Chapter Twenty-Two

Lamorna prised her eyes open as she slowly came awake, feeling snug and warm. A delicious aroma invaded her senses. Puzzled, she started to sit up and realised she was wrapped in a thick cloak; she absently rubbed her cheek against its softness. Her mouth already watering, she noticed the small animal roasting on a makeshift spit over the fire. On the other side of the fire sat the man, her rescuer, cradling the baby; the wolf lay nearby.

He met her anxious look with a smile. “It has been a long time since I held one so small.”

“Is he–?”

“He is fine. He has fed, he sleeps. Although it took me a while to work out how he feeds. She was very patient with me.” He smiled, nodding at the wolf.

Lamorna’s eyes widened. “You know he feeds from her?”

He nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, a human baby feeding from an animal.

Frowning, Lamorna sat up properly, grunting softly as she adjusted the cloak around her. “You are not shocked?”

He shrugged. “Milk is milk, is it not? Now, it is time to see to you. You must be hungry.” Carefully, he laid the sleeping infant down close to the wolf who curled herself around him.

The sound of something moving in the dark made Lamorna start. Half standing, she whispered, “What is that?”

He motioned her to sit again. “There is nothing to fear, it is only my horse. He is tethered a little way from us because of the wolf.”

Biting her lip, she sat back down. Watching him cut pieces off the roasting meat, she realised how dark it had become. Last she remembered it had still been light enough to make her way. “What happened?”

He raised his brows in a silent question.

“What happened to me? I remember I was trying to leave. It was still light...”

“You suffered a great shock at the hands of that man. You fell, senseless.”

“That man. What did you do with him?”

“He’s food for the crows now.”

Scared by his harsh tone, she asked softly, “Who was he?”

He stared at the fire, his nostrils flaring. “He was... he was a wicked man. That is all you need to know. Here.” Holding strips of meat, he jabbed his hand at her. When she hesitated, his demeanour softened. “Forgive me, I do not mean to frighten you. Here, eat.”

She took the food and slowly began to eat, raising her brows for it was tasty.

“What is your name?”

She remained silent, wondering if it was folly to give it up, to trust him.

“I am Sewell. My home is not far from here. Where is your home? Have you travelled far?”

His openness made her feel even more awkward. Unable to look him in the eye, she kept her head bowed. But the silence that followed was so suffocating, Lamorna almost blurted out her name.

“You will tell me nothing?” he said. “As you wish.”

“Thank you,” she said, his subdued tone giving her voice. “Thank you for saving us. Please do not think me ungrateful.”

A small smile softened his features as he got to his feet. “I thank the lord or whatever power it was that guided me to you.”

Finding his words puzzling, Lamorna turned her attention back to her food. She watched as he melted into the darkness to see to his horse. The thought of escaping disappeared as quickly as it had appeared for she could see it was a foolish thought. Sewell would hear her gathering the baby and her things; besides it was too dark. Before long, he returned as she was licking her fingers clean.

They sat for a while longer, neither speaking. Lamorna saw to her brother when he awoke, changing him and feeding him, all the while aware of Sewell’s gaze on them. What if he decided to use her like that man had wanted to? Like the other soldiers had threatened to? What would she do then? Who would come to her rescue? Feeling a prickling creep over her scalp, she shuddered. As if sensing her disquiet, the wolf settled herself between Lamorna and Sewell, leaning her body against the young girl.

“You should rest now.”

She turned wide eyes to Sewell, and he returned her stare with a slightly confused one.

“Do not fear. I will see no harm comes to you. What you said before, about soldiers causing only hurt, that is not true. We are not all like that. Besides, I am no longer a serving soldier.”

Holding her brother close, her breath coming out in short gasps, she glanced around; the darkness seemed to have closed in even more.

“Do you not trust me?” Even as he asked the question, he chuckled. “But why should you? Listen, child. I swear...” He looked searchingly about him. “I swear on the head of this precious little one.” Reaching out, he placed his hand on the baby’s head and looked her straight in the eye. “I swear I will protect you, no matter the danger.”

Tears welled in her eyes as fear eased its grip on her heart. Nodding slowly, she lay herself down to sleep.

*                      *                      *                      *

When Lamorna opened her eyes again, to her surprise it was already light; she was used to being woken by the baby while it was still dark. It felt wonderful to feel so rested. Turning her head slightly, she saw Sewell with the baby. She lay quietly so as not to disturb him, and he remained unaware that he was being observed.

She could not help comparing him to her father. Even though Logan had not been considered especially tall, Sewell was shorter than him and of a much stockier build, reminding Lamorna of a bull. His fair hair, cropped short, adorned his head like a brush. His mouth remained turned down until forced upwards by a smile; his nose, turned slightly to the left, seemed somewhat squashed. He was not what she would have regarded as handsome, not like her father, but he did have the most striking, deep blue eyes she’d ever seen.

He puzzled her, this soldier who’d come to their rescue. She remembered the words of Grania, the first one to help her after she and Vanora had parted. She’d told Lamorna that good and bad existed everywhere, and that one could not say that all priests were bad or that all soldiers were bad. Was Sewell one of the good soldiers?

“Ah, you are awake.”

Startled, she quickly sat up.

Breakfast was no more than stale bread and cheese, somewhat hardened, washed down with water, but Lamorna did not complain. Sewell asked if she’d slept well; having answered, Lamorna could then think of nothing to say so they ate in silence, which was broken only by the child’s soft grumbling. As they finished, Sewell once again asked her name; again, she remained silent. He shrugged and began to pack up the camp.

Now that it was light, Lamorna wondered if he would let them continue alone. She wanted to get away soon for she did not know how long she could maintain her silence if he continued to pester her for information.

When he returned from where his horse was, she held out his cloak to him. “Thank you for letting me use this, it kept me very warm.”

He hesitated before taking it.

Busying herself with tidying her things and arranging the baby in the sling, she said, “Thank you again for all you’ve done for us, Master Sewell. I am very grateful for your kindness.”

When he did not reply, she chanced a glance up at him. He stood with his arms crossed against his body, a frown crumpling his brow. Making sure her brother was secure in the sling, which was now around her, Lamorna got to her feet. Taking a deep breath, she was aware that her smile was too forced, too wide. “Thank you again.”

“Do you truly believe I would allow you to continue on your way alone?”

Her false smile vanished. “We have come this far on our own.”

His set expression did not change. “Then we praise the lord for bringing you safely thus far. But I cannot turn my back on you and pretend that all will be well because you wish it to be so. I cannot turn my back on the baby.”

“But I can–”

“No. I will hear no more arguments. I saved you from harm and you are now my responsibility. It is my duty to deliver you to safety.”

For the first time in a long time, Lamorna reached for her braid, forgetting her hair was now too short for her to chew on the end. Unable to think of anything to change Sewell’s mind, she looked at Wolf who stood waiting, intelligent eyes focussed on Lamorna. It occurred to her then that, of the two of them, only the wolf was capable of outrunning Sewell and his horse.

Her shoulders sagged as she finally nodded. “You are right, Master Sewell. We will go with you.”

“Of course.” His abrupt answer made it clear that he’d expected no other outcome.

Lamorna followed him to his horse, and her eyes bulged. The beast was huge. Dark brown skin glistened and rippled over powerful muscles; black mane tumbled down the side of its neck as it shook its head. As Sewell reached for the reins, it neighed loudly, tossing its head and shying.

He grabbed the reins and spoke to it firmly but quietly. It quietened down but still backed away. “Do not let the wolf come too close.”

Lamorna turned to the wolf, but she’d never ordered her to do anything before. Wolf cocked her head to the side as Lamorna gestured feebly; nevertheless, the beast kept her distance.

Her eyes barely level with the horse’s shoulder, Lamorna would much rather have walked, but Sewell was already lifting her up to the saddle. “I–I have never sat on a horse before. I do not feel safe,” she said as she sat sideways, one hand around the infant, the other clutching the pommel of the saddle.

Sewell swung himself up, and put his arm around her and the baby. “I will not let you fall,” was all he said.

As the horse started to walk, Lamorna closed her eyes in an attempt to lessen the dizzying, swaying motion.

As they travelled out of the forest, she observed that Wolf kept stopping, turning back to face the direction they had been traversing before reluctantly following them again. She realised that Sewell was taking her away from her original path, the one that Vanora had told her to follow. His voice startled her, making her focus her attention on the present.

“What happened to your parents, child?”

“They are both dead.” She did not see the harm in telling him that but knew better than to reveal any details. “We were to be separated, my brother and I, but he is all I have left. My mother... she always talked of her people. I hope to find them, hope they will take us in. That is why we’re travelling as we are.” She was thankful that he could not see her face for she was convinced he’d see the lie.

After a silence, he asked how she came to be travelling with a wolf.

“It just happened.” To her relief, he did not push for any information she was clearly reluctant to give.

“I know what it is like to lose those you love,” he said. “I had a family once. But the sickness took them.” His voice faded, and they rode on in silence.

Every time they stopped for a rest, when she was not trapped on the horse, Lamorna kept looking for a chance to escape, but that chance never came. Sewell was never far, and when he gave her some privacy, he always had the baby with him.

Lamorna’s sense of panic was gradually rising even as the forest was gradually thinning; she knew time was running out.

“I said it was close, didn’t I?”

At the edge of the tree line, Lamorna could make out a village. She gritted her teeth so hard against her dismay it made her jaw ache.

Wolf hung back, whimpering and whining. As Lamorna knew would happen, Wolf would not follow them into the village. “I cannot go to your village, Master Sewell. I will not be without Mistress Wolf.”

“I have not brought you all this way only to abandon you now.”

“I won’t leave her. I need her. He needs her.”

“No, child.” He was already urging the horse forward.

“Oh, then let me down if only to say farewell.”

He helped her down but remained mounted.

Swallowing hard, biting her lip against the tears that threatened to fall, Lamorna put her arms around Wolf, burying her face in the soft fur. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want you to leave me.” But what could she do? She could not run; Sewell was on horseback. So, she did all that was left for her to do – she hugged Wolf and whispered the White Lady’s prayer, begging for guidance.