Brachet knew she owed her life to Rue. She thought she should thank him. But an itchy little, unhappy feeling nagged her, every second of the day. She had not avenged her father. It was driving her crazy. But with a sigh, she figured there was nothing for her to do. Unless Lothe came looking for her, he had proved that she could not kill him. His bandits would kill her first.
"Rue," Brachet said, looking over at the golden-haired person riding his dark Tirell, "I never--" she stopped.
"What?" asked Rue, reaching into his saddlebag for a snack.
Brachet changed her mind and looked ahead, sitting straight and tall. "Nothing."
I can tell him later...
"What is it?" asked Rue, and she pointed ahead.
There lay a large lake that completely obstructed the path. It was all iced over, and looked fairly solid, but Rue wasn't sure that it would be safe with two riders and two paards attempting to cross it.
"Can't we go around?" he suggested, but Brachet shook her head.
"We'd lose at least an hour going around, and I want to be there before nightfall." She urged Mathe forward, and the golden mare complied dutifully. Rue followed behind, but as Brachet started out across the lake, he hung back. Brachet noticed and turned around with a grin.
"C'mon, R--" but as she started to say his name, Mathe hit a soft spot in the ice. With a soul-shattering scream, rider and paard disappeared beneath the ice. In a minute they were back up, gasping for air. Mathe managed to plow her way out but Brachet, although she was a good swimmer, became trapped by the ice.
"Brachet!" Rue yelled, looking around for something to help. Mathe's saddle bags had been lost in the water, but Rue remembered that the blanket had been put into his bags. He pulled it out and knotted it quickly into a rope, throwing it out to where Brachet was. It landed just a few feet away.
"Brachet, swim!" he commanded, "Swim to the rope!" Brachet started to swim to it, floundering once or twice but eventually making it and grabbing it firmly. Rue pulled once, twice, and Brachet slid onto the ice. Rue backed up, pulling her to him. He stopped when she had reached the edge of the lake, and ran to her, pulling off his coat and wrapping it around her. Her lips were blue and her face was a ghostly white.
"Rue," she mumbled, her teeth chattering.
"Shh," he said, undoing the 'rope' and using it to dry her hair.
"Do you have extra clothes?" he asked, looking around to see if maybe her saddle bags had washed onto the ice. They hadn't. Brachet shook her head.
"Well, I have a longer coat you can borrow; I'll start a fire to dry your clothes." Brachet smiled up at him and went behind a bush with the longer coat. She came out, wearing it, and handed the wet clothes to him. Rue laughed.
"That is very stylish, m'lady." Brachet laughed too. But she was disappointed. Her foolishness had cost them the light they would need to get back to her home (and how she ached for the familiar Cathair's beautiful Central Plaza, and her friends, and even her family!).
Rue saw her problems written across her face, and he frowned. Sitting down beside her, he wrapped his arms around her and gently turned her face to his.
"Darling, whatever happens, I promise to get you home tomorrow. And when we get there, I'll give you what you want most in the world."
Brachet smiled at Rue'mynn.
"Truly?" He nodded. "I want most in the world to be a Protector, like my father. That way I will not have failed him..." Rue waved his hand grandly.
"Your wish is my command, m'lady." Brachet sighed and leaned against his shoulder. Rue took her in his arms moved his face toward hers, his eyes flickering across her face and finally resting on her own eyes, connecting. He kissed her.
Brachet closed her eyes and kissed him back. The lay down, side by side, arms around each other, and enjoyed kiss after sweet sugar kiss, and Brachet could hear the stars singing.
"Radiant," Rue breathed.
Now will you tell him?
Later.
See what happens Next?