After the bundle was on the ground beside him, he slid the rope back down to her and waited while she tied it around herself.
“Check the knots again,” he instructed. “And hold on as if yer very life depended upon it.” It just might.
With a click of his tongue, his horse began to back away, assisting him in pulling up the rope and its precious cargo. As soon as her hands were within his reach, he grabbed them and hoisted her up until her feet were solidly on the ground next to his.
Her face was streaked with dirt, her cheek scraped and bloodied, and her hair had brambles clinging to it, but he’d never seen her look more beautiful.
“Thank all that’s holy for the ledge below,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his chest. He covered her mouth with his, breathing her in as he held her trembling body close. He could have lost her. He’d thought he had.
When he felt strong enough to release her, she stepped back from him, her hands covering her cheeks.
“There was a wolf,” she said, looking around the ground at her feet. “And a rabbit. And then I fell and hit upon my back.”
Pain and fear lanced through her expression, but before he could pull her close again, she slumped to the ground at his feet, scooped up her bundle, and began once more to tear into it.
“I ken you’ve had a fright, Jeanne, but yer fine now. The wolf and his prey are long gone. Yer safe and we need to be on the move again. The daylight will be gone quickly enough, and I’d hoped to be in the shelter of trees before we set camp this night.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she whimpered, her head bent over the bundle in her lap.
He’d been wrong. She had been hurt. He hadn’t even stopped to consider as much when he’d pulled her to safety. All he’d wanted was to hold her in his arms to reassure himself that she was alive.
“Where are you hurt? Let me help you.”
She turned a tear-streaked face up to him. “You canna help me now. There’s no point in going on. Look what I’ve done. I’ve ruined it.”
In her hands she held the little boat Eymer had carved, broken into two pieces.
“I’ve failed him,” she whimpered, drawing the broken pieces close to her heart. “The only thing he ever asked of me, and I’ve failed him.”
This was the opportunity he’d wanted. With a word, he could easily have them on their way home, this foolish quest no more than a bad memory.
And yet . . .
He couldn’t bear to see her spirit broken like this.
“Dinna you fret over it, Jeanne. I can fix it for you. Put it back in yer pack, and when we make camp this night, I’ll repair Eymer’s boat good as new.”
“You think you can?” She looked up, such hope and faith shining in her eyes. “You really think you can?”
“I can.” Somehow.
All he’d need would be some ashes and some tree sap and time to brew a pitch to seal the boat. No matter that sap ran in the spring, not the winter. If ever the gods of his laird’s people were needed, this was that time.
“You hear that, Thor?” he whispered as he turned his back to gather up the rope and repack their things. “It’s now or never.”
Chapter Six
Only a fool would be foraging through trees this time of winter in search of sap. Eric had known he wouldn’t find any before he’d left the campsite, but the look of hope in Jeanne’s eyes had driven him to make the attempt.