Page 90 of Wolf Alliance

When Accaliaand the boys hadn’t emerged from the tent by the time they were ready to break their fast, take down the camp, and start traveling again, Erik peeked into the tent to see them all snuggled together, fast asleep. He loved her. She was so good for his boys, and of course, so good for him.

“Time to rise and eat and get on our way,” he said, hating to disturb them. They looked so comfortable. But he knew that the sooner they got on their way, the sooner they would stop for the night again, and the last day would be a short day to travel. Unless they left too late in the morning.

“Och,” Accalia said, trying to unbury herself from the sleeping boys. “Up, we must get up.”

Niamh sighed. “This is the part I dinna think too much about.”

Accalia chuckled.

The boys groaned, rubbing their eyes, yawning, and stretching. Then they all rose and began getting dressed. Accalia and Niamh helped the boys dress, and then they all left the tent.

Several of the men were already eating and as soon as Niamh, Accalia, the boys, and Erik sat down to share bread and porridge, other men were taking the tents down and packing up the camp.

By the time they had eaten, they were ready to begin their journey again.

Until now, the days had been sunny and warm, but today the skies were gray and rainy. They wore their wool cloaks to protect themselves from the constant rain. The day of travel felt much longer. When they stopped for the night, Erik was glad to get Accalia, Niamh, and the boys inside the dry tent. He even joined them to eat while the rain poured down.

“I hope the weather will clear up tomorrow,” Accalia said.

“Me too. I dinna think I will ever feel dry again,” Niamh said. “I appreciate that we have the tent though.”

“We still traveled a full day despite it, and tomorrow we’ll have only half a day to ride,” Erik said.

“Good.”

Thorfinn shook his head. “I felt like I was swimming in the loch all day.”

“Me too,” Hendrie said, Johnne agreeing. “But no fish to catch.”

They all laughed.

“Well, on the morrow, we’ll be at the castle, where it will be nice and warm and dry,” Accalia said.

Erik kissed Accalia, removed his clothes, and then shifted into his wolf. He would guard as a wolf, the rain not bothering him since his outer guard hairs would keep his soft downy undercoat dry and warm.

Everyone was doing their best on the stormy night—lightning flashing all over, lighting up the forest, thunder crashing overhead, strong winds blowing through their camp—to ensure that Freigard and his men didn’t attack them. They could assault them at any time, but Erik figured if Freigard could gather enough men, what better time to attack, than when they were still traveling, half of the men sleeping, while the other half guarded on a wild, stormy night?

The storm was making it difficult to hear anyone approaching the camp and the winds and rain were wreaking havoc with smelling anyone’s scents. They were all on high alert.

24

The boys soon snuggled with Accalia, maybe because they were cold and scared of the storm. Thunder hit right overhead, and Accalia jumped despite trying to be a calming influence on the boys. The rain hammered the tent as if trying to pound its way inside. She hoped it would stay outside.

Accalia glanced at Niamh, but she was sound asleep. Accalia swore she could sleep through a castle siege.

Accalia must have fallen asleep and began dreaming of running as a wolf with Erik, then returning to their chamber and making love, until the storm was too much. The wind whipped the tent about, disturbing her sleep, though the boys were sleeping cuddled up to her, so she didn’t want to wake them. Then something sounded like it was ripping through the tent.

Ripping? The wind had torn the tent? She opened her eyes to see a sword slicing through the tent—not the wind ripping it apart like she had thought—and rainwater dripping in through the opening. Her heart beat like crazy as she heard fighting in the camp, both close by and farther away.

Swords slashed at swords. Steel struck steel. And Erik growled like an angry wolf as he tore into someone next to the tent, the bodies thudding against it, shaking it.

Trying to keep the panic from her voice, she said to the boys, “Remove your clothes and shift. We’re under attack.”

Stirring a wee bit, the boys barely moved.

Accalia shook them. “There’s a battle in camp. Shift into your wolves and keep low. Niamh, wake!”

“Och, nay!” Niamh yanked off her woolen cloak.

---