Secrets and Guardians: Devious Intentions by H. Chambers (summer beach reads txt) 📖

Shade stepped back from Fingal and looked into his scarred face. She felt more terrible about what they would do to him, than what she was about to do to herself. Turning she walked to the edge of the wall and spread out her arms. Fingal sprang forward grabbing her in one of his mighty arms and jumped from the wall. Landing heavily but still holding her safely to his chest, he set off running using his free arm to increase his speed. She moved her left arm to around his neck to be able to hold on more tightly. Shouts went up, archers ran to the place where Shade and Fingal had been standing just a few moments ago.

Unsure as to whether they should fire at Kerdred's wife or more importantly Kerdred's 'son' they hesitated. Seeing they had a clear shot at the Nefkin, they began firing. The delay had allowed Fingal to get some distance between the wall and the forest; but it was never going to be enough. The arrows began to reach their target. The first one caught him in the shoulder, the impact nearly knocking him to the ground. The next two went into the lower back, one only just missing his spine, the last went through Shade’s arm stopping it from going straight into Fingal's neck. The arrows stopped, the archers knew they had done enough. Fingal had slowed, struggling to keep moving for each step was agonising. He could hear the men shouting from the wall, they would soon come after them with dogs. Why had he thought this would work? Even if he made it to the forest the men would soon be able to catch up to Shade, then Kerdred would probably keep her a prisoner until the baby was born, and after that? He had tried to save her when he realised how she cared more for him than she did for herself and now what had he done? Pain racked his body, he forced himself forward reaching the edge of the forest. He stopped and looked back, they were coming through the gates now, with their dogs. He forced himself to carry on. Shade had been quiet, just holding tightly to him. He hadn't even realised she had been hit.

Shade knew what he was trying to do for her, tears ran down her face at his bravery. When he finally succumbed to his wounds she would be left to face the soldiers. She couldn't even attempt to escape in her state, but for some reason being taken back into the forest gave her hope. This part of the forest was a long way from where she had lived, but it was still the same magical forest. She could no longer feel any pain in her arm, she didn’t know if the wound was serious or even fatal. The thought pleased her, to die at the hands of Kerdred's own soldiers, for them to have killed their master’s unborn child! Fingal dropped to his knees and gently lay her on the ground. She sat up using her good arm and looked at him, he met her gaze for a moment, their minds connecting one last time before he closed his eyes. She touched his face her hand staying there as he slowly slid to the ground.

Gadolin jumped down from a tree next to Shade. Shade looked into the emerald green eyes of the 'log' and fainted.

Typical thought Gadolin, although he felt this might actually be easier. Gadolin bent down and snapped the shaft of the arrow off. He ripped part of the hem of her dress and tied it around her arm and the remainder of the arrow. Lifting her up he turned to look at the soldiers and dogs, who were not far away now, turning once more, he ran.

Being a Tree Guardian meant he smelled of trees; a difficult scent to follow in a forest. He hoped that they would all be making so much noise at first that none of the dogs would think of following the noise he was making as he crashed through the forest. Shade's weight wasn't the problem; when he had practised the route before, he had not thought about carrying a body, with legs sticking out at one side and the head at the other. After nearly decapitating Shade at least once, he had to slow down and keep angling his body this way and that to get her safely through the trees. If that wasn't bad enough, Shade began to stir, she might wake up and scream or fight him so much he lost hold of her. Her eyes opened but she did neither, she simply closed them again and let him run with her in his arms.

When he eventually reached the hiding place, Rona was sitting waiting. Probably another dream, he thought. There were six wolves calmly lying around, untroubled by his sudden appearance.

'Take her straight in the hut,' commanded Rona and followed him in. He put Shade on one of the beds and Rona tore off more of her dress. 'Take this back and leave a false trail,' Rona said. 'And make sure it leads as far from here as possible.'

As if he needed that advice. Gadolin wondered whether Rona had the wolves there in case the soldiers and dogs had managed to follow him.

Gadolin headed back to where Fingal lay, Kerdred had now taken charge. Gadolin watched for a while from his vantage point up a large tree before deciding to start the false trail heading south. He jumped down, making enough noise for the dogs to hear, trailing the torn bit of dress he headed off. What fun he had over the next few days, leaving false trails, back tracking, dropping next to individual soldiers and whispering 'Boo!' Making unearthly noises now and again just to add to his own amusement. He continued until they gave up completely. Kerdred seemed almost bedevilled by Shade’s disappearance and raged at the forest, his men and even the dogs. Gadolin returned to the hiding place where he had left Shade. Rona was on a tree stump outside the hut looking quite tired.

'Thank you Gadolin,' she said, 'you are free now to go, if you want'.

'How's Shade?' asked Gadolin.

'Shade and her baby girl are doing fine now. I had to induce the birth so I could give her the medicine she needed for her arm, I'm afraid she doesn't remember much about the last few days,' replied Rona.

'Can I go in and see her?' asked Gadolin.

'She's probably still sleeping, but yes you can,' answered Rona.

Gadolin entered the hut and there lay Shade with a small bundle tucked under her right arm. The other arm was all bandaged and there was a nasty bruise on the side of her head where Gadolin had misjudged the space between some trees. Gadolin looked down at the bundle and gently pulled the cloth from the baby's face, he decided he might stay around for a while longer.

Chapter 3

Kerdred returned to his quarters, dropping his sword on the floor and taking off his breast plate he then fell onto the bed. The last few days had been a nightmare, his emotions in disarray. He did not know what to feel, could not believe what had happened. According to the men on the wall, the Nefkin had, for no apparent reason grabbed Shade and ran into the forest with her. The archers had managed to kill him, but what had happened to Shade? There were many of his men who believed she had been carried off by some sort of ogre or other ghoulish creature as the dogs at first could find no trail of her to follow. They had then been 'played' with, causing dogs and men to be searching in all different directions. Someone, something had Shade and he had to believe she was alive.

Kerdred was surprised by how much his heart hurt at the thought of never seeing her again.  She had learned to bow her head, not to speak back to him, give him what he wanted, but he knew he could never break her spirit and he admired that. He had told himself it was a good quality his son would inherit, he had not admitted to himself, until now, that he loved her. His father would have scorned him, women were for men’s pleasures and to bear them sons. Love was a weakness, it