You promised. Those words played in her mind like a broken recorder. What exactly did Matilda mean, what exactly did he promise her? She wanted answers, but he was simply not the right person to ask after what they had been through.
Just how far are they travelling. Danielle complained in her mind. She could not see but could definitely feel their body brushing against each other at such close proximity, moving in rhythm as the horse went. She tried her hardest to put a small distance between them but her co-rider always manages to pull her back against his firm chest, as if on purpose.
"It would hurt less if you stop moving." He broke the awkward silence between them while maintaining the speed of their ride.
Danielle doesn't respond to him, albeit she stopped moving. And that was the last of their conversation they had throughout the entire journey. Thankfully, she loathes his guts to even carry on a conversation with him, it was just plain torture.
Pulling the rein high and hard, Danielle's ears was greeted with a familiar voice.
"Capt, Eretria is here."
Danielle thought she heard him softly groan while dismounting. Just as she wondered how she was going to dismount blindfolded a pair of hands, assuming him, pulled her by her waist backwards allowing her legs to slide off the horse and dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"Cale, take her in." Damon ordered.
"I hope your ride was pleasant, no mishap?" Cale asked removing her blindfold, giving her sense of sight back.
She shook her head with eyes trailing where Damon took off. Timely, a woman with long blond hair braided to one side emerge from the front door, walking up to Damon.
"Who is that?" She asked as Cale who led her by her hand to cross the front porch.
"Not someone you should concern yourself with." She could tell he quickened his pace as if not wanting her to know about this woman, his wife, mayhaps.
"Explain yourself Damon!" Despite her demure features, her voice was high pitched like a banshee.
"My parents trusted you with his life and yet you allow him to fall in the hands of our greatest enemy." She raised her hand about to strike him but it was Danielle who threw herself in front of him unknowingly.
"It's not his fault! I am the one to be blamed. I rescued Artty and landed ourselves on an unknown ship. When I tried to escape with Artty, he didn't make."
"WRENCH!"
That was one hell of a strike across her right cheek. Never before in her life was she given a slap on her cheeks yet since she arrived here, she was given it twice. This might have been worst than the first, she actually tasted blood in her mouth.
"Eretria!" Damon's thundery bolster voice rumble behind her. She opened her eyes and saw Damon gripping the woman's wrist readying to deliver her second strike rich in anger.
"Let go!"
"Assaulting her will not have Artermus magically appearing here."
"You are right, so hand her over so she can face trial for her actions by my people."
"I will not!" Protectively he shielded her from Eretria. "She is going to help us rescue Artermus so you will keep your hands off her."
With eyes still fixated on her he yells for Cale, who immediately lifted Danielle over his shoulder and left the scene.
Inside the house, Danielle screamed and punch his back continuously in an attempt he would drop her. To her dismay, he didn't until he entered a room and seated her on the bed.
"We can't leave him alone with her, she might kill him."
"No, she will most likely kill you." That silenced her whining at least.
In that short moment of time they had together, Cale readjusted her tricorn hat pulled out a folded square cloth from his pocket to wipe the edge of her mouth before he said anything.
"Promise me you will stay here and not come out. This is the only way we can protect you."
She nodded and watch him walk out the door leaving her to have some quiet time alone and reflect on her wrongdoing again.