Ria Cantrell - Celtic Storm 03 (13 page)

Rhianna stood to her spot in absolute shock. He had rapidly sidestepped her and in a moment’s time seemed to have forgotten that she was the Lady of the Keep. Well, she was not going to let him dictate what had to be done. He and Tristan could handle the reinforcements, but she was going to the village and round up as many people as she could who would seek protection under du Montefort.

Throwing on a dark cloak, Rhianna headed through the kitchens and made her way to the old cellars that were no longer in use. She remembered an old staircase that led to a hidden tunnel. She remembered it had been created to spirit out the inhabitants if there was a struggle. It had been a long time since she explored the passageway. If her memory served her, the last time she had tried, many of the steps had crumbled and seeping moisture had enabled slime to form on the walls. She had only been a girl and she could not bring herself to hug the walls to explore any further. Well, she was no longer that girl and tonight Rhianna needed to leave the keep unseen.

Taking a lantern with her, Rhianna entered one of the old cellars and hoped she had remembered the correct one. There were forgotten barrels full of God knew what that stood stacked before what could be a door. Holding the lantern in front of her, Rhianna could see there was a doorway behind the barrels and crates. She heard the skittering of mice as she approached and she swallowed hard. Now was not the time to be squeamish. She had much work to do and she had best get to it if she was going to make it to the village in time to aid the local townsfolk.

Some of the crates were cracked and splintering with age. Rhianna had no intention of finding out what the contents were; she only wished to move them out of her way. It was a slow process, as they were heavy and rough. She shoved one with all her might and bit back a cry of pain as a sharp shard pierced into her hand.

Rhianna was pretty certain that even if she did scream, she would not be able to be heard; still she did not want to chance alerting anyone. The hood from her cloak fell back as the painstaking process of moving the old boxes and barrels required her strength. She muttered a good deal of curses, as it seemed that even when she pushed with all her might, the bloody things only moved a few inches. When a second jab of splintered wood dug into her fingers, Rhianna kicked the crate with all her strength, putting her anger into it. Only the crate failed and broke open, spilling its contents on her feet. She did not know what it was, but it was sticky and sickly sweet smelling, like fruit that had sat too long and over-ripened in its own ooze. It had been spoiled a long time.

Rhianna finally was able to move the last barrel far enough to get the door to open adequately for her to pass through. It creaked loudly on its rusted hinges and she thought the sound would wake the entire castle. Passing through the doorway, Rhianna started to make the climb up the winding stairs of the passage. She blotted out the sounds of the inhabitants of the dark tunnel. She tried not to scream when one of them brushed against her foot or rustled her skirts. She hoped that whatever it was that had spilled did not further attract them to her and she held the lantern low to ward them off. The smell of the tunnel was rancid and Rhianna tried not to breathe in the humors too deeply. Only, her heart was beating rather wildly and it was difficult to not gulp the fetid air.

Rhianna followed the winding labyrinth for what seemed like hours because her steps were slow and careful. The dripping slime coated the stone floor and walls and one wrong step would cause Rhianna to slip and fall. She did not want to do that if she could help it and so she carefully placed her feet as she made her way through.
Your people need you…a few steps further.
She kept repeating words to herself to fortify her resolve.

When she got to the end of the tunnel and climbed the last of the stairs, she felt for the door that was probably as rotten as the crates had been. It had to be there somewhere, but her lantern was growing dim. She finally came upon the handle and she pushed it with all her might, thinking the door would be hard to move. Instead, it gave way, and she nearly tumbled to the rocks below. Her lantern clattered and sputtered as it crashed down the rocky precipice. Bloody hell, she had forgotten about that. There was a time when a small stream had been close to the base and so people could leave in boats when the stream was swollen. Only, it had flooded one too many times and so it had eventually been dammed further on its course, leaving a dry gully that had eroded with time. Damn it! Rhianna was going to have to jump down and she could not fathom how far a drop it was. Now, without the lantern, she had no way to judge the distance. She was going to have to take a chance and slide out to the ledge. That also meant having to lie face down onto the slimy ground.

Rhianna turned and positioned herself on all fours, with her feet pointed toward the opening. She inched her way to the edge and flattened herself onto her stomach. She was grateful there was little damp where she had lowered herself. The air from the opening was fresh, but it was black as pitch. No light seemed to come from the tunnel or from the night beyond it. There was not even so much as a moonbeam to light her way. Steeling herself, Rhianna slowly moved out, sliding until her legs were dangling below her. One of her slippers loosened and fell off. She would try to find it when she hit the ground. Damn, why did she have to remind herself that she could quite possibly hit the ground harder than she was prepared to do? Saying a silent prayer, Rhianna knew there was no going back now. Besides, she was starting to slide further out and she knew that once she had gone this far, there would be no way to pull herself back in. This was it. She was gaining momentum and she felt herself moving downward almost as if she was being pulled. Instinctively, she tried to clutch at the ground to slow her speed, but it was no use. She was going to fall and it was going to be now.

~~~~~

Erik could not believe his eyes. He and Drew had circled the keep to see where there might be vulnerable spots that may need to be reinforced. They had followed the ridge and saw a drop off below. Tristan had said that at one time, there was a small river beneath the ridge and there had been a passage that was built in the event of war or siege, but that it had lain derelict for years. Erik and Drew had wanted to be certain that the passage could not be scaled and so they rode out to the spot where Tristan had directed them. With their torches, they found the door cut out of the castle wall, but there was a steep drop below. Still, Erik supposed that with proper ladders or grappling tools, the passage could be used and be breached easily enough. There was nothing he could do this night, but he hoped that they would be able to block it come the morning.

As Drew and Erik started to lead their horses from underneath the ridge, a loud clattering startled and nearly sent the horses into a complete frenzy. Erik stood agape as he saw someone scooting to the edge of the doorway and lowering himself through.
Bloody hell, it could not be! By the saints, it was the little witch
. Both men stared incredulously at the scene unfolding before them. Erik motioned for Drew to flank one side and he would get beneath her. The stupid little fool was going to break her lovely neck. Erik was livid. If she lived, he would love to wring it himself. Erik signaled for Drew to remain silent, but he seethed with anger that bordered on being dangerous. As he watched her inching her way out of the passage, one of her shoes careened down and bounced off of Erik’s shoulder. That only fueled his anger. He was thankful that the drop-off was not as high as it first appeared and as Rhianna slid off the ledge completely, Erik stood beneath her and caught her, seemingly able to pluck her out of the sky.

Rhianna felt hands grasping her legs and she began to scream and kick wildly. Erik nearly dropped her from the force of her struggle but he gripped her firmly. He could feel her pummeling his back as he tossed her over his shoulder and without thinking, his hand swift and sure swatted her backside. She screamed all the louder and Erik growled, “Be quiet you silly fool. You will bring the marauders straight to our door.”

Sweet Jesu, it was him
.
How the hell had he known she was going to try to sneak from the castle?
She struggled against him, trying to wiggle out of his hold and he said, “You are trying my patience, Rhianna. I am quite prepared to give you the full measure of my anger, now cease this struggling. You are like a slippery eel and I am loath to drop you.”

He slid her down his body and the contact offered both pleasure and pain. He did not know if he should spank her right there for putting herself in danger or if he should kiss her senseless at the relief that she was alright.

Erik set her away from him and he said, “Just what do you think you were doing?”

With a lift of her chin in defiance she said, “None of your business.”

Erik’s head lolled back and he rolled his eyes, sighing in annoyance. She was an exasperating sack of trouble.

“It is my business to protect you, so when you put yourself and your entire household in danger, it is very much my business. I will ask you again…what were you doing?”

“I do not have to tell you anything. I am free to do as I please. You have no right to restrict me.”

For all her bravado, as the words were spilled, Rhianna felt more like a child about to receive punishment than the Lady of du Montefort Keep at the moment.

“The king sent me and my men to see to the protection of the keep. I am not here just to marry you. Where were you going?”

“To meet my lover,” She spat in a vicious lie. Erik felt like he was going to explode in fury at her hurtful words. He lowered his voice to a deadly serious tone and he said, “You had better rethink that answer,
my love
, because upon your agreement to our betrothal, admitting to cuckolding me would be as good as an act of treason; not so unlike having your bowmen pointed at the ready at our bloody hearts. I am not so much a fool as you think. Your kisses bespoke of your innocence.”

Rhianna’s mouth hung agape at his final words and she was humiliated in front of Sir Drew. Now everyone knew she was an untried maiden! Drew saw her embarrassment, even in the dark of the moonless night and he said, “It is of no matter, my lady. I know you are a virtuous woman.”

Erik ignored Drew’s attempt at valor. Instead he said, “I am not going to ask you again, where were you going after I told you to stay inside the safety of the keep?”

“I was going to the village.”

“Even after I implored you to heed me on this important matter.”

“You do not own me, Erik Ragnorsen. I needed to secure the safety of my own people. They have always counted on me and I could not leave them, not knowing what was happening. I am sorry I agreed to this betrothal in the first place. Now take your hands off of me.”

Erik glared at her and he said, “Nay, for you cannot be trusted. This is not a game, Rhianna. While you were plotting to elude me, we learned of the destruction of the land and village beyond your own. It is not pretty, Rhianna. They burned down many cottages and murdered and raped several of the villagers. There is no reason, for nothing was pillaged; the marauders were not trying to gain pilfer for their coffers. It was done just to destroy and kill. This was done as a warning or some sort of tactic to cause fear and terror.”

Rhianna felt herself pale at his words. Letting her wrist go, Erik turned his back to her and he mumbled, “I would not be able to forgive myself if something happened to you.”

Rhianna stared at his retreating back. She had succeeded in wounding him and she was truly sorry this time. She stammered, “I am sorry.”

He did not answer her and he said to Drew, “Take her back. See to it that she is guarded if need be. She will no doubt, try something else to disobey my instructions. She thinks what I asked was to dominate and subdue her, when I only had protecting her in mind.”

“Erik, the lady is not a prisoner…it is her….”

“She is to be guarded. Am I understood? She is not a prisoner; she is under my protection by order of the king. Now take her back to the keep.”

Rhianna could see Erik was furious. She actually suddenly felt afraid. She did not think he would commit any violence against her, but his anger was like nothing she had ever experienced. She allowed Drew to help her onto his horse and she did not say another word. Before they rode off, Erik called, “Wait.”

She thought he was going to scold her again, but instead he trudged toward them and he grabbed her foot. Rhianna gasped at his touch but then felt him slide her slipper, which had been lost in her descent, back onto it. He then slapped the hind quarter of the animal and it took off at a terrifying speed. If Sir Drew had not been holding her, Rhianna was sure she would have toppled off, to be trampled under the thundering hooves.

~Chapter Eighteen~

Rhianna was silent as Drew circled through the woods, back to the entry of du Montefort. Finally, when he slowed the horse to a trot, he said, “My lady, you should not provoke Erik so. Forgive me for saying this, for it is not my place to chastise you, but you have been…rather difficult to him. He is not a monster. He is an honorable man, but you treat him as if he was sent to harm you and your people. He would never do such a thing.”

“How should I know what type of a man he is?”

“I think you know in your heart. Even if you did not like him, which I do not believe is the case; you should not humiliate him at every chance.”