As he spurred his steed forward, the sounds of battle were all around them as the Castle Rising escort came to the rescue. Cadelyn was limp and he tried to keep hold of her as his horse bolted through the mass of fighting men. He ended up putting his leg over her neck to protect her head, so anything around them would hit his leg before it hit her skull, as his horse took off down the road and left the battle behind.
But even then, he didn’t stop.
He had to get Cadelyn to safety.
As they thundered down the road and she began to stir, he pulled her up as much as he could so she wasn’t hanging upside down. However, mud from the road kicked up by his horse’s hooves was all over her face and hair. He lifted her up, cradling her against his chest as they emerged from the canopy of trees and into the storm again.
But at that point, the storm truly seemed like the least of his worries.
The last few miles into the small town of Longton were the longest miles of his life.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Crown and Anchor Inn
Longton
In spite ofhow long she’d been in the water, the bath was still moderately warm. Wallowing in a big copper tub lined with linen and sitting before a fire that was giving off a great deal of heat, Cadelyn’s senses were finally returning. She was finally starting to feel safe and calm and warm, but it had taken some doing to get her there.
The past hour had been hell.
Having been briefly knocked unconscious by the attack south of town, she’d come to her senses rather quickly but had remained dazed the entire ride into town. And what a ride it had been; it had been just a few miles, but it had seemed like an eternity to her, all of it wet and jarring, and by the time they reached the outskirts of Longton, Kress was looking for any place to take her. Any tavern would do; he wasn’t even picky.
Anything with a roof and four walls.
They’d come to a big, three-storied tavern made from stones on the bottom floor and then wattle and daub on the upper twofloors, and he’d decided that was where they were going to seek shelter. Leaving his horse to be tended in the livery behind the establishment, Kress had hurriedly carried Cadelyn inside and began bellowing for assistance.
That brought several people running.
Freezing, and muddy from her head to her toes, the innkeeper and his daughter, a heavyset spinster by the name of Jude, took one look at Cadelyn and immediately directed Kress to a chamber on the upper floor. Jude had gone into the chamber first, starting a fire and snapping at the servants to bring hot water and a bath. It was difficult to tell if they were moving quickly because Cadelyn looked to be in such distress or because Kress was a very big man with a sharp manner.
And a very big sword.
In any case, Jude and her wenches moved quickly, and in a very short amount of time there was a fire in the hearth and a small copper tub half-full of hot water. She chased Kress out and helped Cadelyn strip off her muddy things, putting her in the hot water and then rinsing her hair with clean water until all of the mud came out of it.
But she wasn’t finished. Realizing that Cadelyn had brought nothing with her into the inn, no baggage or personal effects, Jude’s wenches found some soap and a comb, and Jude scrubbed Cadelyn’s hair with it to get rid of the mud. She even scrubbed her fingernails. In little time, Cadelyn was washed, rinsed, and clean, and Jude left the chamber to find Cadelyn something to wear while her own clothing was cleaned up.
And that was where Cadelyn now found herself.
It had been a whirlwind.
Outside, the storm was still raging, but inside the small chamber with its surprisingly big bed that took up most of the room, Cadelyn was grateful for the simplest of comforts in a hot bath. Her head was throbbing from having been knockedunconscious, and her right shoulder and arm hurt a great deal from where she’d been struck, but the hot water seemed to help that as well.
For the moment, there was peace in a day that had seen absolutely none.
As she sat there and soaked, Jude blew back into the chamber with garments in her arms– a long, heavy shift that belonged to her as well as a heavy woolen robe that went over it for warmth. She helped Cadelyn out of the tub, dried her off, and put her in the clothing that was so big that Cadelyn was swimming in it. Jude was a great deal larger, and taller, than Cadelyn was, but the clothing was clean and warm, and Cadelyn was very grateful for it. As she sat on a stool next to the fire and ran the wooden comb through her blonde hair to dry it, Jude went to the door and opened it.
“Ye can come in now,” she said loudly, crooking her finger at someone out in the corridor. “The lady is ready tae receive visitors.”
Cadelyn looked at the door curiously only to see Kress enter with the big, damp dog in tow. He was still in full protection, his tunics and mail, helm and weapons, but he didn’t come any further into the chamber than the doorway as Goliath boldly entered and curled up by the fire at Cadelyn’s feet. Kress pulled his helm off to get a good look at her.
“Are you well?” he asked, something in his eyes quite soft upon her. “I can send for a physic if you were hurt in the fall.”
He sounded very concerned and Cadelyn shook her head as she reached down to pet the dog. “My arm and shoulder are sore, but nothing else seems to be amiss other than my ear and my throat,” she said. “They ache a little.”
His concern grew. “Then I shall send for the physic at once.”
She shook her head. “Truly, that is unnecessary,” she said. “A hot drink and sleep should be all I need. We shall see how I fare on the morrow. Where is the escort? Is everyone well?”
