Home had such a nice ring to it.
Her eyelids were heavy, but they refused to stay shut. Tipping her head back a little, she stared up at the moon, following its light down toward the black waters where the cloudy mist had begun to lift. The moon’s light cut a path across the waves and up onto the sandy shore.
Its trail seemed to lead directly from the water to the place where they rested. The shining pathway glistened and beckoned, like a well-worn road to market, regularly traveled by masses of people. People like the one heading in their direction right now.
With a start, she jerked upright, unsettling the covers from her shoulders.
Next to her, Eric came instantly alert. “What is it?”
She’d thought she was dreaming, but that wasn’t the case.
“There.” She pointed toward the sea, toward the man who headed their direction. “Someone’s out there.”
• • •
Eric jumped to his feet and drew his sword. With no place to hide, they were at a disadvantage. He reached down and clasped Jeanne’s hand, pulling her to her feet.
“Should the need arise, mount up and ride as hard as you can. Dinna you slow and dinna you look back.”
“And leave you here alone? Oh, I don’t think so. Besides, he’s likely no threat, out here on the shore alone as he is. I’d guess it’s only our fire that draws him to us.”
Indeed, their fire gave them away like an accusing finger pointing to their location. Having a fire when they were already so exposed had been a tactical error, but he’d had no choice. Either he built the fire or he risked Jeanne succumbing to the cold.
“Whether or no,” he said, keeping his voice low and in control as he put his body in between Jeanne and the approaching man. “If I give you the word, yer to mount up and ride. I’ll no accept any argument on this point.”
She shrugged in that annoying way she had when she disagreed with him, but he hadn’t time for further discussion. As the stranger drew closer, Eric’s concern grew. He was a big man—far bigger than most—carrying something large over his shoulder.
“Oho, travelers!” the stranger called as he soon as he was close enough. “It’s good to find you out here in the wilderness.”
“Keep yer distance,” Eric called back, holding his sword in front of him. “We’ve nothing here for you. No even any food, so yer best off to just keep moving.”
“We have a fire, though,” Jeanne piped in. “We’ll gladly share that.”
“Dammit, woman!” he hissed. “Where’s yer good sense?”
The man kept coming, his booming laugh echoing around them. “Then it’s an excellent thing that I’ve found you, because I’ve food aplenty to share. And a much better campsite than yer own, too.”
When he reached them Eric could see that the man carried a bag on his back, and from the smell, it was likely fish he had inside.
“Come on,” the big man urged, kicking dirt up on their fire. “It’s not far from here, but it is well sheltered from the winds.”
“No, thank you. You be on yer way. We’ll stay where we are.”
“Eric!” Jeanne tugged at his sleeve. “Think about what you say.”
He cast a quick look in her direction but did not speak.
“Don’t be foolish, warrior. Few are given a second chance.”
In the instant Eric had turned his head toward Jeanne, the big man had somehow gotten within arm’s length of him.