Rain Glade Read Online Free Page A

of a bush growing nearby.
    Rain dashed to grab her soap off the rock
where she had been sitting. She went back into the deep part of the
pool and began washing her hair while she listened.
    “My sergeant and three of us new guys have
been ordered to visit all the villages. We’re only here for the
night and then we’re headed off to Lithbern.” He unbuckled his
jacket, revealing a cream-colored shirt underneath. “This village
is smaller than mine. My ma says one day all this fighting will end
and people can get back to living their lives.”
    “My ma used to say that the fighting in
Paruth will never end.” Rain dipped her head in the water to rinse
it.
    “She may be right. Is that who you live
with?”
    “No. She died a few years ago.” Rain had no
desire to talk about it. She was finished bathing, but it didn’t
appear as though the soldier was going to go away, so she got out
of the water and put her dress back on, ignoring the fact that he
was staring at her. Normally she would have spent some time in the
sun drying off, but didn’t feel comfortable doing that with him
there. “So what will you do now?”
    Jacob stood and moved next to her. “I was
thinking about seeing where this stream comes from, but I want to
make sure you’re going to be alright. That bruise on your stomach
looks bad. You wince every time you move.”
    Rain didn’t know how to feel with him
standing so close. The sun warmed his leather uniform, releasing
the scent of it along with the pleasantly musky smell of his skin.
He wasn’t a great deal taller than her, but no man had ever truly
paid attention to her. “I should probably go home, but . . . I’ve
always wanted to find the beginning of the stream too.”
    “Let’s go then! It sounds like an adventure.”
He put a hand on her shoulder.
    Rain froze. His touch sent little bolts of
sensation through her body, and she didn’t know what that
meant.
    He removed the hand. “I’m being too familiar,
aren’t I?” Jacob ran fingers through his hair. “I’m clumsy when it
comes to talking to people. No one likes me back home.” He
shrugged. “I’ll just go away and stop scaring you.”
    “No.” Rain put a hand on his arm. The leather
was softer than she imagined and the muscles underneath were solid.
“Let’s explore. If you’re allowed?”
    “Yeah, I get to do whatever I want until noon
tomorrow when we leave.” He held his arm out like a nobleman would
do for a lady.
    Rain instinctively took it, even though she
didn’t know what the gesture meant. He guided her up the hill by
the waterfall and from there, took her hand, much as Verna had done
the day before.
     
    ***
     
    “My sister likes being married to the
fletcher. She spends a lot of time in the woods collecting
feathers, although with the baby coming she’ll slow down a little.”
Jacob helped Rain up some rocks along the creek. Most of the
terrain had been easy to travel, but there were a few tricky
spots.
    She gasped as a bolt of pain shot through her
side. He put hands under her arms and lifted her the rest of the
way. She didn’t protest and even rested her head against his
shoulder when he wrapped his arms around her. The walking and
climbing had taken their toll on her. Rain tried to resist the
tears, but they burst past her defenses and she began sobbing and
clutching his jacket. She felt surprisingly safe in Jacob’s arms,
even though she had just met him.
    “We need to get you someplace where we can
sit and rest awhile,” Jacob said when Rain’s tears stopped. “You
still haven’t told me what happened.” He let go with one arm and
pointed up the creek. “That looks promising.”
    Rain followed the gesture. An animal path led
parallel to the creek through thick trees, creating a dark tunnel.
“I’ve never been this far before. We must have walked for almost an
hour.”
    “That sounds about right,” Jacob agreed. “Why
haven’t you followed the stream before?”
    “I’ve been afraid