Blood Oath: The Janna Chronicles 1 Read Free Page B

beyond were too far and too scattered for Janna to make sense of them.
    She made a quick rush at the boar and shouted loudly, hoping that the noise and the fire might be enough to scare the beast away so that she could locate a tall tree to climb, to seek safety and also direction. The boar gave an angry squeal and retreated a few steps, but its eyes stayed fixed on her.
    “Help!” she called, but without much hope. The royal forest of Gravelinges belonged to King Stephen, but he seldom used his hunting lodge for, in this year of our lord 1140, he was busy defending his kingdom against its rightful heir, his cousin Matilda. Few other than the king were allowed into the forest, and no-one was likely to be around at this time of night, at least not legally. Poachers risked death if they were caught, although hunger sometimes drove them into the forest. Those who sought to escape the king’s justice might also hide themselves here. Janna was filled with new fear. A boar, an outlaw, or the king’s forester? None would show her mercy.
    The boar suddenly charged at Janna.
    “Help!” she screamed as she tried to leap out of its way. Its bristles grazed her as it passed; its rank smell filled her nostrils. She whirled to face it, circling the flaming torches in a wide arc in the hope of frightening it.
    Was that a faint cry? Janna listened intently. Should she shout again? The boar had turned, ready to charge once more. Its eyes glowed bright in the silvery moonlight.
    “ Help! ” Janna didn’t care who heard her now, so long as someone did.
    “Who goes there?”
    “Janna! I’m being attacked by a wild boar.” Her voice was shrill with fear.
    “Janna! Keep calling so that I may find you.”
    A man’s voice. It sounded familiar. “I’m here, I’m in a clearing,” she shouted. “Please, please hurry!” The boar hunched up its bulk in front of her. Its form blended into the undergrowth at the edge of the clearing so she could see only its eyes, but she could sense its rage at being thwarted, sense that it was gathering power to launch itself at her once more. “Begone!” she yelled, thrusting the burning brands toward it.
    With an enraged squeal, it rushed at her. She tried to leap aside, but its shoulder caught her. Knocked off-balance, Janna staggered and fell. “Help!”
    A man burst out from the darkness of the forest. He paused to get his bearings. It seemed to Janna that the moment stretched to an eternity. Why didn’t he come after the boar; why didn’t he help her? Terrified, she tried to scramble to her feet, all the while expecting the boar to charge at her and gore her to death.
    She could hear its angry squeals as it turned, hear the crunch and crackle of leaves and twigs under its feet. It erupted into the moonlit clearing. It was coming at her, coming at speed. She heard a grunting cough. The boar staggered, but its momentum carried it on toward her. Janna shrank back in a last desperate effort to keep out of its way. It kept coming, closer and closer, but she could see now that something was desperately wrong. As it reached her, it skewed sideways then tottered and crashed to the ground. Speechless, Janna’s gaze moved from it to the man racing to her. He was coiling a sling as he came. Janna noticed the glint of a blade as he fumbled at his belt.
    Realizing at last that she was safe, Janna picked up her fallen torch and scrambled to her feet. The man’s voice had sounded familiar. Who was he? She held the torch aloft so that she could see the face of her savior.
    “Godric!” A great smile spread over Janna’s face as she recognized him. She was so happy to see him, she could have kissed him. But she had no chance to embarrass either herself or him, for he’d made straight for the fallen animal. He kicked it, and the boar shifted and tried to struggle to its feet.
    “Don’t!” Janna reached out a hand to stop him. Although upset and hurting, she knew that the creature had acted only