The Sapphire Broach

Chapter 26 (rough draft)

Ivy ran, but she was far too slow. The three soldiers lunged at her. One caught her dress, another grabbed a fist-full of her hair. She screamed and tried to pull away. She felt some of her hairs rip away from her head and heard her dress tear, but the three soldiers easily overpowered her.

"Let go of me!" she screamed and kicked. She couldn't have escaped from one of them, let alone three.

"Oh, I think not." One of them walked in front of her while the others held her. He took hold of her chin and glared at her. "You look very much like the woman we have been asked to watch for."

She had been so careful to stay off the road and away from soldiers for over a week. Why had she let herself walk right into their hands?

She struggled against the men again and spit at the soldier that held her face. He slapped her and sent little lights popping before her eyes, then he took hold of her hands and bound them together and tied a gag around her mouth.

A soldier dragged her to the horses that she hadn't noticed before and threw her onto one. He climbed up behind her, grabbed her roughly around the middle, and dug his heels into the sides of his horse.

They rode until the darkness forced them to stop. The man carried her from the horse and tied her to a tree. Then he built a roaring fire. The soldiers set out their bedding and cooked a hearty meal. They ate in front of her, but offered her nothing, then they curled up in their bedding and went to sleep.

The moment Ivy thought they were asleep, she squirmed her arms around and tried to reach her broach. It had freed her from bonds once before with Kenric—she cringed at his memory. Perhaps she could make it work again. She finally got her hands down to her skirt, but she couldn't find the pocket with the broach.

"No, no!" she whispered through the gag while she tried in vain to locate the pocket. Finally her tied hands grasped a ripped piece of cloth. No! The pocket must have torn when the soldiers grabbed her! She squirmed and writhed until her wrists were raw. She had to get the broach back!

How could she prove who she was without the broach? No one would believe her! Except of course Rymond who would then immediately kill her.

She banged her head against the tree trunk. This could not have happened, not when she had gotten this close! Oh, how she wished Kenric was still with her.

***

Kenric awoke to the sound of little voices. He looked up and saw four heads peaking in his mother's room where she had insisted he sleep to aid in his recovery.

"Good morning," he said.

They giggled and ran to him. A few jumped up on the bed to be beside him.

"All right, children," his mother scolded from the doorway. "Leave Kenric alone. Let him freshen up, then he can join us for breakfast. Come along and help set everything up."

Kenric examined her. Her hair was grayer than he remembered, and when she smiled her face filled with wrinkles.

"What is it, son? Do I have food on my face or something?"

He shook his head. "It is wonderful to be home, Mother."

"It is wonderful to have you back. Now, get freshened up and hurry down for breakfast."

When she and the little ones left his room, he put on a clean tunic and washed his face, then joined them in the now crowded kitchen. His sisters piled his plate high with hotcakes, eggs, and sausage.