“If you’re unwilling to confront the truth and tolerate only what titillates your ears, then you’re indeed a coward.” His rebuke was firm and stole my response, leaving me speechless.
We rode silently as we approached the woodlands. I didn’t relax back into him, and he didn’t attempt to persuade me to—although part of me wished he’d apologize and endeavor to regain my favor so we could resume our camaraderie.
Instead, his body tensed. With each step we drew nearer to Bevins of Lowdown, his muscles flexed into rigid bands. A glance at him over my shoulder revealed a clenched jaw, tight set of his lips, and eyes narrowed upon the dogwood bushes.
He didn’t say anything, but he’d likely sensed danger and was on high alert.
I surveyed the thick growth, the hawthorn flowers in bloom, their speckled white a contrast to the lush green. The blood-red of the honeysuckle spread in thick profusion too and would have been a pretty sight had not Sir Aldric been so tense.
He reined his steed, which snorted a hard exhale as though asking what was wrong. Sir Aldric lifted a cautioning hand to the knights behind him, and they fell silent so that the wind whistling through the gorse was a soft, sad song around us.
“My lady.” Sir Aldric spoke close to my ear. “I task you with keeping your sister safe alongside Sir Darien.”
“Safe?” I didn’t resist as he lowered me to the ground.
Before he could answer, a cry came from one of the knights to our left. “Be alert! Incoming arrow!”
I ducked at the same time that Sir Aldric veered his horse sideways to act as a shield. I couldn’t see where the arrow struck or if it hit anyone since the knights were suddenly a hive of action, preparing themselves for battle by donning their helmets and retrieving their shields. None were attired in full plate armor, but rather wore their long hauberks made of chain mail.
“Go now, my lady,” Sir Aldric said more urgently. “Stay at the back of the fighting line with Sir Darien.”
Already his sights were trained on a fresh volley of arrows flying in high arcs from the direction of the dogwoods.
I hurried away from the danger determined to keep Izzy out of harm’s way. Dodging the knights who were spurring their horses into action, I searched frantically for my sister, finally spotting her with Sir Darien on their steeds near the supply wagons.
“Izzy!” I shouted as I wove around a wagon only to almost collide with a knight racing to the front line. Distant shouts drew closer, as the attackers poured from the forest and raced toward us. I attempted to gauge who the enemy was by the coat of arms on their attire. But from my glimpses of the men coming toward us, I saw no emblem or anything else that might indicate if they’d been sent by my father to rescue Izzy and me.
For all I knew, they were bandits who lived in the woodland and preyed upon travelers. Perhaps they’d taken stock of the wagonloads of goods and thought they could steal from Sir Aldric.
Whatever the case, I didn’t wait to discover if the attackers were friend or foe. I simply had one mission and that was to shield Izzy from further distress.
Sir Darien had dismounted and was in the process of aiding Izzy from her mare when I rushed up to them. “We need to find a safe place to hide,” I said.
Izzy’s pale face was even whiter and her eyes wide with fright. She looked to Sir Darien for his guidance, clearly trusting that he’d find a way to protect us.
As Sir Darien gently lowered her to the ground, he scoured the chaos around us. “Over there.” He pointed to a thick clump of gorse a short distance off to the side. “You’ll be out of the thick of the battle there.”
Holding his shield in front of us, he escorted us to the secluded spot. “Stay low,” he warned, as he crouched beside us.
At the shouts and clashing of swords, I placed my arm around Izzy and huddled together, covering her body with mine. I wished I had my armor and would have felt more confident having a sword in hand.
We knelt low, attempting to keep out of sight. At a clanking, Sir Darien rose just slightly, only to have the hilt of a sword slam down onto his mail hood with a force that crumpled him to the ground.
I gasped and lunged after his sword, which had fallen a few feet away. But before I could grab it, a warrior in a peasant’s cloak landed upon the sword in a lithe crouch. The move was familiar, one I’d been trained to perform.
My heart gave an irregular thump.
Even before the warrior pushed aside his hood, I saw the dark skin.
“Cecil?” I whispered as excitement renewed my strength and courage. My father had sent a rescue party just as I’d known he would.
He pressed a finger against his lips, his dark eyes assessing first me and then Izzy. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he shoved something into my hands. His gaze held mine for a long moment and filled with apology.
He rose halfway, looking again in the direction of the fighting. He tugged his hood back over his thin face and concealed his hands in the sleeves of his cloak. Then he darted away.
I moved to follow him, intending to drag Izzy along. But Cecil cast me a final glance, one that bid me to stay before he sprinted in the direction of the woods.
“Stop!” came Sir Aldric’s command. I could see him running in our direction. He hesitated as if he would chase after Cecil, but then he continued charging toward us.
Dare I race after Cecil and attempt to outrun Sir Aldric? If I’d been alone without Izzy, I might have tried the feat. But even then, I would have risked capture. Besides, Cecil had clearly indicated that I should stay, that I wasn’t to follow him.
I glanced down at the item he’d pressed into my hand. It appeared to be a small rolled parchment. A note.
“My lady,” Aldric called as he drew near, his handsome face a mask of concern. “Are you harmed?”
I slid the secret note out of sight through the slit of my skirt and into the pouch underneath that served as a pocket. I had no time to read it now with Sir Aldric upon us.
“We have suffered no ill,” I responded as I clutched Izzy’s hand and squeezed a warning. I prayed she would understand that we needed to keep Cecil’s identity a secret. “But I fear Sir Darien did not fare as well.”
“I saw him fall and came as fast as I could,” Aldric said breathlessly, his sword drawn, his sights fixed upon Cecil who had reached the edge of the woods and disappeared into the thick growth. Cecil was well covered, his dark skin hidden. Even so, did Aldric recognize him?
A shrill whistle pierced the air, and the attackers began to retreat into the forest.
Sir Darien tossed his head and groaned.
Izzy broke away from me and crawled to his side.
“Stay here until I return for you,” Aldric said tersely. He didn’t wait for my reply but instead commanded his troops to pursue the attackers. With sword pointed in the direction of the forest, he charged after the retreating enemy.
My heart thudded a strange dread as I watched him surge to the front of his men and lead the pursuit. I tried to tell myself I was only worried about Cecil, that I didn’t want anyone to discover his presence or to capture him. But my sights stayed upon Aldric until the forest swallowed him from view, and I had to admit I didn’t want any harm to befall him either.
I stared at the woodland in the place he’d disappeared. Part of me knew I needed to make my escape with Izzy now while Aldric and most of the other knights were gone. Sir Darien was moaning and beginning to revive, but not coherent enough to stop us.
And yet, I hesitated. Cecil had bid me to stay. He could have helped us get away if that’s what he’d intended.
The secret note in my pocket beckoned to me. With a sweeping glance to make sure no one was paying attention to me, I slipped my hand into my pocket and retrieved the rolled parchment. I slit the wax seal, noting it belonged to my father. Then I unrolled the paper to reveal his scrawling handwriting.