Free Cry of Sorrow by Holly Taylor Page B

quietly. “Be ready.”
    A CHREN TOSSED RESTLESSLY on her pallet. It was no use. She absolutely could not sleep. Rising, she put on her tunic and trousers by the light of the fire in the brazier, now burned down to glowing embers, for it was very late.
    Shaking her long hair out of her face, she lifted the curtain to her sleeping chamber and stepped out into the cavern. It seemed that everyone else was able to sleep. Carefully, she picked her way around the sleeping pallets spread throughout the cave. She needed to walk, to think, so she made her way to the south exit, which led to the beach. Silently, she glided through the tunnels, thinking hard.
    Rhoram’s behavior this afternoon had been, to put it mildly, peculiar. Such an odd choice, to send Dafydd Penfro on a raiding party. And dinner tonight had been very strange, with so many undercurrents. When Efa had asked where Gwen and Geriant were, Rhoram hadn’t even bothered to answer her. He had pretended not to hear, and concentrated on talking with his daughter Sanon. And Sanon had not asked one single question about Geriant’s or Gwen’s whereabouts. Aidan had flirted with Lluched, as he always did, yet his eyes had flickered constantly to Efa. And Efa, her dark red hair elaborately braided, her slender arms hanging with bracelets, her rich gown of amber shimmering in the torchlight, scrutinized Aidan with her large, beautiful brown eyes as covertly as she could. Rhoram had not seemed to notice. And that was odd, for Rhoram noticed everything.
    As she neared the end of the last tunnel, she suddenly realized that something was wrong. The torches nearest the last exit were out, as they should be, for there must be no betraying lights to mark the exit. But just at the very end of the tunnel, she saw the glow of a torch, and heard the murmur of voices. Quietly she crept up to the last fissure. She recognized the voices instantly. Pure rage shot through her as she listened.
    “All is ready for me, then?” Efa asked, her rich voice low and seductive.
    “Ready, indeed, my Queen,” Aidan replied smoothly.
    “I do hope you picked good horses. I must be in Arberth within the week. And you have even farther to travel.”
    “Tegyr’s band is only two days away. It won’t take me long to persuade them to accompany me to Arberth.”
    “And then,
cariad
, we can be together. If, of course, you can truly tear yourself away from Lluched,” Efa said sharply.
    “As I explained to you before, Efa, Lluched is nothing to me. She is only a tool to further our schemes, and throw Rhoram off the scent.”
    “You play your part a little too well.”
    “Ah, Efa, there is no woman for me but you. Haven’t I told you that often enough?”
    “Told me, but never shown me.”
    “It is too dangerous here. You know that. But when we are together in Arberth, things will be different. You are sure that Rhoram suspects nothing?”
    “Nothing at all. He truly thinks I am going to Maen to buy things I can’t live without. And that you are going with me, to protect me.”
    So that was it. Achren had heard enough, and it shocked her to the core. Not that she was surprised Efa was running away to Arberth, deserting her husband and throwing in her lot with her traitorous brother. But that Aidan, her own Lieutenant, would be in league with her!
    Slowly she drew her dagger—for even when walking the caves she did not go unarmed. But before she could move, a hand shot out of the darkness, covering her mouth. An arm like a band of steel encircled her waist and pinned her arms to her sides. Before she could even begin to struggle, a voice she knew well whispered into her ear.
    “Do not make a sound,” Rhoram breathed.
    All at once, she relaxed and stopped struggling, as she began to understand.
    “What was that?” Efa asked shrilly.
    “Ssh,” Aidan said. “Keep your voice down. I didn’t hear anything.”
    “I swear, I heard something.”
    “Then go. Hurry.”
    As the footsteps receded