FIC - First Knight (11/?)
Title: First Knight (11/?)
Author: wheelie47
Rating: NC17 (not for every chapter)
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 4,069
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Summary: Set in the fictional land of feudal Western Atlantia, King Damian has been overthrown and has fled the Kingdom of Oakdale. But his evil influence has spread across all eight Kingdoms. Lord Luke Snyder leads his army in an effort to bring peace and justice to a troubled time, aided in his quest by a certain dark-haired young Knight…
Chapter 1, Chapter 2,Chapter 3 Chapter 4, Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9, Chapter 10
The silence of the cell was punctuated only by Noah’s labored breathing as he sought to control the pain that racked his battered body. Neither man spoke; each unable to find the right words of comfort for the desperate situation they found themselves in.
Luke was the first to move; seemingly unable to sit motionless for too long. His arms sought out the warmth and comfort of Noah’s body and he gently eased the man into his lap once again. Long fingers combed through the brunette’s curls as much to comfort his own tormented soul as to ease Noah’s pain.
“Why, Noah? Why would Kevin betray us?” Luke’s murmured words in the silence of their cell startled Noah and he shifted to look up at the blonde. Although Luke was staring down at him, Noah knew that the man’s glassy gaze was cast inward; mulling over in his mind the events that had unfolded.
Luke was not expecting him to answer.
The fingers in Noah’s hair continued their soothing movement and Noah leaned into the touch, trying to focus on the comfort rather than the pain that seethed through his body.
It was many moments before Luke spoke again. “I have known him most of my life. I cannot remember a time when we were not friends… when Kevin was not part of my life. Why would he do this?”
Noah could not stand to hear the anguish from those lips any longer and he reached up and cupped Luke’s jaw, long fingers curling into the blonde tresses and the pad of his thumb caressing the cheekbone.
“I do not know, Luke,” he sighed. “Who knows what thoughts motivate him. Or what pressure Grimaldi brought to bear.” He did not want to think that the man he had fought the enemy shoulder to shoulder alongside and who claimed to be Luke’s closest friend could be so revolted by what he had discovered about the two of them that he would turn to Damian Grimaldi. He did not want to think it. But the thought reared its ugly head all the same. He knew Luke must be thinking it too. And he certainly did not want to voice the thought aloud.
Doubt and fear clouded Luke’s eyes and Noah could see the thought processes reflected on the blonde’s handsome features as they churned in his mind. If Kevin could react this way, what of the men when it was time to be paraded in front of them at dawn? Would they be the same? Would they turn to Grimaldi too?
The thought made him shudder and he wished, not for the first time, that he and Luke had lived in a different time and a different place where they would not be abhorred for the feelings and desires that ran through their veins and in their hearts… that made them who they were.
Noah did not doubt that Grimaldi would kill them anyway; he had little trust in the words of such a man. Outside the four walls that confined them time marched on relentlessly and they could do little to stop it. Dawn fast approached and if these were to be the last few hours of his life he fervently wished he could spend them enveloped in Luke… feel the blonde surround him one final time as their bodies and souls merged… feel Luke’s lips on his again as they climaxed together.
But that was not possible here.
Noah tried to think of ways out of their desperate situation. But none came until; at last, a solitary thought rose in his mind.
“Deny me,” he murmured.
The fingers continued their motion as if Luke had not heard Noah speak until suddenly the action ceased when the words finally registered.
“What?”
“Deny me,” Noah repeated louder and more firmly this time.
He locked eyes with the blonde to make sure his next words were not misunderstood.
“When the time comes, deny what we are to each other in front of the other men. They will not trust the words of Grimaldi nor will they believe a traitorous turncoat like Davis. It is your word against theirs. If not that, then denounce me. Tell them that I was the instigator. That it was I who pressurized you.”
Luke withdrew his fingers from Noah’s hair as if the locks burnt his hand and tears threatened to spill.
“How can you say that, Noah?” he asked in disbelief. “How can you ask me to deny you… deny what you mean to me? I… I thought that you felt as I. Perhaps I was mistaken.”
Noah’s words stung Luke; he had believed that they had both felt the same. Luke was terrified of being revealed in front of his men; fearing their reaction. But now that others knew of their relationship, a part of him… an increasingly large part of him… did not want to continue to hide how he felt for Noah. It shocked and wounded him to the core that the brunette could suggest it so easily.
Horrified at seeing the hurt plain on Luke’s countenance, Noah struggled to sit up with a grunt before cupping the blonde’s face in both of his large hands.
“Luke… Luke,” he soothed, wanting to do anything to erase Luke’s anguished expression.
“Look at me.” He waited until Luke’s eyes lifted to meet his own. “I meant only to help. You have to know how I feel about you. I... I love you.” The last words came out in a rush. He had never said those words to another person before and it was not until he had uttered them did he realize just how true they were. It was a realization that had crept upon him almost unnoticed. It was a feeling that had been growing in depth and strength ever since that first night Luke had crept into his tent… even before then, if he was truly honest with himself.
Now that he had said those words aloud, he felt strangely liberated, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and a little terrified… especially when he realized Luke had yet to respond.
Noah still held Luke’s face in his hands and he traced the stubbled cheek with the rough pad of his thumb. “Luke?” he asked hesitantly.
“You… you love me?” Luke questioned in a voice tinged with a mixture of wonderment and joy.
Noah simply nodded, a tentative smile stretching across his features.
Luke let out a breathy chuckle. For most of his life he had known he was different; that he did not feel anything for the women that freely offered themselves to him or for the prospective matches his parents had suggested. Only the male form seemed to interest or excite him. He had resigned himself to the fact that he would never find love; that he would never have someone who cared for him like his father had done for his mother… whose face would grow radiant from him just being close by. Hearing Noah’s words awakened an answering realization in him too. He marveled that, in the midst of the truly dark and desperate times they found themselves in, he had inadvertently found what he had given up on.
Nor, however, was the cruel irony lost on Luke; only now, when they almost certainly had but hours left on this earth, did they recognize the extent of their feelings for each other.
“I love you too,” Luke breathed out as he grasped Noah’s face in his hands. Despite their surroundings, he leaned in and pressed his lips to Noah’s. If these were to be the last moments they would spend together, he wanted to let the other man know how he truly felt.
As Noah let out a low moan and opened his mouth into the kiss, Luke felt his body respond and he slipped his tongue between the willingly parted lips.
Both men were so lost in the kiss that neither of them noticed the shadow at the grille nor did they hear the door being pushed stealthily open.
It was not until the man entered the cell, did either Luke or Noah notice his presence.
Noah bristled when he recognized the figure.
“Come to spy on us some more, Davis?” he hissed as he gathered his strength, struggled to his feet and lunged at the man.
His curled right hook connected with a satisfying crunch to Davis’s nose, the momentum spilling both men to the ground.
In an instant Luke was by Noah’s side, helping the sprawled man to sit upright.
“Report that to your master,” Noah spat as he nursed his bruised knuckles.
“I guess I deserved that.” Davis dabbed at the blood oozing from his nose as he scrambled to his feet, his back against the rough stone wall.
“What do you want?” Luke demanded, his eyes never leaving Noah… finding himself seemingly unable to even look at the other man; the betrayal stung too deeply.
The sickening thought struck him that their time had come; it was dawn and, as a last bitter blow, Grimaldi had sent Davis to escort them to their fate.
He tightened his arms around Noah. It could not be dawn already!
Kevin kept his back to the wall and his distance between the other men, trying to gauge their reaction. “I am here to help you escape.”
“What?” Noah scoffed. “Why should we trust you?” He eyed the man suspiciously; for all Noah knew Davis could be taking them straight to Grimaldi, bragging that he had caught them trying to escape. He would not put anything past the man to earn favor in Grimaldi’s eyes.
“Because you have no choice,” Kevin replied, holding out his hand to help Luke to his feet.
A sudden fury boiled within Luke. He ignored the proffered hand and helped Noah to his feet to face their betrayer.
“We are not going anywhere with you… not until you explain yourself. Why, Kevin? Why?”
‘There is no time,” Kevin pleaded urgently. “We have to go now!”
Luke did not respond, choosing to stand his ground instead.
“Please, Luke,” Davis whined. “If he finds me here he will kill us all. You have to come with me now.”
There was a desperate look in Kevin’s eyes that made Luke falter. Despite his better judgment he found himself nodding his acquiescence… their own situation was dire enough that they really did have no choice.
“Help me with him,” Luke ordered as he eased one of Noah’s arms around his shoulder and waited for Davis to do the same. “But you must talk on the way.”
Kevin nodded reluctantly and ushered them out of the cell, placing his finger on his lips to indicate for them to be as quiet as possible.
Entering the corridor outside of the door, Kevin steered them to the left.
He paused, pushing himself flat against the wall, indicating for Luke to do the same as they supported Noah in between them. He appeared to be listening for sounds in the open space ahead of them.
Seemingly satisfied, he led them on and, as they turned the corner, Luke could see one of the guards slumped forward at a wooden table… a tankard of ale knocked on its side as the man slumbered and snored loudly.
That took care of one of the guards but Luke knew of at least one other. He looked to Kevin and the man indicated for them to creep past the guard.
“The other is off availing himself of the pleasures of one of the serving women. I offered to bring this one ale… which I laced with a sleeping draught,” Kevin explained.
Davis led them further, along corridors and up a wooden staircase, ducking into the shadows when they heard the sounds of others approaching.
“Where are we?” Luke whispered as they hid in the shadows, watching the departing form of a guard head round a corner.
“Stormcrag: Aiden’s most northerly stronghold.”
Luke felt a surge of hope; he had heard of Stormcrag. It was close to the Eastern border. If only they could escape its walls and reach Lord Calderon.
“Wait here,” Kevin interrupted Luke’s thoughts before heading off after the guard.
When he was gone, Luke felt Noah press closer to him. “I do not trust him, Luke,” he whispered into the blonde’s ear, his breath ghosting across Luke’s neck.
Luke turned his head to face the man and shrugged in resignation. “Neither do I. But what choice do we have?”
“I…” Noah’s response was silenced by the sounds of a scuffle and a gurgling noise before Davis returned holding two short swords.
He passed one to Luke and watched as he tucked it into his belt. He then handed the second one to Noah, flinching back in shock when he suddenly found the tip of the short sword pressing into the base of his throat.
“Talk now… and talk quickly,” Noah demanded. Fearing some kind of trap, he wanted answers before he would take another step.
Davis looked over imploringly at Luke but the blonde just stood there with a look of expectance etched across his countenance.
Kevin sighed. He had delayed as long as possible but it seemed they were going to do this here and now.
Lowering his gaze to the sword hilt, he began in hushed but hurried tones, fearing that the three of them would be discovered at any moment. “All my life, I have lived in your shadow… watching as you wanted for nothing. You and your family had it all. But above all, you were the apple of your parents’ eye; you could do no wrong. All I ever seemed to do was disappoint my parents. Have you any idea how that felt?”
He risked a quick glance up at Luke before dropping his eyes and continuing. “One night I was deep in my cups in a tavern when two of Damian’s men found me. They took me to him. He… he was so persuasive, Luke. He promised me everything and then threatened my parents’ lives if I did not comply. I was so scared.”
He paused again, a breathy gasp escaping his lips as he tried to fight back the tears. “I am so sorry, Luke. I never meant for it to end like this. I never meant for…” His voice petered out and he looked up again, his eyes darting between Luke and Noah.
Luke was stunned. “All… all this was because you were jealous? Of me? Oh, Kevin. I would have given you everything that was in my power to give… money… land. It was your friendship that I valued above everything. Did you not know that? What have you done?”
“I am sorry,” Kevin repeated, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed nervously against the blade at his throat.
Luke reached out and laid his hand on Noah’s arm, applying gentle pressure to get him to withdraw the sword.
He turned to face the brunette and his eyes scanned the crystal blue as an unspoken agreement passed between them. What choice did they have?
Luke turned back to face Davis. His thoughts were a whirlwind as he tried to fully process the man’s words. But there was not enough time and they had lingered here too long in the shadows already. He could hear the increased sounds of activity all around them.
“Then prove it. Help us escape.”
Kevin simply nodded, relief spreading across his features.
He turned and led them forward with Luke, supporting Noah, following closely behind.
After twists and turns to avoid detection, Kevin finally brought them out into the dim pre-dawn light by means of a back stairway.
Luke and Noah breathed the air deeply and the light chill breeze was a blessed relief from the rankness of their confinement below.
“There,” Kevin whispered and pointed as they crouched in the overgrown shrubbery beneath the struts of the wooden battlements. “That is the South Gate.”
Luke’s heart pounded in his chest as his eyes followed the man’s direction. There were only two sentries standing guard over a small opening between the barricades.
Luke and Noah looked about them. There were guards and men beginning to go about their duties everywhere; the stronghold was preparing for the day. Could they really escape from right under the noses of all these men?
“The old clerk waits for you with a horse in the woods outside the stronghold,” Kevin continued.
“But the guards?” Noah muttered. “How do we get past them?”
“Wait for my signal,” Kevin explained. “Then you are on your own; I have to return to Grimaldi before he becomes suspicious of my prolonged absence. I have done what I can. I am sorry it was not more.”
He hesitated before continuing, his gaze flitting between the two men before coming to rest on Luke once more. “For what it is worth, when I think back, I believe I had suspected about you… about what you are… for a long time. It matters not to me, Luke.”
Davis turned and then he was gone; off into the gloom without a second look back.
Luke watched him go, his mind a confusing mass of conflicting thoughts as the man he had once counted as his closest friend disappeared from view. He did not know if he would ever see Kevin again and he was uncertain how that made him feel.
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Luke… Luke, we have to go,” Noah spoke gently, not wishing to disturb Luke’s thoughts but time was not on their side and they needed to get as close to the South Gate as they could before Kevin’s signal.
Luke turned and nodded slowly, giving the man a grim but reassuring smile.
Using the cover of the shrubs and the wooden packing crates that littered the compound, they positioned themselves within yards of the gate, their hearts pounding as they watched the guards pace back and forth.
“Where is he?” Noah hissed through gritted teeth. He felt his remaining energy draining away and he was not sure how much further he could go on before collapsing completely.
Before Luke could reply there was a deafening bang and an intense heat blasted across their faces as the stronghold was rocked by an explosion.
They turned to look in the direction of the noise and observed a massive conflagration with great palls of black smoke billowing up into the gloom of the pre-dawn sky.
Almost instantaneously alarm bells sounded and shouts could be heard echoing all around the compound as men dashed toward the site of the explosion.
When the sentries guarding the South Gate deserted their posts to go to the aid of their fellow soldiers attempting to fight the fire, Luke and Noah saw their opportunity.
Luke helped Noah to his feet and, under cover of the confusion all around them, they made a break for the unguarded gate.
Once outside the confines of the stronghold, they headed for the woods, pausing to hide behind outcrops of rocks in their path… every step they took they feared a shout would reveal their escape and send guards rushing in their direction.
With heaving chests and with every muscle in their aching bodies screaming at them to rest, Luke and Noah finally made it to the relative safety of the tree line. It was then that Noah’s legs and strength finally gave way and he stumbled to the ground.
Luke eased him upright, resting his body back against a tree. He took the brunette’s face in both his trembling hands. “Noah… Noah. Come on, please. We are almost there,” he begged, the fear rising in his chest.
“Just… just need to rest a moment,” Noah panted as he rested his head against the rough bark.
Luke nodded and lent forward to press his lips against Noah’s forehead in a gentle kiss before running his hands soothingly up and down Noah’s forearms. “Just for a moment then. We still need to find the old man,” Luke replied. They could not linger here too long.
“Leave me. I will only slow you down,” Noah whispered imploringly when he finally got his breathing under control.
“Not a chance. I will not abandon you again. I love you.” Luke reached up and cupped Noah’s cheek, gently tracing the pad of his thumb under the man’s bruised eye.
Noah could only nod in response; he did not have the strength to argue.
“Good,” Luke replied with a small smile as he turned and sat down next to Noah, leaning slightly into the man… his own body grateful for the rest.
He squinted, using the growing light to try and pick out the shape of a man and a horse in the shadow of the trees.
“There,” Luke pointed and Noah turned his head in the direction to see the outline of the clerk holding the reins of a chestnut mare.
Getting to his feet, Luke turned to face Noah and bent down to wrap his arms gently around the brunette’s torso, easing him upright.
They picked their way through the trees toward the man who raised his hand in greeting as they approached.
“Why are you helping us?” Luke asked as he eased Noah up into the saddle.
The old man smiled as if recalling fond memories. “I knew your grandfather. We were young men. Not much older than you are now, I should imagine. We were friends once.” He paused before continuing, a regretful expression falling across his countenance as he gestured to the House of Grimaldi seal emblazoned on his tunic. “But things change and the paths we follow are not always the ones we would have chosen, if we had the choice.
You may not know it but your family did mine a great service once and I swore to myself I would repay the debt one day, if I had the chance. That time is now.”
“Thank you. Tell me your name and the debt you are repaying, so I can tell my family when all this is done.”
“It matters not,” the man shook his head. “I know the debt is paid and that is an end of it.”
Luke could only nod his thanks before moving to get up into the saddle behind Noah.
“Hold.” The clerk put his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “You must strike me.”
“What?” Luke asked in confusion.
“You must strike me so it appears you overpowered me and stole my horse whilst I was returning from my errand to King Aiden. It will make my Liege’s punishment less severe,” the clerk explained as he nodded toward Stormcrag.
“If I must,” Luke replied hesitantly; he did not want to strike an old man.
“You must.”
Luke sighed and nodded before raising his arm and striking the old man with as little force as he could.
The clerk stumbled backward and Luke reached out to steady him.
“You should go now before the alarm is raised,” he commanded as he dabbed at his bleeding lip with the sleeve of his tunic.
He watched as Luke got up into the saddle. “Aiden’s encampment is to the West. That is where most of his forces are gathered; Stormcrag would not hold them all. It is where your captured men are being held. The Eastern border is but a few miles off in that direction.” He pointed through the trees.
“Thank you for your kindness. We owe you our lives,” Luke said as he gathered in the chestnut’s reins.
It took him all his will power not to steer the horse toward the encampment; he loathed the thought of abandoning his men again. But he knew there was no hope of just him and Noah being any help to them now. The best course of action was to head for the border.
Careful of Noah’s injuries, he wrapped one arm around the man to steady him in the saddle, pulling him snug against his chest.
Casting one last glance back toward the stronghold, he sent out silent thoughts that Kevin had lived through the fire and the repercussions… the old man’s words making him think of their friendship, before he turned and urged the horse on to a gallop through the trees...
Chapter 12
Back to fic master post
Author: wheelie47
Rating: NC17 (not for every chapter)
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 4,069
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Summary: Set in the fictional land of feudal Western Atlantia, King Damian has been overthrown and has fled the Kingdom of Oakdale. But his evil influence has spread across all eight Kingdoms. Lord Luke Snyder leads his army in an effort to bring peace and justice to a troubled time, aided in his quest by a certain dark-haired young Knight…
Chapter 1, Chapter 2,Chapter 3 Chapter 4, Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9, Chapter 10
The silence of the cell was punctuated only by Noah’s labored breathing as he sought to control the pain that racked his battered body. Neither man spoke; each unable to find the right words of comfort for the desperate situation they found themselves in.
Luke was the first to move; seemingly unable to sit motionless for too long. His arms sought out the warmth and comfort of Noah’s body and he gently eased the man into his lap once again. Long fingers combed through the brunette’s curls as much to comfort his own tormented soul as to ease Noah’s pain.
“Why, Noah? Why would Kevin betray us?” Luke’s murmured words in the silence of their cell startled Noah and he shifted to look up at the blonde. Although Luke was staring down at him, Noah knew that the man’s glassy gaze was cast inward; mulling over in his mind the events that had unfolded.
Luke was not expecting him to answer.
The fingers in Noah’s hair continued their soothing movement and Noah leaned into the touch, trying to focus on the comfort rather than the pain that seethed through his body.
It was many moments before Luke spoke again. “I have known him most of my life. I cannot remember a time when we were not friends… when Kevin was not part of my life. Why would he do this?”
Noah could not stand to hear the anguish from those lips any longer and he reached up and cupped Luke’s jaw, long fingers curling into the blonde tresses and the pad of his thumb caressing the cheekbone.
“I do not know, Luke,” he sighed. “Who knows what thoughts motivate him. Or what pressure Grimaldi brought to bear.” He did not want to think that the man he had fought the enemy shoulder to shoulder alongside and who claimed to be Luke’s closest friend could be so revolted by what he had discovered about the two of them that he would turn to Damian Grimaldi. He did not want to think it. But the thought reared its ugly head all the same. He knew Luke must be thinking it too. And he certainly did not want to voice the thought aloud.
Doubt and fear clouded Luke’s eyes and Noah could see the thought processes reflected on the blonde’s handsome features as they churned in his mind. If Kevin could react this way, what of the men when it was time to be paraded in front of them at dawn? Would they be the same? Would they turn to Grimaldi too?
The thought made him shudder and he wished, not for the first time, that he and Luke had lived in a different time and a different place where they would not be abhorred for the feelings and desires that ran through their veins and in their hearts… that made them who they were.
Noah did not doubt that Grimaldi would kill them anyway; he had little trust in the words of such a man. Outside the four walls that confined them time marched on relentlessly and they could do little to stop it. Dawn fast approached and if these were to be the last few hours of his life he fervently wished he could spend them enveloped in Luke… feel the blonde surround him one final time as their bodies and souls merged… feel Luke’s lips on his again as they climaxed together.
But that was not possible here.
Noah tried to think of ways out of their desperate situation. But none came until; at last, a solitary thought rose in his mind.
“Deny me,” he murmured.
The fingers continued their motion as if Luke had not heard Noah speak until suddenly the action ceased when the words finally registered.
“What?”
“Deny me,” Noah repeated louder and more firmly this time.
He locked eyes with the blonde to make sure his next words were not misunderstood.
“When the time comes, deny what we are to each other in front of the other men. They will not trust the words of Grimaldi nor will they believe a traitorous turncoat like Davis. It is your word against theirs. If not that, then denounce me. Tell them that I was the instigator. That it was I who pressurized you.”
Luke withdrew his fingers from Noah’s hair as if the locks burnt his hand and tears threatened to spill.
“How can you say that, Noah?” he asked in disbelief. “How can you ask me to deny you… deny what you mean to me? I… I thought that you felt as I. Perhaps I was mistaken.”
Noah’s words stung Luke; he had believed that they had both felt the same. Luke was terrified of being revealed in front of his men; fearing their reaction. But now that others knew of their relationship, a part of him… an increasingly large part of him… did not want to continue to hide how he felt for Noah. It shocked and wounded him to the core that the brunette could suggest it so easily.
Horrified at seeing the hurt plain on Luke’s countenance, Noah struggled to sit up with a grunt before cupping the blonde’s face in both of his large hands.
“Luke… Luke,” he soothed, wanting to do anything to erase Luke’s anguished expression.
“Look at me.” He waited until Luke’s eyes lifted to meet his own. “I meant only to help. You have to know how I feel about you. I... I love you.” The last words came out in a rush. He had never said those words to another person before and it was not until he had uttered them did he realize just how true they were. It was a realization that had crept upon him almost unnoticed. It was a feeling that had been growing in depth and strength ever since that first night Luke had crept into his tent… even before then, if he was truly honest with himself.
Now that he had said those words aloud, he felt strangely liberated, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and a little terrified… especially when he realized Luke had yet to respond.
Noah still held Luke’s face in his hands and he traced the stubbled cheek with the rough pad of his thumb. “Luke?” he asked hesitantly.
“You… you love me?” Luke questioned in a voice tinged with a mixture of wonderment and joy.
Noah simply nodded, a tentative smile stretching across his features.
Luke let out a breathy chuckle. For most of his life he had known he was different; that he did not feel anything for the women that freely offered themselves to him or for the prospective matches his parents had suggested. Only the male form seemed to interest or excite him. He had resigned himself to the fact that he would never find love; that he would never have someone who cared for him like his father had done for his mother… whose face would grow radiant from him just being close by. Hearing Noah’s words awakened an answering realization in him too. He marveled that, in the midst of the truly dark and desperate times they found themselves in, he had inadvertently found what he had given up on.
Nor, however, was the cruel irony lost on Luke; only now, when they almost certainly had but hours left on this earth, did they recognize the extent of their feelings for each other.
“I love you too,” Luke breathed out as he grasped Noah’s face in his hands. Despite their surroundings, he leaned in and pressed his lips to Noah’s. If these were to be the last moments they would spend together, he wanted to let the other man know how he truly felt.
As Noah let out a low moan and opened his mouth into the kiss, Luke felt his body respond and he slipped his tongue between the willingly parted lips.
Both men were so lost in the kiss that neither of them noticed the shadow at the grille nor did they hear the door being pushed stealthily open.
It was not until the man entered the cell, did either Luke or Noah notice his presence.
Noah bristled when he recognized the figure.
“Come to spy on us some more, Davis?” he hissed as he gathered his strength, struggled to his feet and lunged at the man.
His curled right hook connected with a satisfying crunch to Davis’s nose, the momentum spilling both men to the ground.
In an instant Luke was by Noah’s side, helping the sprawled man to sit upright.
“Report that to your master,” Noah spat as he nursed his bruised knuckles.
“I guess I deserved that.” Davis dabbed at the blood oozing from his nose as he scrambled to his feet, his back against the rough stone wall.
“What do you want?” Luke demanded, his eyes never leaving Noah… finding himself seemingly unable to even look at the other man; the betrayal stung too deeply.
The sickening thought struck him that their time had come; it was dawn and, as a last bitter blow, Grimaldi had sent Davis to escort them to their fate.
He tightened his arms around Noah. It could not be dawn already!
Kevin kept his back to the wall and his distance between the other men, trying to gauge their reaction. “I am here to help you escape.”
“What?” Noah scoffed. “Why should we trust you?” He eyed the man suspiciously; for all Noah knew Davis could be taking them straight to Grimaldi, bragging that he had caught them trying to escape. He would not put anything past the man to earn favor in Grimaldi’s eyes.
“Because you have no choice,” Kevin replied, holding out his hand to help Luke to his feet.
A sudden fury boiled within Luke. He ignored the proffered hand and helped Noah to his feet to face their betrayer.
“We are not going anywhere with you… not until you explain yourself. Why, Kevin? Why?”
‘There is no time,” Kevin pleaded urgently. “We have to go now!”
Luke did not respond, choosing to stand his ground instead.
“Please, Luke,” Davis whined. “If he finds me here he will kill us all. You have to come with me now.”
There was a desperate look in Kevin’s eyes that made Luke falter. Despite his better judgment he found himself nodding his acquiescence… their own situation was dire enough that they really did have no choice.
“Help me with him,” Luke ordered as he eased one of Noah’s arms around his shoulder and waited for Davis to do the same. “But you must talk on the way.”
Kevin nodded reluctantly and ushered them out of the cell, placing his finger on his lips to indicate for them to be as quiet as possible.
Entering the corridor outside of the door, Kevin steered them to the left.
He paused, pushing himself flat against the wall, indicating for Luke to do the same as they supported Noah in between them. He appeared to be listening for sounds in the open space ahead of them.
Seemingly satisfied, he led them on and, as they turned the corner, Luke could see one of the guards slumped forward at a wooden table… a tankard of ale knocked on its side as the man slumbered and snored loudly.
That took care of one of the guards but Luke knew of at least one other. He looked to Kevin and the man indicated for them to creep past the guard.
“The other is off availing himself of the pleasures of one of the serving women. I offered to bring this one ale… which I laced with a sleeping draught,” Kevin explained.
Davis led them further, along corridors and up a wooden staircase, ducking into the shadows when they heard the sounds of others approaching.
“Where are we?” Luke whispered as they hid in the shadows, watching the departing form of a guard head round a corner.
“Stormcrag: Aiden’s most northerly stronghold.”
Luke felt a surge of hope; he had heard of Stormcrag. It was close to the Eastern border. If only they could escape its walls and reach Lord Calderon.
“Wait here,” Kevin interrupted Luke’s thoughts before heading off after the guard.
When he was gone, Luke felt Noah press closer to him. “I do not trust him, Luke,” he whispered into the blonde’s ear, his breath ghosting across Luke’s neck.
Luke turned his head to face the man and shrugged in resignation. “Neither do I. But what choice do we have?”
“I…” Noah’s response was silenced by the sounds of a scuffle and a gurgling noise before Davis returned holding two short swords.
He passed one to Luke and watched as he tucked it into his belt. He then handed the second one to Noah, flinching back in shock when he suddenly found the tip of the short sword pressing into the base of his throat.
“Talk now… and talk quickly,” Noah demanded. Fearing some kind of trap, he wanted answers before he would take another step.
Davis looked over imploringly at Luke but the blonde just stood there with a look of expectance etched across his countenance.
Kevin sighed. He had delayed as long as possible but it seemed they were going to do this here and now.
Lowering his gaze to the sword hilt, he began in hushed but hurried tones, fearing that the three of them would be discovered at any moment. “All my life, I have lived in your shadow… watching as you wanted for nothing. You and your family had it all. But above all, you were the apple of your parents’ eye; you could do no wrong. All I ever seemed to do was disappoint my parents. Have you any idea how that felt?”
He risked a quick glance up at Luke before dropping his eyes and continuing. “One night I was deep in my cups in a tavern when two of Damian’s men found me. They took me to him. He… he was so persuasive, Luke. He promised me everything and then threatened my parents’ lives if I did not comply. I was so scared.”
He paused again, a breathy gasp escaping his lips as he tried to fight back the tears. “I am so sorry, Luke. I never meant for it to end like this. I never meant for…” His voice petered out and he looked up again, his eyes darting between Luke and Noah.
Luke was stunned. “All… all this was because you were jealous? Of me? Oh, Kevin. I would have given you everything that was in my power to give… money… land. It was your friendship that I valued above everything. Did you not know that? What have you done?”
“I am sorry,” Kevin repeated, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed nervously against the blade at his throat.
Luke reached out and laid his hand on Noah’s arm, applying gentle pressure to get him to withdraw the sword.
He turned to face the brunette and his eyes scanned the crystal blue as an unspoken agreement passed between them. What choice did they have?
Luke turned back to face Davis. His thoughts were a whirlwind as he tried to fully process the man’s words. But there was not enough time and they had lingered here too long in the shadows already. He could hear the increased sounds of activity all around them.
“Then prove it. Help us escape.”
Kevin simply nodded, relief spreading across his features.
He turned and led them forward with Luke, supporting Noah, following closely behind.
After twists and turns to avoid detection, Kevin finally brought them out into the dim pre-dawn light by means of a back stairway.
Luke and Noah breathed the air deeply and the light chill breeze was a blessed relief from the rankness of their confinement below.
“There,” Kevin whispered and pointed as they crouched in the overgrown shrubbery beneath the struts of the wooden battlements. “That is the South Gate.”
Luke’s heart pounded in his chest as his eyes followed the man’s direction. There were only two sentries standing guard over a small opening between the barricades.
Luke and Noah looked about them. There were guards and men beginning to go about their duties everywhere; the stronghold was preparing for the day. Could they really escape from right under the noses of all these men?
“The old clerk waits for you with a horse in the woods outside the stronghold,” Kevin continued.
“But the guards?” Noah muttered. “How do we get past them?”
“Wait for my signal,” Kevin explained. “Then you are on your own; I have to return to Grimaldi before he becomes suspicious of my prolonged absence. I have done what I can. I am sorry it was not more.”
He hesitated before continuing, his gaze flitting between the two men before coming to rest on Luke once more. “For what it is worth, when I think back, I believe I had suspected about you… about what you are… for a long time. It matters not to me, Luke.”
Davis turned and then he was gone; off into the gloom without a second look back.
Luke watched him go, his mind a confusing mass of conflicting thoughts as the man he had once counted as his closest friend disappeared from view. He did not know if he would ever see Kevin again and he was uncertain how that made him feel.
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Luke… Luke, we have to go,” Noah spoke gently, not wishing to disturb Luke’s thoughts but time was not on their side and they needed to get as close to the South Gate as they could before Kevin’s signal.
Luke turned and nodded slowly, giving the man a grim but reassuring smile.
Using the cover of the shrubs and the wooden packing crates that littered the compound, they positioned themselves within yards of the gate, their hearts pounding as they watched the guards pace back and forth.
“Where is he?” Noah hissed through gritted teeth. He felt his remaining energy draining away and he was not sure how much further he could go on before collapsing completely.
Before Luke could reply there was a deafening bang and an intense heat blasted across their faces as the stronghold was rocked by an explosion.
They turned to look in the direction of the noise and observed a massive conflagration with great palls of black smoke billowing up into the gloom of the pre-dawn sky.
Almost instantaneously alarm bells sounded and shouts could be heard echoing all around the compound as men dashed toward the site of the explosion.
When the sentries guarding the South Gate deserted their posts to go to the aid of their fellow soldiers attempting to fight the fire, Luke and Noah saw their opportunity.
Luke helped Noah to his feet and, under cover of the confusion all around them, they made a break for the unguarded gate.
Once outside the confines of the stronghold, they headed for the woods, pausing to hide behind outcrops of rocks in their path… every step they took they feared a shout would reveal their escape and send guards rushing in their direction.
With heaving chests and with every muscle in their aching bodies screaming at them to rest, Luke and Noah finally made it to the relative safety of the tree line. It was then that Noah’s legs and strength finally gave way and he stumbled to the ground.
Luke eased him upright, resting his body back against a tree. He took the brunette’s face in both his trembling hands. “Noah… Noah. Come on, please. We are almost there,” he begged, the fear rising in his chest.
“Just… just need to rest a moment,” Noah panted as he rested his head against the rough bark.
Luke nodded and lent forward to press his lips against Noah’s forehead in a gentle kiss before running his hands soothingly up and down Noah’s forearms. “Just for a moment then. We still need to find the old man,” Luke replied. They could not linger here too long.
“Leave me. I will only slow you down,” Noah whispered imploringly when he finally got his breathing under control.
“Not a chance. I will not abandon you again. I love you.” Luke reached up and cupped Noah’s cheek, gently tracing the pad of his thumb under the man’s bruised eye.
Noah could only nod in response; he did not have the strength to argue.
“Good,” Luke replied with a small smile as he turned and sat down next to Noah, leaning slightly into the man… his own body grateful for the rest.
He squinted, using the growing light to try and pick out the shape of a man and a horse in the shadow of the trees.
“There,” Luke pointed and Noah turned his head in the direction to see the outline of the clerk holding the reins of a chestnut mare.
Getting to his feet, Luke turned to face Noah and bent down to wrap his arms gently around the brunette’s torso, easing him upright.
They picked their way through the trees toward the man who raised his hand in greeting as they approached.
“Why are you helping us?” Luke asked as he eased Noah up into the saddle.
The old man smiled as if recalling fond memories. “I knew your grandfather. We were young men. Not much older than you are now, I should imagine. We were friends once.” He paused before continuing, a regretful expression falling across his countenance as he gestured to the House of Grimaldi seal emblazoned on his tunic. “But things change and the paths we follow are not always the ones we would have chosen, if we had the choice.
You may not know it but your family did mine a great service once and I swore to myself I would repay the debt one day, if I had the chance. That time is now.”
“Thank you. Tell me your name and the debt you are repaying, so I can tell my family when all this is done.”
“It matters not,” the man shook his head. “I know the debt is paid and that is an end of it.”
Luke could only nod his thanks before moving to get up into the saddle behind Noah.
“Hold.” The clerk put his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “You must strike me.”
“What?” Luke asked in confusion.
“You must strike me so it appears you overpowered me and stole my horse whilst I was returning from my errand to King Aiden. It will make my Liege’s punishment less severe,” the clerk explained as he nodded toward Stormcrag.
“If I must,” Luke replied hesitantly; he did not want to strike an old man.
“You must.”
Luke sighed and nodded before raising his arm and striking the old man with as little force as he could.
The clerk stumbled backward and Luke reached out to steady him.
“You should go now before the alarm is raised,” he commanded as he dabbed at his bleeding lip with the sleeve of his tunic.
He watched as Luke got up into the saddle. “Aiden’s encampment is to the West. That is where most of his forces are gathered; Stormcrag would not hold them all. It is where your captured men are being held. The Eastern border is but a few miles off in that direction.” He pointed through the trees.
“Thank you for your kindness. We owe you our lives,” Luke said as he gathered in the chestnut’s reins.
It took him all his will power not to steer the horse toward the encampment; he loathed the thought of abandoning his men again. But he knew there was no hope of just him and Noah being any help to them now. The best course of action was to head for the border.
Careful of Noah’s injuries, he wrapped one arm around the man to steady him in the saddle, pulling him snug against his chest.
Casting one last glance back toward the stronghold, he sent out silent thoughts that Kevin had lived through the fire and the repercussions… the old man’s words making him think of their friendship, before he turned and urged the horse on to a gallop through the trees...
Chapter 12
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