Read Online East of Ashes by Gideon Nieuwoudt - Free Book Online
Authors: Gideon Nieuwoudt
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Leala said, ignoring the question.
Joash turned from the window and looked at her with a slight smile, enjoying how she could dig deep and bounce back with amazing strength.
"Please?" she added with the hint of a smile on her lips.
"Fine!" he huffed to help lighten the mood and sat down next to her on the bed. Leala got up, fetched a bowl of water and a small towel from the table and came back to sit next to him. She took his hands and began wiping the blood away.
Joash watched her for a few seconds. Then he closed his eyes and dropped his forehead against hers. They sat that way for a long time, soaking up each other's presence as Leala continued to softly wash his hands.
"I don't want to stay here," she said softly.
"I know," Joash replied. "I doubt there are more of them or that they'll attack the inn again, but I think it's better if we head back to Avignon."
She pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes.
"Who were they?" she asked.
Joash shook his head. "No idea. But I'm guessing Gaal had something to do with it. They didn't look like bandits - and besides, it's not how they work. Bandits like to ambush people, not brazenly attack an inn."
When she didn't reply, he repeated: "We can't stay here."
"What about Sarah and Armand? Will they be safe?" Leala asked.
"By now Gaal would have despatched a rider to the nearest garrison, so this place will be crawling with soldiers by daybreak," he answered.
"Then wouldn't we be safer here too?"
"I'm not particularly looking forward to being questioned by soldiers," he continued. "Somehow I doubt saving Gaal's life will make him forget our disagreement of yesterday. Something tells me I'm going to be accused of being an accomplice."
"Then we must leave before daybreak," Leala agreed as she quickly dried his hands with sudden urgency.
"Good. Let's get our things together and then grab a few hours of sleep before dawn."
When they had finished packing, Joash turned to Leala: "Let's go and see if Sarah and Armand are still up before we turn in."
"Good idea. We could ask them to keep an eye out for Lamech and tell him where we went if he hasn't returned by the time we le ave ," Leala said.
Joash frowned in slight irritation at Lamech's name but was careful not to show it. No point in going down that road , he thought to himself and blocked out his irritation.
"Yes, he'll be able to catch up quickly, so we can head off without him," he replied, unaware that Leala had spotted his shoulders clenching up slightly when she mentioned Lamech.
Men could be so strong at times and so seemingly insecure at others , she thought, but then decided to leave it. Everyone's nerves had been frayed due to the attack, so why would Joash be different?
They got up and walked to the door. Peering out, Joash motioned her to follow him down the corridor to the stairs.
As they entered the common room, they found Sarah and Armand sitting across from each other at a table. A couple of metres away the bodies of their attackers still lay in pools of blood. Armand had evidently thought they could wait, turning to comfort Sarah instead.
Armand stood up when he spotted the two coming down the stairs. He walked over to Joash and shook his hand gratefully. Sarah jumped up and ran over to Leala. They embraced each other, holding on tightly.
"Thank you Joash," Armand said. "If it wasn't for you and Lamech, it would be our bodies lying on the ground."
"Don't mention it, Armand. I'm just glad we were here," Joash smiled grimly, then looked at the dead bodies.
"I'll help you move those to the back," he added, pointing his head towards the fallen killers.
"Yes, thank you," Armand answered, and the two of them walked over to one of the bodies. Joash grabbed the man's torso while Armand picked up his legs and they shuffled out the back door, dumping the body on the ground behind the
Joash turned from the window and looked at her with a slight smile, enjoying how she could dig deep and bounce back with amazing strength.
"Please?" she added with the hint of a smile on her lips.
"Fine!" he huffed to help lighten the mood and sat down next to her on the bed. Leala got up, fetched a bowl of water and a small towel from the table and came back to sit next to him. She took his hands and began wiping the blood away.
Joash watched her for a few seconds. Then he closed his eyes and dropped his forehead against hers. They sat that way for a long time, soaking up each other's presence as Leala continued to softly wash his hands.
"I don't want to stay here," she said softly.
"I know," Joash replied. "I doubt there are more of them or that they'll attack the inn again, but I think it's better if we head back to Avignon."
She pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes.
"Who were they?" she asked.
Joash shook his head. "No idea. But I'm guessing Gaal had something to do with it. They didn't look like bandits - and besides, it's not how they work. Bandits like to ambush people, not brazenly attack an inn."
When she didn't reply, he repeated: "We can't stay here."
"What about Sarah and Armand? Will they be safe?" Leala asked.
"By now Gaal would have despatched a rider to the nearest garrison, so this place will be crawling with soldiers by daybreak," he answered.
"Then wouldn't we be safer here too?"
"I'm not particularly looking forward to being questioned by soldiers," he continued. "Somehow I doubt saving Gaal's life will make him forget our disagreement of yesterday. Something tells me I'm going to be accused of being an accomplice."
"Then we must leave before daybreak," Leala agreed as she quickly dried his hands with sudden urgency.
"Good. Let's get our things together and then grab a few hours of sleep before dawn."
When they had finished packing, Joash turned to Leala: "Let's go and see if Sarah and Armand are still up before we turn in."
"Good idea. We could ask them to keep an eye out for Lamech and tell him where we went if he hasn't returned by the time we le ave ," Leala said.
Joash frowned in slight irritation at Lamech's name but was careful not to show it. No point in going down that road , he thought to himself and blocked out his irritation.
"Yes, he'll be able to catch up quickly, so we can head off without him," he replied, unaware that Leala had spotted his shoulders clenching up slightly when she mentioned Lamech.
Men could be so strong at times and so seemingly insecure at others , she thought, but then decided to leave it. Everyone's nerves had been frayed due to the attack, so why would Joash be different?
They got up and walked to the door. Peering out, Joash motioned her to follow him down the corridor to the stairs.
As they entered the common room, they found Sarah and Armand sitting across from each other at a table. A couple of metres away the bodies of their attackers still lay in pools of blood. Armand had evidently thought they could wait, turning to comfort Sarah instead.
Armand stood up when he spotted the two coming down the stairs. He walked over to Joash and shook his hand gratefully. Sarah jumped up and ran over to Leala. They embraced each other, holding on tightly.
"Thank you Joash," Armand said. "If it wasn't for you and Lamech, it would be our bodies lying on the ground."
"Don't mention it, Armand. I'm just glad we were here," Joash smiled grimly, then looked at the dead bodies.
"I'll help you move those to the back," he added, pointing his head towards the fallen killers.
"Yes, thank you," Armand answered, and the two of them walked over to one of the bodies. Joash grabbed the man's torso while Armand picked up his legs and they shuffled out the back door, dumping the body on the ground behind the
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