Page 10 of Arrows and Gems
“Running away from home to join a bandit. Sounds very grown up,” he deadpanned. But he needed to wrap things up; another traveler could arrive at any moment. “Tell the General to provide you with a better cover story next time. Now, bags.”
“Dismiss me, will you?” she grumbled under her breath. Placing her hands on the saddle, she began to swing her right leg back to dismount.
And Cap, without meaning to, let his bow dip, the string relaxing as the lady complied with his request.
Before he could blink, she had her bow in her hand and an arrow drawn. He scrambled to raise his own again, but her arrow was already flying toward him. Straight for his head.
Curse General Valentin for sending a woman!
CHAPTER 4
Cap
She was fast, but her aim needed work. The arrow missed, catching the edge of his hood and dragging it off.
Gripping his bow and arrow with one hand, he spun and ducked, tugging the hood back over his face. He rose with his bow drawn, releasing as soon as he was pointed toward her again.
“Why so desperate to hide your face?” she taunted. “Are you—”
She cut off with a cry of pain and dropped her bow as his arrow lodged itself in her left shoulder. A thread of guilt tried to wrap around his heart, but Cap ignored it. Anyone in league with the General was his enemy. And she had fired first.
“Cap!” Jean-haut’s voice rang out behind him. He heard the scrabbling noises of his friend’s hasty descent. “Cap, are you all right?”
Cap nocked another arrow and kept it trained on the young woman. He doubted that she could attack him again, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
“I’m fine.” The words were terse. “We need to get her down so we can search her and bind her wound, but I don’t trust her enough to get that close.”
Neither a hidden blade nor one of her arrows would require much effort at that range.
“You shot me. You actually shot me!” the woman gaspedout. That fire lit her eyes again as she glared at him. “I should have known you wouldn’t be better than the rest of them.”
Jean-haut folded his arms across his chest as he examined her. “If you’re concerned about blades, Cap, you’ll need Rouge. You know I can’t do metal.” His eyes darted sideways. “And she might not be willing in front of a stranger. Or at least, I assume you’re planning on releasing her when we’re finished.”
“Of course I am,” Cap huffed, keeping his eyes on the messenger. “Just like all the others.”
All the others, except those who had refused to surrender. He regretted those, but giving up wasn’t an option for him.
Keeping his attention on the grimacing young woman, he cast a single eye over his friend. Jean-haut’s strength wouldn’t make up for his height when lifting an injured woman from a horse.
“If you cover her, I’ll take care of it.” Cap scowled. “I just hope you do a better job than a few minutes ago.”
Jean-haut sighed. “Between your sister and mine, I should have expected it. But she moved so fast! I think she was faster than you.”
Cap bristled at the suggestion, but he shoved it aside. It would do him no good to let his pride get in the way; if she was faster, that meant he needed to practice more. He couldn’t afford to be outperformed by General Valentin’s men. Or women.
Lowering his bow, Cap stepped closer to the woman and her horse. She lifted her eyes again. “Don’t you step on my bow,” she growled through clenched teeth.
He glanced at the ground in front of him. Her weapon lay there, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. It matched her dusty traveling outfit of sturdy yet fine materials and the quality of her horse’s tack. Someone well-to-do, then…or well paid.
Cap kept an eye on her foot while he crouched down topick up the bow and slide it under his own. “Unclasp your quiver and drop it, and I’ll lift you down. Try anything, and my friend will shoot you.”
She glared back. Her horse danced to the side. “No, thank you. I’ll wait for the next traveler.”
And that next traveler could be a few minutes away. They needed to get off the road.
“You’ll pass out before then,” he replied dismissively. “You can fall off your horse, or you can accept my help and spare yourself the knock to the head. Your choice.”
The horse lifted its head and began to back up as she leaned in the saddle. Lunging forward, Cap caught the bridle. He couldn’t let her escape, and he would rather not lead the horse into the trees with an injured rider. Inspiration struck as he watched her indecisive glower. “If you’re difficult, I can always snap your bow in two.”
