Rising Fire (5 page)

S
even days.

Seven days after speaking to the king and hearing his disturbing words and suspicions, William traveled along the road that approached the village of Yester. Two days of preparation had turned to five as he sought out and discovered more bits of hearsay and gossip and, he hoped, some truths about Lord Hugh de Gifford. Some of it, if shared, would make him sound like a raving madman. Not unlike the king had sounded during their shocking conversation.

He knew better than to share those suspicions or thoughts with anyone, or he'd find himself hanged for treason. Glancing over at the men riding at his side, William thought on how to parse out the needed details without revealing what the king had prohibited him from sharing. Roger and Gautier had guarded his back more times than he could remember. Herve, though new to his men, had proven himself valiant and strong in battle. All of them were worthy of the truth, but did he dare?

Shielding his eyes from the midday sun, he studied
the road ahead of them. Upon leaving Dunfermline, their journey proceeded without interruption or delay, first to the south and then to the east, where Lord Hugh's lands and keep lay.

“Have you been this way before, Will?” Gautier asked as he brought his mount to William's left.

“Nay. I have visited but a few places in these lands and not this one.”

Even as he spoke those words, images filled his thoughts. Three other approaches to de Gifford's village and at least one secret way into his castle. Secret no more. Searching farther away from the castle, William saw three guard posts along the road from Gifford to Yester, too. They need not worry about those for now.

“You seem familiar with these lands.” Gautier said, almost in accusation. The words hung in the air between them.

William shrugged and shook his head, letting the gesture hang out there in the space between them. Whether good fortune or the fates, a small traveling party appeared on the road behind them, coming through the thick line of forest and onto the more open, exposed fields.

“These people may know of the route we should take.”

In a few minutes, the group of peasants caught up with them. A man who was tall, broad-chested, broad-shouldered, and older than the rest led them. William's gaze fell on a young woman standing behind the man, to the side of the horse-drawn cart.

“Good day, my lord,” the man said as he stepped, William noticed, between him and the girl. The small group made as to pass them by, but William eased his mount farther onto the path, stopping them.

“Good day,” William said, nodding only at the one who would meet his gaze. “Do you travel to Yester Village?” With a touch of his heel to his horse's side, he made the animal sidestep enough for him to see the girl.

“Aye, we are from the village,” the man replied. With a nod of his head, he added, “'Tis just over the next hill and about a mile on.”

“And Lord Hugh?” William asked.

What William could only describe as a shudder passed quickly through the six villagers at the mention of the lord's name. Only the girl remained unaffected. Damn her, who would not raise her eyes to his! The older man moved as their gazes met once more, preventing William from getting a better look at her.

“Is Lord Hugh in residence?”

With neither of them willing to reveal their intentions or knowledge to the other, William might never get an answer. He also could not explain the compulsion burning through him to see the young woman and to speak to her. Was this man her husband then, protecting her from other men? The age difference was no indicator to him. His daughter?

“Sir,” a soft voice began in faltering French. “I fear we know not.”

She stepped from the shadow of the large, older man and glanced up at him. Although braced for something, he was not ready for the reaction of his body or mind as their gazes met. A roar filled his ears, and the ground seemed to shake beneath him.

Older than he'd first thought, she had amber eyes that resembled molten metal, a color that also seemed to surround and outline her form. But he must just be
imagining it, for no one else appeared to notice how truly different she was from the rest of them. Everyone else faded, as though they'd lost all the color in their skin and hair and garments. Then, as if in answer to her heated gaze, the patch of skin on his arm burned more, a searing pain that threatened to take his breath away.

His blood rushed, and the beating of his heart pounded in his ears, both making any words impossible to hear. Without thought, his hand moved to the hilt of his sword as though some danger approached. And, as happened before any battle, his muscles tensed and prepared to give and take blows.

“William.” It took him a few moments to realize that Roger spoke and shook his shoulder because his gaze and his senses were filled with her. “William.”

He felt unable to pull his gaze from hers, but he finally tore himself free of the power of it and nodded, once he was able to hear his friend's words.

“They are returning to Yester. We will have to ride on to see if Lord Hugh is there.”

“Brienne?” the man said, touching the woman on her shoulder. “Are you well, lass?”

He watched as the young woman, as
Brienne
, came back to herself and nodded to the man. “Aye, Father,” she whispered, but William heard the words.
Father!

Whatever had happened, they'd both felt it. The man tugged the girl back closer to his side and then nodded at William and the others.

“Good day and safe travels to you.”

Without waiting for his approval or permission, the man guided the group back along the road. No one spoke until they were far enough away not to hear their words.

“
Merde!
I thought you would bed her in the road before all of us,” Herve said with a laugh. “Though I've never known you to pay heed to a woman of that kind.” William did not seek out virgins, and he did not seek those in service to their lords who could not gainsay him.

“Her father saw your intention with one look, and now he will lock her away until we are gone from this business with Lord Hugh,” Gautier said. “A bit homely for my tastes, but to each”—he nodded at each of them—“his own.”

“Homely? You think her plain of face?” he asked. She was radiant and stunning to him, her eyes glowing like a fiery ingot, her womanly curves outlined by the same glow. How could they think her otherwise? The three laughed aloud at his words and nodded. “Truly?”

“Aye,” Herve said. “Though a woman's beauty or lack of it ne'er stopped me from bedding her if she were willing.”

“Nay, it does not,” Roger agreed. “I have seen you take all manner of women to your bed. Be they young or old, infirmed or in fine mettle, plain-faced or a beauty. You have no refinement in your choices of a bedmate, my friend.”

William let them continue in their boasting and stared off down the road at the travelers, who'd reached the hill and soon disappeared over it. He motioned to Roger, who rode to his side.

“There is another road that leads to the village and the keep,” he explained. Raising his hand, he pointed to the east. “Through this field and the other side of this wood. We will go that way.”

“They said this is the road,” his friend replied,
nodding in the direction they had been heading. Then Gautier stared at him. “You think there is danger in following them?”

“I think—I know—there is danger in Yester for us. Following them or not, it will find us.”

And know it, he did. To the marrow of his bones, he was certain with every step along this path, they were in grievous danger. When the cover thrown over the back of the wagon had shifted, he'd seen the swords and axes there. A cache of weapons for Lord Hugh's purposes, whatever they may be. His men, his friends, deserved to know the truth of it.

“We will camp in the woods there and bide our time before we venture into Yester. I would not enter a battle unarmed and will not enter this fray unprepared. Come,” William said to all of them. “We should not remain here in the open.”

They rode through the farmland in silence as William led them along a path only he could see. The road would curve up along the stream and then come to a small clearing. He shook his head, still not believing that he could visualize almost as though he flew above it all. They set up a small camp inside the woods near that clearing. Once night had fallen, William shared the fantastical tale of what the king had told him. He would not put their lives at risk without them knowing why. Asking them to think on his words, he gave them the night to decide their willingness to join in his mission.

As dawn's light crept into the thickly clouded sky, William's three companions remained with him.

By the time the morning's fog burned away, he was making his way, alone, into the small village to discover the whereabouts of the lord of Yester.

And mayhap a chance to observe the intriguing and puzzling young woman whose face and voice and eyes now filled his thoughts. With only that thought, he could see exactly where she stood now, sweeping in the small cottage in which she lived.

William shuddered as he realized the impossibility of such knowledge even while it flowed into his mind with a certainty difficult to ignore.

*   *   *

Brienne tugged the woolen shawl tighter around herself to ward off the chill of the morning as she walked through the village. Another errand for her father kept her busy for now. Though this was the kind of day when the cold and fog would have made her wish to remain under her blankets for a while longer, the excitement of meeting the four strangers on the road had kept her awake all night long. The anticipation of them arriving in the village and seeing their leader pulsed through her veins.

She met very few strangers here in the village. She traveled outside Lord Hugh's lands and control infrequently. But even living such a sheltered life, Brienne understood to her core that this man, this
William
as she had heard him called, was someone very important.

And important to her in some yet unknown way. The way his gaze caught hers and made her blood heat had shocked her. But it was more than a man lusting for a woman. Oh, that she'd seen before in men's eyes enough to recognize it. Though most men here would never dare anything, even young James's eyes had flashed with wanting when he'd wooed her gently.

No, this William's gaze felt like a thousand suns, and something within her answered with a heat unlike any
of the fires in her father's smithy. The area on her arm yet burned, the pattern rising once more and becoming clearer to her—two flames moving on her skin, swirling and dancing and burning as they did. Brienne lifted her arm, allowing the woolen shawl and the sleeve of her shift and gown to slide up, revealing the strange patch.

She heard some villagers nearby, so she dropped her arm and let the clothing fall back in place. Continuing on her path, she considered her reactions to this stranger. For a moment, everything else had faded away but him. And he'd seemed to grow in size and fierceness as he stared at her. Yet, instead of the fear she should have felt and should be feeling now, she felt protected and safe.

The fog thinned and the sun's light tried to pierce the dullness of the misty morning as she brought water from the well, carried bread to the baker's ovens, and made her way from task to task as she did on a usual day. But this day was different from all that had passed before. Brienne knew that but would never have been able to explain her certainty. As she spoke to the miller's wife, her body changed.

As though a strong storm's wind had blown over her, something moved over her body, awakening the heat within her. The fire within her pushed at its bounds, strengthening and filling her in a way she'd never known before. For a moment she wanted to hold out her hand and let it escape. Turning to see if the change within her was noticeable by anyone, she saw that she'd walked away from the miller's cottage and down the path without even noticing where her steps had been taking her.

She'd controlled the flames with her power, but she'd never created it. Yet from the strong urge within her, she
thought she could. Shivering against such a thing, Brienne glanced around to see if anyone was near.

And that was when she spied him.

William.

Brienne stepped back into the shadows of the cottages and watched him, for from his demeanor and gait, it was clear he did not wish to be recognized or seen. He'd taken only a few strides toward the village when he lifted his head and met her gaze.

The fire pulsed in her now, not just heat or something indefinite as before. The flames urged their release from her. She closed her hands into tight fists to keep them within.

“Brienne.” His whispered voice spoke her name. He took one step toward her and then another and again until he stood before her.

Power flowed from him, much as hers had in the presence of her fath— of Lord Hugh. But his was different and didn't seem to come from fire. Strength. Loyalty. A man of war. A defender.

Brienne shook her head and realized where she was. She stood barely a pace away from a complete stranger, a man, a noble perhaps, but at least a knight, capable of all manner of things. Her parents had warned her of the danger in such situations as this, and yet she did not feel threatened.

Intrigued. Curious. Drawn. But not threatened.

When his gaze moved to her mouth and then down her body, a shiver passed through her. Those eyes, like the icy surface of the loch when it froze, seemed to look right through her.

What would his touch be like?

“Aye, how would it feel, lass?” he asked, lifting his
hand toward her face. As he turned it so that he could skim down her cheek, she closed her eyes and waited for . . . for . . . The moment before his hand touched her, she shook her head and stepped back.