Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
She did not argue with him since he was right. She did need to rest and let her wound heal. She had to make sure to keep strong so she could get to Sky and make sure she understood the danger she was in and that she was to take the threat seriously. Also, to see that Lord Slayer was keeping her sister safe.
This was a nightmare and one she wanted to wake up from before it grew worse. The thought barely finished in her head when her husband returned.
He leaned down and with an arm around her waist brought her to her feet. “We leave immediately. More marksmen have been spotted.”
Leora was on his horse and in his arms and she saw as they rode away that not all his men rode with them, and the prisoners hadn’t left with them either. She thought of asking him about it, but exhaustion had taken hold of her, and she found her eyes growing heavy.
She slept on and off as they traveled, the pain in her head lingering but subsiding. However, she was relieved when they finally stopped.
“You are tired, you will rest before we continue,” Noble ordered once he lifted her off the horse and gave a quick glance at the cloudy sky that promised rain.
“There is just enough light that lingers for me to get a quick look at my reflection in the stream to see my wound. Then I will rest but not too long. The clouds overhead foretell of heavy rain, ” she said, knowing rest was necessary if she were to regain the strength the wound had robbed from her, but heavy rain could prove challenging.
“A few minutes, no more,” he said and walked her to the nearby stream. He had no intention of leaving her there alone. She was unsteady on her feet, and he could almost feel her exhaustion.
Leora was relieved he helped her to sit on the bank close enough to the water that she could lean over and hopefully catch enough of her reflection in it to see her wound.
She went to unwrap the cloth from around her head when Noble stopped her.
“I will remove the cloth for you.” And he did not wait for a response from her, he eased the cloth from around her head.
His touch was so gentle that her eyes drifted closed as he slowly relieved her of the cloth.
Noble was glad to see the cloth come away from the wound easily and was even more relieved to see that the wound was minor as Finley had said. But he was also wise enough to know that even small wounds could cause problems and even death. So, it was better to remain cautious.
Leora extended her head over the gentle stream and was glad to see it caught her reflection.
“It is not bad at all,” she said staring at the minor abrasion on her brow near her hairline.
She scooped up a handful of water to scrub away the dried blood the wound had left on her face and neck. Another dab of honey and the wound would probably do fine. She turned to tell her husband when she saw that the water was no longer still but rushing past her.
It took a moment for her to realize it wasn’t the water rushing but her head spinning. Before she could reach out to her husband, she felt her head tipping closer to the stream and before it hit the cold water, she managed a weak cry… “Noble.”
CHAPTER 5
Noble rushed to snag his wife around the waist and stop her from falling into the stream, though her face skimmed the water. The shock of the cold water brought her quickly out of her faint, and her eyes opened as he patted her face dry with the edge of her cloak.
“I fainted,” Leora said, shocked. “I never faint.”
Noble could not resist. “There is a first time for everything.”
Her smile came naturally. “For a fierce warrior, you do like to tease.”
“It is difficult not to with you,” he admitted, surprising himself since levity was foreign to him, until he met Leora. There was no humor in battle or in planning a battle or when on a mission for Slayer. Duty required awareness, determination, and tenaciousness. He had no time for levity, yet with Leora it couldn’t be helped. Her abrupt, commanding nature and unexpected remarks often forced a humorous response from him. “So, you find me amusing?”
“At times, most definitely,” she said, “though I suppose that is not the worst thing for a marriage. Smiles and laughter are far better for a husband and wife to share than angry words and constant disagreements and arguments.”
Noble patted dry the few strands of her hair that got wet, thinking how right she was. His mum and da had been forever locked in battle and still were, the reason he saw little of them. His brothers had adopted the same fiery temperament, forever arguing amongst themselves or with their women. When his da had spoken about the Gallowglass to his sons, Noble had jumped at the chance to join the elite fighting force. He preferred a battlefield rather than his chaotic family. So, while he found levity with his wife surprising, it was also welcomed.