Prologue~Ch. 1~Ch. 2~Ch. 3~Ch. 4~Ch. 5~Ch. 6~Ch. 7~Ch. 8~Ch. 9~Ch. 10~Ch. 11~Ch. 12~Ch. 13~
Ch. 14~Ch. 15~Ch. 16~Ch. 17~Ch. 18~Ch. 19~Ch. 20~Ch. 21~Ch. 22~Ch. 23~Ch. 24~~Ch. 25~Ch. 26~
Ch. 27~Ch. 28~Ch. 29~Ch. 30~Ch. 31~Ch. 32~Ch. 33~Ch. 34~
Jessica, Gareth, and Alexandre stood hidden in the trees near the edge of the battlefield. To Jessica’s great relief Gareth had finally fallen silent – he’d been protesting her plan the entire way to their current vantage point.
For this occasion, Jessica was dressed to please herself: close-fitting leather breeches tucked into her boots – which were starting to look a little worse for wear, Jennifer was never going to forgive her, once she made it back home – a loose white shirt much like the one she’d been wearing when she arrived on the beach, and a leather jerkin over top of the shirt. The museum sword was in a plain looking sheath, belted around her waist.
“Are you sure about this?” Alexandre asked quietly.
She looked out across the expanse between them and the castle. The land was flat and barren of trees and shrubs – probably kept that way so that an enemy couldn’t sneak up on the castle – although the grass was churned up from the morning’s skirmish. The castle itself sat on a rise and looked like it came from a story book. She was a little disappointed there was no moat, but there was a high wall with seven towers behind it.
“I'm pretty sure,” she said dredging up a smile for him. She was having second thoughts, but there was no way she could admit it now, not when she'd been so adamant in the first place. “I’m just not sure how I’m supposed to get past that wall.”
There was an enormous main gate and a couple of smaller ones, but they were all shut tight.
Gareth cleared his throat, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
“What?” Jessica asked.
“There is a way,” he said hesitantly. “There be the tradesmen egress on the west side. Each trade hath its own access and the weaver’s gate is known to be . . . somewhat vulnerable as the weavers be lax in their vigilance.”
She looked to Alexandre for an interpretation.
“You can get in through the weaver’s gate, the lock is broken.”
“Oh, okay then.” She studied the map she’d had Gareth draw before they set out. He’d been appalled when he realized what she wanted it for. “Which of these towers did you say was the old wizard’s tower?”
There were seven towers, with a resigned sigh, Gareth pointed out the correct one. “’Tis unlikely the varlet will be within. The King ordered the tower sealed when the wizard Thackery was banished. I was but a lad at the time,” he added.
She smothered a smile at his sincere tone of voice. Giving her sword belt one last tug she said, “All righty then. I’ll be back before you know it.”
The squire and the minstrel looked on silently as she approached the edge of the battlefield. With only the slightest hesitation, she began picking her way across the churned up earth. She was no more than three feet across it when the monsters began to appear.
Gareth drew his sword, ready to hurry to her aid as a pair of ogres raced towards her. Alexandre laid a restraining hand on his arm. As the ogres approached, Jessica kept up her slow, steady pace towards the castle. Gareths’ jaw dropped open as he watched her make her way carefully towards the castle. The beasts raged around her, but she ignored them and after a few minutes they were started to ignore her as well.
He made the sign of the cross as she reached the castle wall and the creatures vanished again.
“I wonder if the beasts will reappear when she returns,” Alexandre said.
Gareth looked at him in shock. “After witnessing such a miracle, that is what thee wonders?”
“You speak as though you had doubts as to our lady’s abilities.” Alexandre tempered his teasing with a smile. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t had his own doubts, especially when he was watching Jessica’s small form pass amongst all those terrible monsters.
“My fear is not only for her safety in entering the castle,” Gareth said slowly. “Such a feat serves only to indicate what great power she holds. My fear is for what will happen once we have retaken the castle.”
“What do you mean?” Alexandre asked in surprise.
“Knowing how the king feels regarding wizards, I wonder at her welcome once she hast vanquished our foes.”
“I see your point.”
They watched as Jessica disappeared around the corner of the castle. All they could do now is wait for her return.
“Surely Ewan . . .” Alexandre began.
Gareth looked at him. “I have served my lord for three years now. Though I owe him my fealty I am not blind to his faults.”
A moment of understand passed between the two.
“Well then,” Alexandre said. “We’ll just have to be extra careful in guarding our lady.”
“Aye,” Gareth agreed.
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