Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (26 page)

“But-“Danielle let out a sigh.
‘Twas too late now.  She had asked him to stay. Blast it!  

“Rumors are just that, Danielle,
tongues wagging with tales that run amuck.  He is a fair and honorable man
that I must thank for aiding my men and in
saving
my life. We were in
the same garrison under one of William’s lieutenant’s. Another who also became
a friend. All that time together, war and death brought us all closer and a
kinship was formed.”

Her ghastly expression told him
what she was thinking. Aric spoke the words to confirm it. “Aye, he is a
friend.”

She barely nodded but he saw she
understood. The truth of it shone in those eyes he so adored. 

“The Dark Axe? But his hair is
blonde….” 

Aric smiled at the confounded
expression on her face. “That is not how he got the name. ‘Tis the black steel
axe he carries that cleaves a man in two.”  He felt her shudder and draw
back from his touch, with the look of horror back on her face.

“Is that what he truly does?” She
asked her eyes widening. Aric pulled her back to him and caressed her cheek.

“Aye.”

“I think I’ve seen it. He carries
it…on his back.” She choked out.

“Aye. ‘tis always with him. A
special weapon made just for him. I have seen him myself split a man from balls
to skull. Battle is not pretty, Danielle. We do what we must and have to when
we are on the battlefield.  I am sorry if this upsets you.  He is but
a man that does his duty under our liege lord as we all have pledged and sworn
an oath to do.”

Danielle met his gaze. She saw the
dark look in his eyes.  She could only imagine the brutality and horrible
acts he’d seen in battle. But she could not imagine what he and men like the
Dark Axe had to carry on their shoulders. ‘Twas a burden she had a choice not
to carry where they did not.  She leaned down and kissed his lips.

Aric smiled.  “What was that
for?”

“For your wounds, Aric.”

He gave her a baffled look. “My
wounds? I hurt my head not my lips.”  He chuckled and let out a groan of
desire when she gave him another light kiss on his lips.

“I know. ‘Tis for the wounds and
scars you carry that I cannot see.” 

Aric stiffened as her meaning hit
him.  He gathered her into his embrace and nuzzled her neck. 
Danielle said nothing as she felt him tremble under her as he held her
close. 

After a long moment, he turned her
face up to meet his and took her mouth in a scorching kiss.

When she was able to breathe again,
she leaned over and took the sharp piece of animal bone from the table next to
the bed, curling her fingers around it.  “There is more, Aric.” 

He arched a brow in question and
Danielle turned his hand over and dropped the sharp bit onto his palm. Aric
stared at it hard as she repeated where Balwain had retrieved it. His gaze met
hers and she saw the storm brewing there. He closed his fist tightly around it
as rage swept through him. 

Chapter 27

Danielle fumed as
she watched Aric check his attire once again. She had managed to pull his hair
back and tie it at the back of his neck. There still was enough that remained
for her to do so. He’d not been so mad after all, but he had teased her about
cutting it nonetheless.  Now he stood there in a fine tunic and hose and
still looked as if he would fall over any minute.  And why shouldn’t he?
She thought angrily.   The man should still be abed. 

Danielle tried again what she had
been trying to do since he’d risen after their talk earlier.  “But, Aric,
you cannot.”  She ignored his dark look.

“Do not tell me what to do.” 

Danielle harrumphed and Aric
continued to straighten his tunic as he prepared to go below stairs and have
the evening meal with the Dark Axe.  He knew her reasoning was just, but
she did not understand his. He had to do it. He added, “’Tis something that must
be done.”

He heard her stomp behind him
around the bed, followed by her fussing and throwing things around all the
while mumbling under her breath. He cocked an ear, with a crooked smile on his
face waiting to hear a curse fall from her mouth.

None did.

Satisfied with his attire, he
turned to face her where she stood by the bed, her arms folded across her
chest. That corner of their chamber was a mess from her little tantrum. He said
naught about it and walked over to the chamber door.

“Ready?”
She hesitated for a long time then came over to him, her displeasure in her
stiff movements and her face flush with anger. “I do not have a choice, do
I?  Someone has to be there to stop you if you fall face first into your
trencher.”

Aric’s chest rumbled with laughter.
“Our trencher.”

Danielle gave him a sidelong glance
that showed her disapproval. She swung open the chamber door and stalked past
him in a huff.

He’d just awakened this eve, the
third night after the fall in the ravine and the man wanted to go share a feast
with the Dark Axe and thank him. Danielle was furious. 

But as she linked her arm through
his as they descended the stairs she knew no matter her disagreement, Aric was
right. He would go down rather than have another great warrior like himself see
him abed like a sick maid. Although he had not been taken by fever, his wound
was too fresh to be moving about. The wound on his leg did not even bother him.

They walked into the great hall.

From his men-at- arms, servants to
the villagers and local nobles she’d invited and Rourke himself, her husband
was greeted with a boisterous outcry of well-being and other cheers. 
Danielle smiled even though she still fumed with worry as they made their way
through the crowd to the lord’s table. Damn men and their glory!

Aric could feel Danielle’s eyes
burning a hole in the side of his face as he discussed the events and more with
Balwain and Rourke. The hall was still rather noisy as the revelers enjoyed the
great and bountiful feast that had been prepared in welcome for the Lord of the
Manor and his health. 

Danielle turned her head away from
the remains of the dressed swan, cooked in its feathers to impress as had been
the rest of the extravagant feast and found her eyes meeting Rourke’s. She felt
her cheeks warming.  The man had gazed every now and then in her direction
during the meal and she known that Aric had noticed. His stiff body told her
so. She averted her gaze and smiled at Balwain.  Balwain returned her
smile with a wink.

Aric shifted his legs under the
table. Sweat broke out on his brow. God’s wounds! He was tiring and that
pounding headache was back making him see those white spots again. 

He knew that the anger and jealousy
he was trying to reign in over the Dark Axe’s furtive glances in Danielle’s
direction were what was keeping his head up and from falling face first into
their near full trencher.  He would not alert her for he did not wish her
to know that she’d been right.

 Still, he did not know how
much longer he would be able to maintain his composure.  He had to make it
seem as though it was her idea to make him retire early. 

The glower Aric was showering upon
the Dark Axe was beginning to look challenging. Anxiety crept up Danielle’s
spine, even though the look on Rourke’s face told her he seemed to find it
amusing.  She ignored him for she was focused on the way Aric’s skin had
paled under his collar. 

She touched his hand under the
table and was surprised to it balled into a tight fist. Licking her lips and
swallowing she whispered, “I fear I am tiring already, Aric. Can we not retire
early?”

He turned to her with a look of
disappointment. “Are you not well, Danielle?”

She smiled at his contrived
expression. Such a brave man. She saw the fight in his eyes and she knew he was
struggling to stay awake. 

They quickly made announcement and
she pulled Balwain aside to ask his assistance to seeing them above stairs.
Danielle was glad that she did, for once they had reached the top, and Aric
fell backwards like a great oak against Balwain.    

The fever raged through Aric and
broke on the second day at dawn. 

This time, he heeded his wife’s
instructions to remain abed up to the moment she left the room just after the
midday meal had been served. He ventured down into the room off the hall that
she’d turned into a study to meet with Balwain, Rourke and his man Goran. 

After discussing the few rebels
they had dispatched before running into one another on the ridge that day he
lost Thunder, Aric discovered that there was another reason that Rourke was
passing through this Northern shire. 

The Dark Axe was en route to
collect a bride of his own. The look on his face reminded Aric of the look he
was sure he had worn to what now seemed so long ago. Disgust and
reluctance. 

He found himself smiling at the
blonde man’s agitated drudgery over the pending task. 

A part of him was glad to hear the
news for he would hate to have to call out a challenge to the man, friendship
or not, for his obvious taking to Danielle. 

Who now stood in the doorway with a
look of annoyance on her face. 

Aric shifted in his seat and waved
a hand for her to enter.  Rourke smiled at her and Aric shot him a dark
look. 

Danielle was shaking with her anger
that her bull-headed husband had waited till she left his side to sneak away
from the bed. She knew better than to chastise him for his tactful deceit in
front of their guests, but her anger had brought her feet below stairs and
before she’d realized it she was standing here in the doorway.  Taking a
deep breath, she walked over to him and greeted the other men with a pleasant
smile. 

Rourke continued speaking. 
“The people of York have shown life again after the famine and our king is
pleased with the result.  Just north of there, my…my betrothed waits.”

Danielle glanced in his direction
and noted the repulsed expression on his handsome face.  She turned away,
sadness in her heart. Aric was right.  War indeed was not pretty or easy
for any side.

Many had died when that area had
been scorched and plagued by the forced famine at the King’s hand in his quest
to rule farther North of England. The act had been an insult to England when it
was referred to as the Harrying of the North.  She took a drink from
Aric’s offered chalice.  Hundreds if not thousands had died. The fires had
burned so heavily, and the thick smoke could be seen from Gravane’s
lands. 

Aric saw the light shiver ripple
through Danielle’s form as she downed his cup of wine.  She did not belong
here.

He stood and slipped an arm around
her waist and led her back out of the room.

In the hall, he planted a light
kiss on her brow and said, “Much to your dismay, I need to attend to business.
With Thomas still out there, I cannot sit by and wait any longer. ‘Tis an
urgent matter that needs my attention now, Danielle. I will be well and will
allow you to check on me when Rourke departs. He and his man leave before the
eve.”

Danielle started to argue, but
smiled at him instead and squeezed his forearm. “Just do not tax yourself much.
Promise me?”

Aric bristled over her
admonishment. She was treating him like a sick pup. But he had to admit, he
liked all the attention. Yet, he would not let her know it. 

A pair of soldiers were coming
their way and he cleared his throat and said in a robust tone. “I promise
nothing. Now, I am too busy for this when there are other pressing issues at
hand. Leave us.” 

He turned from the widening of her
eyes and went back in the room, feeling like a heel over hurting her. 
‘Twas true, he had no time for her pawing over him. He was lord here, not some
pampered maiden and she had to learn that some things were just supposed to be
left in the privacy of their chamber.

If that were so, then why did he
want to go back and pull her into his arms? Tell her he’d rather be at her
side?

Stunned by the abrupt change in
him, Danielle turned away and walked through the manor until she reached the
gardens. She spotted Edie doing the laundering down by the stream and headed in
her direction. Let the unfeeling man catch a fever again and see if she cared.
She’d not slave over him again! She stomped her foot and gasped a moment in
discomfort from the slight pain that slid over her knee. She would not worry
about his well-being ever again. 

Later, walking around to the front
of the manor with the Dark Axe by his side and Balwain and Goran behind them,
Aric spotted Danielle and her maid coming from the area of the storerooms on
the other side of the livestock pens.  His eyes followed her and he felt
something twist in his chest when her head turned in his direction for a brief
moment before turning away.

 He could see the upset just
in the way she limped amongst the servants milling about doing their chores.

A fern of anger sparked in him for
he knew he was the cause. He turned his attention back to the man at his
side. 

Aric asked, “Is all well with our
lieutenant? I’ve not seen him since I left court.”

“Still his dark and brooding self.”

“Much like you then?” Aric met
Rourke’s narrowed gaze, adding. “Especially now with this impending marriage
you do not want.” Rourke’s grunt sent him into a chuckle. Aric slapped a heavy
hand on his shoulder. “Tell me of our lieutenant.”

“He’s still in London with William.”

“Then he most definitely is his
brooding self in longing to get back to Normandy.”

Rourke scoffed. “That he is. He’s
just like our king, they prefer home over Saxon soil. William aims to send him
home after they take care of some troublesome matters with a few Saxon lords.
Least he does not have to wed as was part of our fate.”