Free Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy) by Aoife Marie Sheridan Page B

Morrick knows I am here. “How did the king find
    out I was here?” I ask in a whisper.
    “I don’t know, my lady.” I don’t get to ask any more. He
    lifts me effortlessly. Then he looks down at me in his arms.
    “We must be quiet, but darkness has fallen so we should pass
    unseen.” I just nod my head. He carries me up the stone steps
    and pauses at the door, listening. “What about the queen’s
    guardians?” I ask, feeling afraid now that I might be saved. The
    fight to survive comes surging back.
    He gives me a small smile; the corner of his lip turns up
    slightly. “I have them kept busy with a fire in the stables.” All l
    can say to this is, “Oh”.
    Listening at the door, he moves when he thinks it is safe.
    He carries me through the village. I can see the red glow in the
    night sky from the fire. We keep to the shadows in the village,
    moving slowly. It feels at times like we are waiting forever
    while villagers get water from the well and run towards the
    stables. I can hear the panic of the horses. I hope they all get
    out unharmed.
    As if he can read my mind, Tristan answers my unspoken
    question. “Don’t worry. The horses are safe. They are just
    playing up, creating a lot of noise.”
    As we move through the village and onto the outskirts, I black
    out a few times with exhaustion. Soon I can feel the movement
    of a horse underneath us. I didn’t even remember saddling a
    horse. Tristan must have saddled one while I was out. I try to
    open my eyes, but they are too heavy to open. After a while, the
    horse slows down.
     
    When I open my eyes again, we are at the Amour Caves. We
    enter the mouth of the cave, Tristan still carrying me. Five men
    could stand on each other’s shoulders it is that high, though it
    reduces in size to about nine feet the farther in you go, so it is
    comfortable at all times to stand in. The torches are lit along
    the cave walls.
    Tristan walks down the hall of the cave until it branches off
    to the left. I know the room he is taking me to. It is the room
    where Morrick and I used to meet in secret. Now it feels such a
    long time ago.
     
    We enter the large room. Flames from the small fire dance
    along the walls. Tristan moves straight across the room and
    places me on the ground gently as he pushes the correct stones in
    to reveal the hidden door. When a breeze flutters into the room,
    his arms are around me again. We make our way down a cold
    tunnel. It is lit up with torches placed every few feet. The tunnel
    opens up into the main room, which is finished luxuriously. A
    large fire burns in the centre of the room; smoke billows out
    through a pipe that has been drilled through the ceiling. The
    flooring is bare, but the furnishings of large armchairs are
    placed all around the room. The walls are covered in large
    paintings of royals and draped with beautiful red material that
    makes the room feel warm.
    Tristan lays me beside the fire on a large couch covered in
    sheepskin. I search the room for Morrick and my stomach
    tightens when my eyes fall upon his face. He is sitting in a large
    armchair in the corner of the room, still as handsome as the
    first day I set eyes on him. He looks at Tristan and beckons him
    just outside the room entrance. They talk in hushed voices. The
    longer they are gone, the more nervous I feel. I don’t know what
    to say to Morrick. I never truly believed I would see him again.
    As I wait, my eyes become heavier and I finally fall asleep.
     
    When I wake, Morrick is dishing out a bowl of soup from a
    large pot set over the fire. My movements alert him.
    “How do you feel?” he asks while topping off the bowl. Just
    hearing his voice makes me want to cry, but I have to be strong.
    I push back the layers of blankets that are on top of me.
    “Sore.” I start coughing and it feels like I have not used my
    throat in a long time. It is dry, as if my mouth has been filled
    with sand. Morrick comes to me with water and lifts my head
    while