Page 105 of Arrows and Gems
Bristling, she unwound the blanket from her legs and folded it in her arms. “Le Capuchon saved my life once.” She grabbed her satchel and stuffed the blanket into it. “No, I slipped away to do some hunting yesterday and didn’t tell anyone. When I returned, my friends had already left.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment further. “Can I take you anywhere? The missus and I have room in our wagon.”
Helena hesitated. If they were going the right direction, she would appreciate a ride. But would she be able to part ways with them when she needed to?
“I have no wish to inconvenience you,” she said slowly. “However, if you’re heading for Laurier, I wouldn’t mind.”
“You’re going to the capital?” He started toward the road. “I can’t take you all the way, but I can get you close.”
“That’s more than sufficient,” Helena quickly said, trotting after him. “I’m sure we’ll catch up to my friends before then. Or at least reach somewhere I recognize.”
He looked at her with something between confusion and amusement. “You went hunting by yourself in unfamiliar territory?”
She shrugged and let him think she was a fool. It wasn’t like she could tell him the truth.
The man and his wife didn’t talk much as they drove. Occasionally, one of them asked Helena a question, but she gave short answers that discouraged further conversation. Since theyhad to turn to talk to her on her squash-barrel perch, neither of them worked too hard to engage her.
They drove all morning with no sign of her prey. As the afternoon wore on, she began to fear that she had missed a camp deep in the trees or that the guards had ridden through the night and kept going through the day.
How would she save her friends if so? Rouge and Alanna might have escaped with the noncombatants, but she’d seen Jean-haut and Tucker fall. And Adrien had been surrounded the last time she saw him.
The thought of any of them facing execution made her stomach twist.
Evening approached. The road north took them deeper into the mountains, and the landscape looked vaguely familiar. In fact, if she squinted, the drop-off on their right was remarkably similar to the one where Cap had ambushed her.
About an hour later, the outline of log houses rose from the trees in the gathering twilight. Helena sat up straighter as she stared at them.
Arles. General Valentin has an outpost here.
She kept her eyes open as they drove through the town. As they approached the two-story building where she’d met the General, she spotted a line of wagons parked next to it. Those hadn’t been there the last time.
“We’ll be stopping here for the night,” her host said, angling his head toward her. “Are you able to pay for accommodations, or shall we—”
“I’ll arrange my own,” she replied. “I recognize this village. If I don’t meet you in the morning, it means I found my friends.” Gripping the strap of her satchel, she stood and prepared to dismount. “Thank you again for giving me a lift.”
The wife turned in her seat. “But how will we know if you don’t send word?”
“When do you plan to leave?”
The man and his wife exchanged a look. “An hour past dawn is our usual departure time,” the wife replied.
Helena nodded briskly. “If I’m not outside the inn by then, I’m not coming.” Then without waiting for their protests, she vaulted over the wagon side and disappeared into the shadows.
~
Helena tugged her hood a little lower as the guard strolled past. The number of men patrolling was more than a typical garrison building had. Getting in and out without being seen would be difficult.
But the risk was what made it exciting.
Reminding herself that tonight’s adventure wasn’t about fun, she tied her satchel tightly across her shoulders, set the coiled rope on the ground, and double-checked the knot around her arrow. It looked better than her usual ones.
She was fairly confident the upper window across from her led to some of her friends. Hopefully, there weren’t guards in the room with them. Otherwise, this would be a sadly short rescue.
The guard cleared this side of the building. Helena swiftly nocked her arrow, aimed at the wooden beams in the ceiling, and released.
The dull thunk was loud in the silent night. Helena crouched behind her wagon, waiting, but there was no shout of warning nor pounding of guards’ boots.
Springing up from her hiding place, she sprinted across a short open space and grabbed the rope with both hands. She dug her toes into the gaps between stones and began pulling herself up, grateful that her trousers had been in her satchel.
