Druid Knights 1.5: The Druid Knight Tales Read Online Free PDF

What he did think about was fighting for what he wanted—not just to live another day but to continue to lead his people. He trudged on with Ellyn, determined to make his case before the Ancestors.
    After several hours, they arrived at the edge of the forest. “We’ll stop here for a while.”
    She looked up at the sun to get her bearings. “It’s not quite midday.”
    “Yes, but the rest of the way is a steep downhill climb. We won’t be able to move as fast.”
    “It’s just as well we stop. I want to remove the bandages and make certain the wounds have not putrefied. You’ll need to take off your tunic.” She took out the vials and bandages from her pouch.
    Max stood two arm-lengths in front of her and removed his garment.
    She couldn’t look away from him. His appearance was deceptive. He wasn’t a warrior’s size—she had tended many of them with their broad, barrel-like chests. This man was tall and trim. His torso appeared defined, lean, and sinewy. His muscled arms looked powerful and she craved to have them around her. They could keep her safe forever. Her desire for his touch was painfully deep. She forced herself to turn away. This was not like her. Was it this place? Did it strip her bare of all pretense to show her who she really was? Was this the reason for being here?
    “Your wounds appear well healed.” She stared into his eyes and something sensuous passed between them.
    “Perhaps you should take a closer look. To make certain.” His voice sounded like velvet.
    His soft voice teased her. They played a dangerous game, one she should not play. She imagined his arms around her, his lips on hers, and heat flashed through her. Dazed by the depth of the sensation, her resolved began to falter. Perhaps just a little pleasure, something to remember. After all, he would return to Avebury soon.
    She closed the gap between them and ran her hand over his healed scars. Each gentle touch made her fingers tingle. She did not pull her hand away. The air around them was charged and alive. She laid her palm on his chest and flinched at his quick intake of breath. So, he sensed it too.
    “The scratches are healed. You can hardly see where they were.” Her voice was a whisper.
    “Yes, I know.” He brushed her long hair away from her face and held her head in the cup of his hand. “You are an extraordinary healer.”
    Reluctantly, she stepped away and broke the spell they had cast. Coward, she said to herself. Keeping your heart safe will not save you from your destiny. With shaking hands she put the vials back into her pouch and picked up her staff.
    “Here, you can put this back on.” She handed him his tunic but it appeared his attention was elsewhere. The garment fell to the ground, forgotten. She followed his gaze as he looked around them.
    “Max?”
    He raised his fingers to his lips. She got his silent signal—quiet.
    A rumbling in the woods caught Ellyn’s attention. Instinct took over—she focused on one direction and opened her mind. The breeze stopped. The soft sounds around them went silent. There! She turned to Max and attempted to move but she couldn’t. Panic consumed her. She tried again but she was chained to the spot. There! She fought to call to him but no sound came out of her mouth. The Grand Master, his back to her, concentrated on the wrong direction. Determined, she jabbed her staff to the ground in protest and demanded the elements answer her. Obedience was immediate. The barrier that held her shattered in a shower of fine crystal. She raced forward and reached him in time to shove him out of the path of an attacking boar.
    The boar turned for another attack. They both grabbed her staff. In a burst of light, the startled boar stood still. She let go and gave Max the staff. The boar faced them pawing the ground. It shook its head, the foot-long, curved-bone tusks glistening in the light.
    Max sidestepped to the right to get some distance between himself and Ellyn. The boar