Page 22 of Knight of Darkness
“That was before tonight. I have now repaid my debt to you.”
She distanced herself from him. “Have you?”
“Saving you from rape, or worse, should have more than evened the score.”
“Mayhap I shall demand more. I could have taken care of them myself,” she huffed with another lift of her chin. True, she had concluded for herself that Wymar had indeed settled his debt by saving her, but she did not feel inclined to say as much now. Not when he was behaving this way. That debt was the one bit of power she had in the situation, and she found herself far from willing to let it go.
“Then it must have been some other damsel in distress I saved because the one whom I rescued was indeed in need of saving.” He came to her and placed his cloak once more upon her shoulders. “You might as well take this meager offering. You cannot go through camp only wearing your tunic.”
She gathered the edges of the garment to cover herself. Not trusting herself to speak further, she began to walk back toward camp. Wymar followed close behind.
“You need not follow me. I can find my way to my own tent,” she stated.
“You do me a disservice if you think I would not accompany you to ensure you return safely.”
“There is no need,” she insisted.
“There is every need,” he declared whilst taking her elbow as though she could not walk on her own.
Wymar continued to escort her through camp and Ceridwen realized that going straight through the middle instead of skirting around the edges meant that it took far less time for her return. She had barely placed her hand upon the opening of her tent, when Arthur flicked the fabric open.
“Lady Ceridwen… Are you unwell?” Arthur asked.
Before she could answer, Wymar stepped forward. “If you are her captain then I suggest you do a better job of seeing to your mistress’s safety. I may not be around the next time.”
“That is uncalled for, Norwood,” she snapped.
Wymar gave a short bow. “We shall settle this between us come the morn, my lady.”
“There is nothing to settle.”
The bastard actually gave her a wicked grin. “Aye, there is.”
He began whistling a merry tune before his shadow disappeared into the night. Ceridwen went into her tent with Arthur taking up his stance once more at the entrance. His eyes widened once she took off Wymar’s cloak and tossed it upon her trunk, showing the true state of her clothes.
“I will kill him,” he began before she held up her hand to halt any further insults she knew would be pouring forth from his mouth.
“’Twas not him. Thankfully, he came in time to interrupt the others.”
“Who are these others?” Arthur asked grimly. “I will see to them.”
Ceridwen shook her head. “There is no need. ’Twas but two men—one of them dead by Norwood’s knife, the other scared away. From the terror on his face, he has likely run halfway cross the county by now. There will be no finding him, and I see no point in trying. Let us rest whilst we still have a few hours,” she murmured. Pulling off her boots, she crawled into her bed.
And when she finally found her slumber, she dreamed of a tawny haired warrior who held her in his arms and kissed away all the worries of her life.
Chapter Twelve
The eyes ofa hundred men swept over her as though she rode her horse completely naked… or so it seemed to Ceridwen. Her chin defiantly rose. She would not regret her decision to show Wymar and the others that she was in truth a woman. Not when Ratcliff could have done more damage by revealing her identity himself. But there was no mistaking the looks she was receiving, nor could she pretend they did not unsettle her.
Every knight now knew she was a woman amongst them. She and her blade had battled alongside these warriors with no complaint when they had thought her a man but now they did not look upon her the same. Aye, she was attired as she had always been but this made no difference. Her position amongst this army was a dangerous one now that they knew her true nature. Ceridwen might need to rethink her decision to remain with the Empress all the way to London once she joined her troops. Word had traveled swiftly that the Empress was riding from Gloucester. ’Twould only be a matter of time until she caught up with those who supported her.
More news of the battle continued to swarm through the ranks. The Earl of Gloucester was currently on his way to Bristol Castle with a contingent of men to see that Stephen was imprisoned there. Now, nothing stood in the Empress’s way to becoming Queen of England.
Ceridwen was thankful to be on the winning side of the battle. They broke camp early in the morn the night after she had experienced her first real kiss and had now been riding for several days. Arthur, Thomas, and Symond stayed close but at times she felt as though they were highly outnumbered. She may not like to admit the truth of her situation but unfortunately ’twas a fact she was only now beginning to face.
Ratcliff had escaped with those fleeing with Stephen’s army who had evaded capture. On one hand, she was happy to no longer have to see him. On the other side of this dilemma, his treasonous desertion worried her of what trouble he was up to once he returned home. Since his land and her father’s joined boundaries, she should be making her way home. ’Twould be the smart thing to do, so why was she still traveling with this army?
She knew why and the thought irked her that she wanted to be nearhim. ’Twas no matter that in truth his debt was repaid when he dispatched the mercenary who had attempted to take her against her will. She still wanted more time with him. And only part of it was because she felt safe with him—in contrast to many of the other men present. There were already whisperings running rampant within the army that she was no more than a whore following the camp. How easily some of these men forgot she had spilled the blood of their enemy just as they had done. They only thought of one thing now that they knew she was a woman. Only with Norwood had she felt that desire did not have to be a frightening thing. What the other men wished to take by force, her fevered imaginings could picture giving to him, willingly.
