Erin (book 1 of Erin Series)

twenty-three

It is about midday, and we are still at the cabin. I have asked multiple times to leave, but every time Rune has said no. He doesn't feel I am well enough to travel yet. It frustrates me. I don't like sitting inside a building all day long. I have been laying in the bed for a couple hours now, and I can't stand it any longer. I stand up, and change back into my clothes, which are dry now. I slip my boots on and walk out of the room. Rune is asleep in a chair next to the fire place and the woman is sitting in a chair working on making a blanket. She looks up at me.
"You look much better, darling." She smiles at me.
I force a half smile back at her out of politeness. "I feel much better."
She looks at my clothes. "I would not say you're well enough to leave just yet."
"I'm not leaving. I just wanted some fresh air."
She stands up and walks into the kitchen. "Not with out having something to eat first."
Reluctantly I walk to the table and sit down. She sets down a cup of stew in front of me, with some bread, and a chunk of cooked meat. My stomach growls at the aroma, and my mouth waters. I haven't eaten since yesterday, I take a bite of the bread, then a spoonful if the soup. It tastes wonderful. I finish the soup, and start eating the meat. I haven't had anything this good in months. I finish the meat and the bread. The woman had given me a glass of water and I drink it all.
"My, you were hungry." The woman stands there chuckling at me.
I feel so much better having the food in my system. "Thank you. It was delicious."
She nods her head and walks back to her seat.
I grab my fur cloak and wrap it around me, and step outside. It is still cloudy, but the clouds are now white, and it's not windy anymore, or snowing. It's still obvious there was a snow storm last night. I breath in the cold air into my lungs, and end up coughing from it. I sigh and walk off the porch, and through the snow. I walk for several moments in silence, looking around. We are high on the moutain, as I look over below. There is still a ways to go to get around to the other side.
"You like him."
I turn around to see Dakota a few feet away from me. I don't say anything.
"Are you sure you want to continue to travel with him? It's obvious that you are developing feelings. I can feel-"
"It's just lust." I interrupt her.
She tilts her head to the side and sits down.
"I only lust toward him. There are no feelings. I have realized what I am feeling is lust, and that's why I am so confused by it." I say.
She looks off to the side, a breeze blowing through her white fur. "That's not true. You would die for him, wouldn't you?"
I turn away from her back at the land below. "I would die for anyone. That's how my captain raised me."
"Be careful, Erin. Something tells me it's not right."
I turn back to her.
"There's danger in falling for him."
I look at her for a moment before I hear someone call my name. I turn around and see Rune running after me. "Erin! What are you doing out here?"
I turn back to look at Dakota, but she is gone. I look at Rune once more. "I needed fresh air." I say.
He puts a hand behind my back and leads me back into the cabin. "It's too cold for you out here."
I roll my eyes, but go back inside with him.

I rest for the next two days, and on the third day, when my fever is gone and the coughing has stopped for the most part, we get our horses ready for traveling once more. The woman sends us with more than enough bread and meat.
She bids us farewell, and we thank her for everything, and give her silver pieces.
I mount my horse and Rune mounts his leading us back on the path that will go around the moutain. After several minutes of traveling on the path, Dakota catches back up with us. She startles my horse, and I have to calm him down. Rune looks back at me with a glare.
I don't say anything, I just look toward Dakota. Watch it.
Her ears bend back in an apology. I understand that she doesn't mean to scare them, she is a wolf after all, but I am trying to gain his trust toward her.
As we travel I take in all the fresh air, coughing every now and again. Each time with Rune looking back at me to make sure I'm alright. I just give him a "I'm fine" look. He reluctantly turns back to the path. By high noon we stop for a few moments to get something to eat.
"We can't rest long, I want to get around the moutain before nightfall, and out of the snow." Rune says through chewing his food.
I nod as I chew my food. Dakota ran off to hunt down some food of her own, though I find it would be hard, cause there seems to be little to no wild life out here. After a few minutes, Rune finishes up and starts to mount his horse.
"You better call your dog, if you want her to follow us." He says.
The way he words it angers me and I just glare at him. He holds my glare for a moment but I don't look away, finally he breaks the tension and looks away and mounts his horse. I mount mine and we head out again. I call for Dakota and with in minutes she shows up, licking blood off her lips. Rune grimaces at her and looks back at the path.
We continue with little talk again, it's rather difficult to talk to him. Hours have passed, and Dakota hasn't said much to me either. Then again when they do try to talk I give short responses.
"We are on the other side of the moutain, our traveling should be down hill short-" Rune starts to speak but stops when he sees Dakota is growling.
I turn to her, she isn't growling at him to my surprise, but at the tree line not far ahead of us. He dismounts and so do I, keeping a hand on the hilt of my sword. He walks toward the treeline, and I follow, looking around. I see a slight movement in between the trees, and for a second I thought I see an arrow head, when it disappears I yell at Rune and quickly tackle him down hearing an arrow wiz past out heads. Dakota runs toward the treeline.
"No!" I shout, and she stops dead in her tracks. A few men run out of the trees at us and Rune and I quickly stand up, preparing ourselves to fight. I eye a man with a broad sword, and take mine out, running at him. Our swords come together with a metal sound ringing through the moutain. He growls at me, and I bring my sword back to swing at him again. He blocks it, pushing me back a couple feet. I hear Dakota has already started tearing away at someone. He cries in pain but I keep my focus on the man in front of me. We swing our swords at each other, dancing out way through the snow. My cloak is heavy, and it's causing my movements to be a but slower. He almost nicks my arm, but I step out of the way, spin and swing my sword at him once more, but this time at his hand to surprise him. He drops his sword and yells in pain, focusing on his bleeding hand. I use this to my advantage and peirce my sword through his stomach, and focus on another man. There are now four more men than there were before, making the three of us against six men. Rune took down one as well, but they are gaining on us, surrounding us. I run to the other man, he holds an ax instead of a sword. What kind of fighters are these?
I block his blow with my arm, pressing it against the wood, spinning around and swinging my sword down low. He blocks it with the handle of his ax, upside down, flips it and swings it at me again. I duck, kick my leg out and quickly bring it under his feet. He falls down on his face, and I kick him in the ribs knocking him over. He holds his side in pain, and I hold the sword to his neck lifting his chin with the tip. I am about cut his neck when I hear Rune speak.
"Erin!" I turn to him and he's being held down on his knees by two men. I draw my sword back, gritting my teeth. How? How did they get him?