Warrior's Moon A Love Story (25 page)

As Chantaya gracefully stepped back into the road and toward her horse, Matthew was watching.  Peyton saw realization hit him and grinned again as Matthew said, “Pray, watch your mouth, Shaun.”

Chantaya took her reins and vaulted back into her saddle and then sat waiting for Peyton to mount.  He laughed quietly as Shaun and the others turned to look at Matthew like he’d grown horns and Shaun demanded, “What’s the matter with my mouth?”

Shaking his head with a grin of his own, Matthew looked one more time from Peyton to Chantaya and back and said, “Aw, nothin’.  Your mouth is fine.  Get on your horse and quit whining.  We’ve far to go.”

Peyton caught Chantaya’s eye and smiled at her as he led off once again, saying, “Indeed we do.  Look lively lads.  They call it the robber wood for reason.  Keep your eyes open, Shaun.  More open than they’ve been.  We need your wits about you.”

Hours later, Chantaya did finally begin to look like she was tiring as at long last the moon went down and they rode into an inky roadway before them.  A breeze came up and Peyton halted the horses to put on his leather gloves and let Chantaya do the same.  With their horses standing close together he asked quietly, “How are you, Chani?”

She nodded, “I’m well, thanks.”  He met her eyes and knew she understood he would have liked to comfort her and baby her more than he was.  He reached across and squeezed her knee and then gave her another long look before he started on again.

They were not far from the outskirts of a town when Peyton realized there were some horsemen waiting at a crossroad up ahead in the dark.  As they neared, he counted four of them and without his even having to say anything, Chantaya dropped back from where she rode beside him and Matthew came abreast of him.  She drew her sword as she moved back, as did the others and Peyton cursed silently as he raised his shield to think he’d gotten Chantaya into such a situation.  Four highwaymen.  He’d been a fool to agree to let her ride without more riders.  Still, there were only four of them.

As they pulled abreast of the waiting men, one stepped out, effectively stopping all their horses and Peyton threw his cloak back off of his shoulders so he could be free of any restraint.  The pale starlight glinted off his armor and the man in front of him slowed as the other three murmured something, but then the man in front said, “Halt there!”

Suddenly feeling a slow burning anger start in his belly, Peyton ground out, “What do you want?  We’ve no time for this.”

The man only gave a humorless laugh as three other men walked their horses out of the shadows to the left of the roadway.  Harshly, the man said, “You’ll find the time.  Give us your coin or we’ll bleed you out here and now.”

Truly angry now, Peyton
knew there was no way to avoid a battle and snarled, “We’ll give you nothing, thieves!”  Without pause, he plunged his charger forward and in one great sweep, slashed at the man’s throat and continued on toward the others as he saw his men leap their horses forward as well.  Behind him, he heard Chantaya’s horse rear and neigh and then he was into the thick of the fight, slashing right and left with his sword, silently willing Chantaya to keep out of it.

‘Twas
over in but a matter of moments, although it seemed longer because he’d been so involved.  When the last man near him was down, he spun his horse to see where else there was an enemy waiting and in a single glance, he took in the fact that all were vanquished except the lone man who had gotten around him and his men and now stood toe to toe in front of Chantaya.  She was off her horse and had thrown off her cloak and was locked in the intense, deadly dance of a swordfight.  Shaun was just several strides from them and for an instant, the scene before Peyton appeared to slow to a surreal pace as Chantaya expertly parried the thief’s blade once, twice, thrice. 

A
t last, Shaun reached them and thrust his own blade.  The last thief fell.

Chantaya lowered her weapon and for a long moment appeared utterly dejected, but then, as Peyton slid his horse to a stop in front of her and leaped to the ground, she turned and buried her face in his chest and began to cry.  He had to ask if she had been hurt several times before she shook her head against him, and then he held her to him and stroked her back, assuring her over and over that they would be all right and that the danger was past. 

After several moments, when she began to pull herself together, he looked up to see Matthew and the others watching the two of them, Matthew grinning, and Shaun with a look of profound confusion.  At that moment, her hat brushed off and her silken, sable curls slid free of their twist.  They tumbled down her back and Shaun actually recoiled in his surprise and near tripped over the body of the thief in front of them. 

Peyton finally felt
a hint of a smile break through the gut wrenching angst he’d been feeling, looked all around at the needless carnage and motioned to Matthew as he picked up her cloak and draped it round her shoulders.  “Bring her horse.  Let’s get her out of here.  I should have made her ride in a carriage.” 

Shaun was still in apparent shock as she twisted her hair back up and replaced her hat, and Peyton had to nearly snap at him, “Shaun!  Mount up!  We must away!  She needs rest.  She shouldn’t have had to see that.  Come.”

Matthew brought her horse as Peyton gave her one last long embrace and then let her step into his hands to mount.  When they were all aboard, Peyton lead off at a high gallop with her horse running close at his side.  He glanced sideways at her, noticing how gracefully she rode and once again, berated himself for letting her ride with them through the night and not hiring more outriders.  It had been a fool’s decision.  He should never have let her sweet smile influence him to give in.  He looked all around them into the dark, wishing they were closer to Valais.  At least in the city there would be patrols of other soldiers.  They’d be safer there.

                                                      
 
SSSS

This ride had been such a range of differing emotions that Chantaya had become more than a little exhausted long before their encounter with the band of highwaymen.  After starting with the simple joy of being with Peyton again, she’d gone then to indignation at Peyton’s upstart squire, to physically overdone, to remembering her fear of the last ride at the sight of that dark grouping of horsemen.  Now she had graduated through relief, to plain and simple fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her as the memories of the last ride through the dark of night and thieves descended with a vengeance.

She was cold, and tired, and had felt the exact moment when the slice on her ribs from that last horrible swordfight tore through the old scab
and stitches as she fought.  Even now, she could feel the cool drip of her blood as it soaked through her borrowed shirt at the back, chilling her further still and only reinforcing the nightmarish memories of that freezing, awful ride. 

The men could have this life. 
‘Twas far too harsh an existence for her to ever wish it upon herself.  She shook her head and glanced to her side at Peyton to bring some of the reassurance his presence always brought her.  His was an incredible gift.  Even in the midst of this conflict, and outnumbered, she had known in her heart that all would be well with Peyton near.  The only reason she’d succumbed to her tears was the sickening memory the fight brought on of having to kill the swordsman the week before.   

   By sheer force of will, she straightened her shoulders and tried to absorb some of the shock of her horse’s gait with her knees to ease her tired back.  She truly loved the freedom of riding occasionally, but some of her rather intimate parts got tender after hours and hours.  The idea of that carriage was sounding more and more tempting.

At long length, when their horses clip clopped across a river bridge, bringing them at last into the outskirts of Valais, Peyton pulled up and gently insisted she get on his horse behind him.  She had begun to cough again and her throat was aching.  She got off of her own mount and onto his in mute gratitude.  The thought of snuggling up to the warm strength of his back sounded fair heavenly.  She was indeed tired.

Some miles inside the city, Peyton pulled the horses to a stop behind a dark and quiet house, and said, “This house belongs
to the prince’s distant cousin or some such, but he doesn’t stay here much and the prince has kindly offered it to us for you.”  He helped her slide off and then dismounted himself and wrapped a strong arm round her waist to all but carry her inside as Shaun and the others took the horses.  Matthew came inside with them and began to light the fires that had been laid and ready as she looked all around while Peyton dug into cupboards in the kitchen.  He brought bread and cheese and mulled cider and handed it to her to warm over the fire.

As tired as she was, she said little as she watched and sipped the cider.  After a few minutes, Peyton said, “I’ll go retrieve your things from your saddle.  Stay here with Matthew.”   He went out the door and she glanced up at his Matthew and caught him watching her with an easy smile.  Peyton came straigh
t back in with her bag and the other three with him saying, “They’ve brought your things.”  Peyton smiled.  “Seems Shaun’s far more patient with having you tagging along, now he’s realized you’re not truly a stable hand.  Gentlemen, may I present to you, Miss Chantaya Kincraig.”

Almost penitently, Shaun approached her and bowed.  “Please.  I beg your forgiveness, Miss Chantaya.  I had no idea.  Please accept my apologies.  Both for being less than welcoming, and for questioning your fencing skills.  I was a fool.”

Chantaya gave him a wan smile and patted his arm.  “You are quite forgiven, Sir.  Please forgive me for my masquerade as well.  We didn’t intend to insult you.  And thank you for saving me tonight. ‘Tis certain I couldn’t have held him off much longer.”

Matthew smiled and interjected, “Oh, I don’t know.  You appeared to be doing quite well from where I was.  We thought he was merely jesting when he said you were skilled.  Pray, tell, where and when did you learn to fence and ride thus?  You could best many of those in the king’s military.”  He bowed before her as well and reached for her hand.  “He told us you were a rare beauty. ‘Tis that he doesn’t tell
an untruth.  Please, m’lady, pray forgive us for ever putting you in such a compromising situation.  ‘Twill not happen again, I swear it.”  The others nodded in agreement.

  She shook her head and said, “Kind sir, ‘twas not your fault we were set upon by such men.  You needn’t apologize.  Especially not when you’ve just ridden all night on my behalf.  I than
k you.  I thank all of you.  And I thank you for keeping Peyton all in one piece these months as well.  I am in your debt.”

Matthew smiled back and said drily
, “'Tis no great feat.  He typically has the foe beaten and contained before any of the rest of us even get a crack at them.  He’s a hard one to keep up with, he is. ‘Tis a good thing he’s so blasted friendly, or the rest of us would resent him terribly.”

Peyton only rolled his eyes and said, “Don’t listen to him, Chani.  His is the silver tongue amongst us.  May I take your cloak?  Are you warming up yet?”

She nodded and then admitted hesitantly, “I’m warm, but . . .  This apparel. ‘Tis not truly modest.  Even Conrad lectured me about being seen in trousers.  I can only imagine the talking-to you’ll spout at me, Peyton.  I mean Sir Peyton.”

Shaun waved a casual hand.  “Ignore any lecturing, m’lady.  One who can fence with such prowess, needn’t worry about mere trousers.”  He slipped the cloak from her shoulders and turned aside to drape it over a nearby chair and assured, “Here, you’re among friends.  No worries.”

Stretching her hands once more toward the fire, she sighed tiredly and then coughed.  Looking around, she was wondering where she was to sleep when she saw Matthew nudge Peyton.  They were looking at her back and she twisted to see what they were looking at and then winced with the movement.  She sighed even more deeply as Peyton near shouted, “Chani!  You’re all bloody!  Your back!  You were wounded!”

As he strode toward her, she put out her hands and tried to calm him.  “No.  No, Peyton.  I wasn’t wounded.  I’m fine.  It’s from before.  It’s old.  It just broke open with the fencing.  I’m well.  I swear it.”

He paused mid step in confusion. “What?”  Glancing around at her back again, he said, “But Chani, that’s a lot of blood.  How?  What?”  His voice raised a notch.  “Who did this to you?  Was it Rosskeene?  His son?  They’ll hang!  I’ll see them both hang!  What do you mean, it’s old?”

Chantaya looked at him and then at the others and back at him and sighed
a third time.  “Pey.  Peyton, I . . .  Peyton, could we discuss this in the morning?  I’m fair exhausted this night.  I’m truly not up to this.”

“Up to what?  What aren’t you up to?”

Matthew cleared his throat and said, “I fear those horses need looking in on.  I’ll just head out to ensure they are secure for the even.  Maybe you could help me check them, gentlemen.  Could I trouble you?”

Nodding, Shaun said, “Of a surety, Matthew.  I was just thinking I should look in on them one more time before turning in.”

The others left the room and Peyton turned back to her grimly as he stepped closer and pulled the tail of her borrowed shirt free of the trousers and began to lift it.  She yanked it back down and said, “Peyton!  What are you doing?”