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Edward lurched to his feet and thumped on the door to the cabin There was a sudden scurry within the leaves outside He waited for severalhis position beside her Blessed silence fell over theain

“Thank you” Eliza whispered, tugging her knees into her chest and holding on tight She wished Edould hold her tightly, but daren’t ask hih the gloom

In the darkness of the shadows, his face lookedAll dark, shadowy dips and hollows So unlike the Edward she had becoainst her knees, willing the dawn to come

It felt an indeteran to chase the impenetrable darkness away Edward’s face lost soan to take on a healthier,what the new day would bring

She ju air

Edward suddenly jerked upright and frowned at her After severalof leaves sounded louder Whatever wasnearer

Ju to his feet, Edward slid his sword off the floor beside him, his eyes locked fir at the shirt on his back as they sidled towards the door

Edward paused and turned towards her, a dark scowl on his face He lifted a finger to his lips and pushed her towards the horses Eliza shook her head, refusing to be parted from him, even if it was only a few feet

His deep put-upon sigh was galling for Eliza She wasn’t a wilting wallflower by any stretch of the iination, but at thata pesky nuisance His attitude was galling She frowned at hi to do as he bade only to find her cloak tugged

When she turned, she saw the scabbard handle being held out to her and glanced at him in horror Instinctively she shook her head, only for hi Slowly she took the heavy weight in her hand with a shudder, hoping she wouldn’t have cause to need it She had no intention of using it, but the unfa

Standing silently between the two horses, Eliza watched as Edward slowly lifted the latch on the door and tugged its squeaking weight inwards

Within seconds of daylight flooding the room, chaos ensued

A scruffy-looking h the door with a feral snarl of intent on his face Eliza caught sight of the wicked looking scabbard

that was thrust toward Edward before her attention was caught by a second man immediately behind the first

At first he didn’t see her in between the larger bulk of the horses, but her gasp of fear for Edward caught his attention He grinned evilly as he o As he reached out to grab her, Eliza instinctively wrenched away only for hi the scabbard and watched, as though from a distance, as theseconds Eventually he broke eye contact and looked blankly down at his chest The long handle of the scabbard stuck out starkly against his grubby shirt, a steady flow of blood turning the brownish colour black