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“Noble,” she said softly as he adjusted the cloth around her head.

His eyes met hers and he saw the worry there. “Something troubles you.”

“I did not take the threat to my life seriously until…”

“Until you almost died today,” he finished when she was unable to.

“I think part of me thought the whole thing foolish or a mistake. It was difficult enough finding out that my mum and da were not my true parents, but then to discover that there was someone who wanted me dead while it is possible another person sent warriors to search for me seemed nonsense to me. And it still could be so since I could be the wrong woman they search for. Sky has similar hair coloring to mine if that is what they are going by to identify the woman. This could all be a colossal mistake.”

“The thing you must realize, Leora, is that the search is focused on you and your sisters. Word probably already circulates that it is not Elsie they search for so the mercenaries will turn their attention to you and Sky. To make sure the mission is a success, they will kill you both. Slayer will have thought the same and it is probably the reason he keeps your sister under his protection. No doubt whoever the woman is with a substantial price on her head is a threat to someone, while to another person the woman holds importance. This mystery must be solved if you and Sky are to remain safe.”

“Sir, he has been found,” Finley called out as he approached.

Leora caught the flare of fury that rose in her husband’s eyes upon hearing that and she feared it would not bode well for the man.

“I am going to leave you to rest beneath the branches of that tree,” Noble said with a nod toward a towering spruce. “While I go talk with this man.”

“I will go with you,” she said, latching onto his arm, making it clear she intended to do just that and explaining why. “He must see for himself that he failed. That I remain strong and suffered nothing more than a minor wound and that he will now suffer the consequences for his failure.”

Her courage ran strong but so did her foolishness. She needed rest to heal, not have a confrontation with the man who almost killed her. He also didn’t want her to see what he intended to do to the man when he was done getting what information he wanted from him.

She could see that he was considering it and offered more reasoning as to why he should agree to her request. “It will not take long to see this done since you wish to be on our way soon and I will at least have found my footing by then and be aware of any limitations the wound might have caused me.”

She made sense, he couldn’t deny that. It would be a good way for him to judge if she was truly fit to travel.

“A short time only, then you will sit and rest until we are ready to leave,” he ordered.

It was better than a complete refusal, and she smiled softly. “Help me to my feet.”

“Please, husband, would sound nice.”

“To save time and future annoyance, know a please comes before anything I ask of you,” she informed him and eased herself up, with the help of his firm hand to her back to sit before she attempted to stand.

“I would prefer to hear you say please,” he said, holding her steady as she sat and seeing that she had paled some.

Her head spun more than she expected, and she feared she would not make it to her feet without losing her balance, so she remained as she was allowing the spinning feeling to pass.

“I don’t know anything, nothing at all,” a voice called out.

“Get me to my feet before he gets here,” Leora said, tugging on her husband’s arm.

“Please,” he reminded.

“Oh good, you said what you heard in your head. That works perfectly.”

Noble shook his head. Even a bit disoriented from a head wound and she still had a sharp wit about her. She was like no woman he had ever met and one he probably wouldn’t have wanted to meet, and yet… there was something about her that he favored.

Leora was relieved her husband kept a firm hold on her, his arm tight around her waist. Her head spun again but not as badly as when she had first tried to sit up.

“A few moments and that is all,” Noble reminded, though was surprised she had remained steady on her feet and color was beginning to return to her face.

A man medium in height and skinny stumbled out of the woods, a warrior having given him a hefty shove. He righted himself and walked with bravado toward Noble.

“Step too close and I will see you gutted,” Noble warned in a calm yet strong command.

The man stopped a distance from them.

“Who hired you?” Noble demanded.