A VOW TO KEEP (The Vengeance Trilogy)

L
ana

W
illiams

Copyright 2012, Lana Williams

ISBN-13:
 
 
978-1478235279

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Author.

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P
rologue

England, 1245

“My lady, I beg of you. Let us turn back. There is an unnatural feel about this place.”

Lady Alyna of Montvue darted a glance at Charles, her loyal servant, then looked around uneasily. She felt apprehensive as well, but wasn’t certain if the cause was their surroundings, their destination or perhaps fear that her father would discover their whereabouts.

The forest, thick with undergrowth, crowded the narrow path they followed. A low-lying fog laced through the trees and added dampness to the cold winter’s day. The bare, dark branches of tall oaks stretched high overhead, their gnarled fingers providing a sinister canopy. The horses seemed to share her servant’s nervousness, their ears twitching at every small sound.

“Aye, my lady,” her maid, Enid, agreed. “For once Charles has the truth of it. I’ve had a bad feeling since you received that message and it grows by the moment. Are you certain you don’t want to return home?”

Her two servants were right. This place had a strange feel. But it would take more than that to make her turn back. Already she’d risked her father’s wrath to come here, not to mention venturing outside the protection of their small manor and village.

They’d ridden for miles now with no sight of Broughton, the village they sought. Quelling her doubts, Alyna pulled her woolen cloak tightly about her and sat up straight. “We’re nearly there. My business with the healer will not take long.”

Mistress Myranda, reputed to be a
healer
gifted with second sight, had sent a message that Alyna could not ignore. Myranda had something that belonged to Alyna’s mother who’d died when Alyna was in her tenth year. The message had instructed Alyna to come midday of the full moon to collect it. Anything that belonged to her mother was worth the risk.

The path widened at the top of a small rise. Relief filled Alyna at the sight of the village nestled in the clearing below. Livestock grazed in the tofts. Smoke added to the fog and laid a ghostly quality to the mist surrounding the thatched-roof cottages. One stood far apart from the others.

“There!” Alyna pointed. “That is the place we seek.”

A woman appeared in the doorway. She stepped out with a slow, awkward gait and stood with a hand on her lower back, looking up at them. Both nervous and curious, Alyna urged her steed down the ridge.

Behind her
,
Charles grumbled, as he had most of the journey. Enid muttered a response, her words too low to reach Alyna, but her tone clear enough. For once, Alyna found their bickering to be of comfort. She was grateful they’d insisted on accompanying her.

As they neared the cottage, she realized Mistress Myranda was heavy with child. Very heavy with child. Some said her second sight was a gift, and others called it a curse. To Alyna, she appeared to be just a woman, and an attractive one at that. Her dark hair was thick and neatly plaited and framed a face with even features and troubled blue eyes.

Before Alyna could utter a greeting, the woman grimaced in pain. Alyna slid off the horse. “Mistress Myranda?”

“The babe is coming!” She grabbed Alyna’s offered hand and squeezed until at last the pain passed. “I’m so very glad you’re here.”

Concerned, Alyna put her arm around the healer’s shoulders. “Let us get you out of the cold. Is there someone who can help you? My servant can fetch her.”

“Nay. I need no one but you.”

Taken aback at both her words and the conviction with which she said them, Alyna sent a worried glance at Enid. “Once you’re settled inside, you can tell me how I can help.”

“I’ll care for the horses, my lady,” Charles said, his brow creased with concern. “Let me know if you have need of me.”

Alyna nodded. Before going more than a step into the cottage, Myranda gasped and bent over in pain. Uneasy with the frequency of the contractions, Alyna supported her until the pain passed, then guided her the rest of the way inside.

The pleasant fragrance of dried herbs wrapped around her. A small fire on a raised stone hearth warmed the interior. In the flickering light, Alyna could see a narrow straw bed tucked against one wall. She and Enid settled Myranda on it and made her as comfortable as possible. Enid
examined what Myranda had readied
for the birthing.

“How long have you had the pains?” Alyna asked.

“Some time now, my lady. The babe will come soon. But ’tis most urgent that I speak with you.”

“I, too, look forward to talking with you and seeing what you have for me. But first, we have a babe to deliver.” She hoped her tone didn’t reflect her concern. Though she’d assisted in several births, those had been with a midwife or an experienced mother present. The thought of delivering a babe with only Enid to help was daunting. “Enid and I have some experience, but surely there’s someone we should send for.”

“Nay, my lady.” The woman shifted as though still uncomfortable. “I fear I was not honest in my message to you.”

Something about the look on Myranda’s face made Alyna’s worry increase threefold. “What do you mean?”

“In my visions, I have seen the outcome of this day. And I have seen you. Many times, I have seen you. Trouble comes your way, my lady. I will not be there to help you.” Myranda sucked in her breath as another contraction seized her. Several moments passed before the pain eased.

“What sort of trouble?” Alyna asked as Enid bathed Myranda’s face with a cool cloth.

“Your father is involved with those who will bring him harm. And he will make arrangements that bode ill for you.” Myranda clasped Alyna’s hand, her vivid blue eyes boring into Alyna’s. “You must not follow through with his plans.”

“I don’t understand,” Alyna said, confused by her words.

“I have two gifts to aid you.” She motioned Enid to a nearby table where a book lay. When Enid brought it, Myranda placed Alyna’s hand on it. “This journal was your mother’s. She entrusted it to me to give to you when the time was right.”

Touched, Alyna traced her hand over the smooth, brown leather book cover carved with the image of a howling wolf. Alyna opened it, and her heart soared as she recognized her mother’s handwriting. Enid had mentioned that Alyna’s mother and Myranda had sometimes shared methods of uses and preparation of herbs. “I remember this. Mother wrote notes in it.”