Red Moon (3 page)

Tristan smiled at her.  “I bought her for you, Mrs.
Lanning.  She has experience with plants, and I know how much the
gardening hurts your back.  She’ll relieve you of your garden tending
duties, and allow you to focus more on the house.”

“Do you really trust her with our food my lord?”  Mrs.
Lanning argued.

“I do.”  Tristan spoke in a tone that brooked no
refusal, and Mrs. Lanning sighed before looking over the group of women.

“They smell horrible and they’ll all need new clothes. 
They probably carry bugs, and the gods only know what other diseases.”

Tristan glanced at the darkening sky.  “They can go to
the lake tomorrow and bathe and wash their clothing before we leave. 
Tonight we’ll get food into their bellies,” he glanced at Avery’s thin face,
“and give them a good night’s rest.”

Mrs. Lanning frowned.  “And where do you propose I put
all of them?  We have only one tent for the household staff – we’ll never
fit all of us in there.”  She looked at Avery as she spoke.

Tristan smiled at her before leaving to join Marshall and
the other men.  “I’m sure you’ll think of something, Mrs. Lanning. 
You always do.”

* * *

Avery picked her way carefully across the campsite towards
the tent.  She had stopped by Maya’s tent to say goodnight, and dark had
fallen like a thick blanket.  The campfire was down to coals and she could
barely see the man standing guard in the trees just beyond the clearing.  She
nodded in a friendly way to him and he nodded back impassively. 

She stepped on a rock, hissing as it dug into her bare foot,
and lifted the flap of the tent.  Mrs. Lanning appeared immediately at the
entrance.  “There is no room for you in here.”

Avery rolled her eyes.  “Where would you suggest I
sleep then?”

“You can sleep beside the wagon.”  She held out a thin
blanket to her.

“I’ll join Maya and the babies in their tent.”  Avery
said coldly.

Mrs. Lanning grabbed Avery’s arm and dragged her towards the
wagon.  “You’re not going anywhere near those babies.  You heard lord
Williams.  I am the head of the household and you’ll obey me without
question.”

“I am not sleeping outdoors!”  Avery tried to dig her
heels in but her body was weak from months of poor nutrition, and the larger
Mrs. Lanning easily overpowered her.

She pushed her to the ground next to the large wooden
wagon.  Before Avery could rise to her feet, Mrs. Lanning had pulled a
metal cuff from deep within a pocket in her skirt, and latched one end to the
wheel of the wagon and the other to Avery’s left wrist. 

Avery pulled on the cuff.  “Have you gone mad, old
woman?  Release me now before I start screaming.”

Mrs. Lanning crouched next to her.  She had a short but
sharp knife in her hand, and she traced it across Avery’s cheek.  “I
wouldn’t do that if I were you.  You may have the Lord Tristan fooled, but
I know exactly who and what you are.  I won’t hesitate to slit your pretty
throat.  Do you understand me?”

Avery nodded, her body tense, as Mrs. Lanning smiled.
 “Good.  Obey me witch and we’ll have no quarrels between us. 
Disobey me, and I’ll do everything in my power to convince Lord Tristan that
you should be burned at the stake.  I’ve been in his employment a long
time, and he trusts me.  If I tell him that you and your pretty little
sister have been practicing witchcraft, he’ll light the fire himself.”

Avery had stiffened when she mentioned Maya, and Mrs.
Lanning stood and smiled down at her before tossing the thin blanket at
her.  “Make not a peep little witch, and I’ll release you in the morning.”

She turned and disappeared into the tent.  Avery sighed
and curled up into a small ball before wrapping the blanket around her
shivering body.  It would be a long night.

“How did your first night go with the baby?”  Avery
smiled tiredly at Maya.  They were sitting on the soft grass close to the
water’s edge, and she lifted her face to the sun.  The days were growing
cooler but it still felt good to be in the outdoors.  They had bathed in
the lake and washed their clothing, and Avery couldn’t get over how much better
she felt after having her long hair and body scrubbed clean for the first time
in months.

“He has a fever.  And he threw up nearly everything I
fed him in the night.”  Maya said worriedly.

“He always has a fever.”  Sophia said casually. 
“He rarely eats without throwing it up.”  She kissed Nicholas, who was
lying wanly on his back on Maya’s lap, before looking at Maya.  “Can I
play in the water?”

“Yes love, but you must stay where I can see you at all
times and you must not go any deeper than your knees.  Do you understand?”

Sophia nodded and skipped down to the water’s edge. 
They watched as she waded in before glancing behind her to see if she could
still see Maya.  She waved cheerfully at them.  They waved back as
she bent over and began to bring up handfuls of stones from the bottom of the
lake.

Avery glanced to her right.  The other women were
checking their clothes that were laid out in the soft grass to dry.  They
had all but avoided Avery and Maya the entire time they were bathing and
washing their clothes, and Avery was glad.  She had no patience for women
and their gossiping and clucking about, and much preferred Maya’s quiet
company. 

She checked to make sure that both Mrs. Lanning and
Marshall, who was keeping a close eye on the women, were not watching them and
then held her arms out. 

“Give him to me.”

Maya handed Nicholas to her.  She laid him on her lap
and quickly undressed him down to his cloth diaper.  She stared sadly at
the tiny baby on her lap.  She could count every one of his ribs, his
breath wheezed in and out, and already his skin was starting to turn blue from
the cool air.

“Poor baby.”  She whispered.  Her dress was drying
in the sun next to Maya’s, and she was wearing a plain white shift that stopped
just above her knees.  She quickly unlaced the top of her shift and slid
Nicholas inside until his naked body was resting against her naked skin. 

She kissed his head repeatedly and whispered softly to him
as he stiffened.  He uttered a small hoarse cry before falling silent and
collapsing weakly against her.  Avery rested her lips against his forehead
and cupped his tiny head as she closed her eyes and concentrated. 

Maya watched as the baby’s pale skin began to take on a
rosy, healthy glow.  Avery continued to hold him, rocking back and forth a
little, and didn’t release him until he began to squirm against her.  She
pulled Nicholas free from her shift and handed him to Maya. 

Maya frowned.  Avery was extremely pale and visibly
trembling.

“Avery?  Are you okay?”

She nodded.  “Aye.  He was just more ill than I
anticipated.”  She coughed and then looked at the baby fondly.  “He’s
a tough little one.  I have no idea how he survived this long.”

“What was wrong with him?”  Maya asked.

Avery smiled at her.  “You know that isn’t how it
works, Maya.  I have no idea what his illness was.”

She coughed again, wincing and holding one hand to her head,
as Maya stared at her with alarm.  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Avery nodded again.  “Yes.  I didn’t sleep well
last night, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had to heal such a deep
sickness.  I’m just not used to it.  I’ll be fine once I get more
sleep.”

Maya held out her hand.  “Here, take my hand.  I’m
healthy.”

Avery shook her head.  “I’m fine.  Do not worry
yourself – “

“Take my hand!”  Maya whispered fiercely.  Avery
sighed and linked fingers with Maya.  They sat silently for a few minutes
as Maya crooned softly to the baby, and Avery closed her eyes and breathed
deeply.

She looked up as Marshall whistled and waved his arm at
them.  The other women had gathered their clothes, and Maya squeezed her
hand before standing.  She called for Sophia who wandered out of the water
and towards them.

“Come, Avery.  We’ll get you some breakfast.”

Avery shook her head.  “I’m feeling better.  I
think I’ll take another swim.  It’s been many moons since I’ve gotten to
swim, and the gods only know how long it will be before I get another chance.”

* * *

Tristan glanced around the campsite and frowned. 
Marshall had returned with the women nearly half an hour ago and Avery, easily
noticeable with her bright red hair, was missing.

He stood next to Maya who was feeding Nicholas his
bottle.  The baby was eating enthusiastically for once, grabbing Maya’s
hands with his tiny fingers and gulping hungrily at the milk.  “Where is
your sister?”

Maya gave him a nervous look.  “She is still at the
lake, my lord.  She wanted to swim for a bit longer.”

He shook his head, cursing under his breath before storming
over to Marshall.  “You left the Red at the lake alone?”

Marshall shrugged.  “She said she wanted to swim for a
while longer.  I wasn’t going to argue with her – she’d probably turn me into
a lizard.”

“You know it’s not safe in the woods, Marshall.”
 Tristan frowned at him but the younger man just shrugged again.

With a harsh sigh, Tristan turned and headed for the
lake.  He had a bad headache, his skull was throbbing and aching with pain,
and as he jogged through the trees he cursed his decision to buy the Red. 
It didn’t take long before he was at the lake and he scanned the shore for
her.  Her dress was lying on the grass but she was nowhere to be seen.

He searched the water and caught movement in the corner of
his eye.  He turned to see Avery surface about twenty feet from the
shore.  She pushed her hair from her face before floating lazily on her
back.

“Girl!”  He shouted irritably.  She jerked and
disappeared under the water for a moment before popping back up, coughing and
sputtering.

“What?”  She shouted back.

“Get out of the water.  We’re leaving.”

She nodded and began to swim towards shore with long,
powerful strokes.  He envied her obvious confidence in the water.  He
could swim, but it was little more than a doggy paddle and deep water made him
nervous.  He would get her to teach Sophia to swim, he decided.

As she drew closer, a strange scent drifted to him and he
closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.  He turned his back to the lake and
stared suspiciously into the trees before inhaling again. 

“Hurry up, girl!”  He barked over his shoulder. 
Dimly he was aware of her splashing her way on to shore as he stared into the
trees.  The scent was fading rapidly, if it had even been there in the
first place, but he continued to stare intently into the trees.

“What?”  She asked, peering curiously over his
shoulder.  “What do you see?”

“Nothing.”  He turned around and faced her.  “But
we should get back to the others. It’s getting late and we need to get back on
the road before – “

He stuttered to a stop and stared at Avery.

She was wearing a short white shift that the water had
turned translucent.  The wet fabric clung to every curve of her pale body,
and he could feel himself growing hard as he stared at her.  The grey
dress had done an excellent job of hiding her curves and although it was
obvious she was much too thin, the fullness of her breasts and the swell of her
hips had him aching to touch her.

He looked up at her face.  She had bathed and scrubbed
her face and body clean, and he could see a tiny smattering of freckles across
her nose.  Her skin was the colour of milk and other than the freckles,
completely unblemished.  He was suddenly itching to touch her skin and see
if it felt as soft as it looked. 

“What’s wrong?”  She frowned at him.

His eyes dropped back down to her breasts.  The wet
fabric and cool air had hardened her rose-coloured nipples and he had a sudden
image of sucking gently on them. 

She looked down at herself.  “Gods!”  

She blushed and pulled the wet fabric away from her body
before searching frantically for her dress.  She spied it on the grass but
before she could reach for it, Tristan had taken her by the arm and pulled her close.

“My lord...”

She gave him a warning look and he grinned wolfishly at
her. 

“You smell much better.”

“Thank you.”  She tugged against his hand but he
refused to let her go. He reached out and pushed the wet strands of hair from
her cheek.  She inhaled sharply when he ran his fingers along her
cheekbone. 

“You’re too thin.”  He informed her.  She didn’t
reply, just continued to stare at him with her clear green eyes, and he
frowned.  “You need to eat more.”

“Whatever you say, m’lord.”  

He scowled at her insolent tone before cupping the back of
her head and pulling her forward.  “You belong to me now.”  He
whispered.  “You will do what I tell you to.”

She scoffed in his face.  “I belong to no one.”

He bent his head until his mouth was hovering over hers.
 “You belong to me.”  He repeated himself, his warm breath washing
over her face, and Avery felt a surge of warmth in her belly despite her
annoyance with him.  “And I want you to kiss me.”

She shook her head.  “No.” 

She hoped she sounded more confident then she felt. 
She had no idea what was happening to her.  His deep voice and warm hand
was playing havoc with her system.  She felt weak and disoriented and when
he had told her to kiss him, she had damn near obeyed him immediately.

“Yes.”  He demanded.

“No.”  She swallowed hard, her lips trembling.

He ran his thumb over her mouth and at his touch, her lips
parted.  He groaned a little when her tongue flicked out and licked at her
dry lips, brushing against his thumb in the process.

His eyes were dark like Sophia’s and to her horror, her body
was responding shamelessly to the look of need in them.  He suddenly
pulled her wet body against his and ran his hand down her back through the wet
fabric of her shift.

“Kiss me, girl.”  He hesitated.  “Please.”

She pressed her lips quickly and lightly against his. 
“There, I kissed you.”

“Again.”  He muttered.

Feeling like she was drowning, she pressed her mouth against
his again.  This time she let her lips linger on his.  When the tip
of his tongue probed gently at her closed lips, a shudder of desire went
through her.  His hand was against the small of her back and he pressed
her so close she could feel his erection against her abdomen. 

“Open your mouth.”  He breathed and then flicked his
tongue against her upper lip.  She moaned and obeyed his whispered
command.  He stroked her tongue with his and explored her mouth with
demanding urgency.  Warmth was rushing through her, and her hips bucked
against him compulsively when she slid her tongue timidly into his mouth and he
immediately sucked hard on it.

An ache was starting in her belly and pelvis and when he
cupped her ass, squeezing it familiarly, she didn’t protest.  He lifted
her up until she was on her tip-toes, his hands still holding her ass firmly,
so that he could press his erection directly against her warm center.  She
groaned at the contact and tore her mouth free from his.  She pushed
lightly on his chest, trying to put some distance between them.

He growled low in his throat and moved one hand up to the
back of her neck, holding it firmly with one large, warm hand.

“Can you feel how much I want you, girl?”  He asked.

When she didn’t answer, he pushed her more firmly against
him.  “Can you?”

“Yes.”  She moaned.

He kissed her again, sucking lightly on her lower lip, and
she stopped trying to escape his embrace and pressed herself against him
hungrily.  He smiled his approval and pulled her head back so he could
kiss her throat. 

He let go of her ass and took one smooth thigh in his
hand.  Gripping it tightly, he lifted it up around his hip.  The cool
air slipped between her thighs, caressing her heated skin and bringing her back
to her senses.

“My lord, stop.  I – I’m getting you wet.”  She
whispered.  She could feel streams of water from her shift trickling down
her legs and arms, and the front of his dark shirt was wet and sticking to his
chest.

He grinned at her.  “Aye, so you are.”  He kissed
his way to her ear and then breathed quietly, “Shall we see if I’m getting you
wet?”

A vision of his warm hand between her legs, his rough
fingers touching and stroking her, rushed through her and she couldn’t stop the
long, shuddering moan from escaping her lips.

He nipped her earlobe.  “That sounds like a yes to me.”

Still gripping the back of her neck tightly, he let go of
her thigh and pushed his other hand between their bodies.  He traced the
tips of his fingers lightly across the front of her thigh.  Avery knew she
should have been moving her leg from where it was still wrapped around his hip,
but instead she squeezed her leg more firmly around him and held her breath.
 Her entire body tensed as she waited for his warm touch. 

There was a sudden, loud noise in the woods behind
them.  He pushed her away immediately, spinning around and scanning the
trees.

Her mouth red and her body trembling, Avery quickly stripped
off her wet shift and struggled into the shapeless dress.  She tapped
Tristan on the back with one finger.

“What is it?”  She whispered.

She watched curiously as he lifted his head and inhaled
deeply.  Without looking at her, he held out his hand.  “Let’s go.”

She took his hand and allowed him to lead her back towards
the campsite.  Tristan was careful not to look at her.  Even back in
her shapeless grey dress, he was tempted to push her up against one of the
trees and take her quickly before bringing her back to the others.  He
shook his head.  Iit had been too long since he had been with a woman and
it was obviously affecting his judgement.  As he pulled her through the
woods, he realized that his headache had completely disappeared.