Free My Lady Mage: A Warriors of the Mist Novel by Alexis Morgan Page B

and left the keep. One of his men, Olaf, had checked my bed during the night and reported me missing.”
    Murdoch joined the conversation. “Your uncle sent one of his men unchaperoned into your bedchamber?”
    Merewen blushed as she stared down at her lap. “Yes, and it wasn’t the first time. I’ve only ever left the keep during the night once before. He’d turned out one of myservants, and I was trying to bring him enough food and coin to find a new home.”
    Gideon hated the remembered pain in her expression as she continued speaking. “I don’t know what my uncle suspects me of doing now or how often he has someone check. When Olaf saw that my bed was empty, my uncle immediately unleashed the dogs to hunt me down.”
    Gideon’s temper was fraying around the edges. “What happened after you returned?”
    His question brought out a small smile on her face as she quickly described her confrontation with her uncle.
    Once again she was rubbing her arm. “Although I did not witness it, I heard that Uncle Fagan beat Olaf badly in weapons practice. Certainly, the man was moving slowly when I last saw him. I would be glad of that, except Olaf already hates me. This will likely only make matters worse.”
    Kane, always the first to seek battle, drew his sword and snarled, “I say we ride in and kill both Olaf and her uncle and end this.”
    Gideon shared the sentiment, but there was too much they didn’t know. If all the trouble could be solved with a simple stroke of a sword, the gods would not have responded to Merewen’s plea, no matter how heartfelt or justified. Past history had taught him that the Damned were called to do battle under only the most dire of situations.
    He placed his hand on Kane’s sword arm. “Not yet.”
    Merewen was now staring at both of them with that same fearful look she’d worn at their first meeting when he and the others were fresh from the river. Clearly she was wondering what horrors she’d unleashed on the world. It was too late to turn back the tide of events that were now in motion.
    Her fear scented the very air, leaving a bitter taste upon his tongue. In the past, he had cared little or not atall what the people he had to champion thought of him and his men. For whatever reason, Merewen’s opinion mattered.
    “Why not, Captain? It’s a simple-enough matter,” Kane continued, crowding closer to Gideon. “But wait. You also chose to hide from her uncle and his men in the woods. Why? Has the river washed away your courage?”
    Gideon snarled back. “Would the gods have answered her call if it were that simple? Think beyond your taste for killing.”
    The warrior’s expression turned to stone. “Killing is what I was bred for. If you no longer have the stomach for bloodshed, then stand back and let me do what we were sent here to do.”
    Gideon drew his own sword with one hand and shoved Kane back a step with the other. “Do you wish to challenge me? Is that truly what you want?”
    The air around them shimmered with a cold energy as if lightning were about to strike. The image was all too appropriate if the gods took offense at their actions.
    Murdoch pushed his way into the discussion, planting his considerable bulk firmly between them. Rarely did the big man let his temper show, but right now he was furious.
    “Stand down, both of you. Now.” He glared first at Kane and then back over his shoulder at Gideon himself. “Not only do you risk offending the gods with your actions; you are frightening Lady Merewen.”
    Gideon’s anger drained away slowly, and he kept his eyes locked on Kane’s until the other man blinked and lowered his weapon. Fine. They’d reestablished the order of things. That left Lady Merewen to make peace with. Gideon sheathed his weapon, but when he moved to walk around Murdoch, his friend sidestepped to block him.
    Gideon arched an eyebrow and stared into the other man’s eyes. “You have something to say?”
    “No, but if you scare her