Cornerstone (24 page)

He still wasn't exactly sure how he'd managed to wrestle the knife from Russell's hand. Perhaps Russell wasn't accustomed to anyone actually fighting back, and he'd taken his presumed victory for granted. Jessa had been invaluable, as well. She'd found a sword outside the tent and had kept it trained on the other man as Garith carried Emariya out. Not knowing her as well as Garith did, the men couldn't be sure she wouldn't use it.

He had thought that he might encounter Russell and his men on the way to the castle, but so far he'd seen no sign of them. Maybe Russell had taken Emariya, after all. As far as he could tell, he was likely still at least three days from the castle. Garith avoided stopping as much as he could, continuing even overnight, but the rocks were slippery with snow, and the going was slow as a result. He stumbled forward, one foot at a time, as his eyelids threatened to close. Exhaustion relentlessly assaulted each of his senses in turn. Since Emariya had been taken, Garith hadn’t slept more than a few hours at a time. Not wanting to waste any time, he continued to press forward across the snow-covered rocks.

I have got to stop and sleep, just for a little while,
he thought to himself. Up ahead, there seemed to be a rocky ledge that ran parallel to the valley he'd been following. Underneath it was a slight recess the snow hadn't invaded. It was high enough that he and his horse could use it for cover while he slept. There would be no fire, but at least there would be shelter from the relentless flakes. Climbing carefully, he managed to get both his horse and himself up the steep incline to the dry spot under the ledge.

He was almost asleep when the smoke reached his nose. Standing, he peered around. He definitely smelled smoke.
And smoke means a camp, or a hovel,
he thought excitedly. Bracing himself against the rocks, he hoisted himself far enough up that he could peer over the top of the ledge. A short distance away was a thicket of trees, stretching on for miles. Above them, a banner of smoke waved a welcome greeting. There was no way he could get his horse up the ledge, but he had to check out the smoke. It might be whoever had taken Emariya. He knew the chances were small, but still there was at least a chance. And how many other people were out traveling in this winter madness? No, he had no choice but to check it out. He'd have to leave the horse.

Letting go of the ledge, he landed back under the overhang. Quickly he spread some hay and hobbled his horse before hoisting himself back up onto the top of the ledge. His exhaustion was forgotten.
By The Three and all that is true, please let her be safe. And if possible, please let her be here,
he added as he rushed toward the trees.

He could no longer see the smoke once he reached the trees, but he could smell it. Holding his knife out, he broke into a run. The snow cover was lighter there under the canopy of trees, but still, the ground was slippery, and what snow there was concealed the innate dangers of the forest. He never knew the root was there until it grabbed his foot and he went sprawling face forward into a bed of snow. Carefully, he felt around in the snow for the knife he had dropped. Preoccupied with his search, he hadn't heard them approach.

“
Announce yourself,” commanded a voice behind him.

“
Wouldn't seem necessary, seeing as you're likely aware of my presence.” Garith heard the heavy boots moving toward him. His fingers closed around the handle of his knife. Snatching it up, he used his other hand to push himself off of the ground. He spun around just as the gloved hand reached out to grab him.

Stone gray eyes regarded him carefully. A heavy black cloak cascaded artfully from strong shoulders. Above his white shirt sat a suede vest adorned with four squares—two black, two silver. On the black square near his shoulder, an embroidered wolf was poised to attack. So was the man wearing it.

“
You are obviously not from here, so I will forgive your insubordination.”

My insubordination? Who in the world would…
Realization hit. He was relatively sure that he was standing in front of his Royal Highness, Prince Torian Ahlen. He should have remembered his courtesies, now that he was reasonably sure who the man was. Instead, the trials of the previous weeks sent him into a fit of fury. It was this man who had been the start of it all. He was the reason they were on this accursed journey, anyway. The reason why Emariya was missing. The reason why she would never be his. He surprised himself as much as the prince when he leapt forward and tackled the young man to the ground.

The prince brought his arm up to block Garith's incoming blow. Enraged, Garith tried to strike out with the knife in his other hand. He lunged too far, overextending himself. The prince seized the opportunity and rolled to the side, sending Garith reeling into the brush. “What have you done with her!” Garith bellowed as he rushed forward, closing the distance between them. The prince sidestepped him easily, and spun around to face him as Garith rushed past, carried by his momentum. Like caged cats, the two men circled one another. Both were ready to pounce, never taking their eyes off each other.

“
Her?” Garith noticed he had a strange lilt to his voice.

“
Lady Warren—what have you done with her?”

“
Lady Emariya Warren? Sir, it may appear we are both after the same end.”

Sure they were,
Garith scoffed to himself. “We were escorting her to you, and someone stole her right after we—” Garith caught himself just in time. Perhaps this wasn't the time to tell him that his bride-to-be had decided to turn tail and head away from him. “—made camp one night,” he finished lamely.

Torian's perfect eyebrows arched with suspicion. “Then perhaps I should be asking what you did with her, seeing as you were her escort. How could you let her be taken?” he said.

The anger in his voice caught Garith off-guard. “Are you trying to say that she wasn't taken on your orders?” His accusation came out weak, deflated. He had desperately hoped that it had been the prince who had taken her; at least then they would know where she was heading. “But if it wasn't you, then—?”
Oh by The Three, where was she? And with whom?

Two men with swords brandished ahead of them crashed through the trees. Each took a practiced spot at their prince's side. “Your Highness, are you harmed?” The guards, like the prince, were clad in silver and black. Their mail was a light silver weave tucked beneath a jet black, sleeveless over shirt that reached to their knees. The same wolf emblem from the prince's vest adorned their shirts. Completing their garb was an elegant silver cloak.

Torian sighed. “No, fine.”

Garith couldn't help himself—he chuckled. “Seems Emariya is not the only one whose escorts were caught unaware.”

Torian gave a reluctant smile. “Perhaps.” Then, to his guards, he said, “It's fine. I believe the gentlemen was just about to give me the details of Lady Emariya's unexpected departure.” Speaking to Garith again, he said, “I think perhaps it would be best if you started at the beginning.”

Garith gave a small nod. “Name’s Garith, Milord—er, Your Grace.”

“
His Majesty is my father, I am 'His Highness'. Do you address your Councilors as ‘Grace’?

“
No, they are Councilor.” Regarding Torian levelly, Garith asked, “So you really didn't have her taken, to be brought to you?”

“
Why would I have her taken? Were you not on your way to Castle Ahlen anyway? I'd much prefer to be dry and warm in my study waiting for my Lady's arrival, opposed to out here, traipsing through the snow.” He brushed the ever-present wet flakes off his shoulders disdainfully.

“
Well, as it so happens, we had actually decided to change course. We were going to return to Warren's Rest.”

“
I see. Might I inquire as to why?” Torian settled himself on the ground, waving his guards away. They both stepped back, but neither seemed ready to sheath their swords just yet.

Following Torian's example, Garith sat across from him. He began to explain their encounter with the Separatists, and Emariya's concern for Reeve. He decided to leave out the part about how he had been the one who had informed Russell of their impending union in the first place, or his suspicions about Torian's motives for wanting to wed Emariya.

“
So you really don't think that it was this Russell who took her?” Torian asked after Garith finished.

“
No, I think that if Russell finds her, he will just kill her in order to be done with it. He has no reason to hold her alive. Do you disagree?”

“
No, I'm inclined to think you are correct. A letter came by pigeon. Her brother was alerted that she was taken, so he wrote to me of it, as well. To my knowledge, no ransom has yet been requested, though.” Torian sounded troubled.

“
So we still don't know who took her. But whoever it is, they've not made a secret of taking her. Only of who they are. Maybe it is Russell, after all, and they are trying to draw you and Reeve in, so that they can kill two—er—three Stones with one blow, so to speak.”

“
Let us hope not; they wouldn't need to keep her alive for that, only make us think she was.”

Garith realized that Torian was right. For Emariya's sake, he hoped that wasn't the case. He still wasn't convinced that Torian hadn't had a part in it, but it seemed less likely now. That didn't mean he had to like him. “So now what?” he asked.

“
Well, do you think your other two companions are still back at the cave?”

“
Either there, or Rink has passed on and Jessa may have set out for Addie's.” If Torian thought he was sending Garith back to them and setting out after Emariya himself, he was going to have another fight on his hands. Garith had no intention of abandoning the search for her.

But what the prince said next was not what he had expected. “Then you and I shall go after Lady Emariya, and my men can go and collect Jessa and Rink.” Garith's surprise must have shown on his face. “I'll need you to make sure I don't confuse your trail with Lady Warren's when we find it.”

At least he is agreeable to me going with him,
Garith grumbled mentally.
And, if need be, after we rescue Emariya and Khane, the three of us can split off from him and make our way home.
Except his men would have Jessa and Rink by then, with any luck. He sighed. Maybe the prince was smarter than he had given him credit for. In any case, first they had to find Emariya.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Sight Of The Stones

“
I left my horse hobbled down a ledge not far from here. I'll need to collect him, but I don't think I can get him up here.” Garith gestured in the direction he meant.

Torian nodded, “There is a small path where a horse can scale.” Striding off, he conferred with his two men quietly. Feeling like an outsider, Garith stood alone, watching them, but he was unable to make out what they were saying. He was starting to get impatient, and he shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot, waiting. Finally, the prince turned and came back to him. “Let us walk; they will catch up with the horses.”

It didn't take long for them to reach the ledge. They collected Garith's horse, and Torian quickly led the way to the path up to the overhang above. When they reached the path, Torian stopped and gestured for Garith to wait behind him. Garith obeyed immediately and then scolded himself for it. This man wasn't his prince, so why was he listening so obediently? But years of being the son of a blacksmith and catering to the lord of an estate had taught him his place in this world. His desire to dislike this man wasn't enough to make him forget his place anytime soon.

“
I assume you did not come this way?” Torian questioned.

Garith shook his head and peered down at the ground where Torian was brushing aside the light covering of snow. The path was lined by two walls of rock that reached upwards for at least thirty feet. The protection of the walls left the path very lightly snow-covered instead of drenched in over a foot of it, like some of the areas nearby. “Then whoever took Emariya must have passed through here.”

“
How can you tell?” Garith was truly curious. To him, everything around them looked the same.

Torian held up a rock. “See the moss?” He indicated the greener side of the dark rock.

Garith nodded, he could see it now. Only one small rough part of the rock was covered in moss. The rest was worn smooth. “This part has been buried in the ground long enough that a little bit of moss was able to grow. This part here, the smooth part has faced upwards for seasons. When the spring thaw has run down the mountain, it has worn its edges away. But the rough part was facing upwards, likely kicked up by a horse’s hoof as they passed through. I can't guarantee it was them, but someone has been this way recently.”

Garith couldn't help but be impressed. “But heading this way would send them toward—”

Torian cut him off, “I know. If they were headed this way, it would seem they are headed for the castle. Look, I know how that must look to you, but I swear to you upon my crown that I did not have anything to do with this. I don't know why they are taking her to the castle, but I can't say I am not glad of it. It means we can get her back. And we know something else now, as well: if they found this path, then they know the area well. We can be reasonably sure it wasn't someone from Sheas, which, all things considered, is also good. If Hendel had her, we'd likely never get her back.”