The rest of the evening she sat feeling awkward in the silence between them. But Morency remained easy and comfortable, which made her feel even more like a sullen and wrong-footed child as they ate quietly. She said not a word, and it was only when he had finished his food that he spoke again.

“I do not doubt that I won’t be invited to share watch with you.” He looked infuriatingly smug about that as pulled his surcoat off over his head, leaving his leathern armor and hose to cover him as he fashioned the surcoat into a pillow. He stuffed the material behind his head with a great show of making himself comfortable by the fire. “I confess that I never thought of the convenience in having a guard dog. Was a tiring day, though, and I’ll be happy for a full night’s rest.”

With that, he closed his eyes. Somehow, she kept herself from cursing him again. Instead, she did as she always did when keeping watch: attended her duties. The first of which, she thought with an uplift of spirit, she would mightily enjoy.

She walked toward him, up to the warm fire that lit him. He had placed himself close – the night was as cold and damp as the day had been. But light attracted visitors. She kicked dirt onto the flames until it was extinguished, watching the satisfied smirk on his face turn sour in the last light of the glowing embers, and kept that image with her as she took up guard not far from where he lay.

CHAPTER 7

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It was as they approached a crossroads the next morning, the forest growing less and less dense as they made their way from where they had camped the night, that he felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck prickle to life. He sensed her slowing beside him, too, both of them suddenly alert, poised, listening to the emerging sound of voices nearby. They looked at each other, her hand on the pommel of her sword, as one of the voices reached them, the words clear.

“...could only see one sword between them, and that in the hands of a boy. Left them not an hour ago.”

“That’s easy work, and done before noon,” came another voice.

Ranulf froze immediately at the sound of the voices, but she moved quickly, silently. He watched her step to the side, silent, darting her eyes from him to the ground to seek her footing, then in the direction the voices came from as a third man opined that they could be easily tracked, likely headed for the road – which indeed they were.