Orphan of Destiny Read Online Free Page B

tried to keep you from bleeding the boat full and sinking us on the spot.”
    I winced at the thought.
    “So much blood for a tiny flesh wound,” Maryam remarked.
    “Tiny?” I said, agitated.
    Maryam shrugged. “It wasn’t like you were shot by a longbow.”
    I glared at her. Maryam’s compassion apparently had its limits.
    “Didn’t they try to chase us?” I asked.
    “Of course,” Maryam said. “They took two boats out right away, but I rowed and Robard discouraged them from getting too close. When we cleared the harbor and he had wounded a third man, they turned back. While you were sleeping, Robard and I kept going until we could no longer lift our arms.
    “When we had a moment where it appeared no one was pursuing us, we removed the bolt. You were lucky. The guard was either a poor shot or he only sought to wound you. It was buried deep in the flesh of your hip and you lost a lot of blood. But it was not a killing blow. Robard held you down while I removed it.” She added, “It was not pleasant.”
    “She means you screamed like a little gi—like a person in great pain,” Robard corrected himself as he felt the sting of Maryam’s baleful stare. “Grew up in a monastery, you say? Never heard such curse words.”
    My face grew hot with embarrassment.
    “Stop teasing him, Robard,” Maryam insisted. “You’re lucky you’ve never felt an arrow pierce your thick hide. I can assure you it hurts, although a longbow does hurt more.”
    “Thank you, Maryam. . . . Robard, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t stopped those Guards from capturing us,” I said.
    “Most likely died,” Robard replied. Maryam and I both couldn’t help but laugh. We were all relieved to at least be temporarily free and alive.
    “So you rowed us all the way to England?” I asked.
    Robard and Maryam looked at each other, something passed between them and they decided to abruptly change the subject.
    “Yes, well, now we’ve arrived in England and I’ve found it cold, gray and wet. Why didn’t the two of you tell me the sun never shines here?” she said.
    “It does,” we both answered at once.
    “Well, we’ve been here three days and all it has done is rain and grow colder by the minute,” she complained. She pulled her tunic up around her neck and scooted closer to the fire.
    “Go back to the how-you-sailed-here part,” I said. “I’m not quite following.”
    “I need to go on a scout,” Robard said, “and see if I can find a stand of birch where there might be some seedlings. I have a few points left and need to make some arrows.” He fussed with his wallet, counting the shafts he had left.
    “All right, both of you stop. Tell me what happened,” I insisted.
    Robard swallowed. Maryam was silent. Apparently it was his tale to tell.
    “Nothing happened. Not really. It wasn’t a very large vessel. Three oars and a small sail.
    “We tied you down in the front and rowed until we were well out into the channel. After the other boats turned back, we kept at it. You were still bleeding and crying out all the time. After a while we got tired and I thought it might be better if we raised the sail and caught the wind. We just pointed it west and hoped for the best,” Robard said.
    “You hoped for the best?” I asked, incredulous.
    “Yes,” he replied, suddenly interested in the maintenance of his bow.
    I stared at both of them.
    “What?” they both asked.
    “That was your plan? Every time I come up with an idea, you two do nothing but belittle it. But when I’m lying near death, you put me in a boat and ‘point it west’ and ‘hope for the best’?” The very thought of it made my wound throb again. “My goodness! What if the wind and current carried you past England? What if you were pushed back to France? Do you even know how to sail ?”
    “Of course—we sailed all the time in Sherwood Forest,” Robard answered sarcastically. “What are you worried about? We got here, didn’t