Tapestries 03 - Woven Dreams Read Online Free PDF

him laugh since the injury.
    Their relationship was different than it had been, but Garrik felt now that Jarmon had reached out, that it could be stronger and deeper than what they’d shared. They’d both been through the fires of pain and had come out the other side.
    He trailed behind his brother as they made their way through the dense woods.
    Garrik was glad they’d made the decision to leave the horses at home and hunt on foot.
    They were on Bakra land and they were armed, so it was safe enough. They’d never ventured more than three days walk from the castle and at the moment they could make it home in two. They’d spent a better part of their childhood hunting, fishing and exploring every inch of Bakra land, and both of them knew it like the back of their hands.
    Jarmon held up his arm, his hand fisted. Garrik stopped dead in his tracks and listened. If his brother thought there was someone or something up ahead, then Garrik believed him. They were all good trackers, but there was no one as adept at it as Jarmon. He was pure magic. His brother could follow either man or beast across any terrain, easily reading the signs where others saw nothing.
    As hard as he listened, he could hear nothing. Jarmon crept back toward him and leaned close. “By the river.” His voice was a toneless whisper. “I’m going to scout around to the back. Don’t show yourself until I give the signal.” 21
    Before he could protest, Jarmon was gone. Swallowed up by the woods. Not even a branch swayed to reveal his passing. If he hadn’t watched his brother steal away, he’d never have known which direction he’d gone in.
    There was nothing else for him to do but to get into position and wait. Silently drawing his sword, he moved stealthily toward the river, staying within the protection of the trees. He could hear something now that he was closer. Crouching down, he eased the foliage apart and almost swallowed his tongue.
    Kneeling down on the side of the bank was a woman. A half-naked woman. She’d stripped the bodice of her dress down her arms and it hung around her waist. As he watched, she leaned over, cupped some of the cool water in her hands and sluiced it over her torso.
    Her nipples hardened and she shivered as the cool water hit her. Garrik’s hands flexed at his sides. He wanted to cover her breasts with his hands to warm them, to feel the hard tips pushing against the center of his palms.
    Swearing under his breath, he tore his gaze away and glanced up and down the riverbank. She seemed to be alone, but that didn’t make any sense at all. He didn’t recognize her, so she didn’t belong to Bakra land. If she was traveling, she should be surrounded by her husband, brothers or father. Anyone. She shouldn’t be out here alone. She was a woman and, as such, should be protected at all costs.
    He frowned as she continued to wash her arms, unaware she was being watched. It was dangerous for her to be alone in the forest. There were all manner of beasts about.
    They would have to take her back to Bakra Castle until her family could be found.
    Maybe she was lost?
    Garrik dismissed that thought immediately. She didn’t act lost. In fact, if he weren’t mistaken, she was humming a tune beneath her breath as she washed. She was a complete mystery, but a beautiful one.
    The sun chose that moment to break though the clouds. Garrik sucked in a breath, finding it suddenly difficult to breathe. He’d thought her hair a plain brown. He was mistaken. When the light struck it, he could see it contained threads of mahogany, oak, chestnut and every other conceivable shade of brown. He’d never seen anything like it in his life. As she leaned forward, her long braid fell over her shoulder. Absently, she flicked it back. His fingers itched to release her hair from its confinement and spread it in a wide cape over his chest.
    His cock swelled instantly, making his pants painfully uncomfortable. Grunting, he shifted, using his free hand