From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [31]
What was Gren doing in the stables at this hour? At any hour, for that matter?
Before she could ask, a distant yell distracted her. She cocked her head to the side. “Did you hear that?”
“I didn’t hear nothing, miss.”
Kopay whinnied. Vrell could hear other horses dancing in their stalls. A thump overhead drew her gaze to the ceiling. “Something is on the roof.” She ran to the doors and opened them. The light from the torch stands greeted her. Men’s voices drifted from beyond the curtain wall. Yelling. She listened hard to make out any words.
A trumpet blared. A man yelled.
“Raise the drawbridge and close the gate!”
Heat flooded Vrell. Something was happening. A quick glance at the roof of the stables confirmed it. A coil of grey smoke drifted against the black sky. Fire!
She ran back inside. “The roof is on fire. We must get the animals out. Now!” She grabbed the lantern from Gren and hung it on a hook by the door. “Take the east end. Open all the stalls and send the animals out. Go, hurry!”
Vrell ran past Gren and reached for Kopay’s reins. “Outside, boy.” She twisted the reins loosely around the saddle horn, pointed him toward the open doors, and slapped his rear. He lurched and trotted toward the exit.
Vrell ran down the west end, opening stalls and ushering horses out. Most broke free from their leads and ran. She hoped Gren knew to keep out of their way. By the time Vrell had emptied the stalls on the west end, burning bits of thatch were falling from above. Thick smoke curled down from the roof. It hadn’t rained in days. The roof would go quickly. Vrell ran toward the exit and met Griscol halfway.
The stable master, though grey-haired and aged, had the build of an adolescent boy with a voice to match. “My lady! How many more?”
“I have cleared everything on the west end, Griscol. I sent a woman to the east end. Would you check on her?”
Griscol took off at a run.
Vrell kept back as several more horses jogged out from the east wing. Smoke grew thicker, pulling ragged coughs from her lungs. Chunks of smoldering thatch fell around her. Finally, Griscol and Gren returned. Griscol pronounced the stables empty, and they all hurried out into fresher air.
“I thank you both for clearing the stables.” Griscol wiped soot from his forehead. “That trumpet was what woke me. I stepped outside, saw the smoke, and came running. Something sure has the soldiers in a tizzy.”
Vrell gazed at the top of the curtain wall. Soldiers crouched low, aiming their bows out at the vineyards. Her words came out in one breath. “We are under attack.”
As if in agreement, an arrow slammed into the side of the stable.
Gren shrieked.
“Best get inside, my lady,” Griscol said.
But Vrell had other ideas. She ran a few yards, scanned the outer bailey, then turned back to Gren. “Help me find my horse. He was the only one saddled. He’s a white courser. And take care not to get trampled. The fire has upset the horses.”
Gren’s eyes widened, but she ran off to the east of the bailey in the direction the last of the horses had gone.
Vrell went the opposite way. But before she could see a single horse, a groan pulled her away. A soldier Vrell did not recognize lay on his back alongside a cart, gripping his stomach and moaning.
Vrell knelt at his side. She tried to move his hand, but he fought her. “Let me help you.” She looked into the man’s eyes. He was young, Bran’s age, perhaps.
“My lady? You’ve come home?” The man’s eyes rolled back. The tension left his body, and he fell limp.
Vrell leaned close and felt his warm breath on her cheek. He had only fallen unconscious. She moved his hand and examined the dark patch of blood that had soaked his uniform. Unfortunately, he wore no armor to protect him from injury, but that made it easier to get to the wound.
A shadow fell over her patient. “What happened?”
Vrell twisted around to see Gren clutching Kopay’s reins. “Thank Arman. Unlatch the left saddlebag. You’ll find a small, leather satchel. Bring it to me.”
Vrell pulled the cape over the soldier’s head and pushed up his shirt. A