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)
Noble didn’t like what that meant. “If Kinnel’s men didn’t catch him, then what troop does he follow?”
CHAPTER 13
Noble stood amidst the towering pines deep in the forest, frustrated. He had learned his tracking skills from an early age, his grandfather having taught him.
Patience and a clear mind are the two most important skills of a tracker, he heard his grandfather reminding him. Unfortunately, he feared he would lose the little patience he had left, and then all the skills his grandfather had taught him would be worthless, and he would not allow that to happen.
He took a fortifying breath and remained as he was casting a slow glance but a keen eye on his surroundings or attempting to. His mind had yet to clear, his wife forever popping into it. He had found himself missing her not long after he and his warriors had left Clan Skirling to search for Lance. It was a few days since then and he’d been surprised at how much he not only thought of her but how very much he missed her. She had somehow, in a brief time, become a constant thought that too often twisted at his gut and challenged his heart.
The night before he left to search for Lance, he had gone to their bedchamber long after his wife had, Ross keeping him up with talk and drink. Until finally, and as if he only recalled it, Ross ordered him to go to his wife and see their marriage sealed.
Noble had known when he entered their bedchamber that it would not likely happen that night. His wife slept soundly, turned on her side, her nightdress hanging off her shoulder, exposing the bruise left by the chunk of rock. He cringed at the size of the bruise and how it must pain her, and how sleep could not have come easily for her. He would not couple with her while she was in pain, and he did not like the thought of leaving her the morning after their first coupling. He felt it would not be right or wise since he feared once he did, he would want more of his wife and his mind would be more preoccupied than it already was.
He shook his head. He had to stop thinking about her. He had to concentrate on tracking Lance if he ever wanted to get home and see their marriage protected.
Noble returned his attention to the surrounding area, searching for crushed pinecones, snapped twigs, and disturbed foliage, any signs Lance may have purposely left as markers, but he saw nothing. He worried for Lance as to what that might mean. Had he been found and disposed of without a thought?
He shook his head. What was he missing? He had wondered the same when he had attempted to track Leora from Dundren Abbey after arriving there and finding out she had escaped. He had thought he had picked up her trail, discovering broken twigs and pinecones crushed from footfalls, but they had led nowhere. He had come upon tracks, but the size was far too large for them to be his wife’s and too deep as well. Someone with weight had made those tracks and then they had disappeared, not to be found again. So how had she managed to avoid him? It was something he was growing impatient to find out.
Bew approached him appearing as frustrated as he was.
“I can find nothing. How can that be?” Bew asked, annoyed. “Lance would not fail to find me if I went missing. How have I failed him?”
The sudden thought was like a jolt of lightning striking Noble and he smiled as he shook his head. “You haven’t, Bew. We are at fault for not considering Lance’s skills.”
Bew looked confused. “I don’t understand.”
“We find nothing because there is nothing here to find,” Noble said.
Bew still did not understand.
“There are no tracks because Lance continues to track, and he takes no chance of being discovered. That means whoever Lance is tracking he suspects has two trackers themselves, one who follows behind the troop and one who precedes them, similar to what we do.
Bew seemed doubtful, a slight shake to his head. “I cannot believe he would do something like that without leaving us some indication.”
“Unless he was left in no position to do so.
Bew’s brow quickly drew tight. “That could mean he’s in trouble.” Then he thought better of his response. “Or he had no time to let anyone know or risk discovery. But what do we do now?”
“We go home and wait for him to return,” Noble said.
“What if we have alerted the tracker to Lance’s presence?” Bew asked.
“Of that I am not sure, Bew,” Noble said. “It is a chance we will have to take, but if Lance does not return home within several days, we will search again.”