03

Alana frowned as she glanced at her cousin’s frozen expression and followed her eyes to something rather large lying inert along their path.

Straining to see the hindrance that blocked their way, Alana slowly dismounted and set her basket at her feet.

« What are you doing ? » Lynette whispered alarmingly.

Alana ignored her cousin as she tentatively started towards the solid shape. As she grew closer, an audible gasp escaped her throat as she realized that the large object was a man.

She paused only a moment before starting forward but a hand on her arm stopped her abruptly. « What do you think you are doing ? » Lynette demanding pensively, her azure eyes round with misgiving.

« I have to see. »

Lynette sighed heavily and dropped her hand. She followed closely at Alana’s back as they inched forward to peer at the man, what she saw made her stiffen instinctively with coldness. « He is a Norman ! » she hissed with sudden malice. .

« You cannot know for certain. » Alana studied the man’s face, gray and colorless beneath a coating of dried blood, his features intangible beneath the disarray among his face. She was unclear as to his origin but he was unmistakably a warrior due to his immense size. She had never seen a man so enormous. Surely it had taken a number of others to bring down such a giant of a man.

His armor had clearly been stripped and taken from his body. He wore naught but under-clothing and by the mass of blood that drenched his apparel, she was unsure as to his injuries.

« Alana, leave him ! »

She turned to see Lynette mounted her expression indifferent to the stranger at her feet. « Nettie, help me. »

« He is Norman ! » she cried, outraged. « How could you even think to aid such a monster ? »

« Whether he is Norman or Saxon he is a man nonetheless and needs our help. I cannot simply abide leaving him like this. » She replied assertively.

Lynette snorted with distaste. « As I see it, all men are pigs, especially the likes at your feet. I am sorry cousin ; I will not assist you in this. »

Alana narrowed her eyes as she exhaled sharply through her nose. « Then will you at least go back to the village and bring me something that I could carry him back in ? »

Lynette stiffened instantly with disapproval. « I will certainly not leave you here for his army to find you ! »

« Then make haste so that I am not here longer than necessary ! »

« Alana, you are making a mistake, he will only return your kindness by killing you the moment he is revived. »

Alana lifted her chin defiantly. « I will deal with that if it comes, now please, hurry. »

Lynette hesitated but the unyielding gleam in her cousin’s eyes prompted her decision. « You do not have your bow and arrow ; I cannot leave you here defenseless. »

Alana had not considered that and her eyes quickly searched the area for something that belonged to the warrior, mayhap a sword or dagger of some sort.

What she discovered made her heart leap within her chest. Lying at the man’s side, just at the tips of his fingers, was an ominous dagger, the serrated blade, particularly crafted to inflict fatal wounds, rested at his side.

She felt her stomach churn with nausea as she stared at the ghastly weapon and prayed silently that whoever had delivered the fatal blow would not return to see the purpose done.

« I will be fine. » She whispered more so to herself than to Lynette. « Just hurry. »

Lynette nodded her face taut with displeasure but she said nothing more as she steered her horse around Alana and started in a canter back towards the village.

Alana watched until her cousin disappeared down the narrowing path, praying that she would return quickly enough to see the three of them safely back to the village.

She realized than just how alone and defenseless she truly was and cast a longing look at the dagger. The thought of touching it made her ill all of a sudden. If it came to it, she would defend the man at all costs but she would not touch it.

She fell to her knees at his side and peered at his massive chest but she could detect no rise and fall that would indicate that he were alive.

She reached out and gingerly pressed her fingers to his throat. Her heart jumped with amazement for as faint as it were, there was a pulse.

« You’re alive. » She breathed in astonishment.

Without warning, her wrist was suddenly shackled in a menacing iron grip, the unexpectedness of his deftness wrenched a startled gasp from her throat, and her heart leapt tenfold as Lynette’s warning fleetingly crossed her mind. She lifted her head from the hand gripping her own and her gaze connected fearfully with a pair of burning, amber eyes.

The villagers were not pleased to hear that a Norman warrior was in their midst. She received quite a number of scornful glares and a few accosting words from fellow neighbors.

She was grateful that the cottage she and Lynette shared was somewhat secluded from the village. She had chosen the particular hut specifically for its remoteness from others.

With much convincing, several of the village men grudgingly assisted in carrying the unconscious Norman into her cottage. She noticed as they settled the Norman onto her pallet that he appeared frighteningly paler.

Rowan, a robust youth with a wealth of mahogany hair and eyes the color of onyx, were one of the few men assisting her. An adamant look of disapproval was undeniably etched across his brooding face as he waited patiently for the others to leave the cottage, each muttering words of reproach beneath their breath as they cast meaningful glares at Alana.

« Why do you do this, Alana ? » Rowan asked gently, waving a hand towards the warrior.

Alana lifted her chin, « I have the ability to heal him. »

Rowan shook his head, « Not him, not a Norman. »

She sighed miserably as she crossed the straw laden floor to the iron kettle hanging above the hearth. « I do not have to explain my motives to you, Rowan, or to anybody else for that matter. »

She felt him come up behind her and she stiffened. She knew Rowan had strong feelings for her but those feelings were not shared. Aye, he was noticeably handsome but her feelings went no further than companionship.

« You do not know what his kind is capable of. »

« His kind ? » she turned sharply only to collide against him for he stood too close. She gasped, startled by this for she had never been intimidated by Rowan before but something about his demeanor gave her reason to pause. « What do you know of his kind, Rowan ? You speak as though he were a loathsome beast. I wonder if they have such poor opinions of us as you do them. As I see it, they have every reason to slander us, because you have the indecency to judge them at first glance. »

His hands fell freely to her waist and she jerked beneath his touch. « Don’t be a fool, Alana. You’re winsome heart will steer you wrong. » He leaned close enough until his breath fanned her forehead. « He will skewer you the moment he is able. »

« Please leave, Rowan. You are wasting my time. »

For a moment he hesitated and then slowly he stepped away, his hands falling to his side. « If you have need of me-«  he started, glancing harshly in the corner, « -I shan’t be far. »