Page 35 of Knight from the Ashes (Crown and Crest 1)

Henrik studies me a moment before he turns away. “It’s mine.”

My stomach wobbles, and I look down at the bedroll. As he walks away, I ask, “What will you sleep on?”

“Don’t worry about me, Lady Clover. I can take care of myself.”

It’s clear from his tone that he’s insinuating Icannot. And…he’s not wrong. Everything I brought with me—my clothes, my horse, my nightdress, the tonic and face cream I use before bed, and even the soft ties for my hair—are in Riverwren, waiting for me to return.

Tonight, I’m just going to have to make do.

A few hours later, after the fire has died down, we’ve eaten a meager meal, and Simon has constructed my tent, I leave the group to retire for the night.

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Simon assures me. “Henrik has assigned several guards on a nightly rotation. You are completely safe, and if you should require anything, someone will be awake to assist you.”

My fingers tremble as I clench Henrik’s bedroll close, and I nod as if unconcerned. After all, am I bothered by a night in the woods?

Certainly not.

I push my way through the flap, grateful Simon put a canvas drop cloth underneath the tent to separate me from the ground.

And the insects.

Rodents.

And possibly trolls.

“Trolls don’t come up through the ground,” I whisper, impatient with myself.

And then I freeze in the dark. They don’t, do they? What do I know of the nightly movements of trolls?

Deciding it’s best to sleep fully dressed, I fumble with the bedroll’s ties and then attempt to lay it flat upon the ground. I have no pillow.

No blanket.

Just the canvas worm.

Gingerly, I lie on it, hugging myself tightly. A rock digs into my ribcage, and another pokes at my hip. The ground is uneven and lumpy, and—

“It’s an adventure,” I say aloud. “Be brave, Clover.”

I close my eyes, determined to find sleep. Slowly, the sounds of the men talking die down. The wind whispers through the nearby cottontuft trees, and shadows fall on the tent as the moons rise for the night.

Slowly, I grow cold. Also, my corset twisted as I tried to find a comfortable position earlier in the night, and now it jabs into my flesh.

Despite all that, I’m finally dozing when somethingshrieksfrom not far away.

I yelp, sitting up. Whatwasthat?

My eyes have adjusted to the night, but the moons must have gone behind clouds because it’s still too dark to see well.

“Lady Clover,” Henrik’s deep voice says from outside the tent. “Don’t be alarmed. It was only a leopard.”

I huff out my held breath.

“Only a leopard?” I demand. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“There’s plenty of prey in this area—it wants nothing to do with us.”

He goes quiet, making me think he left. I must have disturbed him when I screamed. Maybe he was on night patrol and just happened to be walking by.

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