Page 92 of Bound to a Warrior
Mercy shook her head. “No, you must stay here. I’ll bring your brother back.”
“I forbid you to leave here,” Mara said.
Mercy simply smiled and said something she never ever thought she would. “You cannot forbid me to do anything. I am daughter to the king.”
Silence settled over the hall and Mercy didn’t care how loud she had said it, or who had heard. She turned and hurried out.
Chapter 27
Mercy had no time to think of what she had just done. Later she could ponder it and most certainly offer an apology to Mara, but right now she needed to find Rand. She maneuvered through women and children running to the keep and headed to Cora’s cottage. She entered the woods just beyond and stilled for a moment listening.
The soldiers could be anywhere, and if they found her, she would be returned to her father, and she wasn’t ready for that. And besides, she had to find Rand. He was out there alone and needed help.
She glanced down and realized that she had kept hold of the dagger all this time and was relieved she had. She could protect herself and Rand if necessary. Not that she was by any means skilled, but she knew a little and could possibly make it appear she knew a lot more.
She found the trail Alida had spoken about and with careful, though speedy, steps she followed it. She didn’t allow herself to think. She kept her mind free and eyes and ears alert.
It didn’t take her long to find the groove, though Rand wasn’t there. She stood amongst the spreading oaks and could see why the young lad would come here. The many lush trees were perfect for climbing…
She looked up and there was Rand, eyes closed tight and his little body curled up in the crook of a thick branch.
“Rand, it’s me, Mercy.”
His eyes sprang wide and he peered down at her. “Mercy, you come for me?”
“Yes. I’ve come to take you to your mother.” She heard a distant rustling noise and with a finger to her lips, she cautioned Rand to be silent. He nodded and hugged the tree tighter.
She didn’t know what produced the sound and not wanting to take any chances, she decided to climb the tree and join Rand. If soldiers were afoot they may have heard her and Rand talking and would comb the area in search of them.
The tree was the safest place for them right now.
Her mother would have disapproved if she had ever known that her daughter climbed trees. Not only climbed them, but loved climbing them. So it was with little effort that Mercy grabbed hold of a branch and climbed up.
Once she reached Rand, she decided it was best if they climbed a bit higher. Having tucked the dagger in her boot, she took Rand in her arms and climbed two branches higher to nestle quite comfortably in the crook of a solid branch.
She cautioned silence again with her finger to her lips and Rand nodded and cuddled closer against her. Mercy wrapped her arm around him and held tight. She’d let no one harm this child.No one.
They waited and it wasn’t long before she heard…
“Have you seen her yet?” a man’s voice asked.
Rand grabbed tighter to Mercy and she felt his little body tremble. She squeezed him close, letting him know he was safe with her.
“I’ve seen her from a distance.”
Mercy barely heard the other man’s reply, his voice no more than a whisper.
“You have three days, no more. Get her and bring her to the border.”
“But—”
“Three days,” the man repeated.
Footfalls drifted off, but Mercy remained where she was, again warning Rand to remain quiet. She didn’t know if it was safe just yet and intended to wait awhile. Besides the brief exchange upset her. She knew they spoke about her, and she wondered how they had gotten one of their own men into the village. And why didn’t her father simply attack and be done with it?
He had gotten to be king because he had let nothing stand in his way, not even claims that no true royal blood ran through him. He had defied the kings who ruled various areas of Scotland and through bloody battles claimed victory and dominance.
Why not do again what he had done once before?
