"We don't like how he uses his lands and people," Sebastian added grumpily.
"He took our loved ones' lives," Dave said. "My father and Jeff's brother."
"To be completely honest, David is a poacher and so was his father," Brendan told Randy. "Sebastian's mistake was trying to save his cousin from hanging." He pointed at David to show her who he was talking about.
"And Jeff's brother died in a brawl with the garrison, that's why he didn't trust the two of you at first," Dave said. "So? We hate the Duke and we united against him."
"He gets all the women first," Mark said. He used to be Lord Donovan's captain of the guard, until his lord had abused his power. "So we got tired of serving him and left. Well, we were all ready to be hanged, except Brendan who took us out of the dungeon."
"And what did he do to you to turn you into an outlaw?" she asked Brendan with an amused smile on her face.
"He wanted to hang my best friend and other people from the village. If I hadn't been able to save him, I'd probably have died in trying to avenge him."
"Oh. So now you're here, five of you, no women, no home, no nothing more than ever before..."
Jeff got off the horse and joined them again.
"I got a girlfriend, actually. But they don't," he said.
"We have many," Sebastian retorted. "And now there's Randy."
"Forget it, Randy is out of the question," she snapped.
"Besides, she looks like a man!" Dave teased.
"That's the point," she replied. "Forget I was born female and we'll get along fine."
"We don't need another man," Mark said warily. She might look like a warrior woman, but she hadn't said where she came from. What if she was a mercenary who sold them to Lord Donovan? Brendan had taken her to the shelter, they should probably move now. As soon as they got rid of her.
"I can shoot better than any of you," she said, looking him in the eyes. "I'm a talented mercenary and a full warrior. If you're all former peasants, you badly need someone like me."
"Yeah, right, a woman!" Sebastian teased.
"I'm in debt to her and we could use another bowman," Brendan said. "I can't shoot right now..."
"If she's that good, she wants money, and we can't pay her. Lord Donovan can," Mark replied, still staring at her. He wasn't going to tell her he used to be a soldier too. Let her think he was just a peasant.
"I don't want money from you," she said, standing defiantly in front of him. "I ask money only from rich people who hire me."
"She can stay only if she shoots better than me," Sebastian said.
He shot one of his arrows towards the farthest tree. Randy took her bow and shot her arrow near Sebastian's and in quick succession a second arrow that made Sebastian's fall to the ground.
"Anyone else wants to try my sword skills?" she asked, one fist on her hip, challenging each and every one of them.
Sebastian and Jeffrey gaped, Dave and Brendan looked impressed.
"You can stay," Mark said bluntly. He wasn't going to show off his skills to a stranger who still had to prove she was on their side.
3.
Brendan found Mark seated on a rock, lost in thought. The forest around them was quiet, since the birds were out feeding. Only the gurgle of a nearby stream ruined the silence of the small clearing not too far from the shelter. In the direction of the castle, not the village.
Brendan sat next to Mark and noticed the top of a tower of Lovenback could be seen beyond the top of the trees. Arching his eyebrows, Brendan elbowed his friend.
"What's going on, Mark?"
Startled, Mark focused on him and sighed.
"The Duke is going to marry his cousin," he said gloomily.
"That's what nobles usually do," Brendan commented. "They breed among themselves."
"But I don't want her to be his bride!" Mark complained.
"Mark!" Brendan rolled his eyes. "You saw her once!"
"I talked to her once," Mark said. "But I saw her many times."
"Ah, so that's why you were so willing to spy on our lord in his own castle, lately," Brendan said, amused.
Five days since the carriage with the blonde lady had reached Lovenback and Mark was still smitten. True that Lady Eleonor was much more beautiful than Marion, too much, even, for someone like Brendan, or even Mark, to think about.
She was a noble woman. If Marion, who was but a commoner, had preferred the Duke's bed to Mark's arms, what chances had Mark of seducing a lady?
"Yeah, well, I did that too," Mark grumbled, lowering his eyes.
"And what would you do about the wedding?" Brendan asked. "She'd never follow you in the woods."
"I could ask her, though." Mark stared defiantly at him.
"Mark, she's a noble and we sleep in a cave," Brendan reminded him.
"When she refuses, I can forget her."
Brendan sighed. Mark had it really bad. He'd fallen in love at first sight with the beautiful cousin of Lord Donovan...
"As you wish. But don't put yourself in trouble. And don't blame yourself if she prefers the Duke."
"She's not like Marion." Mark frowned at the mention of the girl who had shunned him to warm the Duke's bed instead.
"Well, the Duke is still richer than you," Brendan said.
"We'll see. I'll go to the castle and ask her."
***
Mark entered Lovenback Castle with the blacksmith. He kept his hood up until he was inside the building and found his way through deserted corridors. He knew the whole compound very well, having been a guard for three years before the old captain retired, giving him his place.
Marion had lived at the castle as well, in the servants' quarters. She was a washerwoman who occasionally served her lord's table during banquets. He'd met her as captain a year earlier and she'd smiled at him, only to shun him when the Duke had made his move.
Mark often thought Lord Donovan was jealous of him and that was why he'd stolen his girlfriend.
Mark went directly to the noble floor, avoiding contact with the servants. At that time of the day they were all busy with their chores, but he'd rather not bump into Marion or anyone else. A guard saw him nevertheless.
"Hey, you!"
Mark ran away.
"Stop! Where are you going?"
Mark found a door to a room open and rushed inside, startling Eleonor and Gwen, and closing the door behind him. He leaned on the door, still panting, unable to keep his eyes off of the blonde lady seated by the window with an embroidery and her lady-in-waiting.
The guard pounded on the door. "My lady!"
Mark slid against the wall so that the door itself would cover him if opened.
"Yes?" Eleonor answered promptly.
The guard half opened the door for a quick check.
"I'm sorry, my lady, we have an intruder in the castle, I thought he might have hidden here."
"We haven't seen anybody," Eleonor answered regally.
"Thank you, my lady. Lock your door for safety."
Gwen rose to lock the door that the guard closed.
Mark released his breath and walked to the beautiful lady, while Gwen stayed away with a knowing smile.
"Thank you, my lady," he said, bowing to her. "You could have given me away."
"I didn't do it the first time we met either," Eleonor answered.
"I'm an outlaw. You don't know me. I could hurt you."
"I don't think so. What are you doing here? It's a dangerous place for you."
"I was looking for you." Mark sat on the stone bench next to her, looking her in the eyes. "I heard you're getting married."
"I've been proposed to, yes. But I don't like the bridegroom."
"What's the alternative?" he asked.
"A monastery." She looked away. "I should have considered it as first option."
"Oh, no! They'd cut your beautiful hair!" He couldn't refrain from touching her blonde braid. "And they'll dress you in grey, hiding your absolute beauty..." He caressed her neck a
nd shoulder. "You don't need a monastery to get closer to the gods, my lady, stay in the world with us mere mortals!"
Her smile was bitter. "I have no choice, Mark."
"You could come with me." He straightened his back, keeping his hands in his lap. He'd been bold enough already. Even though he wished to take her in his arms and kiss her blind, he wasn't going to do it against her will. "I can't give you much, just a cave in the forest and my arms to keep you warm..."
"You shouldn't talk to me like this." She looked outside of the window with a smile lingering on her lips. "I saw you only once before..."
"I saw you many times since that day, even in the company of your cousin. You don't like him, and it shows."
She stared at him, amused. "Still, why should I follow you?"
"You're not the kind of woman looking for a rich husband – you want love, and my heart is pure and burns for you."
Again she looked away, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. But she was still smiling.
"If your cousin won't let you join that monastery, my offer is still valid," he said, rising. She obviously needed time and he wasn't going to rush her. "I'll wait for you at the stables tomorrow night. Fare well, my lady. Hope to see you again real soon."
He went to check that the corridor was empty and left with a last glance at the beautiful lady. His heart beat faster as he exited the building by a back door. He looked forward to tomorrow night.
***
Another dinner alone with Donovan. After Mark's visit, Eleonor had lost all appetite. Gwen, the voice of reason as usual, had said she shouldn't even think about Mark – an outlaw who might be after her castle and dowry – but she really wanted to go with him.
The empty great hall would soon fill with guests if she agreed to the wedding. Glancing at her cousin's confident stance, she couldn't bear the thought of spending the rest of her life with Donovan. She must find the courage to speak her mind.
She cleared her throat.
"I thought about it, cousin. I don't want to get married. I'll retire to a monastery and spend the rest of my life in prayer. I feel I must have done great wrong to lose both my parents so early in life, and therefore I shall atone with the nuns of Gaia, the Goddess of Life and Fertility, near Xendaria."
"Forget it, Eleonor," Donovan snapped. "Monastic life would be a waste, and atoning non-existent sins won't give you any satisfaction."
"But I..."
"The best thing for you is to marry me, sweetheart. I'll take care of you for the rest of your life," he continued more gently.
She pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to hide her anger.
"As you wish," she grumbled. But she wasn't going to obey. Not this time.
As soon as she could, she left the great hall with the most dignity she could gather, then stormed to her room, followed by a worried Rowan, who always stood in a corner of the great hall when she was with Donovan. Gwen looked up from a manuscript, surprised.
"Prepare our things, Gwen, we leave tonight," Eleonor said, determined. Tonight Mark would take her away from her cousin's castle, and she'd live happily ever after.
"Light luggage, my lady?" Gwen asked, rising promptly and not really surprised. Eleonor had told her that she'd ask Donovan to go to a monastery.
"A cloak and a gown will be enough." Eleonor huffed, looking around the guest room.
"I'll pack the jewels as well," Gwen said.
"Only the ones I brought with me!" Eleonor replied. "I don't want my cousin's gifts."
"You'll need all the money you can get, my lady," Gwen chided. "I'll sell them for you if you don't want to keep them."
"Right. Thanks, Gwen, you're right."
"Where are we going, my lady?" Rowan asked shyly.
Eleonor turned to him and stared at his boyish face.
"You're not coming, Rowan dear," she said, stepping forward to stand in front of him. "You will stay here and finish your education with the Duke of Lovenback, since he agreed to take you on as a squire and train you to be a knight."
"But my lady..." he protested, dismayed.
"I trust you'll keep an eye on my cousin for me," she continued. "This time you can't come with me."
Rowan nodded, but she could tell he wasn't happy and wanted to keep objecting. But he was a dutiful page, and he'd obey.
***
Brendan and Mark waited in the darkness behind the stables.
"She won't come," Brendan whispered.
"You can leave if you want," Mark snapped in a low voice. "I'll wait until dawn."
Brendan scoffed.
"Yeah, so the nightwatch can get you. Or do you think Donovan has forgotten?"
Mark glared at him. "None of us has forgotten. Shut up."
They heard footsteps approaching and moved through the shadows until they saw two female shapes entering the stables.
Eleonor looked worried.
"Sorry for being late, but my cousin paid me a visit after dinner to remind me of the advantages of marrying him," she apologized.
"We'll talk about it later, let's go," Brendan said.
He led them to the castle gate that stood open in spite of the late hour since there were no dangers around. Theodore didn't think the archers would attack the castle, so he couldn't be bothered with closing the gate. And Lord Donovan was too full of himself to even consider them a real threat to his authority.
They slipped out under the nose of the night sentinels and headed for the forest. Brendan led Gwen and Mark Eleonor. They knew the woods so well they didn't need torches or candles to find the way back to the shelter.
A bonfire sparkled in the clearing, and Sebastian, Jeffrey and Randy were all out, waiting for them.
"Is Dave on duty?" Brendan asked.
"Yeah, even though we don't know what for. They're not coming for us at night."
"And they like to leave the castle gate open." Mark smirked.
"Donovan has lost his best men," Jeffrey said with a smile.
Mark showed Eleonor to the cave, followed by Gwen and the others. Inside, torches lit the cave that was big enough to put beds in the sleeping quarters. There was a fireplace in a ventilated corner and even a table with two benches. Blankets and cooking tools, and an armory of arrows of all colors and unstringed bows.
"That's all I can offer you, my lady," Mark said, waving at their meager possessions.
"It will do. Thank you, Mark."
He bowed and showed her a bed separated by a curtain from the rest. Eleonor and Gwen retired there to sleep, looking satisfied.
Mark met Brendan's eyes. His friend looked skeptical. Sebastian had his usual impish smile. Jeffrey was yawning and Randy seemed thoughtful.
"What?" Mark glared at Brendan.
"Nothing. Let's get some sleep..."
4.
"You should move to the female quarters now that we have them," Sebastian told Randy in the morning as they had breakfast around the table.
Jeffrey had woken up early as usual and gone to the village to get fresh food before the Lovenback guards rose from their slumber. Gwen and Eleonor sat with the archers but were very quiet, observing them.
Randy glared at Sebastian. "I don't want to mix with princesses."
"Gwen isn't a princess."
"I'm not a maid either. I'm a free woman."
"Still, you're a woman."
"Enough, Seb, leave her alone," Brendan said, rolling his eyes.
Mark and Eleonor rose and slowly walked towards the exit, oblivious of the rest of the world. Brendan frowned, but Sebastian scoffed.
"May I ask a question?" Randy said, her stare following the departing couple. "What's so special about that kind of woman? They look pretty dumb to me... I feel like slapping them as soon as they open their mouths!"
Gwen smiled but didn't say anything.
"That's why there's an abyss between you and her," Sebastian said. "You don't even look like a woman!"
"Then I don't belong into the Women's quarters," she ret
orted.
"Lady Eleonor is very beautiful," Jeffrey said respectfully.
"Is that all?" Randy asked him, skeptical. "A pretty face, a generous bosom and that's it?"
"Not for everyone," Brendan said. "Besides, men can be of very different kinds too."
"Yes, like Brendan and Lord Donovan." Sebastian chuckled.
"One has the beauty, the other has power," Jeffrey added. "Calls for different kinds of women."
"And Brendan is considered beautiful and dumb," Dave concluded, smiling fondly at Brendan who was only mildly irritated by the discussion.
He was worrying for Mark, at the moment. His friend was too obviously smitten by Lady Eleonor. But then, she looked as smitten as he was, so maybe he would live happily ever after this time.
Brendan shrugged and looked at Randy. "Why are you so worried by Lady Eleonor's charm?"
"I wouldn't want to see Mark in such a state for that empty beauty," she answered. "I hate men who lose their heads for that kind of woman."
"You're envious," Sebastian said.
"Shut up, boy!" she snapped. "Are you still mad at me because I slapped you instead of letting you have your way?"
"Seb is used to getting slapped," Dave said. "I'm sure you'd slap anyone who tries something with you anyway."
"You bet. I don't think you guys have time for romance if you want to get rid of your lord. Especially not with someone who is related to him."
"Lady Eleonor doesn't like her cousin," Gwen said.
"Who does?" Randy scoffed. "Haven't met him, but haven't found anyone who likes him so far!"
"What are you doing here?" Gwen asked her. "How did you join them?"
"I was wounded by one of the Duke's men," Brendan said. "I can't use a bow yet, but my shoulder is healing."
"Randy saved his life," Sebastian added. "That's why we're keeping her."
She slapped him on the head.
"Ouch!" he protested. "Do you really want me to challenge you?"
"You already did, and you lost," she reminded him.
"I can use a sword too!"
"Yours isn't a very good one, you can't be much of a swordsman!"
"You seem to know a lot about weapons," Dave said.
"I'm a warrior woman," she replied with a shrug.
"Who's hunting today?" Brendan asked. "We usually take turns," he explained to Randy. "But I can't really shoot yet..."
Tales of the Northern Kingdoms volume 2 Page 11