Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter 27 Alex shifted in his saddle, trying to ease his aching back and thighs, while he fought the weariness that threatened to overwhelm him. Alex and his men had been riding for two days, stopping only to rest the horses, and catch two hours of sleep. Alex and Bowden had wanted to set out after Isobel and Bridgette as soon as they had learned that Ahern and Lucy would recover, but Valencia and Liam had convinced them not to go off in a mad rush without forming a plan first. In the end, Alex was glad he had listened to reason and allowed his aunt and the others to help him form a plan. Liam had been to Isobel’s keep in the past and had even ridden past it six months earlier while on business. Because of his cursory knowledge, he was able to draw a diagram of the keep. He had also told Alex that Lord Dagda was having the outer wall expanded, and as such there was scaffolding on the west wall, and that there had been a fire several months before and that the southern guard tower had been destroyed and never replaced. The southern guard tower also faced the king’s forest, which was thick and overgrown, as it was against the law for anyone to hunt in it or fell the trees. Liam had also told him about a river with wide banks that snaked through the forest before ending at a waterfall a few miles from the keep, and that Alex could use the river banks to ride along. And that the river led to the waterfall, and from the waterfall, he could make his way on foot to the keep. Giles and Bowden had been arguing about how best to either breach or scale the walls of the keep. Ahern, despite his injury, had insisted on being part of the planning had suggested they use black powder to destroy the wall. Alex and the others had no idea what black powder was, but Ahern had said that Lady Lucy had told him it was used to power her rockets and that in the right proportions, the powder could destroy a wall or even a building. Lucy despite her painful injury when asked about black powder had insisted on making enough to create a sizable hole in a stone wall. With Giles’s help she had used Valencia’s workroom to create several flasks of the powder and a long wax and powder cord, called a fuse that was to be used to set the powder off. Lucy had empathetically told Alex, Giles, and Bowden that the utmost care had to be used in handling the vials and that once the fuse was lit they had to be well clear, hidden behind something solid, and have their ears covered before it went off. Valencia had also provided Alex with twenty-five men, all with combat experience and enough horses that each man had two mounts so that when one grew too weary he could switch to a fresh mount. Valencia had also sent a note to Bridgette’s father and brothers with three groomsmen who were to ride to the Earl’s keep as fast as possible and let nothing stop them. While the groomsmen were traveling to Bridgette’s family Liam and five men would travel to the north lands to seek out the two Bryste princes and tell them that their father, King Thaddeus, was under an evil influence and that despite his orders they needed to return home with all do haste. Liam was also going to explain that Dagda was attempting to take over the kingdom and that he had kidnapped and imprisoned Isobel, who was their cousin, to force her into marriage even though she was already wed to the crown prince of Glomma. Alex was not planning on any help coming, even though Valencia assured him that Bridgette’s father and brothers were not only tremendously fond of her but overly protective; and that they would take her kidnapping as a personal offense and likely arrive in force to reclaim her. Liam had also assured Alex that he would find a way to convince the princes that he spoke the truth and that it was not only a matter of life and death for them to return with him, but that the very fate of the kingdom hanged in the balance. Liam had said that he knew both princes from when he’d been an envoy and that the men would likely listen to him, as they had been questioning why their father had sent them away and then refused any requests for supplies. The only reason the princes had not returned already was that they were fiercely loyal to their father and their kingdom and their father had ordered them away. Alex stretched again cursing that his riding muscles had grown soft from so many hours on his feet pretending to be a flower vendor, he would have to start riding more once he was home. One of the guards alerted him ahead and he stood in his stirrups to see Bowden trotting back towards him, Bowden had volunteered to ride ahead and check for trouble. Alex signaled the men to a halt as he waited for Bowden to reach him. “What did you find?” Alex demanded as Bowden reigned to a halt. Bowden dragged his fingers through his hair looking every bit as weary as Alex felt. “It is as Liam said; there is a huge waterfall ahead. The largest I have ever seen. It has to be a good fifty feet wide and as high as a three- story building, the noise from it is so loud an entire army could be walking through the forest and none would be the wiser.” “Is there a space where we can make camp?” Alex demanded, though every fiber of him wanted to immediately storm the keep to rescue Isobel and Bridgette he needed to see the keep for himself first before making final plans. “Aye, there is a wide sand and gravel beach on the west side, with a cliff behind it so that no one could sneak up on us easily. Do you wish to make camp then?” Bowden demanded as Giles rode up to join them looking tired and disheveled. “Yes, the men and horses are exhausted, as much as I wish to go rescue our women immediately they and we shall fight better rested. Once the men have started to make camp, you, Giles, Oscar, and I shall go take a look at the keep and finalize our plans.” Alex stated. “I shall pass on the orders to the men, I for one will be glad to get off a horse,” Giles said before turning to ride away. Alex motioned for the column of men to resume moving as he rode beside Bowden toward the waterfall. “What are your plans then blow the wall and siege the keep? I for one want to get my hands on the slimy, miserable bastards that took our women and hurt Lady Lucy. I rather like her and the fact she was willing to take a knife wound to defend my woman.” Bowden growled. “While I agree with your desire to rescue our women and seek vengeance I don’t want them harmed in retaliation or by accident if we are reckless,” Alex replied. Alex’s desire for vengeance and retribution had been tampered with two days to think and refine their plans, which had been for them to sneak up in the night, blow the east wall and then storm into the keep in the ensuing confusion. “Hmm, do you have a new plan then?” Bowden asked. “Not yet, as I said first I must see the keep, you will be the first I tell if I change the plan,” Alex replied. “As you wish you are the prince after all,” Bowden said. “Aye I am, and it is your princess as well as your betrothed we ride to rescue. I promise though once our women are safe you can crack as many skulls as you wish.” Alex replied earning a grunt in reply. “I’ll hold you.” Bowden gave Alex a nod before easing his horse into a trot to go ride with Giles. Alex could understand Bowden’s anger and his desire for speed, but he would do nothing to risk Isobel’s life. Once she was safe he would seek out Dagda and kill him as slowly and as painfully as possible and never think about it again. Isobel woke suddenly looking around in confusion for a moment at her stony surroundings. Then she remembered where she was, in an alcove near the mouth of the cave behind the waterfall. It had taken longer than planned to reach the mouth of the cave because of two incidents, resulting in them walking for several hours in the seemingly endless cave. The first incident happened because a large spider had fallen on Bridgette’s head, causing the normally cool and collected Bridgette to scream and drop her lantern making it go out and causing Bridgette to panic that spiders were in her hair. Isobel had rescued Bridgette from the spider and then relight the lamp while Bridgette calmed herself. Isobel then had to check ahead to be sure the way was clear and knock down several cobwebs before Bridgette could continue, all the while Bridgette was apologizing for being afraid of spiders and crying in shame. The second incident had been caused by Isobel miss counting the turns in the tunnel and taking the second left instead of the third, resulting in them walking for a good half a mile before Isobel realized her mistake and had them double back. They had finally reached the end of the passage late in the day, and after checking to be sure the way was clear they had slipped from behind the waterfall and into the forest to collect firewood, and pine boughs to cover the stone cave floor to make a bower. Isobel had covered the pine boughs with one blanket to make a crude bed, while Bridgette had lit a fire well back from the mouth of the cave. The women had then shared the loaf of bread before huddling together under the other three blankets to try and catch some much needed sleep. Isobel had only managed a fitful sleep, waking every few hours to throw a few more sticks on the fire to keep it going while listening for footsteps in the dark. Exhaustion had finally claimed her and she’d fallen into a deep sleep as the first pink rays of dawn had filtered through the wall of water. Isobel raked her hair back from her facing longing for a comb and saw that from the light entering the cave it was well into the afternoon, she and Bridgette had slept a good fourteen hours. Isobel crawled out of the nest of blankets making her way towards the waterfall meaning to catch some water to wash the dirt from her face and saw movement through the curtain of water. She tried not to panic as she knew that it was impossible for anyone to see up and through the thick curtain of water to where she was standing but it was impossible not to be afraid. Isobel made her way back to Bridgette and kneeling beside her gave her a gentle shake. “What, what is it?” Bridgette demanded looking around in confusion. “We might be in trouble there are men in the forest below, they can’t see or hear us because we are above them and the waterfall makes a good shield but you need to look at them. We need to make plans.” Isobel said. “All right.” Bridgette crawled out of the blankets running her fingers through her tangled hair. “What time is it?” “From the sun on the water I’m guessing late in the afternoon, we both slept a good fifteen hours or more,” Isobel replied. “Which is why I’m so hungry,” Bridgette said as her stomach growled loudly as if agreeing with her. “I wish we hadn’t eaten all the bread now.” “Well starving will be the least of our worries if Dagda finds us, now come look at these men with me.” Isobel shook her head as Bridgette followed her to the lip of the cave and stood just out of the spray zone from the waterfall and looked through the curtain of water at the men below. There were a good fifty men if not more setting up camp on the wide gravel and sand to the right of the falls, as the women watched they saw the men clearing driftwood off the beach and chopping it up, while others set up a picket line and watered horses or began setting up crude canvas shelters on the forest verge. One tall man with wide shoulders and light hair caught Isobel’s attention while he conversed with a towering dark-haired man on the beach. After a moment Isobel gasped in shock it was Alex and Bowden, they’d come for them. “It’s Alex and Bowden,” Isobel exclaimed pointing towards the beach. “Are you sure?” Bridgette looked where Isobel was pointing and gasped. “It is, it is them I’d recognize my Bow anywhere. Come I shall race you to them.” Bridgette didn’t wait for Isobel to answer and picking up her gown hurried for the mouth of the cave with Isobel right behind her.