Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
There could be only one person—Hedley.
He could have escaped during the fighting and now would see Lady Elizabeth and her dead, then leave for the Lowlands, but never make it there. Noble would surely hunt him down. She was thinking too far ahead. She had to concentrate on surviving and escape.
Simmons hurried them behind the keep and from there into the woods. It was a disheveled Lady Elizabeth they came upon and her troop of men and mercenaries.
“Forgive this foolish, old woman, Leora,” Lady Elizabeth begged. “I found that wealth truly can buy anything, and my wealth seems to have bought a mutiny.”
Simmons pushed Leora toward Lady Elizabeth and Novice Angelica was quick to stop her from stumbling, and they walked together to the elderly woman.
“Have done with it and let’s be on our way before the fighting ends,” Simmons called out, impatiently.
“I want my revenge and there is no revenge or pleasure in ending it fast.” Hedley stepped from behind a tree. “I want the old hag to suffer for what she’s put me through. I want her to watch her granddaughter die slowly from the wounds I intend to inflict on her before I take her own life.”
“And the novice?’ Simmons asked.
Hedley grinned. “She can entertain the men on our journey home.”
The men called out their pleasure at the news.
“Make jest all you will, for you will not be laughing when you reach the Lowlands and learn that Hedely will never get even a smidgen of my wealth,” Lady Elizabeth shouted.
“She lies!” Hedley yelled. “Lies are the only thing she has left, and they will not help her. “There’s no time to waste. We leave now and go deeper into the woods, but first—” Drawing his dagger from his belt, he walked toward Leora.
“Nay! Nay!” Lady Elizabeth cried out, hurrying to shield Leora.
Simmons shoved her away, Novice Angelica grabbing hold of her before she could take a tumble.
With nowhere to go, Leora stood her ground, ready to defend herself.
“Fearless, are you?” Hedley sneered.
“Will you be the same when you face my husband?” Leora challenged.
Hedley sliced her forearm quickly and the blood followed just as quickly. “I’ll do the arms first, though I am eager to start on your face. Bit by bit, you will lose your beauty.”
“How much of a coward are you that you wound my arms so I cannot defend myself against you?”
He raised his blade again, but this time Leora was quick and turned her face, the tip of his blade catching a small spot on her jaw near her ear.
“We’ll see how brave you are when I cut out your tongue,” he threatened and turned away from her. “We leave now. We have delayed long enough. Get them on horses.”
Noble watched his warriors finish off the last of the mercenaries and wondered why the other troop hadn’t attacked yet. Had Slayer’s warriors taken care of them? Were they no longer a threat? Whatever the reason, he still had to keep his clan prepared to continue fighting no matter how exhausted some were or how many wounds were suffered.
He glanced at the aftermath of battle. Many of the enemy lay dead, some wounded beyond help. Weapons littered the ground along with shields and the stench of battle itself stung the nostrils, an odor all too familiar to him.
He shouted orders for discarded weapons to be gathered and weapons taken off the dead bodies. Clansmen saw to it while his warriors needed no orders to remove the dead bodies so they would not prove hazardous during another round of battle, a chore they had grown accustomed to doing.
It was a scene that Noble had seen repeatedly after battle, but this time it was different. This time it was his home he was defending, his clan, his wife. That Leora was safe in the keep and would remain there until he came for her allowed him to fight without worry. He would love to go to her now and hug her tightly, if only for a few moments, and feel her love for him but with another attack possibly imminent, he could not take the chance.
He turned his head quickly, hearing something. Men on horses. But there had been no warning, no sound of a horn from those in their tree perches.
“Weapons!” he shouted, so all would be prepared, not sure if friend or foe approached.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and those with weapons raised them ready to fight and those without grabbed the nearest weapon bracing for another fight. Tension was taut and though fatigue could be seen on many faces, so could a fierceness to defend their home.
Weapons were soon lowered, and smiles broke out in relief when Ross and his men emerged from the woods and entered the village.
Noble didn’t smile. He saw the results of a hard-fought battle on Ross and his warriors. Dirt. Sweat. Blood. He surmised what had happened. They had run into the other troop of mercenaries.