Dragon Fire (Dragons of Perralt Book 1) (3 page)

Elsbeth felt the approaching forest like a dark green menace, waiting to swallow them whole.

She still couldn’t get past what she had witnessed on the road. The man moved so quickly, so confidently. He seemingly flowed into every action. It was like his muscles knew what to do without being told.

Swallowing hard, she remembered the fear that had bubbled in her heart when she thought that he might be hurt. Although they had been together but a short while, there was something between them that spoke of something more. Or, at least the possibility of something more.

Pushing the thought away, she focused on the wall of trees standing ready to greet them.

The forest was a mixture of both pine and hardwoods. A clear demarcation from the grass fields of the Kingdom. Dark, and foreboding, she could not see into its depths.

Her heart raced as she thought about what they were to do. Since she had been a child, she had heard stories of this place. Home to monsters and dragons.

Taking a deep breath, she followed Drake into the trees. It was like being consumed by a giant animal. The darkness enveloped her. The sounds of the earth changed, became muted.

The tall green canopy hung over them like a cloud. Blocking out the sun. Damping the wind.

It smelled of wet, moldy leaves, rotting wood, and age.

It was older than the Kingdom. This forest had been here since time began and would be here long after there was no longer time itself.

She shivered and wished that Drake would take her hand again. She felt safer, stronger, when he held her hand. Even if that meant getting pulled along like a toy wagon.

Sighing, she lifted the hem of her dress and followed him.

His wide shoulders seemed to relax once they were inside the tree line. It was as if he had come home. A slight smile creased his lips.

What kind of man was he? she wondered. Who could find joy in such a place?

“Come on, Princess,” Drake said over his shoulder. “You’re as slow as my grandmother’s horse.”

Elsbeth grit her teeth, “You didn’t have a grandmother,” she mumbled under her breath as she scrambled up a small hill. “You were probably hatched under a rock on the devil’s farm.”

“What was that?” he asked with a curious frown.

“Nothing,” she replied quickly.

He, harrumphed and started walking again. Ignoring her.

They continued on. Within a short while, they came to a well beaten trail and turned to the right.

Would this trail take them all the way to Sinstra? she wondered. Would Julian help her? He had said that he would move heaven and earth, if she but asked.

She remembered the way that Prince Julian had smiled at her. As if she were beautiful. As if he liked her.

The man in front of her would never look at her that way. No, not him. He’d just grunt and huff as he ordered her about. Like some beast determined that he knew best.

But then, Julian didn’t have shoulders like the man in front of her. And, he most definitely didn’t have such a fine butt.

Elsbeth blushed as she turned away. What was she thinking? Granted, the man’s butt was as about as perfect as you could want. And, he was right there in front of her all the time. She couldn’t exactly miss it.

No, she thought. Remember, Julian is refined, sophisticated, and gentle. Nothing like the small mountain striding in front of her. Of course, Julian didn’t have that silly smirk that Drake had. The one that made her mad every time he used it.

I wonder what Julian would have done if attacked by five men? she wondered. She couldn’t imagine him fighting them off. But then, few men could have.

It wasn’t fair of her to compare the two. Julian had his strong points. She was sure of it. Even if she couldn’t remember them just then.

Besides, how could she be expected to think straight, with what was just in front of her?

They continued on into the woods. Several times, Drake stopped to help her over fallen logs or up muddy hills. Each time, he would look at her like she was a lost child. The man was a monster.

When they came to a rushing stream, he halted once again.

“Do I need to carry you across?” he asked, as if she were a little girl who needed someone to cut her meat for her.

“No,” she said simply.

He shrugged his shoulders and scurried across the stones someone had placed in the stream. Each step was sure and balanced, obviously, the man had done it a thousand times. When he reached the other side, he simply turned, folded his arms across his chest, and waited.

Elsbeth looked at the stones, the rushing water, and then, up at that smug face of his.

She’d show him.

Lifting the hem of her dress so it wouldn’t get wet, she stepped out on the first stone. It wobbled slightly, threatening to throw her into the water.

She gasped and froze in place. Her legs shaking with nervous energy. Once she was sure of herself, she stepped across to the next one, her arms out wide for balance, then hopped to the third.

She would have been alright, but he hadn’t warned her about the moss. No one had ever told her how slippery moss could be. A lack in her education that could not be blamed on her.

Her foot slipped on the slick green moss as her heavy pack unbalanced her. The world began to shift. Where before it had focused on lush trees and the big man, now, it was blue sky and the on-rushing water.

She squealed and tried to save herself, but it was too late. Her heart jumped with fear. She was going to fall in the stream and he was going to laugh. There was nothing to stop it.

Strong arms seemed to appear from nowhere and scope her up inches from the water.

Drake stood in the middle of the stream, water rushing around his legs. Holding her like a newborn bird. Smiling down at her and shaking his head.

Oh, how the man loved to be right. The smug bastard.

How had he done that? she wondered. How had he shifted from the edge of the stream to catch her? Surely, no one could move that fast.

His arms felt like safe haven. Strong, hard, and impenetrable as they gently carried her to the far side.

Once he safely deposited her on the other side, he shook his head and started up the trail.

He didn’t even give her an opportunity to thank him. She didn’t know which was worse. Being saved by him, or being ignored by him.

They had traveled for about an hour when he stopped and stared up at the sky. Seeming to come to some kind of decision, he nodded his head.

“Come on, I know a good place to camp. We need to get settled for the night.”

Elsbeth’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the night. She didn’t know what terrified her more. Being in the Forbidden Forest after dark. Or, being alone with him.

Swallowing her fear, she followed him as he left the trail. Within a few minutes, they came to an outcropping of boulders. Giant oak trees covered them with a canopy of green, but enough light broke through so that the ground wasn’t wet and slippery.

“Here,” he said as he shucked his pack and lay it next to the bigger gray boulder. “Put your things here.”

Elsbeth’s shoulders screamed with relief as she removed her pack.

“Here,” he said, as he tossed a small leather pouch towards her. “Start a fire and I’ll go get us dinner.”

She caught the pouch, fumbling it before she could secure it from falling. What was she supposed to do with this?

Before she could ask, the man was gone. Sinking into the forest like a wisp of wind.

Her heart turned over. She was alone, she realized. Alone, and the insufferable jerk wanted her to start a fire.

An owl screeched in the distance, making her skin crawled with fear. What was out there? she wondered. A bear, wolves, a dragon? Swallowing hard, she tried to regain control of herself. Now, was not the time to panic. Later, she could panic later. Now, she needed to figure out how to start a fire.

Gathering wood, the good, strong, solid type that could burn for hours. She arranged them into a tower and bent to get them going.

She was still striking the flint almost thirty minutes later when Drake finally returned.

He halted, tilting his head as he looked at her, then at the stack of wood, then back at her. He grimaced and tossed three good sized rabbits to the side as he approached.

“Don’t you know how to start a fire?” he asked, as if unable to believe someone could be so dumb.

She felt her hackles rise, how dare he question her.

“Don’t you know how to be nice?” she asked. “I tell you what, you forgive my lack of skills at starting fires and I’ll forgive your inability to be human.”

Shaking his head, he knelt down and tore her nice stack of wood apart.

“Watch,” he said, “you can do tomorrow’s.”

Pulling off small bits of wood he created a nice nest. He showed her how to strike the flint and how to blow on the ember until it caught. Once it was going, he gently laid small twigs over it. Ever increasing the size of the wood until he had a warm fire burning.

He made it look so easy. No wonder he thought she was dumber than a rock. Well, she’d like to see him do needle point. She was sure that she could pull a tighter stitch than him.

He quickly skinned the rabbits and set them to roasting. Removing a small pot from his pack, he filled it with water from the goat skin and threw in a handful of rice and a pinch of salt. Glancing at her, he set the pot next to the fire.

Once dinner was cooking, he rolled out two blankets and indicated she should take a seat.

Every so often he would turn a rabbit or stir the rice.

She watched everything. She was in the forest now, she reminded herself. If something happened to him, she would have to care for herself.

But he made it look so easy. Every movement graceful, balanced.

Her stomach rumbled at the smell of the roasting meat. How embarrassing, she thought, as she turned to hide her blush. What must he think of her?

They continued to sit in silence. Every so often he would feed the fire another branch.

“So tell me, Elsbeth, how did you know to find me?”

His question startled her. Of all the things to ask, that had not been what she would have selected.

“Two castle maids,” she said. “I overheard them talking about a man who went in and out of the Forbidden Forest, as if he owned it.” She frowned to herself. “One of them was rather impressed with you. And, it wasn’t just your ability in the forest.”

He laughed. “That would be Jenny,” he said. “She does like to talk.”

“You know a castle maid?” she said in surprise.

“I know several,” he replied, “but, Jenny is the one who really likes to talk. I swear, the women is never quiet.”

Elsbeth felt a sinking feeling deep inside. Of course, the maids had fallen for this man. Who could blame them? Big, strong, fearless, handsome. What more could a woman want? Especially, if you were into that whole rough, outdoors type.

Thankfully, she wasn’t. She preferred quiet, intelligent men. Like, Julian.

She thought of the maids as they had talked. The smile on Jenny’s face as she had thought of this man and the way they giggled when they discussed his prowess in bed.

It wasn’t fair, she thought. The maids got to enjoy life. Got to be with men. Experience what it felt like to be a woman. She had to remain chaste. It was what was expected of a Princess.

Why? she wondered. Just so she could be married off to some short, fat, Earl, who didn’t know the difference between a sword and a spoon?

A sharp burst of jealousy passed through her. Not just at the fact that the maids had an opportunity to be with a man. But, at the fact that they had been with this one.

He looked at her for a moment. She could swear the man could read her thoughts. It was as if he knew what she was thinking. She blushed and turned away, less it be confirmed.

Chuckling under his breath, he removed the rabbits from the fire and placed the rice between them.

“Here,” he said as he tried to hand her one of the skewers.

Her mouth watered with the wonderful aroma of cooked meat. But, how was she supposed to eat them?

He saw her questioning confusion and said, “With your hands. That’s why they invented napkins.” He smiled and tossed her a small cloth that looked like a rag from an old cotton shirt.

Shaking his head, he removed a rabbit and began to eat. Every so often he would use his fingers to scoop some rice.

She watched him, her stomach begging her to hurry up and eat. At last, she could put it off no longer, holding the stick at each end, she took a bite of the rabbit.

Her insides melted with joy. It was delicious. She took another bite, and then another. Soon, a small river of grease ran down her chin. But she didn’t care, she must have this.

He laughed, “You’ve got a little here,” he said pointing at her chin.

Her stomach clenched in embarrassment. What would her etiquette teacher think of this? She’d turn over in her grave. Or worse, rise up from that grave and scold her for being so un-ladylike.