High The Vanes (The Change Book 2) by David Kearns Read Free Book Online Page A

she had fallen. They had not seen us.”

    “What about our blankets? We left them there, remember?”

    “They were far from the place where she lay. I pushed them under the hedge. They would need to search for them. Why would they do that? They did not know we had been there. If the woman lives, she will no doubt tell them of you. If she is dead, we may still be safe.”

    “What a terrible thought. To hope that someone is dead so that we may be safe. And if she is, I killed her.”

    “She is a crwydren , my lady. She must expect to die. If she died in some conflict it would be a great honour.”

    “Some conflict? What conflict? She didn’t stand a chance. She only saw me for a few seconds. I shall never forget the look in her eyes before she lost consciousness. It was a look that said, ‘Why?’. You cannot call that a conflict.”

    “Warriors die in battle, my lady. Some die slowly, an agonisingly long, painful death. Others die swiftly, struck by the first blow. It was your first blow that killed this one. That is conflict enough.”

    I closed my eyes. The young woman’s eyes stared at me wherever I turned my head.

    “They have not followed us, my lady. We have run far and I do not hear them in any direction. We must give thanks to the Lady that we are safe. Now we must discover a path that will lead us to our destination. I think it may not be too far. Yesterday the sun went down in the same direction. Perhaps we were running the right way. ‘ In all your ways acknowledge her, and she will make your paths straight.’ The Lady will guide us.”

    I sighed. Always, Eluned had this unfailing trust in the Lady. I envied her such trust. I had killed someone. A young woman, much the same age as me, simply doing what she was asked. Going about her task. A task that was so simple – collect some wood to make a fire. Yet now she was dead. A single blow from my arm and her task was over, before she had a chance to complete it. What right did I have to think that I could complete my task? Whatever it might be.

    Eluned had picked up her bag and was slowly heading for an opening in the hedge on the other side of the field. With still aching legs, I followed her.

Chapter 14

    Keeping the sun, slowly sinking in the sky, to our right, we crossed two more fields and then came upon a path. Long overgrown by the wild hedges, it was just wide enough for us to walk along, much more easily than the struggle through the fields. We picked up a little speed. My leg muscles still ached, but at least they seemed stronger now there was nothing to restrict them. Eluned took the lead again. I did not argue with this, as she was convinced that the Lady was guiding us – or at least, she was guiding her.

    Before long, the hedge on either side thinned, before eventually disappearing altogether. The path, now clear, was wide and, we noticed for the first time, paved. Just like the old Roman road we had previously followed.

    “This is not …?” I said.

    “No, my lady. It is not the same road. You need not fear.”

    For one brief moment I thought we had somehow run in a circle and had returned to the road we left two days previously.

    “How do you know, Eluned?”

    “See, my lady.” She was pointing ahead. “See, this was once a village. There is no village on the other road. We passed our destination by running so far. Now we approach it from the other direction. The Lady has indeed protected us.”

    “What road is this, then? Another Roman road?”

    “Yes, my lady. Continue on this road in the direction from which we came and, after many days walking, you would arrive at the place your people call Deva Caster. A very large city. As you saw, no one travels this road today. That is why it has become so overgrown.” She turned her head away from me as she muttered the last words. “One day you will have to take it.”

    “What was that?”

    She shook her head. “The other side of this village we will find our