Free Dark Under the Cover of Night (The Kingdom of the East Angles Book 1) by Jayne Castel

serious for
tears. She could not remain here – it was time to take action.
    Raedwyn
finished dressing and stood silently in the center of her bower, listening to
the sounds within the hall.
    They were
roasting another side of mutton above Ceolwulf’s fire pit. The smell was
mouthwatering, reminding Raedwyn that no one had brought her food that evening,
and she doubted anyone would. The fat from the mutton had dripped into the fire
pit and created a greasy smoke that hung over the entire building, including
Raedwyn’s annex.
    The smoke
had given Raedwyn her idea.
    Unlike
Rendlaesham, Ceolwulf had built his settlement hastily. As such, the buildings
were flimsier than those Raedwyn was familiar with. The walls of Ceolwulf’s
hall were made of thatched bundles of willow twigs, rather than more durable timber
planks.
    Raedwyn
opened her leather bag and retrieved a small clay pot. She pulled out the
wooden plug, revealing a solid white substance beneath – pig’s lard. Her mother
swore by lard as a beauty aid. For years, Seaxwyn had smeared it on her face
before going to bed, much to Raedwald’s disgust. She had insisted Raedwyn took
some with her – but Raedwyn did not intend to use it on her face.
    Raedwyn
scooped out a chunk of lard and smeared it on the wall, at a place where two
bundles of long twigs were bound together. She emptied her pot of the remaining
lard and wiped her hands on an undershirt that she had twisted into a makeshift
rope. Raedwyn held the end of the greasy rope into the flame of the torch
chained to the wall. Then, she waited until the end caught alight. The flames
licked hungrily at the grease and Raedwyn deftly tucked the shirt into the
crack between the bundles of twigs.
    Then she
stood back and watched.
    The lard
worked better than she had imagined. In a short time, smoke filled her small
bower and she had to cover her mouth with her cloak to prevent herself from
coughing. Soon Ceolwulf and his cohorts would notice the smoke, but for now,
the smoke from their roast mutton would camouflage it. The flames spread over
the area Raedwyn had spread with lard and soon ignited the dry twig bundles.
    Raedwyn
waited until the flames had almost burned right through the wall. Then she
picked up one of the heavy furs she had slept on. Draping it against the
burning wall, she shoved her hand through it at the burning wood until she felt
the wall give. Raedwyn smothered the flames with the fur, her eyes streaming
from the smoke as she worked. She was relieved to see that her idea had worked
perfectly – for now there was a smoking gap in the wall and the evening air
filtered into her bower. It was not a large hole but with a bit of a squeeze
Raedwyn was sure she would be able to wedge herself through it.
    Quickly
now, for Raedwyn knew if she hesitated someone would catch her, she poked her
head through the hole and glanced from side to side. Fortune was indeed with
her for she spied no one guarding this wall of Ceolwulf’s hall. Another, lower
dwelling sat a few feet away, obscuring Raedwyn from the rest of the
settlement. Taking her chance, Raedwyn pulled herself through the narrow gap.
It was a tight fit and Raedwyn was afraid the still smoldering wood would cause
her clothes to catch alight, but after a few moments of struggle, Raedwyn
toppled, face-first onto the dew-laden grass.
    Night had
almost fallen; the sky was a dark indigo against the black silhouette of the
treetops. Raedwyn was glad of the darkness as she crouched in the deep shadow
between the buildings and pondered her next move.
    She had
not thought any further ahead than breaking free of her bower, but now that she
was outside, Raedwyn’s heart raced. Freedom was so close she could taste it. If
they caught her now, Ceolwulf would murder her.
    Creeping
to the back of Ceolwulf’s hall, Raedwyn peeked out, judging the distance to the
edge of the woods. There were a few huts with thatched roofs between her and
the dark line of trees. She