I expected Arvin to protest, seeing as he had assumed some sort of protective role over me, but instead he told me to mount up in a quiet whuff. Apparently he was as curious as I was. I didn’t waste any time, digging my fingers into his mane and vaulting onto his back.
Arvin took off, more quietly than seemed possible. His smooth movements seemed designed not to draw attention as he moved from copse to copse. Goaded by their leader, the three men sped up. Were they aiming for the same gate they used last time? Surely they had heard they were all now guarded? It was clear from their tended wounds and new clothes that they had sought refuge with Sierra as I had guessed.
Darkness was starting to descend, both a boon and a hindrance. I strained my eyes to follow them in the dim light. They moved into a deeper shadow, and I looked ahead to where they would emerge again.
But they never did. I waited, my eyes flickering all around the space, but I could see no sign of them. I leaned down to whisper in Arvin’s ear.
“They’re gone! Can you see them?”
He shook his head, a quick negative, his ears pricking forward. Picking up our pace, we trotted over to where they had disappeared beside a stand of trees. One of the trees was a fig, its huge bulging roots showing above the ground, and its trunk splitting at once into several parts. I peered down behind every crevice and bend. There was no sign of them.
“Impossible.” I slid down from Arvin’s back. “There’s nothing here. I thought for sure they were making for the wall.”
Perhaps they meant to meet someone, Arvin neighed.
I frowned around. “If so, where is the other person? And where are they? Did they see us following and hide?”
I peered into a nearby patch of shrubbery, growing around the base of a tree. I walked over to investigate, unable to believe that three grown men could have secreted themselves among the dense branches.
Giselle! Arvin’s loud whinny made me jerk around just as someone appeared from nowhere and grabbed me from behind.
I shrieked even more piercingly than Arvin, stomping down with both boots on the feet of my captor. He cursed and staggered backward, dragging me with him. Thinking longingly of my staff—now claimed by Colin—I drove my elbow back into the man’s stomach.
He groaned, his grip loosening, and I tore myself free, only to have my arm grabbed by someone else. I tried to wrench it loose, but a third person grabbed my other arm, thrusting me sideways into the arms of my new captor who clapped a hand over my mouth.
“None of that now,” he said. “Not like last time. You shouldn’t have followed us, Princess.”
A loud scream from Arvin made me grin behind his hand, despite my fear. He had clearly forgotten that, unlike last time, I wasn’t alone.
The leader tossed a loop of rope over the horse’s head and attempted to drag him away from me, the end of the rope looped multiple times around his good arm. At first Arvin dug his hooves into the grass, refusing to budge an inch. But just as the man leaned back with his full weight, he shifted, moving toward him. The man went down hard, helped by a kick from a sharp hoof.
My first captor hurried toward him, his gait even, which told me the identity of my current captor. As I fisted my hand, I pictured him as he had looked lying on the ground, with a knife protruding from his leg. As soon as I had the placement of his wound clear in my mind, I drove my fist backward into his thigh. The punch was awkward, my angle and momentum wrong, but my aim had been true. The man gasped and swayed, his hand dropping from my mouth.
But the leader on the ground recovered his breath and waved away the man coming to his assistance. Dodging another kick from Arvin, the final man ran back toward me. I had only made it two steps away from my captor and was trapped between them.
A final flash of the setting sun reflected off a length of steel which appeared between me and the approaching attacker. A body followed it in a perfect lunge, skewering the man’s shoulder.
He yelled, his leader behind him on the ground giving an angry shout, and the man behind me cursing quietly.
“How dare you attack a lady!” the dark-haired stranger with the sword cried, rounding on me and the man behind me. “And she alone and weaponless.”
Arvin gave a snort and stood on the hand of the downed leader. The man screamed, and the stranger flashed a grinning look at him.
“Apologies, not quite alone.”
“Lark!” A distant voice called for me, and the newcomer raised his eyebrows.
“Not at all alone, it would seem. In fact, I fear my services are quite superfluous.”
“No, indeed,” I panted. “I thank you greatly.”
The man behind me had slowly edged his way around us both, his eyes on the sword. He collected his bleeding companion, helping him stagger to his feet, and they both backed away toward their leader.
“Let that be a lesson to you,” the stranger said sternly. “Help is always on hand for those who deserve it.”
He kept his eyes on them but whispered loudly at me. “I do hope you’re the deserving sort. You mustn’t embarrass me now by turning out to be a thief or some such.”
I giggled, my heightened emotions spilling out in the release the laughter offered.
“I’m the goose girl. Not a thief, I promise.”
“Lark!” Philip’s voice called again, nearer this time.
“If help is on the way, perhaps we should attempt to arrest these blackguards?” said the newcomer. “Three of us should be able to manage it.”
“Over here, Philip,” I yelled. Turning to Arvin, I added, “Can you find him?”
Arvin stilled for a moment, ears cocked, and then cantered away. I stared after him, soon seeing him return with Philip jogging beside him.
“Do hurry!” I called. “It’s the men from before.”
I turned back to the newcomer, who was peering toward Arvin and Philip just like I had been. When our eyes met, he smiled, and I noticed for the first time the piercing gray of his eyes and his attractive features. Then my gaze slid past him, and I gasped.
“Where are they? Where did they go? They were right there!”
The man swung around as well, his brow creasing as his eyes roved all around.
“Impossible,” he said. “They could not have slunk into the darkness with such injuries. I’m sure the man on the ground had several broken ribs—if not worse—from the horse’s kick.”
“Quick! We must find them!” I turned again and collided with Philip who steadied me with strong hands on either arm.
“Are you hurt?” he asked. “I heard you and Arvin screaming. I came as fast as I could.”
That was a bellow of anger, not a scream, Arvin said with dignity.
“There’s no time for that,” I said, my words pouring over each other. “We had the three attackers from last time at sword point. They were all injured, and now they’re gone. We were standing right here, and they’ve disappeared. We have to spread out and search. Quickly.”
Philip looked over my shoulder, frowning at the armed newcomer.
I glanced back at him as well. “He rescued me.”
The man gave a shallow bow. “The lady and her horse had the matter well in hand when I arrived.”
“Oh, never mind that! We must find them.”
“Yes.” Philip dropped his hands from my arms. “You’re with me. Arvin, you go with this gentleman. We’ll cover more ground that way.”