Page 47 of Arrows and Gems
He knew he shouldn’t be wasting arrows. Shouldn’t be running his horse so hard through a wooded area when they weren’t being pursued.
But he could think of no other way to ease the pounding in his veins.
The betrayal he felt was overwhelming. He had trusted General Valentin, believed in him. Admired him. Respected him. General Valentin had been King Antoine’s most trusted official, and Cap had fully supported it.
And the General had used that trust to murder his king and place the blame on someone else.
Cap’s friends had been telling him for months that General Valentin was at fault. Months! And like a fool, he had brushed their warnings aside.
What else had he been wrong about?
Stuffing his arrow back into the quiver, Cap picked up the reins and slowed Farrell to a more reasonable pace. He pulled off his confounded hood and let his head fall back, enjoying the feel of the thin sunshine on his face. It was a risk since he was still in the Lancée forests. But they had been deserted on his way in, and Margit’s presence would require his hood once they reached camp.
With all the turmoil in his soul, he needed a few unfettered moments.
The tension leached out and was replaced with uncertainty. If he’d been wrong about General Valentin, could he trust his judgment in other areas?
He heard hoofbeats behind him. Without lowering his head, he asked, “Am I a fool, Jean?”
“For lowering your hood in a place where you’re likely tobe recognized?” his friend replied with a light voice. “Perhaps. For trusting someone who proved untrustworthy?”
Cap finally looked at his friend, desperate for his answer.
Jean-haut met his eyes. “No. He made himself appear trustworthy. I used to believe he was.”
“But you saw through him.”
Smiling sadly, the forester replied, “Only because I wasn’t as close to him. It’s easier for those on the outside to see the warning signs.”
“But I was closer,” Cap protested. “I saw more. What does it say about me, that I couldn’t piece it together?”
“It means you cared.” Jean-haut looked him firmly in the eye. “You cared about him, so you were willing to overlook his mistakes. You didn’t pile them up and keep watch over them.”
“Maybe I should have,” Cap muttered under his breath.
“No.” Jean-haut’s reply was sharp. “Keeping a record of wrongs will only hurt a relationship.” He smirked. “But maybe pay more attention next time your friends try to point out something that worries them.”
Snorting, Cap pulled his hood back over his face. “I suppose I could do that.”
They rode in silence for a few minutes. Cap was mapping out the shortest way back to camp when Jean-haut spoke again. “Speaking of trust and the advice of friends...”
A grin tugged at Cap’s mouth. “Yes, Jean-haut? What sage counsel do you have for me?”
His friend laughed. “Perhaps not sage. But I do have a suggestion.” He paused before continuing more seriously. “I know it bothers you to wear your hood all the time. You wouldn’t have to if you would choose to trust Margit with that much. You’re right, there is something odd about her story. But I don’t think she’s working for the General.”
Trust the stranger in their midst? Right after learning thathe had been wrong to trust General Valentin?
He wanted to. But he wasn’t sure he should.
~
The sound of a violin and a delicate female voice drifted through the trees toward them. Cap relaxed in his saddle, relieved his little family was where he’d left them. No trouble had found them in his absence.
Or at least, no trouble that they had recognized.
Dusk had fallen, making it difficult to see the way. But before long, he could see the flicker of the campfire through the trees. A rowdy chorus joined Alanna’s voice for the refrain, then fell silent again to listen.
“Sounds like they really missed us,” Jean-haut quipped. “Listen to that misery.”
