Blood Oath: The Janna Chronicles 1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

the concoctions that made up their livelihood. It was unlikely she’d ever go anywhere. In fact, she’d be lucky to find a husband at all, let alone someone as kind and brave as Godric.
    Lost in her thoughts as she was, Janna was startled when Godric wiped his muddy hands over a patch of grass to cleanse them, and rose to his feet. “Do you know where we are?” she asked, as she also stood.
    “Of course. I told you, I know this forest.” He plucked off a small leafy branch of hazel and swept it around the grave to hide all trace of their illicit activity, while Janna scattered armfuls of dead leaves over splashes of blood to further disguise the spot.
    “Stay close to me. I’ll look after you.” Godric picked up the resin torch, and took Janna’s hand to guide her. He began to push his way through the trees. It seemed to Janna that they were setting off in the wrong direction, but she held her peace, trusting him. Fallen logs and hidden tree roots tripped her. Several times her feet sank into boggy patches, unseen traps under the nettles, dock and bracken that carpeted the forest floor. She would have fallen without Godric’s hand to steady her. Did he really know where he was going? He didn’t seem to be following a set path; in fact she was sure they had turned through at least one circle. Once or twice he stopped, holding up the torch so he could see the way ahead. He was following the signs of his passage, she realized, understanding the significance of bruised and trampled plants, a muddy footprint, broken twigs. At last he bent and picked up a dead hare. He slung it over his shoulders and took her hand once more, this time walking ahead in a straight, sure line.
    Janna was pleased that saving her hadn’t interfered with his real night’s work. All the same, she felt uneasy. She should say something, just to have things clear between them. How could she let him know how she felt without hurting his feelings?
    It’s not my fault I don’t want to marry yet , she thought crossly. Why can’t he court Elfreda instead? Or Wulfrun? They would surely be pleased to have an offer of marriage from someone such as him.
    The memory of her ordeal did little to add to Janna’s peace of mind as she trudged along. Her heart pumped faster and she broke into a clammy sweat as she relived the terror of the chase. She could have died tonight. Without Godric, all her fine dreams for the future would have counted for nothing. There was no getting around the fact that she owed him her life, and that she would always be in his debt. She hated that feeling of obligation, and what it might mean for her future. In fact, Janna was thoroughly uncomfortable by the time they came to a part of the forest she recognized. She was not so very far from home after all.
    “Thank you, Godric.” She stopped and let go of his hand, wanting to put an end to her indebtedness to him, and to her own uneasy thoughts. “Thank you for saving my life tonight. I know where I am now. I can find my way from here.”
    “I will see you safe home.” He kept walking in the direction of the cottage.
    “I know this part of the forest. I’m used to walking it alone,” Janna protested.
    Godric smiled at her. “I just want to make sure you are safe,” he said simply. With a sigh of resignation, Janna followed him.
    The cottage was in darkness when they reached it. Janna pushed open the door, hoping to find her mother returned home and sleeping within. But the only sign of life was the black cat, which stirred and blinked one sleepy eye at them. A faint warmth came from the turfed-down fire; thin wisps of smoke added to the already choking atmosphere. Janna flung open a shutter to let some fresh air into the smoky room, while Godric crouched down and blew on the embers, helping to bring the flame to life with a handful of dry leaves and twigs kept in a crock beside the fireplace.
    As the flames caught and held, the small cottage became illuminated. Janna