Lion's Bride - Iris Johansen [143]
He was gone in a flurry of dust.
Thea watched him tear across the plain in bemusement.
“I was stupid,” Selene said in self-disgust. “It’s all my fault. I made you lose the horses.”
“It could have been worse.” Thea suddenly realized what an understatement that was and began to chuckle. “Oh, yes, it could have been much worse.” She turned to Ware. “Do we start to walk or wait until the fire dies out?”
“What?” His tone was absent. “Oh, we wait. I don’t want to risk being caught in the open. The fires on the other bank were minor. He torched only this side of the stream. It should burn out before dawn, and the men should be able to cross.”
She frowned. “He shouldn’t have killed those trees.”
“Better the trees than us,” Selene said. “The fire is drawing closer. I’ll go get my horse before the flames do.” She moved toward the edge of trees and then stopped. “No, it’s your horse now, Thea. I shouldn’t be allowed to keep it when I made you lose yours.”
Selene had to be feeling exceedingly guilty to sacrifice her horse. “I’m sure that Ware can persuade one of his men to lend me a mount.”
Selene’s expression brightened. “Oh, good.” She still hesitated before saying haltingly, “I would appreciate it if you would say nothing to Kadar about my stupidity.”
“You were surprised. It wasn’t—”
“It was stupid.”
It was clear Selene was not accepting words of comfort. “Ware and I won’t mention it to him.”
Selene muttered as she strode away, “Not that I should care if he thinks me foolish when he’s idiot enough to wander away into Lord knows what danger.”
Thea turned to see that Vaden was almost out of sight. “You were so certain he wouldn’t kill you?” she asked Ware.
“No.”
She whirled to face him. “Then why did you run the risk?”
“I wasn’t sure I could best him in battle. If he’d killed me, he would have been committed to his course and been forced to kill you too.”
“So you put your head under his sword.” Her hands clenched. “I may kill you myself. Vaden was right, you are a fool.”
“It was the only way to save us all.”
She shivered as she remembered how close that sword had fallen. “Was he really protecting you all these years?”
“I think so.” He whispered, his gaze on Vaden, “God, I hope so.”
“You risked too much for hope.”
He finally turned to face her and smiled. “How can you say that? When it was you who taught me to hope again.”
Five days after Thea, Ware, and Selene reached Hafir, the wagons from Dundragon came.
Wagon after wagon, filled with furniture and goods and people, poured into the valley. Behind the wagons walked a stream of more men, women, and children.
Ware gave a low whistle. “We may need another ship.”
“What did you expect?” Thea asked. “You see, choice is best. There’s little for them here but one kind of slavery or another. They know you will guard and care for them even in a foreign land.” As she knew he would care and guard her. “I wonder if—” She broke off when she saw Jasmine walking behind the second wagon. “There she is.” She had thought Jasmine would come, but there was always a chance she would stay behind. She ran toward the woman. “Jasmine. I’m so glad you decided to come with us. I was afraid I’d have to send for you later.”
“Where else would I be?” Jasmine asked. “But I would rather go to Damascus than on this ship to nowhere. I’ve never been on the water and I hear it’s a fearsome experience.”
“Neither have I sailed. But Selene did all the way from Constantinople, and she says it can be quite pleasant when the weather is fine.” She looked searchingly beyond Jasmine. “Where’s Tasza? Didn’t she come?”
“Of course she came. She’s lolling behind talking to Abdul. She cannot see or hear anything but him when he’s within a mile of her.” Jasmine looked down at the ship in the harbor. “Abdul said it belongs to the Old Man of the Mountain. Some of our people are afraid that death clings to it.”
“It