Tyler, Lynn - For Her Honor [For Her] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Free

of that she had no doubt. Though they argued often, they were really very close. She would send a message to him once she was safely ensconced in the nunnery.
    Jocelyn traveled north through the woods, farther up the mountain. As she guided her mare steadily upward, she pondered the cleverness of her current strategy. She was crossing into MacGillivray land, the very clan she wanted to avoid. However, dressed as a lad, no one would think she was their laird’s runaway betrothed. But the nunnery was on the other side of MacGillivray territory, and it would take twice as long to get there if she took the long way round. Besides, her father would never think to look for her on MacGillivray lands. He would search the southern and eastern ways.
    She smiled a little as a bolt of triumph shot through her. She had succeeded and now was on her way, choosing her own destiny. Still, it was dangerous to travel at night, and these unseen threats weighed heavily on her mind. The horse could trip over exposed roots or animal holes, breaking a leg or coming up lame. She could get lost in the woods and stumble into enemy lands. Horse thieves often came out at night to attack those stupid enough to ride alone. Wolves and other predators hunted through the night.
    The wind picked up, and she shivered in the cooling night breeze. It might be early summer, but the nights were almost always cool in the Highlands. And, of course, she hadn’t packed very much. Jocelyn always kept an extra plaid, one water skin, her knife, and her short sword in her saddlebag. She had thought to strap her quiver of arrows and bow over the saddle, for which she was grateful when she realized she hadn’t stopped to pack any food. She would hunt in the morning, and hopefully, she would be lucky enough to catch a rabbit to break her fast.
    A snapping twig caught her attention. She scanned the area quickly and jumped when two eerie eyes stared back at her. A wolf stepped into view, and her horse shied nervously. Her heart pounding, she wondered if it was true that animals could scent fear because she was certainly more terrified than she had ever been in her life. The wolf eyed her lazily before ambling away. She thanked God it had obviously already eaten its fill recently.
    As her heart rate returned to normal, Jocelyn questioned the intelligence of her decision to leave for the nunnery at night. Perhaps she hadn’t planned this as well as she thought she had. But it was too late to go back now. Her pride was the only thing she had left, and to turn around now would strip her of even that. Besides, her flight for freedom would have already been discovered. The consequences of her escape would be too high to pay. With any luck, her betrothed would have arrived at her father’s cottage by now, and the lot of them would be searching in the opposite direction.
    As an extra precaution, she slung her quiver of arrows over her shoulder and hooked her bow over her elbow. At least if she used the bow and arrows she had a fighting chance against a hungry predator.
    Urging the now skittish horse forward, Jocelyn made her way deeper into MacGillivray lands, the night getting blacker and blacker with every passing moment.
    Her head began to bob from exhaustion. She had been up at first light this morning, and it was very nearly the dead of night. The stars and moon did very little to penetrate the thick trees, and she guided her horse cautiously, praying she would not walk the mare into a hole with each step the horse took.
    Yawning, Jocelyn stretched and forced her drooping eyes open. Just a little longer and she would bed down until dawn. She wanted to get as much distance between her and her father before light. The closer she was to the nunnery in the morning, the better.
    Another twig snapped, and she looked around warily, ready to face another mountain lion. When nothing jumped out at her and she didn’t see anything, she relaxed a little in her saddle, which proved to be