The King's Executioner (15 page)

“That she does,” Esplin agreed. “I must get her to her mum and see to another who is about to give birth to a little lass.”

“You are so sure it will be a lass?” Paine asked.

“The firstborn of all Wyse women is always a daughter. It is just the way of it.” She looked from Paine to Anin. “You will be leaving us soon?”

“We will gather our things and be on our way,” Paine said. “We are most grateful for all you have shared with us.”

“I wish I had more time to speak with you both,” Esplin said. “The next time will be different. We will have more time to talk.”

“I would like that,” Anin said and feeling the need reached out and gave Esplin a hug, careful not to disturb the sleeping bairn.

Stay strong.

Anin rested her hand to her chest after stepping away from Esplin and stood there while Paine spoke with her about the Wyse Chieftain meeting with the King. She barely heard what he said, she was too stunned at what she had heard and felt.

She was certain Esplin spoke to her, but she had heard it only in her head. As her words had faded, a strange sensation had taken hold of her when she laid her hand on Esplin’s back. It felt as if Esplin was part of her and she part of Esplin long before they had ever met each other.

“Safe journey to you both,” Esplin said. “We will see each other again.”

Anin hoped so, for there was much she had to ask the woman.

Anin wondered why Pain had a length of rope looped over his shoulder. She found out when they reached the top of the rise where they had looked down and first seen the Wyse settlement. It was visible no more.

“The King will be pleased that his future Queen met with the Wyse Tribe,” Paine said and slipped the rope off his shoulder.

Anin had the urge to take a step away from him. “What is the rope for?”

With deft hands, he worked on the rope. “To tether you to me.”

“That is not necessary.”

“After the wolves almost tore you apart, I told you I would not waste words of warning on you again.” He held up the rope. “Now you will have no choice but to do as I say.”

Anin stumbled back away from him. “That is a hangman’s loop.”

“It will fit perfectly around your waist. Now come here to me.”

Any other time he would have ordered her to come to him she would have done so without hesitation, but the hangman’s loop made her think twice.

Paine did not like the worried look in her eyes. Did she truly believe he would harm her? Was it not better for them both if she finally doubted him, finally saw him for who he truly was?

He held the deadly loop up, shaking it at her. “You are lucky I am not slipping it around your neck and tether you as I do prisoners.”

“You would never—”

Paine rushed at her, grabbing arm so that she could not move away from him. “Never be foolish enough to think I would not do what was necessary or commanded to do.”

Anin cringed when he slipped the rope over her head and it brushed her neck as he spread the loop wider to push past her shoulders.

“Lift your arms,” he ordered.

She did as told and he settled the rope around her waist. His actions and words frightened her and she quickly laid a hand on his arm as he pushed the knot tight against her waist. She shivered at the dark emptiness she felt within him. It was what she had felt when she first met him. She gripped his arm tighter, fighting to get through the emptiness, fighting to find what she had felt several times before that he cared for her more deeply than she thought any man ever could.

“Paine,” she whispered and the emptiness began to fade and beneath it she could feel tender warmth and—he yanked his arm away.

“Never touch me again,” he said, though it sounded more like Bog’s snarl. “I have been too lenient with you, but no more.”

“Which is it you truly fear, keeping me close or keeping me at a distance? Or is it both?”

Either way he would suffer. Keeping her close would bring the King’s wrath down upon him and keeping her at a distance meant he would never have her. That she understood meant she was aware of his lies, but then she had been aware of his lies at the pond as well. It was almost as if she could reach inside him and know what he felt.

He did not respond. He did not need to. She understood all too clearly. He wrapped the other end of the rope around his waist, knotting it. He left enough length between them so that they would not be so close that she could touch him, but close enough that she could not go far from him. Satisfied, he turned and walked along the top of the ridge.

Anin followed, seeing Bog run ahead of Paine.

“I should punish you for this by remaining silent,” she said after a few steps.

“You call that punishment?” he said with a rough laugh.

Her words brought the laugh she had hoped for from him. She wanted no anger between them their last few days together. She wanted good memories of him.

“You do not enjoy my endless chatting and questions?” she asked sweetly.

“Not in the least. I relish the quiet.” He felt his lie twist at his insides. “You should be watching for the Drust, not talking.”

“You think they will not give up? They will continue to follow our trail?” she asked, foolishly having given them no thought. They were no longer in the safety of the Wyse or in the protection of the Corsar Tribe. They were completely on their own.

“The Drust grow in warriors since their first attack. It shows they are intent on seeing their mission finished as planned.”

“With my death.” She shivered, recalling her struggle with the Drust warrior and the hatred she had felt spewing from him and how much he wanted her dead.

“That will not happen, and do not disturb me with more questions.”

Anin remained quiet for only a short time. “Why do you not want bairns of your own?”

He shook his head.

“Do you not want to live on through your children and their children, ever remembered?”

“No! What bairn would want to be the son or daughter of the King’s executioner? I would not stain an innocent child with my blood.”

“You do not have to remain the King’s executioner forever.”

“I serve the King. It is the chore he has chosen for me.”

“Is it truly or is it the punishment you have chosen for yourself?” Anin asked.

“You speak foolishly.”

“I speak what I see and feel. It matters not since you will have three daughters and a son.” Again Anin felt a twinge of envy for the woman who would birth his children.

“Esplin is wrong. I will have no children. Enough talk. It distracts and we must remain watchful.” Paine waited a moment, knowing she would speak again and said, “Not another word, Anin.” He waited again. “I mean it.”

Anin shut her mouth with a pout, though it turned quickly to a smile. He knew her well, knew she would continue talking without looking back at her. They truly were meant for each other. Why had fate not seen that? Why was she made to join with a man she cared nothing for?

She pushed the troubling thoughts away to remain watchful as Paine had said. They traveled over a barren stretch of land where you could see anyone approaching from a distance away. While the land appeared unwelcoming in its stark emptiness, there was also a beauty to it. With the cold not many full moon cycles away the land was preparing for sleep, the leaves falling from the trees to blanket the land and nourish it during its slumber and the harvest taking the last of what the land had to give.

While this journey had not been easy or wanted, she was grateful for it. She had gotten to see more of the land and its people, and she had gotten to meet Paine and feel what it was like to lose her heart.

Sunrise to sunset saw no incidents.

Paine had her sleep close to the fire and he slept the length of the rope between them. He did not move close and keep her warm like he had done before. He kept his distance and it hurt Anin that he did. It was not his warmth that she missed most, it was him. She slept and felt more peaceful when he slept wrapped around her.

They woke to a gray sky and Anin argued with Paine when he refused to remove the rope so that she could see to her morning needs.

“I will turn my head,” he said.

After endless arguing and her need growing ever stronger, he finally gave in and removed the rope from around her waist, though he warned he would remain close by.

The rope went back on her as soon as she was done. She did not protest. It would do no good. He would have his way.

The gray skies lingered throughout the day. A storm was brewing and Anin hoped it did not bring thunder with it. They entered small patches of woods that once again opened on to barren land and it went that way for a while until they were about to emerge on open land once again.

Bog stopped suddenly, the hair on his back rising. Paine approached the edge of the woods cautiously, having warned Anin with a finger to his lips to remain quiet. He peered from behind a tree, beyond saplings and foliage to a stretch of open land where a group of Drust warriors were gathered. Some squatted, their eyes searching, while others stood glancing around slowly.

They appeared to be waiting, but for who? Not for him and Anin. The Drust would wait in hiding, follow, and strike when the time was right, not remain in the open where they could be seen. Also, he had changed the path Anin and he had taken, making it more difficult for the Drust to find them.

He turned to Anin and motioned to her once again to remain silent. He did not have to instruct Bog, the wolf would follow his lead. If they lingered, their chance of discovery would grow, but he needed to see if this truly was a meeting, then who did the Drust expect?

It was not long before he got his answer. A horse and rider approached from the distance, opposite of Paine. The Drust turned as soon as one of them alerted the others to the rider’s approach. Paine was surprised and disappointed to see that the rider wore the cloak of the King’s warriors, though not his personal guard. Paine was unable to see his face, his hood drawn down too far. He remained on his horse as he spoke to the Drust warriors as if he was in command of them. He pointed toward where he had come from and then back at the Drust.

Paine wished he could hear what he said, but they were too far away. After a short time, he turned and rode off, and it was not long after that that the Drust followed in the same direction. They would be there waiting for him and Anin, but how did they know he and Anin would come that way? Or was there one of many Drust troops waiting for them?

It was not until they were a distance away that Paine spoke, though he did not tell her of the man wearing the cloak of the King’s warriors. That did not concern her. It was meant for the King alone.

“This shows that it is not a rogue group of Drust warriors,” Anin said. “Something is afoot.”

“And the King needs to know about it.”

“With the Drust ahead of us waiting, where do we go from here? Or does it matter? Do the Drust lie in wait for us wherever we go?”

“We go a back the way we came and take a different path that may delay our arrival at Pictland another day unless we keep a good pace.”

Anin would not have minded the delay if it were not for the Drust. “I will match your pace,” she assured him.

“Be sure that you do, since you are tethered to me. If you go down so will I.”

“Release me.”

“Never!” he snapped.

Anin felt a jolt to her chest from the impact of his one word. He was not speaking of the rope attached to her. He was speaking of how he felt about releasing her from his heart. He would never let her go, separated or not she would always be part of him. She reached out to lay a tender hand on him and he backed away.

“You will be Queen,” he said reminding them both and hurried past her, setting a quick pace.

Anin rushed along with him, tired of being reminded of her fate and angry she could do nothing about it. It was her duty and she had been willing to fulfill her duty, but not anymore. Not since she met Paine.

Her thoughts faded quickly, having to pay attention to where she walked, avoiding pits and rocks, worried she would fall and drag him down with her.

They did not stop until after dusk. Paine refused to light a fire, concerned that if there were any Drust in the area they would see or smell it. They shared a quick meal from the food Esplin had given them.

As much as Paine had warned himself against getting too close to Anin, tonight could not be helped. It was cold and with no fire to warm them the only heat they would get was from each other. He bedded them down behind a large boulder with trees close behind it. No one could reach them without him hearing their approach. He also had Bog to keep watch.

Anin settled against him when he wrapped himself around her like a warm, comforting blanket. She rested her hand on his arm, having ached to touch him all day, whether to reassure herself what he felt for her or simply to enjoy the comfort his closeness brought her, brought them both.

She fell into a quick, deep slumber, Paine having to shake her awake when the sun rose. He had not wanted to disturb her or the pleasure he got from having her in his arms. But he could not delay their departure. If they kept the same pace, they would reach the border of Pictland by dusk. As soon as sentinels spotted them, word would be sent to the King and he would send his personal guard to collect them both. It would be over, his mission complete, and Anin gone from him.

“We will keep a good pace and reach the border of Pictland as dark falls,” Paine said before hurrying her along.

It was not what Anin wanted to hear, but there was nothing she could do and so she kept pace with Paine all the time wishing fate had chosen differently for her.

The gray clouds that had been following them since yesterday began to grow darker and Anin thought she heard thunder in the distance. A storm was brewing and not a small one.

They stopped once for a brief rest.

“There is a dwelling we can seek shelter in once across the Pictland border and the next day the King’s personal guard will meet up with us and escort us the remainder of the way.”

Anin nodded, unable to speak, knowing her time with Paine would soon end. She did not allow herself to think when they were once again keeping a strong pace. She emptied her mind, though it would have been better for her to empty her heart, but that was not possible. It would never be possible.

Watch where you step!

The voice in her head warned too late. She suddenly found herself falling down a dark hole.