From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [77]
“Poril heard yeh went away, Madam Hoff. But now Poril sees yer back and causing more mischief.”
Gren threaded her arm with the old man’s and led him away from the wagon. “Remember what you said to me the day Sitna heard the news. That you’d do anything to go back and make it right?”
Poril’s eyes grew wide and glossy. “Poril would have never laid a hand on the boy had Poril known the truth, I’ll tell yeh that. Poril’s a kind soul, he is.”
Gren patted his hand. “I know you are, Master Poril. But Lord Nathak is deceiving you again. For the woman in that casket is not dead. And Lord Nathak wants to hurt her.”
“What does Poril care of the master’s business? It’s only ’cause Poril is the best cook in Er’Rets that the master be taking Poril to Armonguard. And Poril can’t be left behind.” The old man lowered his voice to a raspy whisper. “Poril needs to see the boy again, he does. How else can Poril set right all that’s been done?”
“But that’s just it, Master Poril. Achan loves this lady.”
Averella straightened at this.
“Bah!” Poril waved a hand. “The boy loves yeh alone.”
Gren shook her head. “Not anymore, Master Poril. He’s betrothed to Lady Averella of Carmine now. Wears her sleeve on his arm, even as he marches into battle.”
Icy fingers stroked the back of Averella’s neck. That Master Cham would love her, wear her sleeve, and she not know him. How?
The old man’s eyes misted. “Poril heard he killed a cham.”
“Yes, he’s very brave, Master Poril. But Lord Nathak means to force Lady Averella to marry Esek.”
Surely not! She suspected Lord Nathak of vile things, but that he would kidnap her and force her to marry…
Poril sneered. “Poril never did like the master’s son. Pompous brat. Criticized Poril’s pastries and pies, he did.”
“Please help us. Help Achan. Keep silent about what you’ve seen. Let us take Lady Averella back to Achan. I’ll make sure he knows you played a part in her rescue.”
Poril’s thin lips stretched into a smile. “Yeh’ll tell the boy Poril helped?”
“The moment I see him. I promise you.”
He patted Gren’s shoulder. “Yeh have Poril’s silence, yeh do. Poril’s a fair man, he is, and owes much to the boy.”
“Thank you, Master Poril. You are indeed good and fair. I must go.” Gren walked casually toward the gatehouse.
Poril returned to the cart and climbed up on the driver’s bench. The driver was still assisting Noam with the horses.
Averella floated after Gren. She caught up with her in the outer bailey. Gren was now walking with the beefy man, who pushed the cart past a barn and around dozens of cottages with thatched roofs. He stopped before one such cottage and lifted Averella into his arms. Gren opened the front door, and they went inside.
Averella floated through the wall in time to see the man carry her body through a doorway in the back of the cottage. Averella shadowed Gren into a bedroom. The man stood beside a wide bed where Averella’s body now lay.
Gren stopped in the doorway. “Is she… dead?”
“No. She breathes. We should fetch a doctor but—”
“Harnu, we can’t!”
The pockmarked man turned his brown eyes to Gren. “But that would be unwise, I was going to say. We shouldn’t even keep her in the stronghold. Once they learn she’s gone, it won’t take ’em long to search every cottage in the manor.”
Gren swallowed. “What can we do?”
“Get her out of Sitna before they come looking.”
“Should we put her back in the cart?”
“Let’s wait for Noam. If Lord Nathak and his men depart as scheduled, we’ll be able to leave without anyone suspecting us.”
Averella waited in the cottage with Gren and Harnu for what seemed like hours before Noam arrived.
“They’ve left,” Noam said, a wide grin plastered across his narrow face. “We’ve done it!”
Gren grinned and embraced Noam.
Harnu stared at Gren and Noam like a jealous lover. “My father has a cottage in the Sideros Forest. We could keep her there ’til she wakes. Then we can journey south.”
Gren stared at Harnu. “You’re going to help me?”
He nodded. “You can’t stay here. Word will spread that you’ve returned. And when they discover Lady Averella