Page 19 of An Unlikely Knight

Chapter Seven

Strange sounds, a combination of screech and roar, sounded outside the window, waking Padriag from deep slumber. He slipped from the bed, curious to see what happened outside. It was still night, as the moons shone above, turning the sky to dark shades of deep orange and brown. There were no stars in this realm, or perhaps there were, but because of the strange coloring of the sky, they were not visible.

In the distance on a hillside, a herd of auroch made a formidable sight. Two of the beasts lowered their heads and charged toward each other, their massive antlers clashing, the sound almost like thunder.

“What the hell are they doing?” Padriag grumbled. Why didn’t the dumb animals fight during the day? It was possible they were nocturnal animals, or that one attacked the other while they slept.

He watched enthralled as the battle continued, now invested in one of the beasts who was a bit smaller than his opponent.

His door opened and Liam walked in, sword in hand, scanning the room. The Brit came to stand next to him and watched the fight for a moment. “I was wondering what all that noise was.” Liam’s bedchamber was across the hall, his window facing in the opposite direction. “I thought someone was attacking you.”

Another loud screech and roar sounded.

“Do I sound like that when I’m fighting?” Padriag asked.

“Yes, you sound like a wounded beast.” Liam turned from the window. “I am going to try to go to the other realm. I hope that this area does not keep us from being able to dematerialize.”

“I’m curious to see if it works. I haven’t felt any pull to go. If you return, I want to know what happens. If everyone is doing well.”

Liam studied him for a long moment. “I will return. As I’ve said, I plan to continue moving between the realms until you are rescued.”

The knight’s sacrifice was great, but Padriag knew better than to try to talk him out of it. Liam’s honor would not allow him to rest until either Padriag was indeed free or Liam lost the ability to move between the realms. It was Padriag’s fear that if that happened, Liam would carry the burden of guilt for years.

“You are aware I don’t hold you responsible for killing me. right?” he asked with a grin. “What’s murder between friends?”

During a particularly difficult quest that Meliot, the evil wizard, had set for them, Liam had been forced to pierce Padriag through the heart. Although Liam’s ability to see the future had shown that Padriag would live, Liam had no way of knowing if Meliot had tampered with his vision.

Padriag survived, and it became apparent to them that, although Meliot could bring them to the brink of death, they couldn’t die. According to the curse, it was only after an imprisonment of three hundred years that would they become mortal, age, and eventually die.

The deadline was imminent and thankfully the other four had been rescued.

“Go,” Padriag urged and a scant second later, Liam disappeared.

The clashing of the aurochs sounded again and Padriag closed the shutters. The sounds were muffled, not loud enough to wake him if sleep came, which he doubted.

Flames danced in the hearth casting long shadows across the floor. Studying the mesmerizing movements, Padriag slid onto the bed.

He stared up at the ceiling considering what it would feel like to gain his freedom. When Tristan and then Gavin were rescued, Padriag fully expected to be freed before Niall, who’d insisted he wished to remain behind. Never had he thought to be the last one entrapped and facing life in yet another realm. As thankful as he was for Sterling’s hospitality, he would never be part of these people.

Esland would never truly be his home.

The sound of movement woke him and Padriag opened his eyes just enough to see who it was. One of the servant women was adding a log onto the fire, while another one poured what looked to be tea into a cup from a tray that had been placed atop a table that seemed to serve as a sideboard of sorts.

“Rise in health,” the woman pouring the tea greeted, her attention on her task.

Padriag wasn’t sure what the proper response was, he would have to ask Sterling. “Thank you.”

The woman seemed satisfied with his reply. He watched in silence as they laid clothes out for him and poured steaming water into a basin from a bucket. The silver-haired women spoke to each other in Eslandian, seeming to find something humorous. When they noticed he watched them, they bowed their heads just a bit and hurried from the room.

“I bet they were overcome by my sexiness,” Padriag murmured. The probable truth was that the women were curious about his red hair. With everyone looking almost identical there, he’d garnered lots of curiosity.

Once he dressed, Padriag descended to the first level and strolled about while searching for the prince.

“Did you rest well?” Sterling asked when Padriag found him outside. The prince sat at a table with a goblet of some sort of juice. There was a platter of fruit in the center of the table, as well as cuts of meat and cheese.

Sterling motioned to another chair. “Join me for first meal.”

“The fighting aurochs woke me,” Padriag said. “Do they do that every night?”