And from the moment he watched the two of them disappear around the base of the first mountain, a certainty had become plain inside him.
He wanted to return with Audrey.
Leaving this land—at least, leaving without Audrey—was no longer an option. Whether he stayed here or returned to England, he wanted her by his side. He would do whatever it took to make her happy.
Even if that meant facing the council and villagers to prove himself honorable and work to earn their good opinion. Even if it meant facing Evan MacManus.
After filling the satchels and spreading the logs so the fire would burn out, he hoisted the packs on his back and gripped his walking stick. His hip ached from so much activity, but that couldn’t stop him. He needed to get to Laurent to speakup for Audrey. Maybe his return would make the council more lenient with her.
As he limped around the curve in the cave, Chaucer lifted his head in greeting. A new pang pressed in Levi’s chest. He’d been so worried about Audrey, he’d not thought what to do with the horse. Warm water and bark seemed to have given him a fresh burst of energy. He no longer shivered, and he seemed much more aware of his surroundings.
Could the gelding manage the trip to Laurent? Leaving him here might be a death sentence since the snowstorm still blew outside. He’d eaten all the bark they found on the firewood, but Audrey hadn’t been able to return with more, so Chaucer would have nothing to eat until the storm lessened enough for him to venture out. But even then, he wouldn’t find grass for a while.
Levi couldn’t leave his old friend to that fate. He approached the gelding and rubbed his forehead. “Are you up to returning to the village with me? They’re likely to take more pity on you than me.”
Chaucer blew out a long breath, as though reluctantly agreeing.
“Let’s be off, then.” He took up the piece of rope that dangled from the halter, then hobbled forward so the horse could turn in the small space.
Maneuvering down the steep trail just outside the cave proved as hard as he expected, requiring him to almost sit in the snow and half slide, half crawl down. Every moment he expected the searing pain in his hip that meant the joint had moved out of place again. But only the ache made itself known, and the icy wind and snow nearly numbed that feeling.
He tried to follow the route down the mountain that Audreyhad taken when she left in search of bark, for she’d been up and down this mountain so often, she surely knew the best paths.
At last, they reached somewhat level ground, and he stopped the horse for them both to rest. Levi’s hip burned so much, he could barely stand to put weight on it, so he rested a hand on Chaucer’s shoulders for support. The horse seemed to be managing the storm and travel so far. If only Levi could fare as well.
The wind bit too fiercely to stand still for long, so they started northward, following the same path Audrey and Brielle had taken not long before. He and Chaucer moved much slower than the women had, but at least they were moving.
Finally, they reached the end of the second mountain, and the open area spread before them, split by the small creek where he’d gotten his feet wet during that first fateful escape. He’d have to cross that stream of water, but that shouldn’t be a problem. The snow had piled higher on either side than that other day, but surely he could find a place where he could easily step from one bank to the other.
About halfway across the open area, he found the perfect place to cross. The hint of footprints still in the snow showed this was probably the route the women had taken, as well.
Placing his walking stick on the opposite bank, he stepped with his good leg first. But when he tried to shift his weight forward and drag his weak limb across, a knife of pain plunged through his left hip.
A cry escaped his lips as his knees nearly gave way from the agony. He barely managed to pull himself across the water to safety before tumbling forward, first onto his elbows, thenface down on the snow. His weak leg wouldn’t move, and he could feel nothing through the limb except the torture radiating through his hip.
He could barely breathe through the pain. Could barely think.
But he had to. What could he do now? He was stranded out here, without Audrey. Completely alone with a debilitating injury.
Yet not alone.Lord ...His spirit groaned out a desperate cry for help, though his mind couldn’t manage words.
The frigid snow had begun to numb his face, but he still felt the nudge of something on the top of his head. Chaucer?
The horse pushed again, harder this time.
Levi forced himself to turn his face from the snow to see the animal. Chaucer nudged his forehead, an insistent push. Maybe if he could manage to stand, he could use the horse and his walking stick to make it the rest of the way to Laurent.
Just the thought of how hard that would be, of the piercing torture each step would require, made his belly wrench. But that was his only option. Unless God sent someone out to look for him, he’d die here in the snow.
Perhaps the Lord had led Audrey to find the gelding exactly for this purpose.
After fumbling in the snow for his walking stick, he worked himself up so that he knelt on his good knee. The position made his dislocated hip howl with agony, so he used the walking stick on one side and Chaucer’s neck on the other to pull himself up to standing. With the two supports, he could keep his balance on the one foot. His injured leg would have todrag behind, which would be agonizing, but the limb would do nothing he asked of it.
The first few steps were even clumsier than he’d expected. Chaucer seemed to understand he wanted him to step forward, but Levi had to nearly lay on the horse’s back to free his good leg to take a step.
Perhaps it would be better if he could push himself up onto the gelding completely. Maybe not sit upright, but at least lie on his belly and let his legs hang down.
Chaucer stood mercifully still while Levi used what little strength he had left to pull himself over the horse’s back. The sharp outline of the horse’s backbone pressed into his belly, but that pain barely registered compared to the stabbing in his hip.
