Page 33 of While Angels Slept (de Lohr Dynasty #1)

I t was fortunate that Cantia knew all of the minute details of Rochester, for when it came to sneaking the group of women and children out of the castle under Geoff’s nose, her knowledge was invaluable.

Within the hour, they were able to pack one satchel per person, including Arabel, so that they could travel swiftly and lightly.

Cantia changed Hunt into durable clothing, layers of it, including a little wool cap all the way from Monmouth.

She was dressed in durable travel clothing as well, as was Val, who took charge of Arabel and made sure she was ready to leave.

The older women moved swiftly and silently, knowing it was essential that timing was everything in this case.

Tevin wanted to get them free of the castle when Geoff was the most distracted.

So they chose the evening meal to make their escape even though it would be dark and more difficult to travel.

But it would also make their escape more difficult to detect.

Tevin had been with Geoff for the remainder of the afternoon, keeping him occupied, until the evening meal was served and then he accompanied the man into the hall.

Excusing himself on a pretext, he appeared at the chamber door to find four occupants, ready for travel.

There was palpable fear in the air, apprehension with the certainty of being able to execute their plan without being caught.

Taking Arabel in his arms, Tevin led the way down the spiral stairs as Cantia took Hunt in hand plus their two bags, and Val took her possessions plus Arabel’s.

They moved quickly, carefully, like hunted animals.

Hunt kept trying to get ahead of Tevin on the stairs and more than once, his mother had to yank him back.

As they neared the bottom of the steps and into the range of the great hall where Geoff was in the process of getting drunk, the big yellow dog appeared.

“George, go back,” Cantia hissed. “George, go!”

“Mam,” Hunt grabbed the dog. “I want him to come. He isth my friend. Pleasth?”

Tevin shushed them both. He didn’t want them to be overheard. “Quiet,” he whispered. “Hunt, take the dog. Move along.”

Hunt grabbed the dog by the rope collar around its neck and, with his mother urgently herding him, followed Tevin to the base of the stairs.

Sounds and smells from the banqueting assaulted their senses.

They could hear the low hum of conversation and the clanking of utensils.

Tevin peered out of the stairwell, his dark eyes on the entry to the banqueting hall and the movement beyond.

He felt like a fugitive, waiting to be discovered at any moment.

The placement of the table inside the room gave it a view of the doorway but not the entry hall beyond, so Tevin silently slipped from the stairwell and to the keep entry about twenty feet to his right, which led into an enclosed stairwell that sloped down to the bailey.

He made sure Hunt, Cantia and Val were into the enclosed stairwell before following.

The evacuation of the keep had been successful.

But his heart was still pounding with apprehension as they reached the bailey. It was dark outside as the full moon started to rise. In the shadow of the great keep, Tevin turned to Cantia.

“Get us to the postern gate,” he commanded softly.

She nodded swiftly, grabbing Hunt, who had the dog, and pulled them along as they stayed close to the mighty keep, making their way to the west side where the interior bailey wall was very close to the keep.

There was a gate that led to yards and the massive exterior wall beyond, so she slipped them all through the thick iron and wood gate.

Once they were through the gate, however, she came to a halt and faced Tevin. “From here, the only way out is through the front gate,” she told him.

He nodded, heading back to the north and the gatehouse. “There are no worries at that point,” he said. “My men are waiting there to take you out of this place.”

Cantia pulled Hunt and the dog along as they scurried after Tevin, crossing the muddy outer bailey beneath the ghostly moon glow until they reached the main gate of Rochester, which was eerily lit with torches and guarded by men.

Rather than a large escort, Tevin thought it best to have a very small but well-armed party so it would not attract the wrong kind of attention.

Therefore, he only had two knights riding escort, men of the highest caliber.

Next to the gate astride their big chargers await Dagan and Gavril, not John and Simon as Tevin had ordered. He peered curiously at the pair.

“Where are John and Simon?” he asked.

Dagan answered. “They have commanded us to ride in their stead, my lord.”

Tevin’s brow furrowed with annoyance. “They did not say why?”

“Nay, my lord.”

Tevin’s frustration grew but there was no time to track down the two knights who had disobeyed his direct orders. The time to leave was now. He directed Cantia to a gray palfrey as Val went to her charger and prepared to mount. Tevin went to his sister.

“Are you well enough that you can ride with Arabel?” he asked. “I would rather that she ride with you, leaving Dagan and Gavril free to fend off any assaults should it be necessary.”

Val nodded, holding out her arms for her niece. “I can ride with her and fight, too, if it is required.”

Tevin shook his head even as he handed Arabel up to her aunt. “You will not fight with Arabel in your custody,” he instructed in a low, firm voice. “Your duty will be to protect her at all costs. If there is any fighting, you will ride clear of it and get to safety. Is that understood?”

Val gazed down at her brother, for the first time hearing fear in his voice.

She knew how hard this was for him, being separated from Arabel, and Cantia, but more than that, he was frightened for them because he could not go and personally protect them.

Her emotionless brother was becoming emotional and she hastened to reassure him.

“I will protect her with my life,” she assured him softly. “I hope you would already know that without me having to say it.”

Tevin’s features were tight beneath the moonlight. “I do,” he replied quietly. “But for my own sake, I had to say it.”

Before Val could reply, Arabel put her small hand on her father’s big fingers. “We will be fine,” she told him. “We are going to have a great adventure, remember? I am looking forward to visiting Castle Mandragora. My very own castle!”

She said it so happily that he couldn’t help but smile. She really had no true concept of danger, having been protected by her powerful father all of her life. She had lived a rather sheltered existence, so all of this was, indeed, a big adventure.

“Listen to what Val tells you and be safe,” he touched her cheek. “My love goes with you. I will see you very soon.”

Arabel grinned and he turned away, savoring that as the last vision of his child before he would see her again. He tried not to let apprehension overwhelm him. Then he focused on Cantia.

She was astride the palfrey with Hunt behind her and the dog sitting next to the horse. She was facing away from him as he came upon her and he reached out, a massive hand touching the boy’s back before moving on to rest casually on Cantia’s arm.

When she felt him, she turned to look at him and he could feel his composure slip. There was sadness and longing in her gaze, and he forced a smile. They had already said their farewells, but it didn’t make this moment of separation any easier. But already, it was killing him.

“I have studied my map and Darland is not too far to the south,” he sounded comforting and business-like.

“The knights will have instructions to take you south without stopping until they reach the manse. On a clear night with good weather, it should take two hours at the most. You will get inside the manse, make sure it is bottled up, and go about your daily lives until I come for you. Is that clear? ”

Cantia nodded. “When will you come?”

His composure slipped another notch. “I do not know,” he said, his voice considerably softer. “It could be in two days or two weeks. I have no way of knowing. But know that I will come as soon as I can. And I will miss you more with each breath I take.”

The last sentence was whispered. Cantia smiled sadly, careful with her body language with Hunt so close. She wanted very much to throw her arms around Tevin and hug him tightly, but dare not make any attempt. The pain of not being able to touch him was almost too much to bear.

“Then we shall look for you every day,” she said softly. “Please… please take great care, my lord.”

All he could do was nod, his eyes conveying a thousand words his mouth and body could not.

The moment of separation was here but he realized he wasn’t ready for it.

He knew he had to get away from her or risk breaking down in some manner, so he quickly turned for Dagan and Gavril, swallowing the lump in his throat. He was struggling.

By the time he reached his knights, his manner had turned snappish.

“Have no doubt I will find John and Simon and they shall feel my wrath for having disobeyed my orders,” his rumbled.

“But for you, know this. You will follow the road south until you come to a fork in the road. It will be the first fork, a big one, and you will bear left. Follow this and you will pass through two small bergs. When you come to the third berg, that is Darland, and you will ask the lady where the manse is. She will direct you to it. You will remain with the lady and with Val until I come for you. Defend them with your life, for there is nothing in this world more important than those three women and that small boy. Do you understand?”

Gavril and Dagan nodded firmly. “Aye, my lord,” they answered in unison.

Satisfied, Tevin motioned towards the gate. “Then make all haste.”