by Jody Hedlund
After praying and feasting together, we ended our day as we usually did, in front of the hearth with the chess game between us.
“Pup’s behaving strangely tonight,” Derrick said after one of his rash moves. Pup only lifted his head, lolled his tongue in a semblance of a smile, and then rested his head on his paws again.
I reached down and scratched the dog on his furry white head. He was lying by my side for the first time in weeks. In fact, he hadn’t lain by my side since Derrick had become lord of the castle. He’d taken to his new master with a loyalty and love that mirrored mine.
Derrick grinned at the dog. “You don’t suppose he knows . . .”
I studied Pup, the alertness of his ears, the restlessness of his posture. “Do you think he senses we’re having a baby?”
“I believe so.” Derrick bent forward and gave the dog a loving pat on his back. “I think he knows how much I want to protect you and the baby and so he’s just doing my bidding.”
“Well, if this is what it takes to win the affection of my dog again, then I shall have to do this more often.”
Derrick’s grin only widened.
Just then, Pup raised his head and stared in the direction of the front hallway. Within seconds, the new porter entered. “I beg your forgiveness for the interruption, my lord. But a messenger has just arrived.”
There was a subdued air about the porter’s plain features that sent a shaft of worry into my heart. As if sensing the seriousness of the message, Derrick rose quickly to his feet. “Who is it?”
The porter held out a ring. Even across the distance, the cross at the center of the ring was clear. It belonged to only one man in all the land — the Noblest Knight, the Duke of Rivenshire.
Derrick’s grin faded. His jaw tensed. Beneath the clean tunic he’d donned, the muscles in his arms rippled. “What message does his Grace have for me?”
The steward crossed the room and handed Derrick both the ring and a parchment. Derrick unrolled the stiff paper. As he read, his expression turned grave.
Finally, he looked up and met my anxious gaze. The seriousness in his eyes filled me with dread.
“I must ride out at the first light of dawn.”
I nodded and waited for him to go on.
“Although I may be too late to help, I must do all I can to save my friend.”
I didn’t ask him which friend. I knew it was one of the noble knights — either Sir Bennet or Sir Collin, the most loyal and brave friends a man could ever have.
“He’s to be hanged, drawn, and quartered.”
I shuddered. Although I’d been facing my fears and my nightmares regarding torture methods, my heart was still tender and always would be. “Then you must go.”
Derrick reached for my hand and gripped it passionately. “Even though I will hate every second that I’m away from you, I must do this. I must fight to save his life. I can do nothing less . . .”
I nodded. I knew he could do nothing less as well.
He caressed my cheek one last time and then spun and strode out of the Great Hall, his footsteps echoing their good-bye.
Chapter
1
Forests of Wessex
In the year of our Lord 1390
“Time to chop off your thumbs.” The hulking soldier pinched the back of my neck through the coarse wool of my cloak. The sharp pressure forced me to kneel in front of the flat stone. “Put out your hand, you poacher.”
“You can’t cut off my thumbs,” I protested in a gruff voice I hoped disguised my true, girlish tone.
“For hunting on the Wessex land, I’m obliged to hack off the whole hand.” The solider, who was as wide as an ox, shoved me so that my false, padded belly pushed into the rectangular slab. “Count yourself lucky that Sir Edgar is in a good mood today and only ordered the loss of your thumbs.”
I glanced to the road, where Lord Wessex’s son sat astride his fair steed. He was surrounded by several other noblemen and women. His deep laughter rose into the air, followed by a chorus of giggles from his female admirers.
The usual hot anger spurted in my blood. I knew they weren’t laughing directly at me. Even so, I was incensed that they could find any reason for amusement at such a time. Had they no pity for an old man—what they thought me to be—who was about to be savagely maimed?
My gaze lingered on the fine silk gown of one of the young women, a deep purple hue strewn with intricately embroidered lace. She’d paired the dress with pure white gloves . . .and a pearl necklace. The pearls alone would buy enough grain to feed a dozen families for a week.
“Come now, old man. Don’t make this any harder than need be.” The soldier prodded my stooped shoulders. “Take the punishment you deserve.” But even as he spoke, his gaze followed mine to Edgar, who took a swig from a flask and then passed it to a friend. When I glanced back to the soldier, his lips were pursed at the sight of Edgar’s revelry.
“No one deserves this.” I bent my head and made my voice raspy. I wore my long hair tucked under a man’s linen coif and had smeared mud over my face, but if Sir Edgar or the soldiers took a closer look at me, they’d surely see past the disguise. They’d discover the cloaked bandit they were looking for. And I’d potentially lose much more than my thumbs.
The tall soldier on the other side of the stone yawned and then unsheathed his hunting knife. The long silver blade glinted in the autumn afternoon sunlight.
“Lord Wessex won’t miss a couple of squirrels,” I spoke quickly. Time was running out. I had to figure out a way to make my escape. “Especially squirrels as scrawny as those.” I nodded at the stiff creatures lying only feet away, next to my bow and quiver.
Even though I wasn’t truly afraid yet, I could feel a sense of urgency beginning to take hold. My fingers twitched with the need to reach for my weapon. But with the ox at my back and tall guard across from me, I would have to make my move at just the right time. Besides, there were at least two other soldiers on the perimeter that I would be forced to outmaneuver.
I eyed the brambles and dark shadows of the surrounding forest. If I released my arrows while sprinting, I might be able to eliminate two of the guards and reach the cover of trees before the others could react.
“Doesn’t matter what you take from Lord Wessex’s land.” The bulky girth of the soldier behind me pressed into my body, pinning me against the stone. “Stealing is stealing.”
I resisted his hold. “How can it be stealing when Lord Wessex doesn’t give us any place to hunt and no means to keep our families from dying of hunger?”
The soldier faltered.
“Please,” I whispered. “Have mercy. My boy is all I have left. And he’s always hungry. I’m sure you have a growing son and know how much food such children need to survive.” Although I had no son, I prayed my words would earn the soldier’s sympathy.
The ox heaved a breath laden with garlic and onion, and his grip slackened.
Maybe more of the populace was dissatisfied with Lord Wessex’s leadership than I realized. My father had always believed the people should rise up and fight against the oppression—that in their hearts they disliked Lord Wessex’s tactics, and that with the right leadership they could overthrow him.
Had my father been right?
I gave myself a mental shake. His faith in the populace had been his downfall. And I wouldn’t repeat his mistake.
“What’s taking so long?” came Sir Edgar’s irritated call from the road. “Must I come over and do the deed myself?”
I had the urge to stand, face Edgar, and dare him to try. I’d been waiting for years to spit into his face. If he came anywhere near me, I probably wouldn’t be able to resist the urge, even if it would lead to my death.
The tall soldier concealed another yawn and shook his head. “No, sir. We’re ready.” He lifted his knife.
But the hefty soldier behind me didn’t move. No doubt he was thinking that if I lost my thumbs, I would be maimed for life. Most of the men who
lost their fingers or thumbs were rendered useless as hunters, and many of them could no longer ply their trades. Their already starving families suffered even more.
“Cut off his thumbs now,” Edgar shouted. “Or I shall cut off your hands.”
The ox released another garlicky sigh and then forced my arm upward onto the stone.
I was strong for a girl of seventeen. But I couldn’t resist the muscle of a full-grown soldier, let alone one who was at least double the width of a normal man. He pushed my gloved hand down against the smooth stone. The rusty stains on the rock reminded me that too many men had lost a limb upon this ledge.
The heat of anger seeped deeper into my soul. If only I could do more to alleviate the suffering of the peasants . . .
As it was, I tirelessly labored day after day to provide for the many families who’d been driven from their homes and from honest work. And as time passed, more and more came to depend upon me for food and shelter . . . because of Lord Wessex’s greed and cruelty.
“Spread your fingers.” The soldier behind me pushed my palm flat. With brute strength, he plied my fingers wider, and then nodded at his tall companion wielding the knife.
I tensed. What if my plan of escape didn’t work? What if the ox didn’t loosen his hold on my wrist? What if I sprang a moment too late? Beneath the layers of my disguise, a trickle of sweat made an itchy line between my shoulder blades. Even though the hint of cooler weather was in the air, the sunshine of the fall day was still warm.
The soldier began to lower the knife, and I readied myself to dodge the blow.
“Wait,” the ox bellowed, making me jump. “We need to take off his gloves first.”
“No,” I replied.
His offer was likely made out of compassion. The gloves would impede the blade and make the severing more time-consuming. Having one’s thumb hacked off in slow increments would be infinitely more painful than a swift, clean chop.
While I appreciated his kindness, I couldn’t risk taking off my gloves. I might be able to hide my features in the mud and the shadows of my hat. And I could pad my tunic and trousers to make myself look like a frumpy, stoop-shouldered old man. But if I took off my gloves, they would see my fingers. Even though they were cracked and creased with dirt, there would be no hiding the fact that they were long, slender, and womanly. I would give away my cover, and in the process chance losing my slight window to break free.
The soldier holding the knife drew back.
“What now?” Edgar shouted.
“Hurry and take off his gloves.” The tall soldier waved the blade impatiently.
“Just cut through them,” I said, and this time I splayed my hands willingly.
The soft jay-jay of a blue jay called from the treetops, which had already begun to change into their vibrant arrays of gold and crimson. I tried to pretend I hadn’t heard anything.
“’Twill be easier on you to have a clean cut,” the soldier behind me insisted.
’Twould most definitely not go easier on me. Not when they realized my true gender. Not when they then unmasked me further and realized I was the bandit who was terrorizing Wessex lands.
And it would go even worse if Sir Edgar and his father saw my red hair and my cleaned face and eventually figured out the vigilante they had sought was the rightful heir to Wessex, that I hadn’t died alongside my father after all.
“Let’s have the gloves, old man.” The ox began wrestling my hand and tugging at the leather hugging my fingertips.
“No!” I shouted, this time forgetting to disguise my voice.
At the sound of my much higher, clearer tone, the bulky soldier loosened his grasp. The fraction was all I needed. I yanked away, dropped to the ground, and rolled toward my bow. In an instant I had it in hand with an arrow notched and drawn.
I jumped up and was on my feet, running while shooting the arrow in the direction of one of the perimeter guards. It hit him squarely in his fighting hand, as I’d intended. The arrow had hardly left my bow before I had another pulled back and ready to loose.
But another arrow flew out of the forest nearby and hit the second perimeter guard before I could let go. I didn’t stop running to think. I simply shot my arrow at the tall soldier with the knife, making sure it knocked the weapon from his raised hand rather than piercing him.
I sprinted toward the forest edge and glanced again at the noblewoman and the pearls. Did I have time to get what I’d been after in the first place?
Two horses with their riders burst through the forest and stampeded across the clearing. Amidst the shouting and chaos, I relished the sound of Sir Edgar’s curses. Did Edgar really think he’d get to entertain his guests at my expense today? If so, then my cousin was stupider than he looked.
One of the horses pounded closer, and when a hand reached down for me, I latched on and swung myself up behind the young rider.
I put my head down and kicked my heels into the flank of the beast, urging it faster.
An arrow zipped past us.
I spun as much as I could on the bare back of the horse. One of Sir Edgar’s friends and fellow noblemen had shot at me. I took aim and released my arrow with a ping. It ripped across the distance, and within seconds sliced through the man’s hat, knocking it from his head, parting his hair and skimming his scalp in the process.
I watched him long enough to see shock widen his eyes. Then I turned back and grinned.
The horse plunged into the brambles and the darkness of the woods. I grabbed onto the rider to keep from toppling off. We charged through the tangle of trees and brush, the branches whipping us, thorns grabbing our tunics, and the windfall threatening to trip us.
But the horse didn’t slacken its pace. Nor did the steed behind us.
A quick glance over my shoulder revealed Bulldog. His fleshy face was dark with anger and his scowl chastised me. His blue jay call had alerted me to his presence, and I was glad for his help. But I could have made my escape without him—I usually managed. There had been no need for him to put his and Thatch’s lives in danger on account of me.
I crouched low behind Thatch, Bulldog’s son. Thatch’s blond hair stuck up on his head like dry straw. I gripped him tightly, and his boney body felt as thin as twigs beneath the thin, tattered clothes he wore. Together we swayed with the horse’s movements, ducking low and making the kind of getaway we’d accomplished plenty of times over the past few years.
We rode hard for many long minutes, putting the distance we needed between ourselves and Sir Edgar. Thatch wisely guided the horses far from our forest home. We would likely have to spend the next day or two eluding soldiers before we could make our way back to the secret caverns, which served as the base of operations as well as shelter for the many people we helped.
When we finally reached a narrow gully, we reined our horses and hid in the shadows for several moments, our heavy breathing mingling with the snorting of the horses.
Bulldog grabbed my sleeve and growled, “Young missy, I ought to take a switch to your backside for that stunt.”
“That wasn’t a stunt. I was fishing. For pearls.” Technically, I’d been hunting. But I hadn’t been able to resist trailing the noblewoman once I’d spotted the necklace.
“It was the stupidest thing you’ve done to date, and that’s saying something, because you’ve done plenty of foolish things.”
“We’re running low on provisions.”
Bulldog folded his thick arms across his chest as if restraining himself from strangling me. “I know we’ll need to make a raid soon. But not on Sir Edgar. And definitely not when you’re by yourself.”
“I had everything under control the whole time.” Or at least mostly. “I could have gotten away just fine.”
His dark eyebrows came together into a thunderous glare above his equally black eyes. “Or you could have ended up like this.” He held up his hands. I didn’t have to look to know what he was referring to. But my gaze was nevertheless drawn to the stumps where h
is thumbs had once been.
Bulldog was one of the lucky ones who’d only lost his thumbs for poaching. And he was also one of the most stubborn, determined, and strong men I’d ever met. It was due to those qualities alone he’d learned to shoot his bow again, unlike so many men who were crippled for life.
Thatch peered up at me with adoring eyes. “I think all Dad is trying to say is that, next time, make sure you bring me along. That way I can help you.”
I smiled at the boy and tousled his hair, which only made the strands stand up farther.
He gave me one of his wide, crooked smiles, which revealed the gap in the top where he’d lost one of his front teeth in a fist fight.
Bulldog snarled. “That’s not what I’m saying at all.”
Thatch’s grin slipped away.
“I trust Thatch to watch out for you,” Bulldog said, softening at the sight of disappointment in his son’s face. “But, Juliana, I gave your father my word that I’d protect you with my life. How can I do that if you’re constantly charging into dangerous situations without telling me?”
The braying of a hound wafted on the wind.
Bulldog didn’t have to say anything. One grimace of his rounded face was all it took to know his frustration. Sir Edgar already had men tracking us.
Thatch sprang onto the back of his mare and offered me his hand. I swung up behind him at the same time that Bulldog mounted his horse. He lifted his short nose and sniffed the air. Then he cocked his ear and listened intently.
“We’ll have to split up,” he said in a voice tight with frustration. “I’ll lead them on a wild goose chase. And the two of you get as far away from here as you can.”
For a moment, remorse tumbled about my empty stomach. Danger was nothing new. We’d lived with threats, starvation, and menace every day in the three years since my father had attempted his revolt and subsequently lost his life. But I didn’t like the thought that I’d made things harder for Bulldog and Thatch with my recklessness. “I’m sorry—”