Lilah by Gemma Liviero Read Free Book Online

dreaded
sleeping on the side of the track without any form of shelter, at the mercy of
bears and wolves. While I bent to collect some fallen branches and ferns to
cover me during sleep, I felt a movement in the wind and a slight tremor
through my body.
    ‘Who’s there?’
    The forest bordering the pathway was dense.
Large leafy conifers stretched indefinitely shading dark moist earth. A low
mist wound its way around tall tree trunks forming floating pathways into the
forest blackness.
    No-one appeared from the dark recesses but
I was convinced I was not alone. I’d had such feelings of ‘knowing’ many times
before. There were strange occurrences like guessing what people were going to
say before they said it, or hearing a conversation by people I did not know.
    I waited a moment before I called out again.
    ‘Stop following me!’ I called to the wind only
to be startled when I heard a faint crunching of dried grasses ; of light-footed steps.
    He stepped out from the shadows and into the
fading light. I did not recognise his face yet there was a feeling that we had
met and his voice sounded familiar. He was tall, with curling brown hair and
dark blue eyes ; older than me yet the skin on his face
had the same creamy texture as that of a newborn.
    ‘Such brave words for a young girl all alone.’
    There was no malice in his voice but it
concerned me that he should suddenly appear this far from town carrying only an
expensive-looking cane. He was too finely dressed for travel, his high boots
shining and without sign of wear.
    I waited nervously for him to approach, aware
that I might have to run for my life should there be others hiding in the trees
waiting to steal what little food I had. I had heard the stories of gypsies who
stole everything from lonely travellers leaving nothing, not even
undergarments.
    ‘I’m not going to rob you. You are quite safe,’
he said with a strange northern accent, ending his sentences high and
musically.
    ‘What do you want? I must tell you that I am a
cousin of the Köszegi family.’
    He laughed softly into his chest. ‘Well then, I
guess I have to bow and beg your forgiveness for taking up such valuable time
of a noblewoman.’
    He was humouring me and from the tone of his
response I gathered he was somewhat harmless. He did at least recognise the
name. ‘You have been trailing me for some time.’
    ‘Hardly surprising since there is only one road
between towns.’
    ‘You came from the forest.’
    I just stopped for a break.’ He smiled then,
and I blushed thinking that he had probably just relieved himself.
    ‘You seem familiar. Do you live near the
monastery?’ I asked.
    ‘Yes. I saw you leave there.’
    ‘Is there something you want from me?’
    He laughed loudly this time. ‘What a bold girl
you are. I want nothing from you. I have some business to attend to out this
way. That is all.’
    I stood awkwardly shifting from one foot to the
other wondering if I should turn to leave. It was one of those habits acquired
when you were younger: always waiting for the adult to give you leave.
    ‘Are you going to Arpok?’
    ‘Yes,’ I said.
    ‘Do you mind if we travel together?’
    I looked back towards the darkening forest,
wondering what others might be lurking there.
    He followed my gaze. ‘There is no-one else with
me.’
    ‘I was planning to rest here a while.’
    ‘Unwise,’ he said. ‘It is far too exposed to beasts
that are more nocturnally active, not to mention unsavoury types who travel
this way under the cloak of darkness.’
    He saw my hesitation; he had yet to convince me
he was not one as he described.
    ‘If it bothers you I will walk on ahead so that
you can see I am no threat.’
    I was left without choice, nodding my agreement
and awaiting his commencement to walk in front of me. I was curious as to how
he was travelling so far without a satchel of food and wondered of his origins;
imagining him to be a baron with plenty of coin hidden in his pockets;