Aislin of Arianrhod (Land of Alainnshire) (7 page)

The footpath continued off to the left through a crevice and up a steep incline before it exited onto a landing behind a pile of sharp rocks. Gasping for breath after climbing the steep hill, Aislin dropped to the ground. She was soaked from the river spray, and the warm sun felt good.

Roderic slumped down beside her, wheezing. “That was a little more intense than I remember it.”

Aislin couldn’t help but laugh. “The end of that river is a sight to see! I’m glad we have these backpacks. We’re both soaked, and the fire flints would’ve been ruined.”

They sat catching their breath for a few more minutes, when Aislin heard voices.

“Oh no,” she said under her breath.

She got to her feet and ran, Roderic right behind her. Descending a path off to the left of the landing, they found a spot where they could squeeze between two large rocks and look over the area below. The land flattened beyond the jumbled hill of boulders, and it was sandy, brown and desolate. There were no trees. Only a few scrubby bushes grew here and there on the plain.

The river, after falling dramatically from the cave and splashing down the face of the cliff, gathered in a large, deep blue pool at the base and continued on its way in a tranquil flow. Its life force was in stark contrast to the barren land around it.

Along the river, on the opposite side from them, Aislin saw an encampment of soldiers. Some of the men wandered along the river, weapons slung across their backs, some were gathered around a fire, cooking something on a spit. The colors on the banner that flew over the camp were unmistakable. Her worst fear had come true. Jariath had had enough time to get his men to the far reaches of Arianrhod.

She turned and sat down. “Jariath’s men. Now what?”

Roderic turned and sat down as well. “This definitely complicates things.”

Running her hand through her wet hair, she said, “There’s no way we’ll be able to make our way across that plain in the day without being seen. You can see for several miles in any direction.”

“I know. There’s nothing to hide behind out there.”

“If I could just get down close enough to get an idea of their numbers...how heavily armed they might be...and how they’re placed around the encampment,” Aislin said.

“Your father taught you military tactics, did he?” Roderic asked dryly.

She shot him a look. “No. Of course not. Do
you
have any ideas?”

“Yes. I don’t want Jariath to catch us.”

“Well, that’s helpful. You should’ve just stayed back in the cave.”

Roderic grinned at her. “And miss all the fun? Not a chance!”

Aislin elbowed him sharply.

Roderic thought a minute, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a miniature spyglass. “Will this help?”

Aislin gave a soft squeal of delight and took the spyglass from him. “Where did you find this?”

“It was with all the other stuff Devin had stocked in the cave. It was small enough to fit into my pocket, and I thought it might be useful.”

She already had it extended and was peering down into the encampment of men. Several minutes passed before Roderic asked, “Well?”

“Shhh. I’m thinking.”

More time passed as Aislin surveyed the men. Finally, she said, “It looks like there are about 250 men down there, give or take. Lots of weapons. Big ones. Very sharp ones too, by the look of it.”

“Does that scare you?”

“A little,” she admitted. Jariath was taking no chances that she would get away from him.

After a few more minutes, Aislin turned and sat down. “I think I have a plan.”

“What is it?”

Aislin drew in a breath. Yes, she had a plan. A perilous, ridiculous, foolhardy plan. Her brother Fionn used to call it ‘
hiding in plain sight
.’ And it didn’t always work for them when they were children.

“It’s risky,” she said under her breath. “It’s really risky.”

Roderic gaped at her. “What do you mean by that?”

They couldn’t go back. They had to find a way to go forward. Jariath had no doubt sent his best troops to the far reaches of Arianrhod looking for her. Preventing her from getting beyond the borders would be his sole focus right now.

Can I outsmart battle-hardened soldiers from Morrigan? Do I even want to try?

With another heavy sigh, she looked over at the man sitting beside her. Jariath would have no use for Roderic if they were caught. He would most likely be put to death immediately. Could she live with herself if that happened?

No. Roderic had been like a father to her growing up. She would have to send him back to the cave and go on without him. If the soldiers caught her, they probably wouldn’t hurt her. Much. It wasn’t a pleasant prospect, but she had to be honest with him.

Aislin reluctantly handed Roderic the spyglass. “Here. Look at the riverbank beside where the men are camped. What do you see?”

Roderic took the spyglass from her and spun around on his haunches. Slowly he said, “I see... the river...running in the riverbed. And the men camped along the edge of the river.” He turned and looked at her. “What am I supposed to see?”

“
No
...really
look
at the riverbank. What do you see?”

“Dirt...and rocks.”

“Oh for the love of Zeus...don’t you see it? The river has eroded the riverbank back under the land! See the ledge sticking out over the river, and the shadow it casts? The bank itself must be rock, and the riverbed is dirt... and the river washed the dirt right out from under the rock! In fact it looks like the river flows under the ledge for two or three feet. And the river is low right now, so that’s good.”

“I don’t follow you.”

Aislin looked out into the distance and could see the dark and mysterious edge of Blackthorne Forest beckoning from about two miles away. Could she do it?

She turned to him abruptly. “I want you to go back to the cave. I’m going on alone.”

Roderic went white before her eyes. “You aren’t serious.”

“I
am
serious. The plan I have is dangerous. They’ll kill you if they catch us both. If they just catch me...well...you’ll still have a chance to get to Wyndham.”

“Why don’t you tell me what your plan is first, and let
me
decide if I want to risk my neck?” Roderic asked.

“If I got into the water down where the falls forms the blue pool, and I stayed on that side of the river bank, I could float right past them—right under that ledge by their camp. If I’m careful and quiet, they’ll never see me.”

“Aislin...” His tone suggested that he was questioning her sanity.

Aislin crossed her arms in front of her. “One of us has to get to Wyndham.”

“I am not going to let you do this alone. So...
we
float past them and then what?” Roderic said.

“We’d have to stay in the water until we reached the forest.”

“And our backpacks...?”

“...are oiled and water resistant. We can float with them on our heads just to be safe.”

“I don’t know about this, Aislin. If we’re caught...”

“...
You
will most likely be killed. I have already explained that to you, and that’s why I want you to go back to the cave. You’re not listening to me.”

Roderic glared at Aislin.

“You are, without a doubt, the most obstinate, aggravating woman I have ever known. And your plan is so damned insane, it just might work,” Roderic finally said. “But I’m going with you, and that’s non-negotiable.”

“I couldn’t stand it if Jariath killed you,” Aislin said.

“And I couldn’t stand it if Jariath caught you and took you back to Morrigan. We obviously can’t stay here. I’m soaking wet anyway, and I suppose this doesn’t sound any more hazardous than walking across open desert in the daylight. I’m willing to give it a try.”

“Are you sure about this? You could go back...”

“Aislin,” he said, with more than a little irritation. “How many times did I pluck you out of harm’s way when you were a little girl? Do you seriously think I’m going to abandon you now?”

She nodded. If that were his choice, she wouldn’t press him further. She spun quickly back up on her haunches, looking through the telescope again. “We’ll wait for the sun to go down a little more, so the shadow under the ledge is deeper.”

They had a bite to eat and tried to refine the plan, but everything revolved around them floating unseen and unheard past the soldiers. They sat in silence for a time, and then Aislin quickly began to pack everything back up.

“We’re going?” Roderic asked.

“We can’t wait any longer.” Aislin slung the backpack up around her shoulder and started down the path that led to the blue pool. “I want to get into Blackthorne before the sun sets.”

The area that led down to the pool was a maze of paths, all thankfully hidden among the large piles of rock. When they got to the southern end of the pool, they discovered there was no way they could get into the pool and swim to the opposite shore without being seen by the men at the encampment.

Not wanting to take any chances, they withdrew back away from the pool. Eyes narrowed, Aislin scanned the landscape. Almost immediately, she saw another possible way to cross. There was a path that wound its way down along the pool and then up and off to the right. The path continued directly
behind
the waterfall to the other side.

“Follow me,” she whispered to Roderic and took off down the path.

The roar of the falls was deafening, and the spray made it very hard to see. They slowly and carefully made their way on the path behind the waterfall to the other side of the bank.

Crouching down, clutching their precious backpacks, they ran across the pebbled sandbar at the edge of the pool and slipped into the water.

“Let the river take you. Don’t try to swim, or they may hear you,” Aislin whispered. She positioned the backpack on her head and ducked under the rock ledge along the bank. Roderic did the same.

The water was cool but not unpleasantly so. The river flowed so gently here that Aislin had to push off with her feet to get forward momentum. The ledge was wide enough to hide them completely from anyone standing above them. There was enough room under it for the backpacks on their heads, as long as they stayed in the water up to their necks.

The flow picked up a bit of speed. Aislin carefully kept a foot on the bottom and a hand on the wall so she wouldn’t be swept out into the open.

She began to hear raucous voices. The voices grew louder and nearer as the river carried them silent and hidden in the shade of the ledge.

Soon the voices were right over her head. Aislin’s eyes caught Roderic’s and held them as they floated past the enemy encampment. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was sure it would give them away.

The voices began to grow faint and more distant. After a time, all she could hear was the river and the birds singing.

The trees that marked the boundary of Blackthorne Forest loomed over them, casting a deep shadow on the water as they floated lazily past. It grew darker as the trees grew thicker. Aislin knew they’d made it out of Arianrhod.

Ducking out from under the ledge, they clambered up onto the shore. They stared at each other wide-eyed for several minutes as puddles formed at their feet. Roderic started to laugh softly.

“That’s got to be the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” said Roderic, his hands still shaking. “I was scared witless. We were
very
lucky to get past them.”

“I would rather be lucky than good, my friend.”

“I do believe you might be both, Princess.” Roderic checked his backpack. “I made it through with everything perfectly dry. How about you?”

Checking quickly, Aislin said, “I did as well. Let’s get out of these wet things and find a place to spend the night. I’ve had quite enough adventure for one day.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Roderic replied with a shake of his head.

Chapter Eight

J
ARIATH SAT ALONE IN THE sewing room, rubbing his temples with tense fingers. It had been one whole day since Aislin and her family had slipped away, and she was still missing. Not only had she not been found—she hadn’t even been
seen
.

There were six of them. Six of them! A group that large does not stay hidden for long. Where are you, Aislin?

The plan had been perfect. Taking the town had been easy. The villagers had barely fought back at all.

How had Aislin slipped his grasp? He wouldn’t allow himself to think he had underestimated her. He’d spent long hours while Brock planned the invasion thinking of Aislin in chains, begging his forgiveness for refusing him. He planned to make her life nothing but pain.

She’s so much better than you are, Jariath. So much smarter, so much more capable
. The thought popped unbidden into his mind, and it made him even angrier.

He scowled and pushed the thoughts aside.
She is but a woman, and I can handle her. She was lucky to escape me. Her luck will not hold forever. She will never get out of Arianrhod. Never.

But even as he thought it, he wasn’t so sure. She was ever the shining star, sought after by all of the eligible princes in the land. There was
something
about her that drew people to her—like butterflies to a flower. There was no denying her father had taught her well. Aislin was an exemplary equestrian, had a remarkable green thumb, and knew how to manage the kingdom so that it was successful and prosperous. That beautiful, amber-eyed wisp of a woman possessed an excellent mind, and in his heart, he knew he would always be one step behind her.

Aislin had been in Bellemeade at an open market the first time he ever saw her. She was selling apples, plums and cherries plucked from the prolific fruit trees of Arianrhod. It seemed strange to him that a princess would get involved with such a menial task, but she was clearly enjoying it—laughing and speaking to everyone who passed by. He was mesmerized and couldn’t stop staring at her. There was an aura about her, and her presence felt like a fist in his belly.

She seemed to notice she’d caught someone’s attention, because she looked away from her customer momentarily, and her golden eyes caught his. He remembered how hard it had been to breathe, how fast his heart had been pounding, as she looked directly at him and gave a slight hint of a smile before turning back to her customer.

He’d never been shy, but at that time, he wasn’t filled with constant rage like he was now. When the market began to close, he went over to her and introduced himself. She smiled politely as he kissed her hand. She seemed interested in him, and he felt very fortunate. He asked if he could visit her in Arianrhod, and she said yes.

It was a day and a half’s journey on horseback from Morrigan to Arianrhod, but he made it every month for the first half of 1680. Aislin was receptive to his visits, showing him around the village, the orchards and farms, touring the horse stables. She made him feel like he was the only one, and he fell in love with her.

He rode home elated after one particularly encouraging visit, and told his father, King Boru, that he planned to make Aislin his wife. He was aware his father had a bit of a history with the royals of Arianrhod, but he saw no reason why that should have to stand in his way. Boru had laughed wildly at the irony of his son marrying Aislin, but he gave his blessing with a sly smile on his face.