The Will of the Gods Ch. 05

"That's-that was very nice of him," Regina offered, feeling her stomach turn.

"I'm sure you're ready to be back."

Not sure whether to pacify this woman or to tell the truth, Regina gave a strange jerk of her head that was somewhere between a nod and a shake. "When will I be able to leave?"

"On your own? Not anytime soon, I'd think," Trina replied. "What happened, anyway? Got lost in the woods?"

Regina stared into the woman's eyes. They were so kind, inviting and warm.

"Trina, thank you so much for everything you've done, but I have to tell you. I'm not really with the Heilaun army. I'm-"

Nigel burst through the door, a little breathless. His hands, to Regina's dismay, were empty of food. "Just saw James up at the field. He says the Heilaun's not far. They just saw him cresting the far hill."

"The Heilaun himself?"

"That's what I said," Nigel was almost giddy with excitement.

Trina's face broke into a smile. "See, sweetheart? You might not feel like you're part of his army yet, but he cares for all his soldiers. For everyone." Her face faltered when she saw how ghostly white Regina had gone. "What's wrong?"

"How did he know I was here?" Regina choked on her words.

"We sent word to the camp about your condition. Thought they might want to send help. I must say I'm surprised that Lord Heilaun has time to come in person, but that just goes to show the kind of man he is."

Regina swallowed her nerves. "How far is he?"

"Half an hour. Less if he's riding fast," Nigel replied.

---

She is alive. The words rattled in Gregar's head with each clop of his horse's hooves. He rode as fast as he could without winding the animal. The rest of the search party stayed on his heels.

Gregar wanted to be angry. There were a million reasons why he should be. His slave-the only slave he had ever actually owned himself-had run off. That should make a person angry. She had nearly gotten herself killed from the sounds of the message. That should make a person angry.

Instead, though, he felt only a sense of elated relief.

She was alive.

--

When they finally reached the small home, Gregar bounded from his horse in a single motion and knocked on the door.

He was greeted by a smiling couple. The man, he recognized immediately.

"Nigel," clasping his forearm in greeting, he peered behind him. "Where's the girl?"

"Just in the back bedroom," Nigel responded. "She said she was tired."

"Doesn't surprise me," Trina stepped forward. "Girl's taken one hell of a beating."

"Will she be alright?"

"She needs rest," Trina said. "So long as she stays off her feet for a week or two, I didn't notice any major damage."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course, your Highness." Trina showed him to the room. "She's right-" Her voice faltered.

When Gregar peered around her, he saw why. The disheveled bed was empty.

In an instant he was back outside, mounting his horse.

"Where's Regina?" asked one of the men.

"Gone. But she can't have gone far."

"Regina?" Asked Nigel. "Named for the princess?"

Gregar didn't glance toward him as he looked into the distance, searching for a sign of which direction she'd gone. "She is the princess."

He spurred his horse into a gallop, heading for the treeline. She had gone into the forest before. Despite her recent experience, she might risk it again. He pointed two of his men down the road they had come. Another two headed the opposite direction.

--

Regina limped through the woods as fast as she could. She had made it to the forest. Her plan was to stick to the cover of trees, but stay close enough to the road that she could follow it without being seen. Images of hungry wolves slipped into her thoughts. Her heart pounded in her ears. Every tree branch in the distance looked like a pair of eyes. Every rustle of the forest sounded like Gregar's footfalls.

Feeling the stitches on her abdomen tear, she forced herself to slow her pace. Blood was pooling on Gregar's ripped shirt. She held her hand against her side, trying to staunch the bleeding even as she forced herself forward.

Hoof beats rang out behind her. Desperately, she looked around for a place to hide. If she could hold out until Gregar gave up, maybe she could make her way back to that kind old couple. She could explain the type of man Gregar truly was. She could convince them to turn against him, to help her. They had once.

In the distance, she saw a hollow in a large tree. With focused determination, she made her way toward it. Regina knew that she was bleeding from every wound, but she would not give in. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, giving her the strength to walk the last ten yards.

Grabbing a huge branch, heavy with rain and freshly fallen, she drug it toward the opening of the hollow. Stifling a groan of pain from the exertion, she sealed herself inside. The ground was wet. Unable to see past the leaves of the branch that hid her, she could only hear hooves pounding in the distance. They sounded distant, retreating. Her body began to relax in increments. Her eyelids were heavy.

Moments ago, the frenzy of running had powered her body. She could feel it slipping away. The threadbare shirt that the couple had given her was soaked in blood. So were the pants. As her vision began to fade, it occurred to Regina that these were probably the only spare set the couple owned.