Treasure So Rare (Women of Strength Time Travel Trilogy) (29 page)

Erik pushed the shift up above her waist, and Iliana sat up,
pulled it over her head and dropped it to the bed furs. She untied and pulled
Erik's braies and chausses down his long legs, and then they were heated flesh
to flesh.

William stirred with a small whimper, and Iliana went still,
listening. Erik placed a kiss upon her lips, then he rolled over toward the
edge of the bed, staring down at his son in the small bed. Iliana stared at his
backside, gently running her hand down his hard muscled thigh.

Satisfied the child only made noise in his sleep, Erik
rolled back to Iliana and chuckled. "He grunts and fights in his
sleep," he said. "He is a true Remington."

Iliana laughed softly, placing a row of kisses along his
chest. She took his large, callused hand and brought it to her face, then
kissed his fingers one by one. At the last finger on his right hand, she
paused, staring in shock at the skin between the little finger and the next.

"Erik."

He looked at her. "Aye, I am sorry if it disgusts you,
Iliana, it is merely an anomaly from birth. When I was a boy, I took a fishing
knife and cut the thin skin so my fingers were separated."

Iliana had a strange light in her eyes. "By all the
saints, Erik -- by all the saints," she repeated, pulling away from him.
She grabbed her shift, dropped it over her head and jumped off the bed. Moving
to stand beside William's bed as he slept, she held her hand out to Erik.

Erik pulled on his braies and came to her.

Iliana knelt beside William and gently turned back the
lambskin cover. She lifted his small hand and beckoned Erik closer.

Erik stared at the webbed skin between William's last two
fingers.

Gently, Iliana covered their son and came to her feet.

Erik enfolded her and then wiped her tears.

Once more on the bed, he said, "You doubted Sorenta's
words?"

"Yes. It was three years -- three years when you knew
me to be aboard your ship. And yet I bore William nine months ago. How is it
you believed Sorenta when I could not?"

He laughed. "Since I arrived in this time there were so
many things strange to me, I stopped questioning many weeks ago."
Tenderly, he kissed her lips. "I did not doubt he was mine once Sorenta
declared it. But it mattered not. He was yours, so I loved him," he said
simply.

Iliana's strength was certainly no match for his, but Erik
let her straddle him and push him back to the bed furs. He rejoiced in the
kisses she placed upon him, participating fully as her mouth opened to his.

Their garments were gone once more, this time hers with a
rending of the fabric. Iliana continued to straddle his hips, opening herself
to him and letting his heated warmth come into her body, putting her head back,
frantic to feel all of him, to share with him the joy he gave her. Iliana felt
such a lightness of being, as the true energy of love flowed through her in a
rush of light. Together they were flung to an instant ecstasy, where time had
no place, their hearts rushing to meet each other, breaths labored, a moment
where time had no place, neither rushing forward nor lagging behind. Souls met
and merged, as flesh merged. Bodies shaking in the aftermath, softly whispered
words, fingers tenderly stroking.

"Erik, my love. My love." She lay atop him,
resting her cheek upon his chest, enjoying the stroke of his hands up and down
her back.

"No matter where you go, Erik Remington, William and I
will go with you. We will work side by side, endure hardship --"

His chest rumbled beneath her and she lifted her head.
"You dare to laugh?"

"Yes, Iliana, I dare to laugh. I plan to return to my
time, with you and William by my side, and I must confess I am a rich man.
There will be little hardship. The only hardship will be when you have to deal
with my bullheaded ways."

Iliana threw her head back, her hair cascading over her
shoulders as she joined in his laughter. "Then I shall help you spend your
riches."

"You are most welcome to try," he said, and he
rolled, taking her with him, and together they lay face to face, and that is
how they fell asleep, arms entwined, and with the memory of each other's face
the last they saw before their eyes closed.

There was sadness and rejoicing as they prepared to leave
early the next morning. The sun rose in the sky, filtering through the filmy
clouds, bathing the courtyard in a pure golden light.

Iliana felt a certain sadness to be leaving the keep, and
yet there was a new excitement building within, and as she looked over at Erik,
she did not hide her smile. A new life, a strong loving man. A man who had
searched endlessly for her through time. Her gaze fell to William. A child to love.

Edward stood off to the side, and Iliana noted his frowning
face. She directed Erik's attention to the young lad.

"Edward," Erik said, and he walked over to the
boy. Soon, Iliana noted the frown was gone and in its place Edward appeared
awed.

Lady Graziela stood in the keep's archway, ready to see them
off.

Rowenna hurried over to Iliana and Erik, three tapestries
rolled under her arm.

"You must take your life tapestries," she said.
"And little William's also. Although Erik, in truth yours is a bit
tattered and worn from the fighter dragons."

Erik and Iliana exchanged a glance.

Iliana shook her head. "I will no longer seek the life
tapestry to see where I have been and where I will go. There is no need."

"Aye," said Erik, "I'd rather ride the day
out by the seat of my trousers."

"You must take them on your journey," said
Sorenta. "You never know when they may come in useful. And who knows,
maybe young William will need his in the future for his own daring adventures."

Iliana shrugged, and with a smile Rowenna folded them
tightly and tucked them into Iliana's saddle bag.

"God speed," said Rowenna. She stepped up to Erik
with William in front of him in the saddle. "Good bye, little
William." William kicked his feet and Rowenna touched his small foot in
its leather shoe, then she stepped back.

"We pray for your safe return to your own time,"
said Lady Graziela, "but do remember you are welcome here if you do not
find the doorway you seek. There are no words to repay what we owe."

"Journey far until you can pass no further," said
Sorenta. "You will find a port rich with history and a sea that will
embrace the spirit of your souls, eager to show you the way back."

"Good bye, Sorenta," Iliana said fondly.
"Good bye."

And so it was they left Dutton Keep. As they crossed the
drawbridge over the moat, they soon came upon people working the fields. Iliana
marveled at the activity in the fields and the village, the new bloom that hung
even over the hills in the distance. There were many waves of goodbye and calls
of good wishes.

Iliana looked at him. "Edward was looking quite glum.
What did you say to him?"

"I told him he was in charge of overseeing the security
of the keep. He was to report anything troublesome directly to Albert, the new
officer in chief."

She smiled. "A big responsibility and certainly it brought
a big smile to his face."

"He's a good lad and I will miss him," Erik said.
He looked over at her. "And you, Iliana, will you miss this place?"

Iliana smiled, looking at the village behind them.
"Some of the people, surely, but anything else? No, I do not think so,
though I admit I am anxious to see the place we will call home."

"As am I," remarked Erik. He smiled and laughed
aloud.

Iliana lifted a brow.

"I packed your flamberge rapier," he said.
"Did you forget?"

"I did not forget. I was unsure about bringing it to my
new life."

He laughed. "My dear, it will make a grand tale. A
sword you had fashioned for your hand in the thirteenth century, when that
style of sword never made an appearance until the sixteenth century."

"I don't know -- perhaps I saw it in my travels?"

"Most definitely."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"When we arrive at my ship, God willing, I will
explain."

"One more mystery, Erik?"

"And easily solved," he said.

As they rode the same rutted paths Erik had taken upon his
journey here, she thought of the differences that had been wrought. But she
feared, too, what they might find.

"The quicker the journey to the sea, the better I will
like it," he said. "We can better assess the situation once we know
what will be found at the coast." No sooner had he spoken then he saw a rider
fast approaching and another group of riders hard on their heels.

"Iliana," Erik said quickly, "you and William
ride for the cover of the woods. Quickly. Stay safely under cover until I come
for you."

She looked toward the approaching riders. "Erik
--"

"Please," he said, "Go now."

Iliana spurred her horse for the cover of the trees, but not
before she saw the face of the lone rider. With fear in her heart, she saw a
blond haired man with an uncanny resemblance to Erik. He'd been flushed out and
was headed directly for Erik, his face that of a man desperate and seeing his
own death.

¤¤

Erik saw his chance to intercept Camdork, but before he
could do anything, the man's horse stumbled and fell to the ground and lay
there, sides heaving with exhaustion. Camdork rolled on the stony ground, his
sword in hand as he gained his feet. As if realizing the futility of outrunning
the riders that would soon be upon him, he took a stance, his sword at the
ready. Erik saw he only had one good hand, the other, no doubt broken that
night in the stable, hung at a twisted angle.

Erik dismounted and slapped his own horse, heading him in
the direction of where Iliana waited in the woods. He wouldn't allow Camdork an
easy means of escape.

"Where is my man Jock?"

"No doubt the bottom of the sea." He laughed. "I
ripped him apart and then I burned your ship in the water."

Erik drew a deep breath, a hard ache welling inside. "So
is this the end you envisioned?" he asked softly. "Dying alone on a
barren plain?"

"This is no end, it is the beginning!" Camdork
yelled. He rushed Erik, his sword arm up and slicing downward toward his shoulder.

They met chest to chest as Erik deflected the blade with his
own, the sound of hardened steel ringing deafeningly in his ears and across the
open field. Erik had seen eyes such as Camdork's before, the desperation of men
who knew death waited just a hair's breadth away. Camdork had that knowledge
and he fought hard and viciously.

The man was like a madman, but in the end the disadvantage
of using only one hand and arm lost him his sword. It flew from his hand and
landed five or more feet away.

Erik stood over him, breathing hard, and then Desryn's troop
reached them. With a nod to Desryn, he turned and walked away. There was no
purpose for him to kill Camdork, the man would have his justice in time.

"God speed, Erik," Desryn called after him.

"Yes, God speed!" shouted Camdork, and his slightly
insane laugh followed Erik. "That's what your man Jock said as we ripped
his limbs from his body."

Iliana trotted toward him, the destrier tied to her saddle. "Come
away, my love," she said softly, "it can do no good to hear the
ravings of a madman."

"It will do me good to push his teeth to the back of
his head," Erik said tautly.

"Da, Da."

William, still in Iliana's arms, stiffened his body and
leaned away from her, holding his arms down to Erik. Iliana quickly gripped him
before he could fall.

"Da, Da, Da." William's cries grew more insistent.

Erik's face softened, and he took the boy as the lad stared
up at him with his deep green eyes.

Erik looked at Iliana, then at William. "Come," he
said. "It is time to go."

¤¤

Late afternoon was almost upon them when Iliana suddenly saw
a rush of images. She stopped her horse, blinking rapidly. The monastery, her
journey through a dark tunnel of time. Suddenly, many questions had answers,
knowledge she had sought for three years.

Erik looked back and turned his mount to trot back to her.
"Iliana?"

"It is you," she whispered hoarsely. "I
cannot believe I have been blind to the truth. Erik, it was because of you I
was able to unlock the secret of the green gem."

"Iliana, you found the gem."

"But I could not have done it on my own. You showed the
people how to fight back, and you brought us out of the red soil hills."

"You inspired them to fight."

"You are a rare treasure." She laughed. "Erik
Remington in the guise of Weinroof of Camdork, a fitting mockery, don't you
agree? The salvation of Dutton Keep came cloaked in the disguise of a
scoundrel."

"And you sacrificed your life for this mission, never
forget that. I have never encountered a woman so brave or strong." He
looked down at the glossy dark curls on William's head. "Remember this
moment, William. Your mother is a hero of uncommon courage."

Iliana stared beyond Erik. "I see a glisten of the
sea," she said with rising excitement.

"Aye, there it is." Erik looked down at his son.
"Come, William, let us see if the
Merry Maiden
awaits."

They rode quickly toward the sea, the sand flying beneath
their horse's hooves.

The sea with its jeweled depths appeared as calm as glass,
the sun warm upon their heads and...
the harbor lay empty
.

Iliana's excitement dimmed and instead she felt a tightness
in her chest. Erik looked up and down the coast, then out to sea. Would they
return to Dutton Keep, or would they travel further abroad? "I am sorry,
Erik," she said, an ache in her heart.

"So has Camdork spoken the truth?" he wondered aloud.
He dismounted, then lifted William down from the saddle. Iliana dismounted and
held out her arms for her son. "Do not look worried," he chided
gently. "All will be well."