Page 6 of Heart of the Hunter (Band of Bastards #3)
“I’ll not have you carry me,” she relented.
“Just get us out of here as quickly as possible, please.” She cleared her head of the errant thoughts and dug her fingers into the fabric of his tunic with the same intensity as a falcon sinking its talons into the leather of a handler’s glove.
Later, she would think on the longings that were making her feel jittery and uncomfortable but now was not the time.
Hunter continued to hold the torch low enough to scatter any rodents in their path as they progressed deeper into the underground tunnel.
The rats stayed far enough away for her to regain confidence that they might actually escape this horrible chamber unscathed, but she remained close enough to Hunter’s back that she could jump onto it in an instant should any rats try to charge at her.
The pungent aroma of moss and wet earth filled her nostrils, and the soles of her boots slipped as the dirt floor gave way to stones, which were slick underfoot from the damp, dank air. “Where does the tunnel lead?”
“Out of the castle and onto the lower slope of the hill below the castle wall, but we still need to get to the forest from there.”
“Will the guards not see us emerge?”
“Not if we are careful.”
“How careful?” she whispered as a chill shivered down her spine at the thought of being shot through with an arrow.
She had assumed that if she encountered a guard, she would use her words and wit to talk her way out of a bad situation, but that required close proximity.
If spotted as they ran from the castle, they would instantly be known as trespassers and fair targets, and she would have no opportunity to use her acquaintance with the baron to leverage their safety.
“Quite careful. Sound carries up.” His words did not reassure her.
“There is some tree cover where we come out, but there is a clearing at the bottom of the hill that will need to be crossed.” They had covered only a short distance more when he said, “Don’t be frightened but I must extinguish the torch. ”
Before she could protest, he jammed the end of the torch into the damp moss coating the tunnel wall.
She watched in horrified fascination as he twisted it until the flame was completely extinguished and they were cloaked in darkness.
Her heartbeat raced in her chest as she imagined rats swarming toward her in the pitch black to scamper up her legs and bite at her skin, and the fear of them trapped under her gown as she fought to get away from them took her breath away.
“Calm yourself,” Hunter said in her ear as his arms closed around her waist. “Umph!”
She felt her elbow connect with his ribs as she flailed her limbs to keep the rats away.
Her feet were no longer in contact with the ground, but she did not dare stop squirming for fear the rodents would overtake her.
She kicked and churned her legs as the ominous chorus of chirps and squeaks of the furry little beasts circled closer.
“Don’t tell me to calm myself! They’ll get under my gown. I won’t be able to find them.”
“You aren’t wearing a gown.” The words were a murmured drawl near her ear. “You are wearing breeches tucked into boots. Stop squirming so I can carry you out.”
The words penetrated her brain slowly through the fog of fear that enshrouded it.
She brushed her hands over the rough fabric covering her legs and remembered that she had donned her brother’s clothing and there was no reason to panic.
She wasn’t wearing a gown, and her legs weren’t trapped in a sea of material for the rats to hide in while they scampered up her body. Pull yourself together.
“I will not have you carry me out,” Anora said through gritted teeth. In truth, she very much wanted him to carry her out, but it was foolish and selfish of her. “That would definitely hinder our chances of escape. Put me down. Please.”
“True,” Hunter said as he slowly placed her back on her feet, his hands still at her waist while she found her balance.
She put her hands to her chest as it heaved to soothe the hysteria that tried to grip her like a steel band tightening around her lungs.
If she couldn’t conquer her fears, then what was to become of her future?
Her papa was getting older, and the day would come when she would have to find her way without him.
The pressure to find a husband to protect and guide her increased with each passing season, and she feared what would happen if she did not prove herself capable.
“If I want to do this on my own, then I must learn to resolve my own issues. This is just another problem, like all the others, that I am capable of solve without a man.”
“What problems?”
The deep, slow drawl of Hunter’s voice cut through the litany of worries and reassurances that filled her head every time she thought about her future. “What?”
“You said you want to prove you can solve your own problems. What are they?” His voice was hard and angry, and awareness suddenly dawned that she had said everything out loud and not in her head as she had meant.
“Nothing,” she said through tight lips as she took a deep breath and smoothed her hands down her torso, then balled her hands into determined fists at her side. “Let us be on our way before the rats come back.”
She couldn’t see his face in the dark, but she felt his hesitation, sure that he regretted his insistence that she come with him to escape the castle.
Not only was she afraid of rats, but she’d also had a fit of hysteria that he likely perceived as proof she was weak and incapable.
She didn’t bother to explain that the frantic outburst was actually helpful to her, that it forced her to focus on what was important to her so she could move forward.
She assumed men did the same thing, but the voices in their heads were probably much more judgmental and unforgiving.
“Don’t think about where you are,” he finally said, his voice calm as he found her hand and took it in his. “Take deep breaths and think about the open air that awaits you.”
In truth, it helped to focus on what was ahead of her instead of what was around her.
With a deep breath, she imagined the furry little pests being left behind as she made her way toward freedom.
She told herself her boots and breeches were like armor and would keep her protected from anything terrible, such as sharp little rodent teeth.
And as far as surviving without the assistance of a man, she was still convinced she would have found her way out of the castle without Hunter.
And it wouldn’t have involved wading through rats.