Kara Griffin - The Pith Trilogy Read online

  Praise for Warrior’s Pledge

  “Ms Kara Griffin has written a wonderful story chock full of gallant knights, damsels in

  distress, and murderous villains. The story line is believable and logical. The pacing

  kept me enthralled throughout, and I cheered at the conclusion. I loved the surprises. It

  is a keeper.”

  Katherine L. Hunt

  Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

  Reviewer Coffee Time Romance

  * * *

  “WARRIOR’S PLEDGE is a touching story of two people who, after never having known love or happiness in their lives, learn to trust and to love, which in the end, gives them more happiness than they’d ever known existed. Don’t miss this touching tale. It is a definite keeper.”

  4 Hearts

  Reviewer: Karen H.

  The Romance Studio

  * * *

  “Warrior’s Pledge is definitely a book for any historical fan’s keeper shelf. It has been a long time since this reviewer has found a story to rival one from Julie Garwood or Teresa Medeiros, but Kara Griffin has done it!”

  Recommended Read – 5 Angels

  JoAnn

  Fallen Angel Reviews

  * * *

  Warrior’s Pledge

  In a time when a pledge means everything, a Highland warrior seeks justice. But he must put his quest for vengeance aside when a lovely lady asks for his help. Colin MacKinnon promises to protect Julianna and escort her to her friend’s home in Scotland. As her secrets unravel, Colin comes to care for her. There’s only one thing standing in his way—her companion, a man who aspires to be a wizard. Colin must perform a bit of magic of his own or possibly risk losing her.

  Julianna Bentley cannot reveal who she really is, lest it cause danger for all. Guarding her secrets and hiding in the Highlands is the only way to assure her safety. When a handsome laird offers his help, she takes him up on his offer. She must choose between them—the honorable laird or the misguided wizard. Julianna doesn’t believe in magic and her choice changes her life’s path forever.

  Warrior’s Pledge

  by

  Kara Griffin

  Warrior’s Pledge

  Warrior’s Pledge

  Copyright @ January 2011 by Kara Griffin

  This e-Book has been previously published.

  This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made of places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author’s imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

  This e-Book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction fines and/or imprisonment. This e-Book cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this e-Book can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the author.

  Published in the United States of America

  Second publishing January 2011, second edition.

  First publishing July 2005, first edition.

  Dedication

  Many thanks and friendship goes to Elly McClanahan, my very first writer

  friend with whom I shared a lot of struggles and accomplishments. Elly,

  without you this book would never have been published.

  Thanks also to my family, especially my daughters

  who persevered while I was writing this book.

  And to all the readers who read the first edition,

  and who kindly reached out to me.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Dover Castle, Royal Residence

  August 1200

  A loud clap of thunder awoke Julianna. Her eyes flew open in time to see the flickering light inside the chamber. Monsters.

  Being in the castle was fearsome enough without having a raging storm to make the shadows in the corners even scarier. Another flash came, causing her to pull the covers over her head. She pressed herself against the wall beside the large bed, hoping to hide from the horrible sounds. Brightness illuminated the chamber, but what scared her was the sound of the monsters growling. Thunder came every few seconds. She looked across the chamber to her protector, Bleeth, who slept beneath a cocoon of blankets.

  In a panicked whisper she called, “Alas! Bleeth, pray awake.”

  He didn’t budge and kept his eyes closed. With as much courage as she could muster, she decided she would go and nudge him, but she changed her mind when a monster shook the walls with his loud yell.

  She jumped when she heard Bleeth’s voice call out.

  “Julianna, ‘tis but a storm. Go back to sleep.”

  “I’m scared. I want mama.” Julianna hoped he’d get her. She didn’t want to have to find mama herself. Mama would hold and soothe her, only mama could make her feel safe.

  Thunder rumbled again. Heavy rain pelted the window casement, making sounds like the angels in heaven were clapping. At least that’s what mama always said it sounded like. Bleeth was no help, and so Julianna decided if she wanted her mama, she’d have to get her herself. The floor trembled when her feet touched the stone, scaring her into stillness. Another flash came and she stared through the window casement into the night. Monsters.

  Mist hung betwixt the trees and the eerie sight fueled her imagination. A steam-misted cloud formed into a serpent, its wide mouth could swallow her whole. With wide eyes, she decided to be brave.

  “Bleeth, I’m going to mama. There be monsters afoot.”

  “Go back to sleep, Julianna, you’re safe.” Bleeth leaned up from his pallet and reached for her hand, but she moved away before he could grab it. “I can send ye to your mama,” he said waving his hands in the air. “Be still.”

  “Nay!” If there was one thing that frightened her more than monsters, it was Bleeth’s attempt at magic. Julianna ran to the door, taking a quick glance at her bed. For a second, she almost changed her mind. She could hide beneath the blankets and be safe, couldn’t she? Instead, she slunk through the door with determined steps.

  “Come back here.” She heard Bleeth’s rambling. “She never listens.”

  Having arrived the day before, Julianna
wasn’t familiar with the castle. Down a long narrow corridor, the door to her mother’s rooms seemed far. She worried she couldn’t reach the door before the monsters got her. Her little feet patted across the cold cobbles. Golden-framed portraits glared from the walls above. Their eyes seemed to follow her, making her run faster. She reached the door and held the ornamental knob. To her relief the massive door opened. She was safe now that mama would hold her.

  “Mama,” she whispered, crossing the solar to the archway which led to the bed chamber.

  Something was wrong. Mama was sobbing.

  “I cannot believe you would make a cuckold of me. I never should have married ye. Who is he, one of the king’s knights?”

  Julianna heard her father’s harsh voice, but she couldn’t see him from where she stood. He sounded angry, but he always spoke harshly. Stealing into a darkened recess beside the archway, she watched in stunned silence. Cold tears trickled her cheeks when she saw her father’s hands clutch her mama’s neck. Her mama gasped for breath and struggled.

  “Mama!” she wailed. “Cease hurting Mama.”

  Her father’s angry face turned toward her. Julianna had to help mama, but she didn’t know how to stop his attack. She flung herself at him and the back of her father’s hand knocked her away. Her head struck the cobbled floor. Tears flowed and the blurred vision of her father’s face waved before her. Monster. Blackness took hold.

  Chapter One

  One word frees us of all the weight

  and pain of life: that word is love.

  -Sophocles

  Langton’s forest, England

  December 1212

  Magic is a fool’s deception. Julianna didn’t believe in magic, or at least, she hadn’t since she was very young. Then, she was willing to give into her childlike belief of fantasy and enchantment. She’d learned life held no enchantment and magic was for dreamers. If there was such a thing as magic, she would be the first to search out a wizard and beseech him to change her circumstance. She didn’t believe magic could change her situation. That dream ended a long time ago.

  Bleeth, her longtime friend, stood nearby. She rolled her eyes heavenward at his attempt. With his hands in the air, he waved them, chanting something under his breath.

  “What foolish spell are ye trying to weave now?” God help her if he actually did perform magic. She’d eat a full helping of bilberries, which she detested, if he did.

  They’d stopped to rest on their journey to her friend Sara’s wedding. Langdon’s holding was only a short distance away. But Julianna wanted to refresh herself and did so by the small stream they’d found during their ride. Bleeth stood beside a tree, watchful for any intruders. She dried her hands on a cloth and watched him with some amusement. With all the uncertainty of the future, she could always count on Bleeth to make her laugh. Bleeth had been a part of her life since the day she was born. If it wasn’t for him, she might not be able to face what was to come.

  “I shall do it this time, my lady. You’ll see.” He waved his hands in a faster motion, chanting in his native language—words she barely understood.

  “I say you should give it a rest, Bleeth.”

  He ignored her, continuing to try to cast some unfortunate spell. Her friend boasted he would one day be held in the same esteem as Merlin. Of course she considered Merlin to be a fable spoken of around the night fire. Besides, no one had ever proven his existence.

  Sticky from the midday heat, she washed away some of the travel dust. In her shift, she let the water cool her overheated body. Bleeth had always attended her when she dressed. She thought nothing of him seeing her body and never felt awkward in his presence. He’d been put in charge of seeing to her protection and was never far from her when she was at home.

  “We’ll reach Sara’s soon. I cannot wait to see her. The last time I did, we were at the convent and Mother Superior punished us for sleeping late. That was the day Sara was sent home.”

  Bleeth looked up to see her sliding her gown over her shoulders. She wondered why he looked cross.

  “Do ye have any modesty, Juliann? Must ye dress so openly? I’m only a man with so little willpower.”

  She thought he was jesting and so she didn’t react as she should have. “As if ye haven’t seen my body before. If you’re unable to withstand your willpower, I suggest ye look away.”

  He turned his back to her. “When a woman uncovers herself, a man has no means but to look. Are ye almost ready? We’ve stayed overlong here.”

  Julianna began collecting her belongings. She set them inside her satchel and reached for her slippers. “I’m ready. I wonder how Sara is doing. She hardly wrote and the last letter only conveyed that she was to be married. I miss her, Bleeth.”

  “I know ye do. You should be happy that you are able to attend her wedding.”

  “It was fortunate I’d been visiting Aunty when I received her missive. I will be happy to see her again. Attending Sara’s wedding reminds me of the betrothal my father is sure to…”

  “There is time aplenty before he does. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  “That is verily true. You won’t be saddled with a monster like him. I cannot stop thinking about that night. I know what I saw.” The awful vision of that night was inescapable. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her father’s hands closing around her mama’s neck. She’d been too small to come to her mother’s aid, too young to protect herself when her father struck her. If only she’d not hit her head, she might have known the truth.

  “I should have gone with ye to her rooms.” Bleeth turned back around and took her satchel.

  Julianna knew Bleeth blamed himself. “You were a child then, Bleeth. There’s no way you could have known what was happening.”

  “I was indebted to your mother for saving me. I vowed to stay with her in repayment. She was kind and even encouraged me to try my magic. I never believed her when she voiced her concerns. She knew what was going to happen. I should have protected her.”

  She subdued a sigh, not wanting her heart to relive the pain. This day was a day for celebration not of remembrance. Still, she found it difficult to keep the memories at bay.

  “Not a day goes by that I don’t see it in my mind. I remember the trepidation in mama’s eyes when she looked at me. She was so afeard.”

  “I did it!” Bleeth shouted, turning to show her his fete.

  Julianna tried to hide her sadness. There was no way to prove the monster killed her mother. Her hope to bring him to justice was a long-lost dream. Now her worry turned to her own demise—the day her father would settling a contract for her marriage. Until then, there wasn’t much she could do about it. Yet there was no putting it from her mind. She had to accept the fact that one day she would belong to a monster, a man likely as wretched as her father.

  “Look, my lady, I turned a leaf into a butterfly. My magic grows stronger.”

  She scoffed. “Ye did not. The butterfly landed there when you closed your eyes.” She laughed at his disheartened look. “Come, we should be on our way. I want to see Sara.”

  Bleeth caught the butterfly and studied it for a moment before releasing it. “Do ye not think ‘tis curious to see a butterfly in winter?”

  “It is nature’s mystery. There’s no magic about it. ‘Tis but a leftover insect which has yet to die.” She squinted and noticed the butterfly disappeared into thin air. He must have used trickery because she didn’t believe in magic.

  Bleeth swaggered to their horses and tied her satchel onto her horse. Even if she disbelieved in his magic, he never ceased trying.

  “I know you’re troubled, but ye must find the letters your mother hid in your chamber. Mayhap the king will believe—”

  “The king will never help me. I cannot go to him, Bleeth. My father is well liked by the king and why should he not be? He’s given his service and the king feels guilty for my mother’s death, because it happened within his own castle.”

  “Mahap so. I know the th
ought of going to him scares you, Julianna, but he might be the answer. Let’s get going. I wonder if Sara will remember me?”

  She smiled. “How could she not when ye turned her face that ugly shade of blue? Promise me, no magic, Bleeth. I will not have my friend’s wedding ruined because of your …” She was about to say ineptness, but knew it would hurt his feelings. “… skill.” She’d found the woad leaves Bleeth had put in Sara’s basin that day which tainted her skin the horrid blue color. If he thought his trick would convince her of magic, he was sadly mistaken. She’d always been able to prove him wrong.

  “I promise. Does that make ye happy?”

  Turning a brilliant smile, she nodded. “Don’t be surly. You can practice again when ye return home.” She patted his arm affectionately, hoping to ease his disgruntlement.

  Back on her horse, she rode along silently, keeping the wayward thoughts of the past to herself. After another hour’s ride, the Langton holding appeared. From the many horses approaching, and the amount of people entering the gate, many guests had come for the wedding. Sara had written that it would be a lavish affair in honor of her marriage to the Highlander, Steven KirkConnell. From the description in her letter, Sara seemed pleased with the union.

  Julianna dismounted and handed the reins to Bleeth. She spotted Sara meeting guests at the entrance of her father’s keep. In her excitement, Sara ran in her haste to hug her.

  “I have missed ye. I’m so happy you’re here.” Sara looked beyond Julianna’s shoulder and laughed. “Oh nay, you brought Bleeth. Is he still doing magic? Nay, don’t tell me, I suppose I shall find out.”

  With a wave to Bleeth, she followed Sara into the great hall. She was perfectly at ease, as often as she’d visited Sara’s home during holidays. When she didn’t visit Sara, she went to her Aunt Mathilda and Uncle Walden’s home. The thought of her dearest relatives made her homesick for a visit. If she wasn’t able to avoid going home, she might have stopped for a visit on her way back to the convent.