dragon archives 02 - pursued by a dragon (13 page)

“Geoffrey,” she said, “whatever are you doing here?” Eyes sparkling with humor, Geoffrey bowed in her direction, managing to look elegant despite being covered in dust and seated atop a horse.

“Cathryn,” he said with a warm smile, “I came to keep you company.”

“Whatever for?”

“Perhaps I wanted to spend some time with you,” he said with a grin. Cathryn stared at him and her mouth hung open, until she clamped it shut with a snap.

“Has something happened?” she finally asked as Geoffrey urged his horse closer.

“Nothing that I’m aware of,” he said. He glanced around, noting the stationary wagons. “Where are you headed?” he asked.

“Actually,” said Cathryn, a slight smile tugging her lips, “we are about to set up camp.” Geoffrey groaned as she continued. “Would you like to join us?”

“Definitely not,” he said with a shudder. “I will proceed to the next town and await you there.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “You could always come with me, and await the arrival of your convoy on the morrow.”

“Certainly not,” replied Cathryn smartly. “I would be risking more than my reputation if I were to go with you.”

“Cathryn,” said Geoffrey in an aggrieved tone, “whatever do you take me for? I never force a lady against her will. And we are to be married, so there really isn’t any risk.”

“I will see you on the morrow,” she said in a firm tone. “I look forward to hearing what in heaven’s name you are doing here.”

Chapter 21 

Cathryn lay on her mat, absently twisting the bangle on her wrist as she watched the stars shining brightly in the dark sky. Hannah lay next to her, while Felix was a few feet away. The rest of the men lay on the other side of the fire, far away from the two women.

“Why do you think Master Beaumont followed you?” Hannah whispered, turning on her side to face Cathryn.

“I cannot imagine,” Cathryn whispered back. “I can only think he must bring some news, but he did not seem pressed with a sense of urgency.”

“Perhaps he wanted to see you.”

Cathryn muffled a laugh.

“We both know better than that.”

Cathryn was stiff and cold when she awoke the following morning. She pulled the quilt around her shoulders as she sought some extra warmth. There were clouds building on the horizon and she watched them, concerned that they would bring rain. A movement in the sky caught her attention, and she looked to see a shape circling above her. It had been there every day, circling so high it was nothing more than a dark smudge against blue, but this morning she could clearly see the large wings of the creature. Cathryn watched it for a moment, refusing to contemplate what kind of creature it was, before throwing off the quilt and pushing herself to her feet. A fire was already roaring within a ring of stones, and she went to stand before it, rubbing her cold hands together. A pot had been suspended on sticks above the flames, and a thick sludge of oats and water bubbled lazily above the heat. Seeing that Cathryn was up, Felix pushed a spoon through the heavy liquid, and plopped the contents into a wooden bowl which he handed to her. For a moment, the contents held their shape, before oozing outwards to cover the bottom of the bowl. Cathryn nodded her thanks, and finding a log, she sat down to eat in silence.

It was already early afternoon by the time the convoy rolled into the little town, Cathryn at its lead. The noise of the wagons drew people to their windows, and as they pulled up alongside a coaching house, she saw Geoffrey emerge.

“You look like you could make good use of a cloth and bowl of water,” he said by way of greeting, eyeing her dusty clothes and disheveled hair with poorly disguised distaste.

“Good afternoon to you too,” she replied, handing her reins to Felix and entering the inn, Hannah close on her heels.

“Clean yourself up,” he said. “I will await your pleasure in the taproom.”

“It may take a while.” A flick of the hand was her only response. She turned to see the innkeeper watching her.

“A room for me and my maid, a stack of linens, fresh clean water, and a cup of wine,” she ordered.

When Cathryn descended the stairs an hour later, Geoffrey was waiting in the taproom. He threw a handful of coins onto the bar and pushed himself away from the counter.

“Come along,” he said, taking her by the arm and pulling her out of the room. “Let’s take a walk.”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Away from here,” he replied. “I need to discuss something with you.”

“What is so important that you could not await my return?” she asked as they walked along the lane. A small stone church stood at the end of the road, and he led her into the gardens, weaving his way between weathered headstones and sculptured stone angels.

“You expressed a desire to hasten our marriage,” he said, glancing her way as he spoke, “and after giving it some consideration, I have concluded that you are correct. There is no point in our waiting any longer to finalize the marriage contract.” Cathryn stopped, staring at him in surprise.

“I don’t understand,” she said after a moment. “Why did you feel you needed to convey this change of heart before my return?” They had reached a line of bushes which marked the perimeter of the church yard. Ducking his head, Geoffrey pushed his way through a narrow opening, holding the branches back as Cathryn followed. Open fields lay before them, a footpath wending its way towards the distance.

“Why wait until you return to town?” he said. “We will be married right away and return to town as man and wife.”

“What? Why would we do that?” She rubbed her fingers over her forehead. “A few weeks ago you seemed quite adamantly opposed to getting married in the near future, and now you cannot wait? What are you up to, Geoffrey?”

“Nothing at all,” he replied, stepping up to her. “You need to learn to trust me, my dear. Maybe I am just eager to be married to you.”

“Hmph,” said Cathryn, turning her back to him. “I will believe that when the moon turns blue.”

“Well then, I thought I could lend you support while you are on the road.”

Cathryn turned to look at him suspiciously.

“Why?”

“Why not,” said Geoffrey, suddenly exasperated. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? To finalize the marriage?”

“Yes,” said Cathryn, “but not like this, as though we have something to hide.”

“No-one will think that,” said Geoffrey. “This is a long-standing business arrangement, and it is in our best interests to conclude the matter now.” He took a step towards Cathryn, his eyes suddenly soft and beseeching. He took her hand in his own and gently brought it to his lips, kissing each finger in turn. Still holding it, he leaned in to whisper. “Please, my dear, I have followed you for days, wanting to have you by my side. Would you deny me now?” He wound his hand around her neck and pulled her closer, while his fingers trailed down her cheeks. “I’m very fond of you,” he said, bringing his lips closer, “and I want to feel you in my arms.” His lips descended onto hers, and for a moment Cathryn stood frozen, before she pushed him away.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“Cathryn,” he said, “we are about to be married.”

“We are not about to be married,” she said, turning away. She felt his fingers slipping down her back and landing on her waist, where they lingered a moment before pulling her around to face him. His lips descended onto hers once more, soft at first, then becoming more demanding as he pulled her against him, holding her tight against his chest. She tried to pull herself free, but his hand slipped up her back to her head, preventing her retreat. She felt her hair fall around her shoulders as the pin tumbled out of its knot, and for a moment she panicked at the thought of it being broken, but as he forced her mouth open with his tongue, all thoughts except halting his attentions fled from her mind. A kick at his shins slackened his grasp, and she pulled away as a loud roar suddenly sounded above them. She looked up and screamed when she saw a dragon diving out of the sky straight towards them.

A quick glance up and Geoffrey was turning on his heel, but he could not outrun the dragon. The creature landed on the ground beside them, and with one quick flash of a talon, knocked Geoffrey to the ground. Cathryn’s screams turned into dry, heaving sobs as she struggled to draw in breath, and she stumbled backwards, trying to compel her legs to flee, but they remained rooted on the spot. She stared at the monster before her, watching in terror as it slowly turned to look at her. Its eyes were like blazing fires, while the scales on its body gleamed red in the sunlight. Huge red wings spread from its back, and a tail of sharp spears swished back and forth over the ground, swirling up eddies of dust. The sobs caught in her throat as the blazing eyes of the beast held hers. A movement caught her eye, and she glanced over to see Geoffrey getting to his feet and slowly backing away.

“I’ve heard dragons only eat pretty maidens,” he said with a nervous laugh, “so I’ll just leave you to it.”

With a roar the dragon pounced, a stream of flame pouring from its mouth as it pinned Geoffrey to the ground with its sharp talons, its lips drawn back in a snarl.

“No,” shouted Cathryn, “don’t eat him.” The dragon turned to look at her once more, and if she hadn’t known better she could have sworn he was looking at her in disbelief. She took a deep swallow. “I think you will find his flesh stringy and his flavor as putrid as his heart.”

The dragon watched her for another moment before slowly, and with obvious reluctance, pulling its claws away, leaving Geoffrey free to scramble to his feet. With an angry look at Cathryn, he turned and walked away, pushing through the hedge and disappearing from sight. Cathryn watched him go, before turning back to look at the dragon.

“Thank you,” she whispered. The creature nodded, and she turned around, running back down the path.

“Cathryn.” A breath of warm air swept over her as she heard her name whispered, but she didn’t pause, and didn’t look back.

Chapter 22

When Cathryn returned to the inn, Geoffrey was waiting in the front parlor. He approached her as soon as she entered the building, and when she deliberately turned her back to him and walked away he grabbed her arm.

“Please, Cathryn,” he pleaded, “let me apologize.”

“What for?” she asked, turning around to face him. “Trying to force yourself on me, or offering me to the dragon?”

“For both,” he replied. “I should never have forced my attentions on you, despite the fact that we are to be married. I’m afraid I allowed my amorous desires to get the better of me.” Cathryn snorted, but he was already continuing. “And I never intended for you to be eaten by the dragon — I was merely creating a distraction so that you could get away.”

Cathryn stared at him for a moment, eyebrows raised incredulously, before giving a humorless laugh.

“Is that the best you can do?” she asked.

“Please Cathryn,” he implored, “allow me to prove my sincerity.”

Taking a step back, she shook off his hand.

“Do not ever lay your hands on me again,” she said, her voice low and hard.

“Everything all right, Mistress?” At the sound of Felix’s voice, Cathryn glanced around to see him standing a few feet away. His eyes were narrowed as he looked at Geoffrey, but softened when they turned to her.

“Thank you, Felix,” she said, forcing a smile. “Everything is fine.”

With her chin in the air, Cathryn swept out of the room without another glance at Geoffrey, but on reaching her room, she slumped down against the door. Her hair fell across her face, and she remembered the hairpin, lying fallen in the dirt in the field. Suddenly it all seemed too much to bear, and she buried her head in her hands as a sudden headache overwhelmed her. She sat like that for a few minutes, but then pushed herself back to her feet and crossed over to the window. Her room looked down the lane she had walked with Geoffrey, the small stone church at the end. Beyond the church she could see the open fields, but the dragon was no longer there. She stared at the spot where the beast had been, sure that even if she could not see him, the creature was close by, watching over her.

It was suppertime when Cathryn finally ventured from her room. As she headed down the stairs, she could hear Geoffrey’s voice ringing out in laughter, and as she stepped into the dining hall, he quickly made his way to her side.

“Come sit with me,” he said with a charming smile.

“I would prefer to sit on my own,” she replied.

“Come, Cathryn,” he cajoled, “give me a chance to redeem myself. You know that I have the utmost respect for you.”

“Was it respect for me that made you treat me like a wench from a bawdyhouse?” she asked with scorn. “Is that the reason you offered me to the dragon?”

“I did allow my desire for you to go a bit far,” he said with a sheepish grin, “and you know I would never have let the dragon eat you. I just thought that with the dragon’s attention on me, you would have a chance to escape.”

“Ah,” she replied. “So you were offering yourself!”

“Exactly,” he replied.

Cathryn looked at him with a mixture of amusement and scorn.

“Very well, find us a table,” she said.

The meal was a hearty stew, and Cathryn felt herself reviving as she ate. As soon as she was done, she excused herself and made her way back to her room, waving at Hannah to stay when she made a move to follow. The room was cool, and she walked over to the window to pull the shutters closed. She held a candle in her hand, and it shone unsteadily around the room, catching objects for a moment and then flickering away again. Something glittered on her bed, and she turned to see what it was, gasping when she saw the butterfly pin resting on top of the quilts. Her gaze flew around the room and then settled on the open shutters. Placing the candle on the bed stand, she walked over to the open window. Beyond the lights of the inn the night was dark, but in the darkness glowed two small flames. His name formed on her lips, but she pressed them tight, squashing the word as she pulled the shutters closed.