Read Online Lass' Valor (The Pith Trilogy) by Kara Griffin - Free Book Online

wake me sooner? What do ye have there?” She
saw a furry creature clutched in her hand.
    “’Tis
a hare. I used your bow,” Bonnie explained.
    “I
cannot believe you were able to notch the arrow, the bow is almost larger than
you.” Kate laughed, disbelieving the girl’s ability. “Did anyone ever tell you
that you’re an amazing girl? Where’d ye learn to shoot an arrow?”
    “Uncle
Brendan taught me,” Bonnie said proudly.
    “You
mean the one with a heart?”
    “Aye,
don’t tell him I told you. He will be angry at me.”
    Kate
laughed. At least, the poor man’s niece thought kindly of him and she sensed no
one else did. So he didn’t want anyone to know he had a kind heart, did he? “I
won’t tell, I promise.”
    She
then noticed the fire. It was small with perhaps four logs caught with flame. “Now
I really am amazed. How old did you say you were? Are you certain it wasn’t
ten?”
    Bonnie
giggled. “Nay, I’m this many.” She held up both hands, indicating seven.
    Kate
pulled the dagger from the satchel, thinking she’d better keep it close. She
used it to skin the hare and once that was done, she placed the hare on the
fire. Hunger overrode her guilt for eating the animal.
    “Bonnie,
where does Honey live?”
    “In
the castle—”
    Kate
grabbed her shoulders, turning the girl toward her. “Who is Honey, Bonnie?”
    “Mama’s
cousin, King Henry.”
    “Oh,
Goddess above, you’re the king’s cousin? Why didn’t I realize that before?”
Kate placed her hands on her head. “What to do, what to do?”
    “Aye,
Mama, Papa, and me, were visiting. Cousin Honey was happy we came. He was
happy, I know he was. He had a festival just for us. What if they went home
without me? What if mama and papa aren’t looking for me?” Bonnie’s eyes lowered,
her lips turned and she wept.
    “They
wouldn’t do that, Bonnie. We’re a long way from London. I don’t know if we—“
    “We
were at Honey’s summer castle, that’s was what Mama said.”
    “Do
you know where the summer castle is?”
    “Nay.”
She shook her head. “Somewhere in Londontown.”
    “All
right, then. Think … think … I can’t chance taking you to Londontown, we would
have to pass right by … we’d risk being caught. Nay, I’ll have to take you to
Scotland.”
    “Yah.”
Bonnie let out a shout.
    “Shhh,
be quiet.”
    “You
can come home with me, Kate. You can meet Mama and Papa.”
    “It’s
not going to be easy. We’ll keep going north until you recognize the land. The
distance is greater and will be a longer journey and it could very well be
dangerous.”
    Bonnie
set her head on Kate’s lap. “Don’t worry so, Kate. When we get to Scotland, we
can get someone to take us home.”
    “No
wonder you’re such a cleaver girl, you’re related to the king.”
    After
eating the hare, they put out the fire, and mounted Ralph. Kate tugged on the
reins and headed in the direction she thought was north.
    “Kate,
are we on our way to the Highlands?”
    “Aye,
lovey, we are. I just hope we’re not being followed, and we make it to the
border before he catches up with us.”
    “The
mean man?”
    Kate
nodded. The night grew dark, but she needed to keep going through the night.
Not enough distance was put behind them and she became more vigilant during the
darkest part of the night. She couldn’t let her guard down, at least until they
were farther away.
    Their
second day went by uneventfully and the quiet forest and gentle breeze calmed
Kate. She only had about six hours of sleep in two days and was exhausted, but
she pushed onward. Ralph continued on, as she drifted off to sleep on his back.
Bonnie nudged her.
    “Kate,
wake up, you’re falling asleep again.”
    “We
better stop. I’m too tired to continue.”
    “Do
ye want me to build a fire again?”
    “Nay,
not tonight, something doesn’t feel right. I’ll hide Ralph.” She took him to a
closed off spot, tied his reins loosely to a bush, and then returned to