satchels. He’d been watching from the cave entrance as Audrey stepped from the woods with Brielle close behind her. He couldn’t tell if Brielle had been forcing Audrey toward Laurent at the end of a weapon, but either way, he had no doubt she wasn’t given the choice about whether she wished to return to the village or not.
Shehadplanned to return to her people. But on her own terms, not by capture.
