Paladin's Prize (Age of Heroes, Book 1) (16 page)

Whoosh!

In the twinkling of an eye, they landed on their rear ends in the middle of the dusty road well outside the town.

Thaydor sat up immediately, shaking his head to clear it. He looked at her, saw she was safe, then glanced over his shoulder at the distant town walls.

He let out a slightly dazed laugh. “Well, that’s new.”

“Oh, I’m a girl of many hidden talents. Come on, we’re not there yet.” She grasped hold of his arm again. “
Hasten
.”

Chapter 7

Bonfire

T
he rain drummed on the forest trees and dripped off the mouth of the secluded cave where they had taken shelter for the night. Having laid out the two bedrolls across from each other, Wrynne was working on building a fire from the dry kindling that they’d had the foresight to stop and collect when they’d seen the dark clouds gathering.

Thaydor had gone to cover the wagon with an oilskin stored among his provisions. Since the cave had plenty of room, they had brought the horses in, as well. Avalanche and Polly were contentedly slurping their water and munching their grain. To be sure, the two had earned the extra handful of oats.

Between Wrynne’s
hasten
spell and the trusty horses’ willingness to pull the cart at a gallop for as long as Thaydor had dared push them, they had managed to outrun Reynulf and his men.

Thaydor had bitterly agreed that, considering Wrynne and he were now both fugitives, there was no point in talking to the king. Instead, they were heading to the Bastion to consult the oracle and hopefully receive some guidance and at least temporary sanctuary.

Wrynne was worried about the paladin. Ever since she had handed him the
Wanted
poster, he’d had a lost, stunned look in his blue eyes. He seemed to be in shock. So was she, in truth. She could not believe they were now both outlaws.

The poor man had read that dreadful piece of paper so many times he must have memorized it by now, as if it might start making sense to him if only he studied it hard enough. He had not looked this disturbed even on the night he had nearly died.

She blew on the spark she’d created to get the campfire started. The mundane normality of the task helped to calm her.

“They’re blaming
me
?” he had uttered when she had first showed it to him. “Unbelievable!
I
let the Urmugoths in?
I
killed the sentries? How can they possibly justify such a ridiculous claim? Whyever would I do such a thing? So that I could win my way back into the king’s good graces? As if I care for his opinion! Sweet Ilios, is that what people actually think of me? That I’m some bootlicking toady?”

“No, of course not, Thaydor,” she had reassured him, sitting down beside him in the cave. “Trust me, anyone who knows you or even knows
of
you will realize at once you are not capable of this. Such a cruel, deceitful scheme would never even occur to you, let alone would you ever carry it out. All Veraidel know this is a lie, then everyone will realize the king’s lost his mind.”

“I hope that’s all it is… Madness. I-I don’t understand.” He had shaken his head, genuinely at a loss. “How can they spread these lies about me? I’ve done nothing wrong. They want to destroy me just because I spoke out?”

Wrynne had only been able to shrug, tears springing into her eyes for him. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, it’s not for myself that I’m angry,” he’d answered absently, staring at the cave wall in thought. “It’s because of what it means.”

“What does it mean?”

He’d been quiet for a long moment before he’d finally said, “It means that the kingdom has gone quietly into tyranny while no one was paying attention. That’s what it means.”

His words and his grim, quiet tone had made her blood run cold.

“I didn’t want to believe it was possible…or acknowledge what that I sensed in the palace. Something off… But the truth was there, gnawing at me, despite my insistence to myself that Baynard could be trusted. A cold feeling in my gut. Yes, I’m afraid I’ve felt this coming for a long time now.”

“What are you saying?”

“The kingdom is in danger. Everybody’s grown so complacent. They’re asleep.” He had looked at her, his eyes ablaze. “If the rule of law means nothing… If we’re no longer free to speak our minds… If false accusations can be issued from the highest seat in the realm and cast far and wide, to be acted on with the full force of the law… If the Crown itself can attack a loyal citizen without cause… Then we have all become slaves, Wrynne. It’s just that nobody else has noticed yet…because they came after me first.

“But of course they did,” he had murmured, more to himself than to her. “They knew I’d never allow it. So that’s where all of this was going. Now it all makes sense.
Sanctus solis
, you were right, Wrynne.” He’d looked at her grimly. “They
were
trying to kill me. But it’s worse than even
you
thought.”

“How?” she had whispered.

“This is not just some vain retaliation for the king’s wounded pride, because I rebuked him for this public dalliance with his mistress. No. The Baynard I know wouldn’t bother. If you ask me, this comes straight from Lord Eudo, and I’d bet you anything he’s setting up a coup. Get rid of me, get rid of the king. Damn it, how could I be so stupid not to see it until now?” he had suddenly exploded. He let out a curse and walked out of the cave. “Excuse me.”

“What are we going to do?” she’d shouted after him.

He had paused, his back still to her, fists clenched by his sides.

“Fight it!” he had growled. Then he had strode out, mumbling something about going out to cover the wagon with the oilskin so their things didn’t get wet.

For a quarter hour or so, he stayed outside, keeping to himself. When he returned presently, his blond hair looked a shade darker from the rain, but the same fury remained in his eyes. He had a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder. “I’m not hungry, but I’ll go get you something to eat if you—”

“No need! Stay.” She swept to her feet. “I brought food. It’s in the wagon. I’ll go get it.”

He furrowed his brow. “Did you buy something in the town before we fled?”

She paused. “No, I brought it with me from my bower.” She pulled on her cloak and lifted the hood. “Come. Maybe I have something that can tempt you.”

“I daresay,” he answered under his breath, and gave her a swift glance that made her blush.

She looked away, abashed. “You really ought to eat. You’ll need your strength,” she warned, then hurried out into the rain.

“Wrynne,” he said softly after she brushed by him at the cave’s mouth.

“Yes?” She turned and found him gazing at her with a look of anguished intensity on his handsome face.

He shook his head. “I’m so sorry I brought all this upon you. You saved my life and I’ve ruined yours.”

“Ah, don’t be daft.” With a fond, chiding smile, she took a step back in his direction. “You haven’t ruined anything.”

“I should’ve never let you come with me to town. This is all my fault.”

“Stop it. You’ve got enough enemies against you out there without also pummeling yourself, especially not for my sake. Now, you listen to me, Paladin. Everything is going to be all right,” she promised, the rain misting her face. “You are Sir Thaydor Clarenbeld, the Golden Knight, and you will fix this. I have total faith in you. As for me, well,” she admitted, “I sort of
knew
what I was getting into when I climbed in the wagon with you this morning. Call it woman’s intuition.”

“You told me they were after me,” he agreed, hands in pockets. “If only I’d have listened.”

She smiled at him. “That’s why I tagged along. In case you got into a scrape. Oh, come, I didn’t really need any supplies from the market,” she finally confessed. “I just wanted to stay with you, make sure you’d be all right. That’s why I brought all this. Look!” she said brightly.

Going over to the wagon, she pulled up the edge of the oilskin and pointed at her cluster of baggage tucked away behind the horses’ unused saddles and some large sacks of Thaydor’s various supplies. She beckoned him over. “Why don’t you put those muscles to work helping me carry some of these things into the cave? I’ll make you something to eat, and perhaps we can restore your cheery nature,” she teased.

He furrowed his brow and left the cave’s mouth, striding out into the rain with her. Joining her at the back of the wagon, he frowned at the tidy heap of her baggage, once she had heaved aside Polly’s saddle and Avalanche’s extra blanket.

“What is all this?”

“The crate’s full of food.” She shrugged. “It was extra. I didn’t want it to go to waste. The satchel’s got my healing supplies, clothes and things.”

“And this leather case?”

“My armor?” she said, then bit her lip and glanced up at him.

He paused before turning his head and giving her a hard look. “So you lied to me.”

“I only wanted to help…”

He just looked at her. He didn’t have to say it.
Familiar words.
She had acted on the same impulse that had got Eadric killed. More importantly, she had ignored his express wishes.

His blue eyes turned steely. He shook his head, picked up the crate of food, and turned away. “Don’t ever lie to me again,” he warned in a low tone, then headed back to the cave.

Wrynne’s heart pounded. Flustered by his disapproval, she couldn’t leave it at that. “Thaydor!” she protested. “Come, I didn’t really
lie
.”

“That’s exactly what you did,” he replied as he marched ahead of her toward the cave.

“What choice did you leave me?” she exclaimed, feeling defensive and embarrassed as she hurried after him through the steady rain.

Ahead of her, he walked into the cave and put the crate down near the fire. Carrying her satchel, Wrynne frowned as she approached. She had no desire to stay out in the sopping wet forest. It was getting dark. But on the other hand, she was not overly eager to go in there and face him, either.

He was not having a good day as it was, and she was the only person on hand at whom he could vent his understandable anger at the world. Besides, she somewhat deserved it, she conceded with a scowl.

But considering that she had saved his neck, stubbornly, she had no interest in backing down. “I asked you yesterday if I could come with you,” she reminded him tersely when she joined him in the cave.

“And I said no,” he countered, leaning down to warm his hands by the fire.

“You wouldn’t even listen!” She dropped her satchel on the ground in irritation and tore off her cloak. “Anyway, I don’t answer to you. You have no authority over my life. I can do what I want and go where I please.”

“No authority? Do you really want me to pull rank on you in both hierarchies—church and state? Because that is not the point, Wrynne! You manipulated me!” he exclaimed, straightening up and turning to her. He loomed over her, exceedingly tall, muscular, and annoyed. “Pardon if I seem a bit perturbed about all this, but it’s been rather a bad day for finding out I’ve trusted the wrong people!”

Her jaw dropped. “Don’t lump me in with them! Thaydor!” she protested. “Oh, fine! Very well, yes, I could have been more truthful. But don’t put me in the same camp as those who betrayed you, because I would never! Surely you don’t doubt that at least I’m on your side?”

He was silent for a moment, still unwilling to let her off the hook, much to her surprise.

Sweet Ilios, he was lawful.

“Lying is not a small thing, Wrynne. Not to me. Not even for a good cause. All right? So don’t do it again.”

“I heard you the first time,” she muttered, hating being scolded like a child. She folded her arms across her chest, scowling at the mossy rock wall.

He stared at her, but now she was the one refusing to look at him.

“From the first moment I saw you, I trusted you instinctively,” he said. “How could I not? My life was in your hands. And you saved me. Nobody ever saves me. I’m always saving everybody else. But you… Now I find out you tricked me and played on my trust just to get your way—”

“So I could
help
you!”

“It doesn’t matter. A lie’s a lie. Don’t you understand what that does to someone like me, whose whole existence is usually a matter of life and death, from one quest to the next? I’ll tell you what it does,” he said crisply before she could insist that he was overreacting. “It plants a seed of doubt that we cannot afford to have between us, especially if our lives are going to depend on each other…as they apparently are, now that we’re both being hunted.”

She shook her head at him, amazed. “I don’t believe you. You’re questioning my loyalty? Whether or not you can trust me, rely on me? After I saved your life? Twice?”

“No. I’m questioning if you can follow orders. Like Eadric should have done. Like a good soldier.”

“I’m not Eadric, and I am not a soldier—”

“Precisely why you shouldn’t even be here!”

“Still, let’s not forget that you’d have been clapped in a man-catcher, shackled, and thrown in a prison cart today if it wasn’t for me. Honestly! Pardon me, Paladin, if I am not as virtuous as you and chose to keep my own counsel on my true plans this morning. So sorry! What was I to do? Let you go tearing off alone to get yourself killed?”

“You can’t even go home now because you followed me!” he shouted, gesturing angrily in the direction of Mistwood. “You were seen by countless witnesses aiding a fugitive. A man the king himself has singled out as an enemy of the Crown. Don’t you see? You’ve put yourself and possibly your whole family in danger for my sake. All I wanted, Wrynne, was to protect you. So I could come back later and we could be together—”