Page 54 of While Angels Slept
She nodded swiftly, grabbing Hunt, who had the dog, and pulled them along as they stayed close to the mighty keep, making their way to the west side where the interior bailey wall was very close to the keep. There was a gate that led to yards and the massive exterior wall beyond, so she slipped them all through the thick iron and wood gate.
Once they were through the gate, however, she came to a halt and faced Tevin. “From here, the only way out is through the front gate,” she told him.
He nodded, heading back to the north and the gatehouse. “Thereare no worries at that point,” he said. “My men are waiting there to take you out of this place.”
Cantia pulled Hunt and the dog along as they scurried after Tevin, crossing the muddy outer bailey beneath the ghostly moon glow until they reached the main gate of Rochester, which was eerily lit with torches and guarded by men.
Rather than a large escort, Tevin thought it best to have a very small but well-armed party so it would not attract the wrong kind of attention. Therefore, he only had two knights riding escort, men of the highest caliber. Next to the gate astride their big chargers await Dagan and Gavril, not John and Simon as Tevin had ordered. He peered curiously at the pair.
“Where are John and Simon?” he asked.
Dagan answered. “They have commanded us to ride in their stead, my lord.”
Tevin’s brow furrowed with annoyance. “They did not say why?”
“Nay, my lord.”
Tevin’s frustration grew but there was no time to track down the two knights who had disobeyed his direct orders. The time to leave was now. He directed Cantia to a gray palfrey as Val went to her charger and prepared to mount. Tevin went to his sister.
“Are you well enough that you can ride with Arabel?” he asked. “I would rather that she ride with you, leaving Dagan and Gavril free to fend off any assaults should it be necessary.”
Val nodded, holding out her arms for her niece. “I can ride with her and fight, too, if it is required.”
Tevin shook his head even as he handed Arabel up to her aunt. “You will not fight with Arabel in your custody,” he instructed in a low, firm voice. “Your duty will be to protect her at all costs. If there is any fighting, you will ride clear of it and get to safety. Is that understood?”
Val gazed down at her brother, for the first time hearing fear in his voice. She knew how hard this was for him, being separated from Arabel, and Cantia, but more than that, he was frightened for thembecause he could not go and personally protect them. Her emotionless brother was becoming emotional and she hastened to reassure him.
“I will protect her with my life,” she assured him softly. “I hope you would already know that without me having to say it.”
Tevin’s features were tight beneath the moonlight. “I do,” he replied quietly. “But for my own sake, I had to say it.”
Before Val could reply, Arabel put her small hand on her father’s big fingers. “We will be fine,” she told him. “We are going to have a great adventure, remember? I am looking forward to visiting Castle Mandragora. My very own castle!”
She said it so happily that he couldn’t help but smile. She really had no true concept of danger, having been protected by her powerful father all of her life. She had lived a rather sheltered existence, so all of this was, indeed, a big adventure.
“Listen to what Val tells you and be safe,” he touched her cheek. “My love goes with you. I will see you very soon.”
Arabel grinned and he turned away, savoring that as the last vision of his child before he would see her again. He tried not to let apprehension overwhelm him. Then he focused on Cantia.
She was astride the palfrey with Hunt behind her and the dog sitting next to the horse. She was facing away from him as he came upon her and he reached out, a massive hand touching the boy’s back before moving on to rest casually on Cantia’s arm.
When she felt him, she turned to look at him and he could feel his composure slip. There was sadness and longing in her gaze, and he forced a smile. They had already said their farewells, but it didn’t make this moment of separation any easier. But already, it was killing him.
“I have studied my map and Darland is not too far to the south,” he sounded comforting and business-like. “The knights will have instructions to take you south without stopping until they reach the manse. On a clear night with good weather, it should take two hours at the most. You will get inside the manse, make sure it is bottled up, and go about your daily lives until I come for you. Is that clear?”
Cantia nodded. “When will you come?”
His composure slipped another notch. “I do not know,” he said, his voice considerably softer. “It could be in two days or two weeks. I have no way of knowing. But know that I will come as soon as I can. And I will miss you more with each breath I take.”
The last sentence was whispered. Cantia smiled sadly, careful with her body language with Hunt so close. She wanted very much to throw her arms around Tevin and hug him tightly, but dare not make any attempt. The pain of not being able to touch him was almost too much to bear.
“Then we shall look for you every day,” she said softly. “Please… please take great care, my lord.”
All he could do was nod, his eyes conveying a thousand words his mouth and body could not. The moment of separation was here but he realized he wasn’t ready for it. He knew he had to get away from her or risk breaking down in some manner, so he quickly turned for Dagan and Gavril, swallowing the lump in his throat. He was struggling.
By the time he reached his knights, his manner had turned snappish. “Have no doubt I will find John and Simon and they shall feel my wrath for having disobeyed my orders,” his rumbled. “But for you, know this. You will follow the road south until you come to a fork in the road. It will be the first fork, a big one, and you will bear left. Follow this and you will pass through two small bergs. When you come to the third berg, that is Darland, and you will ask the lady where the manse is. She will direct you to it. You will remain with the lady and with Val until I come for you. Defend them with your life, for there is nothing in this world more important than those three women and that small boy. Do you understand?”
Gavril and Dagan nodded firmly. “Aye, my lord,” they answered in unison.
