Page 15 of Silverbow (The Godsung Saga #1)

eight

Liam

E nya held the fence rail, balancing it on her forearm to avoid the still bandaged hand as Liam drove nails into the post. They’d been mending fences all morning after another storm dropped what seemed like half of Greenridge Forest onto the paddocks outside the gates.

Despite the lifting of the Testing order and return of the stable boys, a tautness lingered between the inhabitants of Ryerson House.

Marwar doubled their time spent drilling with wooden swords and bows, and even as Liam complained, Enya retreated into herself, saying little and less.

Lord Ryerson had seemingly cloistered himself in his study, and Mistress Ashill rarely emerged from the kitchen, baking up what looked to be a mountain of flat bread for his journey north.

He hadn’t yet brought himself to tell her about it. He hadn’t told her of the offer for the apprenticeship in the Lord of Valbelle’s stable either. Every time he tried, he found a reason he shouldn’t.

Ryerson House was his home, but her suitors were a stark reminder that it might not always be.

To work for Lord Norvallen would be an honor, his da said, and ensure he had a place even if the new Lord of Ryerson House cast him out.

His da all but told him he had to accept it, but if he left, Enya would be married by the time he returned.

Liam couldn’t quite decide if watching from afar was better or worse.

He raked a hand through his hair as they moved to the next broken rail. “My da is sending me north with the hands,” he said before he could lose his nerve. “Seems now that I have my papers, I can see some of the world.”

Enya blinked at him, her face unreadable. “Valbelle is a long way off.”

He nodded and plunged ahead. “Seems Lord Norvallen is looking for an apprentice to his stablemaster. I…I might stay a while.”

Liam couldn’t read what it was that flashed across her face.

“Is that what you want? To leave?” She asked softly.

“No, but…” He trailed off and drove the last nail into the post. Perhaps now was his chance. “Enya, I…will it even be Ryerson House anymore?”

She squinted up at him. “Because of my gift?”

“Oh, light. No. I’m not afraid of your gift, En. It’s…it’s your suitors.”

She wrinkled her nose. “What about them?”

“You’ll have to marry one of them.”

She snorted. “Perhaps the best thing about being gifted is I doubt my father will be in such a hurry to find me a husband.”

He hadn’t considered that. If the betrothals were on hold for a year, he would have more time. More time with her. But not if he went to Valbelle. Could he really leave without telling her how he felt?

“Enya, I…”

She gave him a wicked grin and dropped cross legged into the empty cart. She clucked to him like a horse. “Walk on.”

Liam heaved a sigh. He was beginning to think she was intentionally avoiding this conversation.

How could she be, when she didn’t know what he meant to say?

Light. He rocked on his feet as he took in her smile.

It was the first he’d seen in days, so if this is what it took to keep it there, he decided what he had to say could wait.

“Who do you think you are, the bloody queen?”

“Of course not,” she sniffed. “But I am the Lady of Ryerson House.” She clucked again for emphasis.

He huffed a laugh and tossed the tool bag into her lap. She let out a whoosh of air as it crashed into her middle with a thud . He took up the cart handles and groaned dramatically. “Light, you have got to lay off the pie. ”

“Perhaps you ought to be stronger, Liam Marsh, or I might have to find another man to push me around in a cart when I feel so inclined.”

“Tell me, which of your little lordlings do you think would put up with your horse shit?” He teased as he started pushing her back toward the house.

She stuck her tongue out at him over her shoulder. “All of them.”

“Whatever you say, your ladyship.” He steered the cart just to the side where the wheels would roll over the path marked and pocked with hoofprints. The handles rattled against his palms as he strode forward, gaining speed.

“Are you intentionally hitting every bump?” She asked, her teeth chattering.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

But the next instant, she was squealing as he tipped the cart on its side, unceremoniously dumping her into the dirt at the foot of the gate. Mud squelched as she pushed herself up, and Liam covered his laugh with a hand.

“Your ladyship!” He gasped in mock surprise.

Enya scraped a hand along her arm. She studied the handful of wet earth in her palm and flung it at his head. He dodged, taunting as it spattered against the gate house.

“Liam Marsh!”

“Say your prayers,” Enya muttered.

Mistress Ashill marched toward them brandishing a wooden spoon.

“What under the light do you think you are doing? She might dress like a stable boy, but that is the future lady of the house you just threw into the mud.”

“Pardon, Mistress Ashill.” Liam bobbed his head.

“It’s alright, Mistress Alys, I’m unhurt.”

Liam bit back a grin when the plump housekeeper suddenly rounded on her. “You better be hurt, girl, to be riding around in a muck cart. What on Simdeni’s green earth are you doing?”

“I wanted a ride,” Enya shrugged.

“In a muck cart ? We have a carriage, child. Next time, perhaps you will consider it when your own two feet fail you.“ She shook her head. “Riding around in a muck cart. Gods help us all. Go get yourself a bath before supper.”

** *

Supper was the last time Liam had set eyes on Enya.

Their nightly stones game was interrupted when his da called him out to keep an eye on one of the mares.

He’d been up half the night waiting for Piper’s colt to arrive.

He tumbled into bed at dawn to catch a few hours of sleep.

When he finally rose for the day, the hands and stable boys were in full swing.

When morning stretched into midday, and Enya still hadn’t appeared to inspect the new colt, he grabbed Oslee Amcott by the sleeve. “Have you seen Enya today?”

The boy shook his head. Liam glanced to Arawelo’s empty stall. “Did you put Arawelo outside?”

“You know I don’t touch that beast,” Oslee huffed. “I figured Enya took her out. She was gone when I got here this morning.”

Liam waved him back to work and pushed open the tack room door.

In the neat rows of saddles and bridles, one particular rack sat empty.

A pit settled into his stomach. Lord Ryerson didn’t permit Enya to ride outside the walls alone, and even if she treated rules more like suggestions, that was one she generally adhered to.

Liam cut across the yard, hurrying back toward Piper’s stall on the east end. His da leaned against the wall, speaking with one of the hands.

“Did Enya say anything about going for a ride?” He asked.

His da shook his head. “Something the matter, lad?”

“No one has seen her or Arawelo all day, and both Farrah and Tyndar are still here.”

His da frowned. “Go check up at the house. Billi, come with me.”

That pit in his stomach only grew heavier when he realized she hadn’t promised not to do anything rash.

Light, Enya.

Renley

Renley sat in his study, pouring over his ledgers.

He was determined to leave the books in good order for Del.

Sacks of gold, silver, and copper sat strewn across the desk.

All the wealth of Ryerson House sat before him, neatly sorted for the tax collector, six months of pay for the stable hands, and the rest divided up for his co-conspirators. A knock sounded on the study door .

“Come,” he called.

The door only opened a crack, and Liam poked his head through. “My lord?”

Renley looked up in surprise, but he should have realized it would be Liam. There wasn’t another soul in the house that would bother with manners.

“Come in boy, come in.”

Liam’s eyes widened at the small fortune spilled across his desk.

The way he shifted anxiously from foot to foot, Renley wondered if he’d finally come to inquire after Enya’s hand.

A week ago, he’d hoped the boy might. Now, he dreaded dealing a crushing blow, but he would do what he had to for Del’s sake.

“If it’s about the apprenticeship-”

“No, my lord,” he said too quickly. “It’s Enya.”

Oh, light. The poor boy.

Renley sighed and closed his ledger. “Liam, Enya needs to wed a-”

“It’s not that my lord. Have you seen her this morning?”

Renley frowned. No, in fact, he hadn’t seen her since they last gathered at Alys’s table. “Is she not in the stable?”

He saw the boy swallow. “No, my lord. I uh…that is my da and I were up half the night tending to Piper, and…Arawelo...”

Panic was spreading across the boy’s features. It was contagious, it seemed, for Renley’s own heart took off at a gallop, his mind racing through possibilities.

“When was the last time anyone saw the mare, Liam?”

“Night check, my lord.”

Renley bolted out of his chair.

Light, Enya.

Had she simply gone for a ride, she would have told someone. Had she fallen and gotten hurt, in all likelihood, Arawelo would have returned to the house. Had she eavesdropped at that godsforsaken door…Crushing dread rolled over him like a boulder.

Liam’s hurried steps followed him through the house and Alys came trotting from the kitchen. The yard was abuzz as Renley hurried down the porch steps. Del was already forming the stable hands into search parties.

“What do we know?” He asked gruffly.

“She went out the Greenridge gate sometime between night check and dawn,” Del answered. “Marwar already started on the trail. ”

Renley struggled to dislodge the claws of panic that tried to seize hold of him. A whole night and half a day and no one noticed the most precious thing in the world had vanished. Gods help me.

“What is she thinking?” He turned to Liam. The boy had gone a shade paler. “What do you know?”

He rocked nervously on his toes. “She…I….she...I think she means to turn herself in.”

“Solignis’s nine hells,” Alys cursed. “I told you, Renley.”