The Bride Hunt Read Online Free PDF Page A

himself against Anvrai’s blow and fell heavily to the ground.
    With his head pounding almost unbearably, Anvrai managed to stand in the middle of the pen and turn his gaze toward the village. There was some commotion taking place, which was likely the reason only one guard had been left to watch over him and Roger.
    Roger lay unconscious—or perhaps asleep, with his hands tied to a fence post. Anvrai walked over and nudged him with his foot.When the young man did not react, he crouched down and sliced through the leather bindings that held him to the post. The sudden sound of screams in the village brought him to his feet again.
    ’Twas Isabel.
    Ignoring the pain in his head and the dizziness that came with it, Anvrai left Roger and vaulted over the fence, still carrying the sword. The path was dark, but a few scattered torches lit the village, and Anvrai headed toward them, using the trees and brush for cover. He moved quickly, and when he reached the first hut, the acrid smell of smoke burned his throat. ’Twas a good deal more than what he would expect from a fire pit.
    One of the buildings was afire.
    Anvrai hurried toward the center of the burgh, staying close to the buildings and any other structure he could use for cover. ’Twas not difficult to stay out of sight amid the confusion. A large building near the center of the village was in flames. Men and women ran toward the site, carrying buckets, tossing water upon the fire.
    Anvrai narrowed his one good eye and searched the scene, looking for Isabel. If she were trapped inside that cottage…
    One of the shutters near the rear of the building flew open and a plume of white smoke billowed from the window. A moment later, Anvrai saw a face. Isabel’s face.
    She was coughing, choking for air as she tossed a large bundle of animal skins to the ground, then threw her legs over the edge. Anvrai caught her before her feet hit the ground.
    “Sir Anvrai!” she cried in surprise. “You are—”
    “We’ll talk later,” he interjected. “Are you all right?” She looked pale, shaken. Staring at him, her eyes were wide and uncertain, but she nodded. Her thin chemise was torn and stained, and there was a dark bruise on her cheek. Her lower lip was discolored and swollen. The urge to go back into that cottage and pummel whoever had hurt her consumed him. He hoped the man inside was incapacitated and would burn there, before burning in hell.
    Anvrai gritted his teeth and turned Isabel toward the path he’d taken to get there. The notion of running away grated on him, but they had to go back, quickly, while the distraction of the fire worked to their advantage. Once they got Roger, ’twould be no easy task to find a place to hide. “Come then. We’ll have to hurry.”
    “Wait.” Isabel bent to pick up the items that had fallen from the skins. Handing him a knife and a cook pot, she took the rest herself.
    “Leave all this,” he said. The knife might beuseful, but the pot and all the rest would just slow them in their flight.
    “W—we’ll need it.”
    Anvrai did not take the time to argue but started moving. He might be responsible for her, but if she did not make haste, he would not answer for her safety.
    Lady Isabel limped noticeably but made no complaint as they ran to the place where Roger still lay upon the ground. They entered the enclosure through a wooden gate, and Isabel hurried to the young man, falling on her knees beside him. “Is he…Is he alive?”
    “Aye, last I saw.”
    She placed her hands upon Roger’s shoulders and shook him slightly. “Roger!” she cried in a quiet, urgent voice. “Roger, we must go!”
    There was still only one guard in the enclosure, and he lay unconscious from the blow Anvrai had struck a short while before. They didn’t have much time. The man would soon come to consciousness and raise the alarm. As it was, the fire seemed to be spreading, which might extend their opportunity for escape as the villagers worked