“We will see who suffers,” Owen sneered and hit her again. “Now tell me where the pregnant one is.”
“You are wasting your time,” Wintra said and felt the breath whoosh from her body as he landed a solid blow to her stomach.
“Go find the other woman,” Owen yelled to one of his warriors.
“Now let’s see how brave you truly are?” Owen said and turned his fist on her again.
~~~
Dawn had waited until all the horses had passed and the ground trembled no more. Then she got up and followed the horses’ tracks. She did not care how tired she was, there was no way she was not going to help Wintra. She would not be foolish about it. She would stay hidden and wait for just the right moment.
She saw the warrior in the near distance at the same time he saw her, and she knew there was no point in running. She would tire herself out and he would catch her, and then she would have no strength left to fight him. She blessed Wintra ten times over for having left the dagger with her. She gripped it tightly in her hand, her cloak concealing it, and waited.
~~~
The tracker spotted the two bodies crumpled on the ground, a few feet from each other and yelled out.
Cree flew past him as did Torr and Kellmara. Cree was off his horse in a flash when he saw that it was Dawn lying face down in the snow, blood pooling at her side. He threw his head back and released such a roar that the birds and animals in the woods hurried off in fear to bury themselves from the terrifying howl. And Cree’s men kept their distance, knowing all too well that Cree was about to release hell.
Cree stared down at Dawn, afraid to touch her, afraid to find out that his wife was dead.
Torr was not. She was his sister, and he dropped to the ground beside her.
“Don’t touch her,” Cree shouted when Torr reached out.
“Then see to her,” Torr said angrily. “She may be able to tell us where Wintra is.” He refused to believe Dawn dead. She couldn’t be and neither could Wintra.
Cree went down on his knees beside her and as he gently turned her over, her eyes fluttered open, and she struggled to smile at him. Relief punched him in the gut, rendering him as speechless as Dawn.
“Where are you wounded? Who did this to you? Where is Wintra?” Torr asked anxiously since Cree had been struck silent, not that he could blame him. Seeing Dawn sprawled so lifeless on the ground had given the impression she was dead. He was grateful she wasn’t and he hoped she could tell him where Wintra was.
Dawn raised her hand, though winced as she did.
Cree quickly and gently rested her hand in his and winced himself when he saw how her palm had been sliced across. He was also relieved to see that the wound was the reason for the blood that had been spilled.
“I found tracks,” Henry called out.
Torr jumped to his feet, though gave a last look to Dawn. “I must go.”
Dawn pointed and wagged her hand for him to hurry.
“I will leave you and Kellmara to return my sister safely to me,” Cree said, knowing both men were more than capable of the task and also knowing there was no way he was going to leave his wife.
Torr was on his horse and gone before Kellmara reached his horse.
Cree looked down at his wife, snug in his arms. “I am going to shackle you to me so that you never leave my side again.”
Dawn grinned and shook her head.
“I am serious. I never want to feel again what I did a few moments ago when I thought you dead. It was as if all life had suddenly been drained from me, and there was no point in living without you or the babe in my life. Damn it, Dawn, I love you so much more than I ever thought possible.”
She smiled at his loving declaration, and then with slow gestures, assured him that she and the babe were fine, with the exception of her hand.
“The fool I am,” he scolded himself, “to talk with you when your hand needs tending.” He got to his feet while keeping her snug in his arms and looked around to see that half his warriors had gone with Torr and the other half had remained behind. They were busy scouting the area, posting guards, while two saw to removing the dead man’s body from sight, and two others had just finished preparing a pallet made of pine branches and were placing blankets on top.
His men knew well their jobs and he would see them rewarded for a task more than well done. He placed Dawn on the pallet and with relief saw to her care.