Page 11 of Pippa of Lauramore (The Eldentimber #1)

“We’re not doing lessons today. You’re going to help me find Galinor.”

His eyes narrow. “I don’t think so.”

I bristle and stand a little taller. I will find Galinor, and it will work better if Archer helps me.

“It’s your fault I wasn’t free to see Galinor before he left.”

“Pippa, we have already discussed that,” he says, his voice on the edge of irritated.

This isn’t working. We’ll just argue if I push it, and I don’t want to fight with him right now. I hold up my hands. “Come with me.”

He sighs. “Where’s Anna? ”

I shrug and examine one of his finished arrows. “I don’t know. She told me to go to my lessons this morning, and I haven’t seen her since.”

“Disappearing—it’s a family trait.” He plucks the arrow from my hands, still testy from the scare I gave him.

I raise an eyebrow and cock my head. “Come on. Even if we don’t find Galinor, a ride will be fun. How many chances do you think we have left?”

He glances at the ceiling, undecided, and I notice a stray eyelash near his eye.

“Hold still.” I step forward to brush it away.

Archer freezes as I attempt to remove it.

“It’s being difficult,” I murmur. The eyelash falls to his cheek, and I step closer, humming with frustration. I place one hand on his shoulder to keep him still. Finally, I capture it on my finger. Holding it out, I say, “There. Make a wish.”

His muscles tense under my hand, and I know he’s irritated with my fussing. His blue-green eyes meet mine, and his expression changes—darkens. His lips part slightly, drawing my eyes to them. My mouth goes dry, and I swallow. We are rather close.

Archer clears his throat and steps back, and I’m left feeling slightly off kilter. He turns away, clearing the mess from his project. “If I tell you no, you’ll go into the forest anyway, won’t you?”

“Of course.” I try to laugh, but it comes out weak. I scan a wall of knives as I wait for him, wondering where I would carry one. I choose one and test its weight .

He looks over his shoulder, his expression as neutral as usual. “All right. I’ll go.”

“Really?” I ask, turning back to him.

Archer eyes the blade in my hand.

“How uncomfortable would it be to carry this in my boot?” I ask.

“With your luck, you’d slice your leg,” he says. “Leave it for now. I’ll make you a belt and sheath.”

I narrow my eyes, lean down, and slide the cold steel next to my calf. He’s right. I’ll probably stab myself before the day is over.

“Stubborn,” he says under his breath. “Take off your boot.”

“What are you going to do to it?”

He leans down and slowly pulls the knife out. After he sets it aside, he tugs off my boot, sending me off balance. Trying to steady myself, I grab his shoulders. “Archer!”

He glances up, smirking. “I’ll stitch a sleeve in it. It will only take a few minutes.”

I hop backward and wait on the bench.

It takes more than a few minutes—more like half an hour.

“Finished,” he finally says, admiring his work. He’s stitched a piece of leather to the inside leg of my boot. Now I can slide the knife safely in it without maiming myself.

Once again, he kneels in front of me, and I offer my foot. As he slides the boot on, his thumbs travel up my calf. “How does it feel?”

I blink, my cheeks growing warm.

“Pippa? Does the boot feel all right? ”

“Perfect,” I answer.

He knits his eyebrows. “Are we going?”

“Of course,” I say when I realize I’m still sitting on the bench, staring at him. I leap up, and then I feel lightheaded from the swift movement.

Knowing Archer will follow me, I march through the door.

We race through the trees, darting down rabbit trails only we know about. While going around a bend, I push Willowisp past Archer and laugh as I pass.

“You’re getting slow!” I yell over my shoulder as I lower myself on Willowisp’s neck and fly into a meadow.

We race to the boulder that stands at the end of the clearing, and I shriek with joy when I win. Willowisp prances and shakes her mane, proud of herself.

My hair falls out of its braids, and I pull the pins free and shake it out, tossing the red and gold mass over my head. Archer and his horse join us moments later. I flip my hair back and grin at him.

“I won,” I say smugly.

“You cheat.” Despite his words, he’s grinning. Archer is freer in the forest than anywhere else, and I like him this way.

I drop from Willowisp’s back to stretch my legs, and I put my hands on my hips. “How did I cheat?”

“You jumped the creek instead of going around to the bridge.” He joins me on the ground. His light brown hair is almost blond in the sunshine. He’s only four years older than I am, and here in the forest, he looks as young as he is.

Archer groans as he stretches his back. He’s gained muscle in the last few years. He still has the tall, lean build of an archer, but he’s strong from sparring with Alexander and the rest of the knights. It’s no wonder the garden maids giggle when he passes.

I sit on a fallen log, remove my boots, and stretch my toes.

Archer looks in the distance. “I think we’re getting close to the competitors now. We’ll have to be careful.”

“How will we find Galinor?”

“Do you have something of his?” Archer looks away.

I think hard, wondering why we hadn’t exchanged tokens. I shake my head. “Nothing.”

He nods, satisfied with my answer. “We would have to go back for a hound anyway.”

I hadn’t thought how we’d find Galinor. I figured we’d stumble on him if we rode long enough. But with thirty competitors, the odds are good we’ll run into one of the others first. If it were Irving, Bran, or Dristan, that would be all right. If it were Lionel or Rigel—well, it wouldn’t be good.

“We’ll have to rely on my hawk,” Archer says. It circles in the sky watching for mice.

“How will she help?”

“She’ll alert us when we come near people, but she can’t lead us to Galinor.”

I bite my lip, thinking. “Galinor didn’t like the terraces. I think he’ll make his way to the valley where he’s more comfortable. ”

“They don’t have mountains in Glendon,” he agrees. “We’ll start there.”

I feel better now that we have a destination. The breeze feels good, and I close my eyes and let my mind wander.

“What is it?” Archer asks when I’ve been quiet for several moments.

I open my eyes. “The garden maids need another flower bed to keep them busy.”

He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press for an explanation.