“Of course.”
Still, they stared at each other. Still, he held her in his arms.
Shouts split the air, coming from the front of the church.
Valten set her on her feet, grabbed her hand, and started running toward the trees.
Chapter
29
Gisela ran as fast as she could, tree limbs slapping her in the face and snatching at her clothes. Suddenly, her foot sank into a hole, her ankle twisting painfully, and she went down.
Valten knelt at her side.
“I’m sorry. I stepped in a hole.”
“Can you walk?”
“I don’t know.”
Valten helped her up, holding her under her arms. She put weight on her left foot and gasped. “I think I can —” She took a step and bit her lip at the pain.
Valten swept her up in his arms and started walking.
“You can’t carry me.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Where are we going?”
“I want to get you far enough away from the church so that Ruexner won’t see you. Then I’m going back for my horse.”
“Do you think they know we escaped?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, as if he was listening. Then he turned around and started walking back toward the church.
“What?”
“I thought I heard the captain of the guard.”
Whose guard? Gisela wanted to ask, but kept quiet so he could hear.
As he continued to walk toward the church, Gisela watched his face for signs of what he was thinking.
Valten gazed through the trees. Men rushed around, and Gisela thought she recognized the Gerstenberg colors.
Valten set her on her feet beside a tree.
“Where are you going?”
“My men and Ruexner’s are fighting. They must have found us somehow.”
“But you don’t have a sword!”
“I’ll find one.”
Gisela held on to his arm. “Don’t! Please don’t leave me!” If she had to pretend to be fearful to keep him safe, she would do it.
Valten looked out at the fighting men while Gisela kept hold of him with both hands. He turned to her. “I must go help my men.” He pried her fingers off his arm in a moment, as if her strength was nothing.
“No!”
Her voice had no effect as he ran away from her and into the melee.
Gisela left her place at the tree and hobbled closer, until she was standing at the edge of the woods and could see the men battling in the grassy courtyard of the church. Friar Daniel stood on the outskirts, at odds with the swarm of fighting men in his brown robe, his eyes and hands lifted in prayer.
She quickly spotted Valten. He had apparently found a sword and was taking on two men at once. And then one of his men came to his aid and started fighting the extra opponent. Valten quickly divested his adversary of his sword and sent him to stand with several of Ruexner’s men who had lost their weapons and were being guarded by two of the Hagenheim knights.
Duke Wilhelm was also among the men from Hagenheim. He defeated his challengers almost as efficiently as did Valten. Most of Ruexner’s men went down easily to Duke Wilhelm’s well-trained knights and soldiers. It was clear Ruexner was outmatched, with less than half of Ruexner’s men still fighting. Soon, the few that had not been captured surrendered — everyone except Ruexner.
Ruexner battled his way to Valten and raised his sword in a massive arc, aiming for Valten’s head. Valten blocked the blow, and Ruexner retreated.
“Surrender, Ruexner!” Duke Wilhelm shouted.
But Ruexner continued fighting, roaring with each blow he inflicted.
Valten was obviously tired. He was fighting with a broken hand, a broken rib, and little sleep. But Ruexner was also injured, since Valten had stabbed both his sides with his sword in the tournament, and Ruexner had gone without sleep just as Valten had. But Ruexner seemed to fight with an unearthly strength, as though his rage was driving him.
Valten’s sword suddenly seemed to take on new life. He took the offensive and struck with new speed and force. He came at Ruexner with blow after blow at a rapid pace, forcing Ruexner to retreat, until he was bent backward over the front steps of the church.
“Surrender to me!” Valten yelled.
Ruexner said nothing, only growled and tried to kick Valten’s feet out from under him. Valten sidestepped and slammed his sword into Ruexner’s so hard that the weapon went flying, landing harmlessly on the stone steps several feet away.
Valten pressed the point against Ruexner’s chest, over his heart. “Tie him up!” Valten yelled. “He has harassed my betrothed and showed himself unworthy to be called a knight of the Holy Roman Empire.”