The cold did more than nip at Elizabeth's nose. As the horses pulled the sleigh across the snow-covered ground, the cold slapped her solidly in the face and oozed through the blankets to chill her to the bone.
Her breath puffed out in white clouds and the snow muted all surrounding noise so all she could hear was the jingling of the horse's bridles and the sluice of the sled's skids across the icy snow.
The forest around her seemed silent as a tomb. There were no noises of animals or birds, all intelligent life forms were no doubt somewhere snug and warm.
Why had her father sent for her? She had been fine at home alone with the servants. Plenty of neighbors checked in on her regularly. She was in no danger. Why did he want her to come to him while he was attending one of the nobles in St. Petersburg?
The trip was long and fraught with danger. Brigands and thieves had free run of these woods. Elizabeth's toes curled in her boots from more than just the cold.
She kept telling herself she had no reason to fear. She was a simple doctor's daughter. There was no hope for ransom money or great windfalls of jewels or gold if she was kidnapped. She should be able to travel in perfect safety.
Except she did not feel safe.
Not with only the driver and one bodyguard to protect her.
Sighing, she tried to lean back in the seat and sleep.
A shout broke the silence and then the air was rent with a cacophony of noise. Screams, shouts, whinnying horses, stamping hooves, crunching snow, and breaking tree branches.
She didn't even have time to scream before the sled was surrounded by burly men on horseback, all of whom were heavily bundled in fur coats and hats. Each had a weapon, some swords and daggers, others pistols or rifles. Despite their overwhelming physical presence they seemed little more than a rag tag bunch of ruffians.
Her heart raced, beating furiously against her ribs. Casting a glance at the two men in the driver's seat, hoping against hope they were armed to the teeth and ready to defend her honor, she instead found them both sitting, hands in the air, surrendering to the raiding party.
All hope of her survival sank at that sight.
At their obvious victory, several of the men shouted and fired their guns into the sky. Giddiness passed through the group, which sent their horses prancing as their whooping laughter rose towards the sky.
Panic nearly driving her mad, Elizabeth was close to pitching herself out of the sled to make a run for it when suddenly the men calmed and several to her left coaxed their horses aside to let a man on horseback enter their circle.
At his appearance silence fell among the brigands and Elizabeth had no doubt that this newcomer was their leader.
Approaching the sled, he brought his horse to a halt and stared down at Elizabeth. Then reaching up, he pulled his fur hat and muffler off his head.
Elizabeth inhaled sharply. He was not what she expected. Young and handsome with light brown hair and clear blue eyes, he stared intently at her, he eyes hard and commanding. She shivered under that gaze and then with the slightest grin, those eyes twinkled momentarily, betraying to her a softness and kindness she doubted he showed his men.
Then the hard mask snapped back in place and whirling his horse around he shouted loud and clear for all to hear. "No one is to touch her. She's mine."
