Promises (An MM Fantasy Romance) by Mannino Julie

Author:Mannino, Julie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

They walked for another week. Levi found work a couple of more times, and Ephraim was grateful for the luck and the coin it brought. It helped to cover the cheap food they purchased, which meant they didn’t have to dig too deep into their savings either. They stayed at cheap inns a couple of times so they could have proper beds and baths.

Frankie didn’t need to be held at all anymore, and Ephraim felt that he was a bit stronger too. He and Levi took turns with the baby and the packs so neither had to carry more than the other over the course of a day.

Ephraim was beginning to feel that things would actually be okay in the long run. Of course, they still needed steady work and a place to live, but they’d manage.

If they stopped for a rest or to eat, they tried to go into the forest or a copse of trees if possible to be out of sight of the road. It also helped protect them from the wind, and Ephraim was concerned about the coming winter. It was October and quite chilly. It would only get worse the farther north they went.

They were eating lunch one day in the woods when they heard a twig crack somewhere off in the trees. Levi stiffened a bit, and so did Ephraim. Maybe it was just a hunter or something innocent. He scanned the trees, trying to see someone or something.

“Maybe it was an animal,” muttered Levi.

“Hmm.” Ephraim couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Frankie didn’t seem concerned, and Blossom seemed like she hadn’t heard a thing until a horse whinnied farther off. A second one did too, and it wasn’t long until two started coming through the sparse undergrowth.

Ephraim’s first instinct was to snatch the kids and run with Levi, but there was no way they could outrun a horse.

“Act calm," murmured Levi. "They might not be looking for us."

The two men wore leather armor and appeared rough. Ephraim kept his cloak hood up, hoping his red hair wasn’t showing. He tried to appear unconcerned as he took a bite of bread like he’d never done a thing wrong in his life.

“What are your names?” asked the man, pointing at Ephraim.

“James,” he fibbed. Considering they had so much time to talk while walking, they had made up a good story about their background. Frankie even knew to say Tommy if someone asked his name.

“And you?” the man asked Levi.

“Alfred.”

“I’m Tommy,” Frankie piped up without being asked.

“What are you doing?” asked the man.

“We’re traveling to Greffin,” said Levi. “We have cousins there.”

“Two men, a baby, and one little boy,” said the man, looking at his buddy. “Oh, and a goat. Pastor Johnson said the Hampins were missing a goat named Blossom.”

Blossom bleated as if to say that was her. Fear made it nearly impossible to swallow the small bite of bread Ephraim had.

“Her name is Apple, and we don’t know any Past-” Levi started.

“Cut the lies,” the man said as another came into view between the trees.

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