Once Upon a Romance 02 - As The Last Petal Falls (38 page)

“I believe we’re going to reach Bianca any moment now. Do you have a handle on yourself, child?” The Dame’s brows were drawn together in concern.

“I’m not sure I do, actually.”

“Oh, good. Complete sentences are
far
better than I expected from you. You’ll be fine, dear, just try not to get too distracted. Now, one other essential thing. Things may seem strange to you for a while. It’s not unheard of to lose track of time. It is imperative that you make it to the keep before Brannon and his men, so I’m giving you another gift.” Merriweather plucked one deep red rose from her nosegay and blew gently on its petals. “Here.” She handed the bloom to Vivi. “Think of this as a warning signal. You must be at the keep before the last petal falls.”

“How long do I have?”

Merriweather gave her a sardonic look. “It’s magic, dear girl, not science. I haven’t the faintest idea how long you’ve got. Just keep an eye on the rose, all right?”

The carriage came to a halt, and Vivienne heard a familiar whicker outside. Emerging from the cramped interior, she spied Bianca giving gentle pats to Darling Idiot. Behind her, studiously looking the other way, was the young huntsman. Quickly she loaded her provisions and equipment on the horse, and then kissed Bianca.

“I wish you were coming with me.”

“I don’t think I’d be much help in the mountains.” Bianca looked wistful. “Maybe someday I can come visit you in Albion.”

“You’ll always be welcome.”

They threw their arms around each other, and then Vivienne tore away and vaulted into the saddle. She carefully tied the rose Merriweather had given her to the pommel.

“Any last words of advice?”

“Do try not to die, dear. Your father would be very upset with me.”

“I’ll do my best.” She spurred Idiot into a ground-eating stride and called back over her shoulder, “I’m not making any promises, though!”

Vivienne had been climbing in the mountains for the better part of an hour. Dame Merriweather’s gift had made
her
stronger, but her mount still needed to be treated very kindly if they were going to travel straight through to the keep. Vivienne was walking as much as riding, occasionally even going so far as to carry the saddle bags. The first time she’d unloaded them onto her shoulder, Darling Idiot had given an odd whinney.

“I’m sorry, did you
want
to carry them?” The snort and furious head shake looked like a definite negative response to Vivi. “Then kindly keep your comments to yourself.”

As Vivi climbed she was constantly distracted by her new awareness of the world. It wasn’t that things were so very different, just that previously she’d had to work to notice the small details, and now they seemed to call out to her. Her woodscraft had always been slight, but now clues she once would have overlooked told her whole stories about who had passed this way before her. It had been obvious to her when she picked up the trail of Brannon’s men. Not only was the passing of so many men on horseback easily spotted, but tiny trails of the guiding lights swirled in the hoof prints left by one of the horses. Given the depth of the print, Vivi was almost sure that this was Marlplot’s mount. She wondered why her destiny was dancing along in his tracks.

It had been over a day since she’d left Bianca and the Dame behind. The rose, which Vivienne checked obsessively, showed no signs of wilting. Merriweather had told her true; she felt no real fatigue, although she’d had to stop and massage her legs several times. The muscles, unused to this type of continuous movement, were sore and cramping. After one such stop, where she’d vented her feelings using every word every governess had ever told her was inappropriate, Idiot came and stood before her, bumping Vivi gently with her side.

“You want me to ride?”

The dark brown eyes gazed at her.

“Aren’t you tired?”

A contemptuous snort, followed by a firm but affectionate head bump.

“No need to be rude. Fine, have it your way. But stop when you want me to walk.”

From that point on, Darling Idiot set their pace, stopping occasionally to let Vivienne make her way on foot, or even more infrequently for a few mouthfuls of oats out of the feed sack. Vivi was walking beside her head when the oddness of it all finally struck her.

“You realize it’s mad that we’re traveling this way, don’t you?”

One side-long glance, and a small whuff of air.

“I mean, it’s mad that I’m even talking to you, let alone that I think you’re answering me.”

Idiot’s whinney rang through the forest, and she did a little prancing step, side to side, tossing her head.

“So glad you’re amused.”

Just then Idiot pulled up sharply and rolled her eyes. Whirling gold sparks emerged from the surrounding bushes, moments before Vivienne spied the first dark muzzle. Grey Tip and his pack bounded out of the brush, and though Vivienne was delighted, Idiot shied a few steps away.

“Oh, quit that. We’re all on the same side.” Vivi raised an eyebrow at her horse. “Unless you really
are
an idiot.”

Large, equine teeth were bared in her direction.

“That’s what I thought.”

The pack sat around, tongues lolling out in amusement.

“No need to look so superior; I know you startled her on purpose.”

Several wolves let out an apologetic whine, but, if anything, Grey Tip’s grin got bigger. Then he let out a yip and jumped up to place his paws on Vivi’s shoulders.

This time she was prepared. She grabbed his ruff, and met his golden eyes directly.

“Can you help me get to Fain?”

The eyes blinked once, slowly, and then the great long tongue throughly licked her face.

“I’m going to take that as a yes.”

Grey Tip sprang down and let out a full-throated howl. The entire pack took up the cry, and they moved as one, running off into the forest. Before she could think, Vivienne was in the saddle, galloping after them.

Behind her, in the snow, lay a blood red petal.

The rose had finally begun to wilt.

The wolves traveled at a different pace than a horse. Darling Idiot did her best, but the great loping strides were hard for her to match. To make matters worse, the wolves led them away from the easy footing of the road to the forest floor. Vivienne became seriously concerned that Idiot was going to trip or turn her ankle in an unseen hole. Vivi ran on her own as much as she could, but her legs couldn’t match the pace the wolves set, not without holding onto the stirrup, letting Idiot’s momentum make each stride count for more.

Running at Idiot’s side, Vivienne had a clear view of the rose. The outer petals were curled and blackening, and one was missing completely. She couldn’t stop her frequent panicked glances at the rose, but she also knew she could do nothing to stop it from wilting. Finally she stopped looking, and just ran faster.

After more than half an hour of a grueling uphill run, they broke free of the treeline. The ridge of the mountain’s foothill ran before them, and one by one the wolves let out a baying howl before dashing across the open ground, large paws crunching along in the snow’s crust. The winds were harsh above the trees, but they kept the ground swept almost clear. Idiot tossed her head and thundered behind them, apparently happy to have clear running before her.

They cut through a deep cleft in the mountain and exited on the far side. Vivenne saw the road again and realized they had cut off a massive loop that ran around the base of the mountain. She wondered where the mounted troop was. Ahead, or behind?

The moon rose high as they ran. Vivienne spared a glance down the mountainside, but couldn’t spot the large contingent of men. She doubted she and her companions would be visible in turn, even should the soldiers think to look up. What would they think, she wondered, if they saw a lone horse cantering along behind a wolf pack? They’d never spot her, hidden as she was in Idiot’s shadow.

It was exhilarating, taking flying leaps along the ridge, yanked forward by Darling Idiot’s massive bulk. Vivienne was almost sorry when the wolves cut down the mountainside, heading back under the canopy of trees that blocked out the moonlight and made footing unsure. Grey Tip moved easily over the rough terrain, but slowed his pace, almost as though he were concerned for Idiot’s footing as well.

Stray moonbeams filtered down to the forest floor, highlighting a rock formation ahead. The giant boulders looked like they had been piled purposefully in an enormous cairn, and Vivi wondered how they’d come to be here at the foot of the mountain. The golden sparkles danced wildly in the moonlight, spinning and circling the massive rocks. As they neared, Vivienne realized she was seeing a fissure in the rock, wide, but low to the ground, so that even a wolf would have to crouch to enter.

Unfortunately, she realized they’d also found the king’s squadron.

They were camped in the lee of the boulders, on the far side from where Vivi and the wolves had appr oached. Their firelight cast weird shadows around the edges of the piled rocks, and the low murmur of two hundred masculine voices echoed against the mountains. Above the softer sounds of the common soldiers, Brannon’s harsh voice stood out. He was taunting John Marlplot.

“Do you think they’ll stand and fight, boy? Or do you think they’ll run like the rats they are?”

Vivi gritted her teeth and tuned him out. There was nothing she could do to help Marlplot now. When she returned her attention to Grey Tip, she found that he had snuck over to stand beside the crevice, and was looking pointedly back into the brush where Vivienne was partially hidden. Her heart thudded in her chest. The men were on the far side, true, but they must have sentries. How could she make it without alerting Brannon to her presence?

One by one the pack snuck across the open ground to the fissure in the rock, and wiggled in. Vivenne watched the way they moved, low to the ground, finding depressions and shadows that she hadn’t seen. She was still trying to work up the courage to try when Grey Tip lost patience and came slinking back. He cocked his head at her, clearly irritated.

“I’ll never make it without being spotted.” Vivi spoke under her breath, knowing the wolf’s superior ears would hear her. “Besides, Idiot won’t ever fit through there.”

The pack leader looked at Darling Idiot, who, in turn, snorted quietly, and then headbutted Vivienne forward before prancing back a few steps.

“You’re staying here?” Vivi was stricken at the thought of leaving her friend behind.

The horse moved forward again and nuzzled Vivienne’s shoulder, whuffing softly into her neck. She threw her arms around the soft, silky neck and squeezed hard.

“Go back to Merriweather, Darling. I’m sure she’ll know what to do.”

Darling Idiot shook gently and extracted herself from the embrace. She stood still while Vivienne retrieved her pack and the rose from the pommel, then slipped back into the trees and disappeared among the shadows.

Vivienne turned back to Grey Tip, wiping a few tears from her cheek. “I still don’t want to go in there.”

The large canine pawed at the dirt at her feet. There lay two more rose petals, looking black in the moonlight. Grey Tip whuffed at the petals and then looked pointedly at the opening.