Page 83 of Arrows and Gems
“Of course not. So, Margit’s token?” Jean-haut prompted.
“I burned it.”
The forester turned startled eyes to his sister. “Why would you do that? You know how long it takes to make one of those!”
“Because we skimmed the messenger’s papers,” Margit replied in a subdued voice. “The guards are interrogating families that might be sheltering Prince Raphael. The Chevals were on their list today, and we didn’t have another way to warn you.”
“Giving us heart attacks was warning us?” Jean-haut asked sardonically.
“Do you have a better suggestion?” Margit snapped, her eyes flashing. “You can send messages to us, but we can’t send them back. It was the only way I could think of to grab your attention.”
“Two-way communicationwouldbe helpful.” Cap nodded to the siblings. “It sounds as if we have much to discuss, and I have plans that would benefit from that enhancement. Is that something you can do?”
Jean-haut exchanged a look with his sister. “Perhaps, if we incorporate stone in a similar manner. I could send messages to Rouge with the wooden tokens, and she could send them back with the stones.”
“Could others use them?” Cap’s eyes drifted around the camp. “We may split into four or more groups, and I would like them all to be connected if possible.”
“Four?” Jean-haut’s eyes widened to saucers. “What would we do with so many?”
Cap smiled grimly. “Hassle the enemy. If a fight is what the General wants, a fight is what he’ll get.”
~
“I do hope you’re not planning to leave me behind again.”
Cap allowed himself a long look at the woman strolling next to him. A smile played around her lips, but she was trying to hide a limp.
“What would you do if I was?”
Margit’s eyes danced with teasing, but a hint of sincerity accompanied it. “Convince you of your error in judgment.”
“And how would you do that?”
Lightly bumping him with her shoulder, she grinned, “I do still have those arrows you gave me. I could challenge you to a contest. If I win, you let me come.”
He lost himself in her vibrant green eyes for a moment. Shaking himself, he replied, “And if you lose?”
Her lips twitched into a devious smirk. “Then I clearly need to come so you can look out for me.”
“And if I refuse?” He kept the smile from his face with great effort. “If I simply demand my arrows back?”
She took a step forward, taunting him with her nearness. “You would have to take them from me,” she replied in a low voice. “I’m not giving upmyarrows without a fight.”
A slow smile curved his lips. “Maybe I will.”
“I thought you weren’t a thief.”
His fingers reached forward of their own accord and trailed across the back of her hand. Thief or not, he could think of something he’d like to steal. Soft, red, and inches from his own…
“Margit!” Rouge called. “We need to prepare more bread if we’re going to travel tomorrow.”
Cap blinked and took a step back. He had people to care for, tactics to consider, contingency plans to create. He didn’t have time to be distracted.
No matter how tantalizing the distraction.
“So? Are you taking me with you?”
Cap took in the mischievous tilt to her lip, the challenging lift of her eyebrow. He remembered the way he’d felt when he’d rescued her from Erwan, when Jean-haut told him her token was missing. Every time she’d tried to pull off his hood.
