Page 8 (1/2)
"Not here?" Ronin frowned "Where has she gone?"
Dugald and Mara exchanged worried looks
"She&039;s not ill?"
"Nay, nay," Dugald said quickly "She&039;s not ill"
"Then where is she? I proht as well tell hier "Sure and he&039;ll find out sooner or later"
"Tell ald to Mara, his concern growing "Has aught befallen her?"
Mara blew out a sigh of exasperation "I was ill, as you know," she said, her words falling hard and quick "Dugald summoned the wizard to healgood health "What has this to do with h?"
"The wizard de"
Ronin&039;s eyes greide "She&039;s there, with hiald nodded
"You let her go?" Ronin asked in disbelief "Did you not think to consider ald replied " &039;Twas Channa Leigh&039;s decision to go"
Ronin blinked, and blinked again "I dinna believe you"
" &039;Tis true nonetheless I forbade it, but she vowed she would go The wizard would accept nothing else"
"But ill he do to her?"
Mara shook her head Tears glistened in her eyes "Sure and it would have been better that I died than she go with the lord of Darkfest Castle"
"Nay," Dugald said, quickly crossing himself "Dinna speak of death"
"I canna help it," Mara said, and as if a dam had burst deep inside her, tears flooded her eyes and ran down her cheeks She looked at the twoto hide her sorrow or her fear for her daughter&039;s life
"I&039;ald said, discomfited, as always, by his wife&039;s tears
Ronin nodded "Of course she is," he said hastily
"But the stories" Mara sobbed, unable to go on
"Well, &039;tis sure I ahten children," Dugald said
Ronin nodded again "Aye, h when I was a lad"
Mara collapsed into a chair, her face buried in her apron
Dugald looked at Ronin and shrugged
"What do you really think he&039;ll do to her?" Ronin asked, keeping his voice low so Mara could not hear
"I dinna know There have always been tales told of the lord of Darkfest Castle, but I&039;ve never known anyone who has actually come to harm at his hands"
With that dubious bit of comfort Ronin took his leave, deterh fared at the hands of the wizard She had been promised to him, and that made her his, as his horse and his crossboere his And he kept as his
It was a long walk up the ain, Ronin ran his hand over the hilt of his sword No man he had ever met could best hih She had sworn to be his wife, and a betrothal was as binding as a e; he would not share her with another, not even with the wizard of Dark-fest Keep
The castle rose like a sleeping beast at the top of theplace, surrounded by tall trees
Ronin paused when he reached the door, soazed at the life-size wolf&039;s head carved into the dark wood It was remarkably lifelike, so much so that he wouldn&039;t have been surprised if the creature had growled at hi the bellpull, heard the sound echo and re-echo through the interior of the castle
Moain
And then the door opened, and he found hi up into the face of the lord of Darkfest Castle
"What do ye want?" the wizard deh"
"Indeed? Who are ye?" Darkfest asked, though he knew full ho the boy was
"I&039;m Ronin the hunter," he replied, his voice overloud "Channa Leigh is my betrothed"
"Come back in a year"
"Nay I will take her aithto be intimidated by the wizard&039;s size and reputation
"She is to be mine for this year," Darkfest said, his voice implacable "I willna release her one day sooner" He one now, lest I turn ye into a newt"
A shiver of unease slithered down Ronin&039;s spine, but he had come too far to turn tail and run He was a hunter, a warrior, with a warrior&039;s pride Better to die with honor than be branded a coward
Darkfest shts Foolish youth, he thought, ready to die rather than surrender Aluish his life with the wave of his hand It was a teined the boy wed to Channa Leigh, taking her to his bed, planting his seed within her
A wave of jealousy swept over hi, he had lifted his hand, ready to strike the boy dohen he heard Channa Leigh&039;s footfalls on the floor
He took a deep breath, willing hih!" Ronin called "Are you all right?"
SheDarkfest to et around the castle unaided She had a reht, that she should so quickly have n of the place