Free The Breaking Dawn (The Kingdom of Mercia Book 1) by Jayne Castel Page B

at night. We shall make sure their prince never reaches
home.”
    Penda sank back into his chair, his gaze hooded.
“Very well,” he finally acquiesced. “I give you leave to do so.”
    Victory surged through Rodor, sweet and heady as strong
mead. With a nod he turned to leave.
    “Rodor.”
    “Yes, Milord,” Rodor swiveled back to face his
king. Penda’s pale gaze snared his, and held him fast.
    “There can be no mistakes. None. If you fail, none
of you must return here. You will die rather than reveal the truth – is that
clear?”
    Rodor nodded.
    “Heed me well,” Penda leaned forward in his seat,
the intensity of his gaze making Rodor draw back slightly. “If you, or any of
your men, return to me with tales of woe, I will show no mercy. Cynddylan must
die quietly, and you must do it unseen.”
     
     

Chapter Eleven
    The
Journey West
     
    Grey mist clung to the trees like porridge.
    Merwenna struggled through the undergrowth. She
cursed at the blackthorn that tore at her skirts and cloak, and at the rain
that slashed across the woodland. She had no idea if she was even going in the
right direction. Without the sun to guide her, she was traveling blind.
    She was soaked through and chilled. It had been a
long, miserable night, huddled under the trees while the tempest spent itself.
Yet, the breaking dawn had not brought any solace. The storm moved on but the
rain remained. It was hard to believe that the kingdom had been enjoying the
balmiest summer in years. All at once, autumn had arrived.
    Merwenna’s stomach growled as she walked; a
constant reminder that she had eaten little since leaving Tamworth. She carried
little money with her, for Seward had been looking after the pouch containing
their precious gold. She had used her last thrymsa to buy bread and
cheese before slipping out of the gates into the dusk, but that was nearly
gone. What little she had left needed to be rationed. She had found some
raspberries that morning and taken the edge off her hunger – yet it returned
now, sharp and demanding.
    Ignoring her empty belly, as best she could,
Merwenna pressed on. More than her hunger, it was a growing sense of panic that
bothered her. She had been so sure of her direction last night, before the
storm broke. Now, she had the chilling sensation she was traveling off-course.
    Still, she would find out soon enough – once the
mist cleared – whether she was journeying toward home.
    Eventually, the trees began to the thin, and the
going grew easier. The ground squelched underfoot as the rain continued to
fall, in a thick, heavy mist now. Time lost any meaning.
    Merwenna took a brief rest, under the sheltering
boughs of a great oak, and chewed at a piece of bread. The rain had soaked it,
making the staleness more palatable. She ate it slowly, forcing herself not to
stuff the rest into her mouth.
    She still had a long way to travel before reaching
home.
    Merwenna continued her journey west, eager to
distance herself from Tamworth. The day drew out. Gradually the mist lifted,
and the rain ceased. When the sun set in the west, Merwenna was relieved to see
that she had not traveled as far off course as she had feared. Still, she
altered her direction slightly – cutting right, across a shallow, wooded
valley.
    Warmed by the rays of the setting sun, Merwenna’s
spirits lifted for the first time all day. And when she discovered a patch of
mushrooms growing in a shadowy dell at the bottom of the valley, she almost
felt cheerful.
    The mushrooms were small and earthy, and they took
the edge off her hunger. Her clothes had started to dry out, although the damp
homespun itched against her clammy skin. She found a stream in the valley, but
it was too shallow to bathe in. She did manage to slake her thirst from it, and
wash her face.
    Night eventually settled over the softly wooded
hills of Mercia, bringing with it, a chorus of bird-calls. Merwenna would have
liked to build a fire, but there was no dry wood about to