that she'd been forced to walk back to the castle naked, dragging her unconscious husband on the makeshift litter. Now she was standing bare-arsed in the bushes.
"Wait here."
She glanced around sharply at that whisper to see Balan already moving away. Holding her breath, she watched him slink along the edge of the clearing, sometimes crouching behind trees, sometimes crawling behind bushes and once running from one tree trunk to another; but finally he made it to the tree where their clothes were. He paused behind the trunk, peered around at his men, and then, assured that they weren't looking, ducked quickly out to snatch up the pile of clothes and hurry back behind the tree.
Balan did not return at once but dressed very quickly, tugging on his doublet and then his leggings and tying them up before donning his boots. Then he paused and glanced toward Murie, and glanced toward the clearing and frowned. His expression made her examine the two men in the clearing as well, and she bit her lip when she saw that they were now facing the direction of the tree. There was no way Balan could sneak back without being seen.
Biting her lip, she glanced at her husband. The moment she did, he laid the clothes on the ground behind the tree, then straightened, pointed at his chest, then toward the two men in the clearing, then to her and finally at the clothes.
Murie didn't have a clue as to what he was trying to pantomime, but she didn't get a chance to clarify; Balan was already moving into the clearing.
"My lord!" Erol cried happily. "You are well!"
"Aye." Balan smiled as if he didn't have a care in the world. It was only then that Murie became aware that his doublet was tucked into the back of his leggings. Groaning inwardly, she closed her eyes.
"My wife. . . will be along soon."
Murie's eyes popped open as Balan almost shouted that comment, and she peered out into the clearing to see that he'd moved past Erol and Godart, forcing them to maneuver their horses around to face him. Their backs were now to the part of the clearing where she was. Her gaze slid to Balan again, and he gestured for her to get moving and dress. She suspected he'd done it once already, and only said "wife" so emphatically when he'd realized she wasn't paying attention.
Murie began to move along the edge of the clearing, crouching here and crawling there as he'd done. This seemed to annoy her husband, however, and she noticed his hand gesturing impatiently for her to get a move on. He was doing his best to distract the men, and so it was probably safe to run straight over, naked as she was - but what if one of the men glanced over his shoulder?
"Is there something wrong with your hand, my lord?" Godart asked. "You keep flicking it about."
"Nay," Balan growled, and flicked it impatiently again. Sighing, Murie gave up her crawling and made a straight run for the clothes. She'd nearly reached them when the sound of more hoofbeats sounded. Biting back a squeal of alarm, she dove for the clothes and rolled behind a tree just as Anselm rode into the clearing.
Murie listened absently to the men talk as she dressed, but she wasn't really paying attention. The moment she had her gown and surcoat on, she paused to run her fingers quickly through her hair. Then she tried for a serene expression and walked out of the woods just as Osgoode rode into the clearing with Balan's horse behind him.
"Thank you, cousin," Balan said, moving to take the reins and tie the animal to the exact same tree he'd tied him to earlier. He turned back and spotted Murie standing uncertainly on the edge of the clearing and immediately walked to her side. Osgoode dismounted.
"Oh, my lady!" Anselm smiled at her. "We were just telling his lordship that we became quite worried when the two of you did not return before the storm and set out to find you once it ended. He explained that you took cover under a tree and waited it out."
"Aye." Murie managed a smile, leaning weakly against her husband's side.
A distant shout made them all glance toward the woods, and Anselm frowned. "I should go round up the others and tell them you are both found and well."
"Aye," Balan said agreeably.
The man-at-arms glanced to Erol and Godart, and gave them meaningful looks.