“Yes, I must go. Farewell, and thank you.” Avelina turned to leave so Magdalen would not see her cry.
“Come, make haste,” Irma said when she returned. “We have a long way to go.”
Irma’s gaze darted to the side, and she would not look at Avelina.
When they got to the bottom floor of the castle and walked outside, the cold hit Avelina in the face, along with huge flakes of snow that clung to her eyelashes and the dampness on her cheeks. The moon was nowhere in sight, obscured by the snow and clouds. Irma was ahead of her and she plunged forward into the darkness toward the stable.
Irma seemed to know just where to go. They came to three saddled horses, which Avelina did not even see until she was only a few feet from them. Irma tied her bag to the back of her saddle, and Avelina did the same. Friedrich helped Irma to mount, then Avelina. As they were covering themselves with the fur robes slung over the horses’ saddles, a howl, long and wild, came from the woods. Another howl joined it.
Avelina shivered. “Could that be wolves? They sound close.”
Irma did not answer her. She was sitting sidesaddle on a large black gelding, while Avelina was riding a brown mare, which was small and docile. Friedrich mounted his horse and the three of them set out into the cold, predawn, snow-white forest.
“Aren’t we going the wrong way?” They seemed to be headed away from the town of Thornbeck, instead of toward it.
“Friedrich knows a shortcut.”
Her head still ached from all the crying. Stupid thing, crying. It changed absolutely nothing about the circumstances, but it made your eyes burn, made your face puffy and blotchy, and gave you a headache.
She had cried most of the night. The cold feeling of moisture in her hairline and the tightness of the drying salt water on her cheeks kept her awake until a new thought or memory would start the tears afresh. Now, every step her horse took made her head pound.
She could only hope the horses didn’t lose their footing in the snow, as sections of the rocky roads were steep and narrow leading down from the castle mount. And what about the wolves? Father God, let them stay far enough away to not spook the horses.
Friedrich led them, and Irma was just in front of Avelina, as they made their way down the hill.
No one spoke. Avelina was grateful for the fur robes, as she was not sure they could survive the cold and the snow without them. She had the protection of the hood of her cloak, but how long would it be before the snow soaked through to her scalp?
Every time she thought of Lord Thornbeck or Magdalen, she felt like crying. And since she didn’t want her face turning to ice or her lashes freezing together, she forced them out of her thoughts and set her mind on her little brother and sister. But would they even be glad to see her when they found out that she was responsible for Plimmwald having no allies to help them defend themselves against Geitbart?
If only she could numb her mind so she wouldn’t think of anything at all. If only she could sleep all the way to Plimmwald so she couldn’t think. Or perhaps she could stop in Thornbeck, find work and a place to sleep, and never go back to Plimmwald. But that was impossible. She could not abandon her family.
They had made it down the castle mount and were on the narrow forest road that led to the walled town of Thornbeck. Dawn was beginning to spread a pale light over the snow-covered world around them. The whiteness made the ground brighter than the sky, and there was a special hush that came only with snow. Somehow it did create just that numbness she was longing for, at least for the moment.
After they had been riding for quite some time, Irma broke the silence. “I am sorry for what I am about to do, Avelina. I made an agreement with Friedrich and Lady Fronicka.”
The back of Avelina’s neck prickled. “What?”
“Friedrich works for Lady Fronicka’s father. I can go and be with Friedrich in Geitbart if I do this one thing for Lady Fronicka.” Irma still had not looked at her.
“What? Do what for Lady Fronicka? Irma?”
Irma waited for Avelina to catch up to her. When their horses were side by side on the road, Irma reached out and snatched Avelina’s fur robe off. Then she lifted her leg and kicked Avelina in her side.
Avelina tried to hang on to the reins, but her legs slipped right off the saddle. She hit the ground almost before she knew what was happening.
Irma grabbed Avelina’s horse’s reins, slapped the horse’s rump, and galloped away with Friedrich down the road.
Avelina jumped up off the snow-covered ground. “Irma!” How could she do this? How?