“I told you that Ellen sometimes wanders off.”
“Tell her not to,” Rhys argued. The child was six after all and old enough to understand and obey instruction.
“We do, but sometimes she gets bored and forgets.”
“Keep her entertained!”
“Clearly you have not spent time around children!” Tempest argued and grabbed the torch from his hand and marched to the bend in the cave but slowed as she drew near.
As he had done when he first entered, she held the torch before her and slowly stepped. He came up from behind and looked over her shoulder.
It was just a small area that ended. Even better, there were no predators within either.
“Satisfied?” he asked as they returned to the center of the small cave.
“No spiders. No vipers.” She stood back and looked out the mouth of the cave. “Sunlight does come in so not full darkness, but we do not know what it is like at night.”
“Dark,” he answered.
“We can have a torch placed in here,” she suggested.
“If you are hiding in here, it is because the French are near and they will see the light.”
“Maybe a torch can be left toward the back and lit and kept away from the entrance.”
“That is too much of a risk,” Rhys argued.
“So is running through the forest at night!” Tempest yelled. “Did you consider that obstacle. We walked this in the day, I am not certain I could find this at night, especially with no light.”
He had not. His first concern was for them to have someplace they could hide. This was not it.
“You are correct,” he finally admitted. “But we must find something, or someplace.”
“In that we are agreed,” Tempest said.
“But where?” Rhys asked again.
He blew out a sigh and turned within the cave again, then looked at Tempest, her brow furrowed in concentration, lips pursed as if she were considering the problem.
Not only that, but they were also very much alone with no chance of children coming upon them.
“I really do not like fighting with you,” Rhys said as he took a step in her direction.
“Nor do I enjoy fighting with you.”
“Then why do you?” he asked.
“I know what is best when it comes to my sisters,” Tempest answered.
Rhys had drawn himself up before her. He leaned in until their noses were almost touching. “And I know how best to keep you safe from the French.”
Her eyes widened, the deep pools darkening as her lips parted.
“Yes, I suppose you may be correct.” Her voice was nearly whispered. “But only when it comes to the French.”
“The French discovering us is all I care about, and why your sisters need rules.”
Neither had backed away from the other, and Rhys was certain he experienced the heat from her body.
