Warrior's Song Read Online Free PDF Page A

chest.
    Â Â Â Â In that instant, he realized that if he were as intelligent as he'd always been told he was, he would drag himself and his men from Croyland and send his blessings to God that he had survived. He was a fool to force this woman to wed him. He had no doubt that she would try to bring him low. He wondered then if he would ever tame her, ever make her accept him. He imagined fighting her in bed, wondered if he would have to tie her down, and knew then that he would indeed have to.
    Â Â Â Â Why had she vomited? Merely watching him take her friend had sent this proud, arrogant girl to her knees, retching in the flower-scented rushes? His pain slowly receded, almost too slowly for a man to bear, and finally he said, "I will have to think about your payment for that."
    Â Â Â Â "What will you do? Kill me? Well, then, you savage, do it now."

CHAPTER 3
    He didn't kill her, of course. What he did was make his men hold her again while he slowly dressed himself. He left off his armor, saying, "I will go to Lord Richard's bedchamber. I will make use of his clothing." And then he'd smiled, for the pain was gone from his groin and he knew he would live again. Once again, he was filled with optimism and determination. He had worked too hard to get her. He would have her, no matter the cost. He had absolutely no doubt that she would kill him if she had the chance. It didn't worry him. It fascinated him.
    Â Â Â Â "As for you, Chandra, you will either agree to wed me, whether or not I find your brother, or I will simply take you back with me and you will live as my mistress until you agree to marry me. I know you—"
    Â Â Â Â He never finished, for just then the bedchamber door burst open and Abaric yelled even before he saw Graelam, "We have them!"
    Â Â Â Â Lady Dorothy and John came stumbling into the bedchamber, a half dozen of Graelam's men behind them.
    Â Â Â Â "We have them," Abaric said again, and rubbed his hands together.
    Â Â Â Â Chandra stared at her mother, then at John. She couldn't believe it, just couldn't, yet here they both were, standing right in front of her, no torn clothing, no signs of any struggle. She said slowly, feeling her heart beat with slow, deadening strokes, so loud they were, "How is this? You were well hidden. How did they find you, Lady Dorothy?"
    Â Â Â Â Why, Graelam wondered, did she call her mother Lady Dorothy?
    Â Â Â Â She was a gaunt woman, as tall as her daughter, but the life seemed sucked out of her. Her hair, once a rich black, was streaked with coarse gray strands, her mouth seamed so tightly, it was only a thin, pale line. She looked, he thought, as unforgiving as his own witch of a mother. She looked as though she'd never had an ounce of joy in her life and that she would do her best to see that no one around her had any joy either.
    Â Â Â Â Lady Dorothy shook off the hands of the men behind her. She looked first at Graelam, then at Mary, who was standing beside Chandra's bed, her face pale, looking blank and stupid. Lady Dorothy sniffed the air. The room smelled of sex. But how could that be? Both Mary and Chandra were fully clothed, as were the men.
    Â Â Â Â Lady Dorothy turned to Chandra and her face hardened. Filthy she was, boar's blood all over her, her hair matted to her head with sweat. Lady Dorothy said, her chin up, "You look disgusting."
    Â Â Â Â Graelam stared at her, not believing what had come out of her mouth, but Chandra said only, "I know. It doesn't matter. Who found you?"
    Â Â Â Â Lady Dorothy shrugged and said, quivering at that smell she still believed was sex, "No one. I did not like it in that small dark room. I never have. I've told your father many times that it is too rude a place for me ever to remain for more than a few minutes. There were rats, the sound of men's boots clattering overhead, yells and cursing. John fretted. I did not wish him