And even though it should anger him, he found himself conversing with her a bit. She was a creative and intelligent lass whose imagination knew no bounds as she ran through various scenarios of what could happen to them.
"You know," she said as she picked at her brat. "They say there are dragons in the hills. Mayhap they'll take us there to feed one. I never really believed in dragons, but this peddler came once to our home and he had a bite wound. It was this big." She held her arms out to a good size. "And he had it on his arm. He said a dragon had bitten him as a young man."
"How old were you when he told this story?"
"Ten and two."
"Perhaps he made it up to entertain you."
"Perhaps, but he looked terribly sincere about it. Do you think there are dragons? I should like to meet one if there are…"
Ewan shook his head at her while she continued on with her stories. The lady loved to talk as much as he loathed it.
At last the wagon stopped and so did Nora's prattle. She cocked her head to listen.
Ewan heard the muffled voices from outside.
"Think he be awake by now?" Ewan wasn't sure which of the men spoke.
"He should be," Catarina answered. "I only gave him a bit of the root, and considering his size, it should have worn off a while back."
"Poor man," another one said. "Imagine being locked in the back with the woman's tongue. No doubt he'll be wanting all our heads for it."
Nora gaped indignantly.
"I think we should keep him unconscious." That was definitely Lysander's voice. "He'll be more than angry at us and I've no wish to taste his wrath."
"That would defeat the purpose, now wouldn't it?" Catarina asked. "Nay, we have to be getting the man up at some point."
Ewan scowled at that. What did they mean?
"Let's open it then, and see if he's up." It was the first man again.
Then a small slit was opened in the back of the wagon and a pair of black eyes peeped in.
It was Bavel.
"He's loose," Bavel said. "The lady must have untied him."
"I thought you said you tied him well," Catarina inserted testily.
"I did."
Bavel was moved out of the way and Catarina's blue eyes stared inside. "Hand me your ropes," she demanded.
"Why?" Ewan asked.
"Well, if you be wanting out of there to attend to your business, you'd be best doing as you're told."
"Just let them out, Cat," Viktor said.
She refused. "Not until I see those ropes. I want to know how they got them off him."
Ewan pulled Nora back as she started to comply. "You've no need to see the ropes, lass. Let us out."
"Ha!"
Ewan ground his teeth. What was it with this day that he was cursed with women who didn't know their places?
Nora shrugged off his hold and handed one of the ropes to Catarina through the slot.
"What are you doing?" Ewan asked her through his clenched teeth.
"Getting us out," she hissed back.
"See," Catarina said triumphantly. "The rope's been cut. They have a dagger in there. Had you opened the door, one of us would most likely be dead now."
"Hand over the dagger!" Lysander snarled.
Ewan scoffed at the thought.
Hand over his only weapon? Never.
"Nay."
"Then the two of you can just stay in there," Catarina said.
"There's one wee problem," Nora said. "I really need to leave the wagon."
"Why?" Viktor asked.
"I have to… umm… I just need to leave the wagon. Very soon."
Ewan cursed as he caught her meaning. Leave it to a woman to have no control over her body.
Catarina was the one who answered. "Then you'd best be making your man hand over his dagger."
Nora looked up at him imploringly.
"Nora, I can't give them my dagger. If I do that, we're defenseless."
"Ewan, I have to leave the wagon. I can't wait much longer."
The slot opened and a metal chamber pot was slid through it. "Never let it be said we lack mercy," Catarina said.
"Oh, but you can't be serious," Nora said as she eyed it with distaste. "I'll not be using that with him in here with me. 'Tis indecent!"
"I won't look."
Nora was aghast at Ewan's words. The man was truly a barbarian to even suggest she do such a thing while they were in such tight quarters.
Not to mention they were unmarried. Unbetrothed.
Unsuitable.
He was mad!
"Nay! I'll not be using that. You hand over that dagger right now, Ewan MacAllister, or I swear I shall talk until your ears bleed."
He grimaced at the threat.
She could see the indecision in his eyes.
"Ewan, please," she tried again. "I truly have to go outside."
Growling under his breath, he removed the dagger from his boot again and handed it hilt first through the slot to the gypsies.
"Are you happy now?" he asked, his tone surly.
"Aye. Thrilled." She turned back toward Catarina, "Now may I be let out?"
The door opened slowly to show Lysander and Bavel holding swords angled at them.
Viktor and Pagan stood back. Viktor looked nervous, while Pagan looked as if he were withholding laughter.
Nora descended the wagon and watched the armed men carefully.
Both men had their attention trained on Ewan, who stood assessing them as well. He was coiled like a snake, ready to strike, and both men knew it.
Nora bit her bottom lip as she weighed what she should do. Oh bother that, she knew what she needed to do. It was the only way to keep Ewan from attacking them and killing one of the fools.
Stumbling against Lysander, she caught his wrist that held the sword and gave a sharp twist with her hand.
The sword came free as she used her unexpected weight to unbalance him. She pulled her skirt up and wrapped it around her left hand, then turned to confront Bavel, whose face paled considerably as he looked about trying to decide if he should fight her or not.
Ewan was beside her in an instant. "Give me the sword."
She stiffened at his implication. "You know, I am quite capable of fighting him. My aunt sent a tutor to me when I was scarce more than a child, and at her behest I studied for years, even though it made my father livid that she would dare acquire such without his approval."
"The sword, Nora. Now."
She made a face at him as she handed him the sword hilt first. There was no use in arguing with him while they needed to escape. That wasted time, and the distraction would only get them taken again.
"Get him, Bavel," Lysander said as he came to his feet, The two men clashed swords.
Nora watched in awe of Ewan's skill. For a bear, he was quite nimble. He moved like fluid. Graceful. Powerful. He was quite a handsome sight.
It was quite apparent who the better swordsman was. She doubted if anyone could best Ewan's skill.
Then Bavel did the unexpected. He ducked beneath one of Ewan's parries, spun on his heel, and handed the sword off to Catarina.
Nora gaped at his actions.
Catarina tested the sword's balance, then moved in to engage Ewan, who backed up in disbelief.
"Afraid of a woman?" Catarina asked.
Ewan shook his head. "I'll break your arm if I hit your sword."
"Try me." She swung, but Ewan didn't even attempt to parry.
Instead he ducked and twirled away from her.
"Ewan!" Nora cried, holding her hand out for the weapon. If he wasn't willing to fight for their freedom, she most definitely was.
Nora didn't really expect him to return the sword to her, but he did.
She inclined her head at him in thanks, then turned to face Catarina. "Shall we?"
Catarina's eyes glowed. "Let's."
Ewan stood back with the men as he watched the women fight. He'd never in his life seen the like. They fou
ght like two champions.
At first Ewan had almost not handed the sword off to her, but he'd been completely unwilling to hurt Catarina by fighting her. Now he realized he had made a very wise choice in trusting Nora.
"Amazing, eh?" Viktor said, coming to stand beside him. "Catarina is one of the finest swordsmen you'll ever see."
Ewan frowned as he looked at the four men beside him, all of whom were watching the women.
He should be fighting the men, but he couldn't quite manage it while the women were at it. They were fascinating. Not once in his life had he ever seen two women fight with swords.
"Cat was trained by King Phillip himself," Viktor said. "He always said she had the skill of ten men."
Ewan agreed. "I'm impressed. She fights well."
"As does your lady," Bavel added. "Truly she is Cat's equal."
Aye, she was.
"How is it King Phillip trained a gypsy lass to fight?" Ewan asked Viktor.
Viktor and Bavel exchanged uneasy glances. "He's a friend of the family. Sort of. He's known Cat all her life."
Hmmm… how very odd.
"Shouldn't we be fighting?" Lysander asked.
Ewan unfolded his arms and turned toward the men. "Most likely. Shall we?"
The three related gypsies gave one another nervous looks while Pagan laughed and shook his head as if to decline the fight.
Viktor and Bavel took a step back.
"I for one have no wish to spill blood this day," Pagan said. "What say we allow the women to determine the outcome?"
"Aye," Lysander agreed. "Whoever wins gets…" He paused as if a thought had just occurred to him. "Well, if we let them go we won't get paid, now will we?"
Viktor sighed. "Most likely not."
"Get paid for what?" Ewan asked.
"We were hired to abduct you," Bavel said.
"Why?"
They shrugged. "We were told to ride you and the lady about for a few days and then leave the two of you alone to find your way home."
"Why?" Ewan repeated.
Again they all shrugged. Except for Pagan, and Ewan had a feeling he knew more about this than he was telling.
But that could wait.
Ewan whistled at the women. "Ladies, please rest your weapons."
The women did.
Ewan turned back toward Viktor. "Now tell me again who paid you?"
"No one has paid us yet. We was just told to get you out and then go pick up our money."
Ewan was completely baffled by their unexpected words. "Who is going to pay you? Did you not see the man who hired you?"
"Well, aye. But we never saw him before," Bavel said. "He just showed up while we were visiting—"
Lysander cleared his throat and stepped on Bavel's foot.
Bavel cursed and pushed the man away from him. "I wasn't going to tell him that."
"Tell me what?"
"That we were visiting Cat's godmother."
"Bavel!" Viktor took his hat from his head and hit Bavel with it.
"Ow!" Bavel snapped. "That hurt."
Viktor hit him again.
Ewan moved to stand between them and to keep Viktor from any further assaults. "Gentlemen, please. Who you were visiting doesn't concern me. The man who hired you does. What exactly did he say to you?"
Catarina came forward and handed her sword back to Bavel. There was a calculating gleam in her eye that Ewan didn't quite trust. "He said he would pay us twenty silver marks if we were to grab you and ride you about for a while. Once we go to Drixel, he'll be waiting to pay us."
"I thought Viktor said it was to ride me and Nora around."
"Viktor was mistaken. We were paid to abduct you and you alone."
Ewan frowned at that. That wasn't what he'd heard while he and Nora had been inside the wagon.
The gypsies were lying to him, but he didn't know about which part.
Could they have another reason for abducting them?
"Do you know why he wanted you to kidnap me?" Ewan asked.
"He said he wasn't going to harm you," Viktor said. "I made a point of asking him that. I didn't want to take part in killing anyone. He just said that he needed for you to be gone for a short time, and that once we had you a few days away from your home, we could let you go."
"But you didn't abduct me from my home."
Viktor squirmed at that. "We were going to, but when we got there we saw the lady and her man and maid. So we waited until they left and then you left, and then we followed the two of you to the village, hoping to capture you last night."
He passed a shamefaced look to Lysander and Bavel. "Since we weren't able to get you last night, it was Cat's idea that we head out a little early and wait for you in the meadow to capture you this afternoon."
Ewan's scowl deepened. How had he missed something as important as five people following them? It wasn't like him not to have a sixth sense for such things.
No one had ever caught him off-guard before.
Of course, he had been drunk and then hung over the entire way to Lenalor. Mayhap Nora was right; he needed to stay sober a little more often.
Ewan rubbed the back of his neck as he considered what he should do about the gypsies and the man who had ordered him taken.
Who would dare such a thing and why?
He needed to know if he had such an enemy.
"What did this man look like?" he asked.
"About this tall." Lysander held his hand up to indicate the man would be around five-six or so. Far too short to be one of his brothers.
Who then?
Who other than one of them would say such, let alone pay for it? It didn't make a bit of sense.
"Is he planning on meeting you in Drixel?"
Viktor nodded. "That was the plan."
Ewan turned to Nora. "Would you mind if we traveled with them for a bit longer?"
By her face, he could see she was torn. But when she spoke, her brave words surprised him. "I'm always up to a bit of adventure."
"Then you're not mad at us?" Bavel asked hopefully.
Ewan cast him a menacing eye. "I'm not particularly amused by the throbbing in my skull, but if the five of you can refrain from drugging me again, I think I can manage to forgive you."
Viktor clapped him on the back. "You're a good man, Ewan MacAllister. Bavel, get the ale."
Ewan shook his head as the three men went to the wagon to search out the ale and Pagan stayed behind with him, Catarina, and Nora.
"I can't believe I'm traveling with gypsies," Ewan said.
Pagan smirked. "I say that to myself every day and yet here I am."
Nora smiled at Ewan. "I can't believe you're not angry at them."
He turned to find Nora standing beside him, looking up at him with an appreciative glint in her amber eyes. The light on her face made her skin look even softer, more touchable. More delectable.
He fought the urge to smile at her. "Had they been more accomplished at the task, I might have been. But all things considered, they seem rather harmless. I'll just make sure to drink no ale until they've sampled it first."
"You're a wise man," Pagan said under his breath.
Ewan arched a brow at Nora as he remembered her earlier urgency to leave the wagon. "I thought you had to attend to some personal business?"
"I do." She handed him the sword, then ambled off toward the trees.
Ewan watched her. She walked like some regal queen with the most delicate sway to her hips that made him ache to sample her. She was a fetching wench, and it was hard to believe a lady so refined was able to handle a sword almost as well as a man.
Nora was ever full of surprises, and to his deepest chagrin, ever appealing.
Why was he so amused by her?
For that matter, why was he amused by the gypsies?
Such a thing was not really in his nature. He'd always been the surly one. Always found the dark side in everything and happily wallowed in his moroseness.
He should be
angry and vengeful. Instead he was actually looking forward to the two-day trip to the north.
"Are you sure the two of you aren't married?" Bavel asked as he returned with the ale.
Ewan was taken aback by the question. "Why do you ask?"
"You can barely stand to speak to each other, and yet when the lady walks off you look as if you can already taste her. Smacks of marriage to me."
"Aye," Viktor agreed as he brought the cups.
Ewan scratched his head at their logic. "Nay, not married." He was merely lusting.
For him there would never be such a thing, and oddly enough, he began to wonder whom Nora would be married to. If this Ryan she was running from would be kind to her.
Would this unknown man see in her all the things Ewan saw, or would he lose patience with her and her incessant prattling?
She deserved a husband who could appreciate her unique charms. She was actually quite pleasing once a man got used to her ways…
Nora paused in the woods as she gathered a few flowers to make a garland and a sweet-smelling bouquet. She'd always had a fondness for fresh flowers. The colors and the smell of them…
It was so beautiful out here.
She lost track of time as she frolicked in the woods daydreaming and pretending to be a fairy queen who could banish Ryan out of existence and get her safely to Eleanor.
She was completely lost in her own thoughts.
Until she heard a loud bellow.
"Nora!"
She jumped at the fierce sound of Ewan's voice. It was loud enough to shake the earth. She had been wrong earlier. Even though his voice was deep and low, he was capable of quite a loud noise when the urge took him.
She could even hear him tromping through the woods like some big, lumbering bear.
"I'm over here," she said as she caught sight of his white shirt.
He turned and glared at her.
"What did I do now?" she asked.
"Have you any idea how long you've been gone?"
She smiled. "You were worried?"
His scowl deepened. "There are all sorts of wild animals and bandits in the woods. Any of them could have found you and done you any kind of harm."
"You were worried?" she repeated.
He looked about uncomfortably. "You shouldn't wander off," he snapped gruffly.
"You were worried."
He growled at her.
She smiled more widely. "You know, my lord, you're not nearly so fearsome when you're worried."