Free Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 1) by Nanette Kinslow Page A

wonder if perhaps she and Mark should leave the cabin and set out to find someone to care for the boy and possibly some kind of employment for herself, although she knew she possessed few marketable skills.
          “Mark,” she ventured one day. “I’m worried about your father. We really need to consider leaving. How would you know if something happened to him? I can’t just live here forever.”
          “We could ride back to the main house I suppose,” he responded to her suggestion. “I did it once before when he was gone for a while. He wasn’t too happy though.” Mark hadn’t forgotten his promise to always behave. He didn’t want to leave without his father knowing and he himself had begun to have concerns over explaining the woman. He did not want to admit to Rebecca that he had been worried now for quite some time about his father and where to go from here. He decided to be forthright with her and admit his concerns.
          “I’m not sure what Pa’ll say about you being here. I had a friend ride up here once and he didn’t care for it much. Like I said, since Ma passed he’s been, well…, he’s sorta short sometimes. Maybe I could send you down alone you think? No one’s come looking for you and maybe you could find a way to get back home.”
          Rebecca thought the boy’s father completely unreasonable if he were unable to see that her being at the cabin was unavoidable. She was also terrified of leaving alone, and what would she do if she actually made it to anywhere? Dressed this way no one would listen to her, even if she did attempt to explain. How would she get home? She had no money and the only people who knew her were Mark… and Bedra.
          What if Bedra were to find her? Rebecca trembled at the thought. She tried to explain her reservations to the boy without sounding too fragile.
          “I could give you money!” he volunteered. “Once you get down to the bottom of the mountain you could set the horse free and she’ll come back on her own. I know a lady friend of my mother’s that might take you in and give you some regular clothes to wear!” Mark had become animated with excitement at his plan.
          Rebecca pondered, frightened over the idea, and then decided there was no alternative except to venture down on her own and try to improve the situation. She went over possible problems with the boy, even trying to get him to at least go part of the way down with her. She wished the boy wasn’t so fearful of his father and would simply come with her. She had become so concerned over the boy being alone that she promised that if she did make it down safely she would quickly inform his mother’s friend of the boy’s isolation.
          “I’m fine,” he assured her. “He’ll be back, he always is. Must’a got sidetracked is all. I’ll be just fine.”
     
          Mark hung an unusual hand beaded bag from the saddle horn on the morning she decided to leave.
          “There’s some money for you.”
          Rebecca pulled the cap far down on her head, fearing that she’d run into Bedra, and hoping if she did she would not be recognized.
          “You’ll be fine,” the boy assured her. “My Ma used to ride that horse everywhere, if she could do it you can, too! I’ll look for you when Pa’s back up. You remember all the directions I told you right?” he asked as he helped her onto the horse.
          “I think so.” Rebecca winced at the continuing pain in her side and fought back tears of uncertainty.
          Mark gave the horse a sharp slap and the chestnut mare started in a slow pace down the mountain, still unfamiliar with Rebecca’s tentative form in the saddle. The young woman looked back at the boy and worried he’d be alright, but his open smile put her a little more at ease and she focused on the path before her.
          Standing before the cabin, overwhelmed with emotion, Mark