The Nun and King

Chapter 16

I blink hard, trying to rid my eyes of the rain that has found its way in but as soon as I reopen my lids more water takes its place and I give a grunt of annoyance. Throughout the night the small summer rain has transformed into a torrential downpour and has soaked us all to the bone leaving nothing dry. Tugging at flank cinch on my saddle, I secure the buckle and begin to work on adjusting the stirrup. Saddling my mare has become second nature over the years I've had her but it's never an easy task in a storm.

My stomach grumbles and I force myself to ignore it. What little food we had left over from last night was given to the women—better we go hungry than them. Hopefully we are able to find some game when we camp tonight, if not we will have to wait until we reach the encampment tomorrow.

Giving a quick glance over my shoulder to where I know I'll find Claire, I see she has not moved from the huddle they formed this morning. The large oak branch doesn't offer much reprieve and her pale blue dress clings to her body. Her arms are crossed and folded tightly over her chest in an attempt to conceal herself if I had to guess. There is a flash of light as lightning strikes in the distance and I watch Claire jump as my horse lets out a squeal before rearing to her hind legs.

Instinctively, I grab her by the bridle as she crashes back down and do my best to keep her from running off, making sure to lean backwards with all my weight. It does the trick and she panics, jerking her head around madly. "Shh shh," I offer. "Easy girl, easy. It's just noise," I say in her ear as I rub my palm down her broad nose. "You're alright, it's just noise," I repeat. It seems to do the trick and she stills and I continue to saddle her up before loading up my saddle bags with our belongings. Pulling out my Pavian cloak, I walk over to where the majority of my men have convened.

"All right men," I announce gaining their attention. "We've got a long day ahead of us, especially if the rain doesn't let up. If you have a second rider with you try to be mindful of their comfort, they aren't used to these conditions let alone riding all day in a storm like this. If you need to stop don't be shy to ask. Visibility is going to be low, especially navigating through the swamp. If for any reason we get split up head for the encampment, don't waste time trying to find the others. Any questions?" Several shake their head no but Max raises his hand.

"What do you want us to do if we run across any scouts from Bulga?" he asks before slicking back his shaggy hair. "Kill 'em?"

Pursing my lips, I give a nod as I think it over. It makes no difference if Bulgins knew of our return—if they were going to use that to their advantage they would have already. But one less enemy to contend with on the battlefield could result in a spared life for one of my men. "Aye," I say, making sure to avoid eye contact with Claire given last night's conversation. "Give them a good death if you can."

With no other questions, we mount up. Claire follows me to my horse and I help her into the saddle. With my cloak in one hand I place my foot in my stirrup and hoist myself into my saddle behind her. Her body is cold against mine I give a shiver before draping the cloak around us both. "Hold onto the hem, it'll keep our body heat better," I say dully. She does and I slink my arms around hers, grabbing the reins. "Apologies for my closeness, but I have no choice."

"You don't have to apologize," is all she says in return.

With a sigh I click my teeth and we begin to make our way through the marsh-like forest. I do my best to find easy paths for my men to follow suit but there are times where I have no choice but to take us through high waters high enough to reach our already soaked boots. At one point we are forced to dismount and cross through a bayou, the heavy droplets splashing the dirty water into our mouths and eyes. I do my best to try to shield myself with my free hand as the other grips my horse's reins. I manage to steal a look at Claire who is so bundled up in my cloak I can only make out the tip of her nose. Finally exiting the boggy waters, I take my place back on my mount and grit my teeth as we continue our travels. As the rain bares down it makes navigating the thick woods almost impossible as visibility reaches only thirty feet or so ahead.