Page 12 of Always
I was accustomed to staying awake for days, had been trained to work with sleep deprivation. But how fast and long would this noblewoman be able to run without rest?
Frustration cascaded into my veins. I should have insisted she remain in the castle with the others. How would we stay ahead of our pursuers if she began to tire?
“My lady,” I said louder. “Time to leave.”
She nestled against me, her nose grazing my neck where the mantle of my chain mail left it exposed. I swallowed hard and gathered the inner reserves of my will together. Then I gently pried her loose.
I sensed her wakefulness even before she yawned.
“Hold onto the bags,” I instructed. “I’ll lead the way to the opposite bank.”
As I began to move, once more she obeyed me without question. Tugging her behind me, I fought the current and attempted to stay a straight course, my muscles straining with each rapid stroke. When we reached the riverbank, I placed my hand upon her arm to communicate the need to remain silent. With the satchels on the ground in front of her, she checked on the princesses as I crept forward and surveyed the area.
When I was positive we were alone, I led her up the bank and into the woodland, then returned to the river to do the best I could to erase our tracks. Once I was sure we’d left no trace of our presence there, I took one of the satchels from Felicia.
“The babes are damp but still asleep,” she whispered as she stood. She’d been wise to choose bags covered in pig bladder to make them waterproof.
In the darkness of the thick woodland, I could see only the faintest outline of her. “We need to run if we have any hope of distancing ourselves from anyone who might follow us.”
“I can run,” she said, although somewhat tremulously.
“Your skirts will hinder your movement.” My face heated with embarrassment at the mention of her attire. Again, I had no experience with women’s garments and had no wish for any impropriety. But the urgency of the situation overruled all else.
“I shall tie them up,” she said. “With the rope.”
I handed her my belt instead. “Use this, my lady.”
She worked rapidly to roll up the long folds of her dress. When she was finished, I was glad for the cover of darkness that hid her. Even so, I hiked forward rapidly lest I happen to see her. The crackling of sticks and brush told me she was following. And I prayed we would be safe despite her noise.
“Stay close,” I said over my shoulder as I began to run. The pace was not as fast or vigorous as I was accustomed to. Nevertheless, I could sense her struggling to keep up, stumbling over windfalls and slipping on leaves. Her breath came in gasps, and she inhaled sharply at the slap of a twig or the snag of a bramble. Otherwise, she kept going without complaint.
After we’d been running for some time, I expected her to ask for a respite, but she didn’t speak—a fact for which I was grateful. My mind was carving a mental path through the woodland, and the fewer distractions, the better I’d be able to focus. Without the moon and with only a few stars to guide me, I was relying mostly upon my memorization of Mercia’s maps to lead me to the Cress River.
Once we reached the waterway, I’d use a few of the silver pieces inside the pack I’d found in the cave to rent a small boat. Then I’d row as quickly upriver as I could. The Cress would eventually split into three branches—the Upper, Central, and Lower. From there, I’d pray Ethelwulf wouldn’t be able to figure out which direction we took.
But if our pursuers were able to track us, I didn’t know how we could outrun them forever.
Chapter
5
Felicia
I awoke witha start, my eyes flying open to find the fog that had shrouded the boat earlier had lifted to reveal low clouds with dark, angry bellies. A tiny wail came from one of the bags next to me, and I realized the babes were hungry again.
I sat forward and had to bite back a groan. Every muscle and bone ached from the endless run through the woodland of the previous night. I’d wanted to stop on countless occasions, had thought I’d die from exhaustion. But every time I considered resting, I remembered my vow to the queen. She’d trusted me with the task of saving her babes. I had to remain strong for her and for the princesses.
When Lance had finally halted, I’d collapsed into a heap on the ground, my entire body trembling. I’d known once I was down I wouldn’t be able to rise again. I’d despaired that he might have to leave me behind—until he returned from a short excursion to inform me he’d rented a boat. At the news, I’d nearly wept with relief.
After he’d assisted me into the small skiff, I’d dropped to the hull, wanting nothing more than to close my eyes in exhaustion. But the herbal sleeping medicine given to the babes had finally worn off, and they’d chosen that moment to awaken. I’d had to search deep within myself for the stamina to feed and change them. Thankfully, they’d fallen asleep again without fussing. I’d tucked them securely into the bags and then succumbed to my fatigue.
How long had I slept?
Lance sat at the middle bench only a couple feet away plunging the oars in and out of the water with the same deep and swift rhythm he’d used during the dark hours of the morning. Hadn’t he stopped once in all the time I’d slept? His attention was as keenly alert to our surroundings as it had been from the moment we’d started the journey, his gaze constantly shifting from the distant riverbanks to the other boats sharing the watercourse with us.
After I’d insisted on the Upper Cress River as our route of escape rather than the other branches, he’d relented, for which I was grateful. The upper branch led to Everly, where the rest of the king’s courtiers, along with Princess Constance, had gone after evacuating Delsworth.
As a major waterway on the Great Isle, the Cress River was always busy with barges from the coast transporting goods up to the Iron Cities as well as boats bringing iron bars created in smelters downriver to the port, where they were shipped to other nations.
