Page 19 of Tashama
“Forgive me, miss.” He dropped to his knees.
“Yes, you, too, only my arms—they still hurt.”
Another knelt before her. “And me?”
General Karam, his blond hair and beard striped with gray, his face appearing to redden as he stormed across the compound toward her. “Please—gentlemen, the general is headed this way.”
“We want to know, too,” several said.
Tashama shoved her plate into the man’s hands who had delivered it to her, then ran her hand over several who stood before her. “Yes, all of you. And you’ll return safely to your villages, too.”
“And you?”
She shook her head and sat on the bench. “I cannot see what fate awaits me.”
The men all stepped back from her. The general closed the gap between them. He folded his arms across his broad chest and glared at her. She reached for her platter, and the general commanded, “You’ll return to the healer’s tent at once!” Hesurveyed his men for a moment, then turned to her. “You screamed out in pain when one of my men accosted you.”
“He hadn’t meant to.”
“Return to the tent, now!”
“You have no business telling me what to do.” She tilted her head in defiance. He pointed to the tent, and she nodded. “For now, you’ll have your way, but not for long, General.”
She would do what he ordered, only because she didn’t want Aleron’s guards to get wind of the fact that she was Tashama, rightful ruler of Karthland.
Later that evening,Tashama met with the fifteen men at the eastern wall. “Seven will leave tonight. If all goes as planned, the others will escape tomorrow night. They don’t do counts of our people, so they won’t notice when people are missing.”
After the guards changed shifts, Tashama led the men up the wall walk stairs and, finding their way clear, she motioned to the parapet where they hurried to tie the braided hemp. She stared in the direction of Banff and the palace where she assumed Aleron would be settling in for the night.
What do you wear when you slip between your princely sheets? Do you have thoughts of me when you close your dark eyes?She frowned.Even when my eyes are wide open as they are tonight, I can see only you.
“What about you, miss?” the last of the men said, holding the rope out to her.
Startled, she glanced at him. “I’ll join you and the others as soon as I can.”
The men took turns dashing into the tall brush near the prison walls. They disappeared into the moonless night, and she gave a tentative sigh of relief.
“The guards,” one of the lookouts said, quickly removing the rope.
Tashama and the men scurried down the steps and hurried away from the wall. “Tomorrow night at the same time.”
The healer joined her. “The general is on his way to do a bed check, miss.”
“A bed check? For everyone?”
“No.” He smiled at her. “Just for you.”
Before she was halfway across the compound, the general blocked her path. He glowered at her, seized her wrist, and dragged her to the hospital tent. “What do you think you’re doing, young lady?” He shoved her to her cot.
“Aiding my people to escape, such as you should have done since you’ve been imprisoned here.”
“I will not escape from this place, as it is not our way. Those who do will soon be recaptured and sent to a compound where they will be starved or worse for their disobedience.”
“You won’t escape from here, General, but you’re the only one. Tomorrow, there’ll be an officer exchange. You’ll be returned to Karthland then.”
A surge of shouts beyond the tent muffled the clanking of metal boots as they neared the canvas entrance.
Her heart hammering, Tashama stood up from the cot.Aleron.“He has come for me.”
