Page 11 of Knight of Darkness
Another cry from the boy had Wymar coming out of his memories. Whirling around, he finally noticed that another knight was charging in his direction with battle axe raised. With the boy clinging to him in fear, Wymar was unable to lift his sword or shield to protect them. He saw his life passing before his eyes until the warrior suddenly started to drop face down into the ground. Puzzled, understanding at last dawned in Wymar’s mind when he saw the reason for the man’s demise. He could not miss the sight of a long knife protruding from his adversary’s back.
He looked up thinking he would see one of his brothers, only to come eye to eye with the young lord he had been thinking of only moments ago. ’Twas obvious he had just saved Wymar’s miserable life. He gave a brief nod, the man acknowledging him before clicking his heels to his horse’s flanks. Leaning low in the saddle, he reached forward to pull his weapon from the warrior’s back and proceeded to maneuver his white steed back into the fray to chase after the disappearing cavalrymen.
His arm around the squire, he pulled him further away from the battlefield. “Think you can find my standard amongst the camp, boy?” he asked showing him the blood-soaked tabard he still wore.
“Aye, milord,” the boy replied.
“Then get yourself to my tent and stay there. We shall talk more once the battle is over.”
Wymar watched the boy scamper away. Once satisfied he was done saving children for the time being, he went back into battle. ’Twas not long afterwards that the sound of raised voices began to be heard and men on both sides lowered their weapons of war to figure out what was occurring.
The unmistakable sound of laughter and rejoicing began to fill the air. ’Twas something so out of place yet the sound spread the news as quickly as a brushfire burns out of control. Stephen had been captured by none other than Robert, Earl of Gloucester, the Empress’s half-brother. Wymar swore. Kicking the dirt in front of him, he sheathed his sword when he realized he had missed his opportunity to impress his Empress by capturing the man himself.
Men from Stephen’s army began to scatter in every direction to avoid being captured by Matilda’s forces. But Wymar’s only concern was to ensure his brothers were safe. Afterwards he would need to once more seek out the young man to whom he owed his life. He could only begin to ponder what Lord Elric would demand as a life debt payment.
Chapter Six
Defiance raced afterthe Welsh horsemen as they fled not only the battle but their supposed king.The traitors, Ceridwen thought as she flicked at the leather reins in her gloved hands. Her horse knew her well and stretched her neck to run at a full gallop in pursuit.
She was not the only one riding to catch up with the fleeing army. Arthur, Thomas, and Symond also rode with her. Where Ratcliff was hiding no one could be sure, not that she cared where the bastard had gone. She could only pray he was either dead upon the battlefield or scurrying his sorry arse back home. If luck remained with her and with the Empress’s victory, Ceridwen would soon be riding to Westminster Abby to see her sovereign crowned as the rightful ruler of England.
Or would she?
She could not hide under this guise forever nor could she put off for long her return home. If the fighting was over and the Empress was crowned queen, then Ceridwen no longer had any excuse to not return to Norwich. She could not avoid her father’s dictate that the time had come for her to be married. In truth, it was not so much the idea of marriage that Ceridwen objected to so much as the man her father had chosen. Ceridwen’s only wish was to speak to her father and convince him that Sperling Ratcliff would only run Norwich into the ground. Nor did she trust him to treat his wife with kindness or his children with consideration. He was a man who cared only for himself. Surely, she could make him see reason upon her return.
She could only hope that her return would come at her own time and not because her identity had been revealed. She had succeeded in hiding it for all these months, but any day could be the day when her true identity was unmasked. Bad enough if the men in the camp were to learn that there was a woman among them. But it would be far worse if the queen were to discover it. Her Empress would be furious that Ceridwen had come to fight for her. It would not matter that Her Majesty knew how well trained she had become. After all, ’twould not be the first time her queen had learned of Ceridwen’s desire to fight alongside the best of her men. Her Majesty had visited Ceridwen’s home many times over the years and had watched from the side of the lists whilst she trained.
“Lord Elric…”
But just like her father, Empress Matilda had only approved of her sword work with the understanding that she would use it solely to defend her estate. She had expressed quite clearly that she would never approve of Ceridwen wielding a sword on a distant battlefield. Once she had departed, Ceridwen swore she would fight for her queen and prove her worth so as to demonstrate that she could fight just as well as any man in Her Majesty’s forces.
“Lord Elric…”
She was proud of how well she had fought, but she did not know if she had done enough to distinguish herself. There had been many excellent fighters on the battlefield… such as Norwood. She had seen him fighting with ferocity, day after day. And then on that very day, her heart had been in her throat when she witnessed him so preoccupied with a mere boy that he had no clue he was about to be run through with an axe! His nod across the battlefield had a promise that he would seek her out after the battle… or mayhap she should be thinking he would be looking for the lord he owed his life to. A smile lit her face.God’s Bloodshe would love to reveal herself to him just to see his reaction to the news that a woman had saved him.
He was even more handsome in the light of day with his blondish brown hair blowing in the breeze after his helm had fallen back from his head. She wondered if the neatly trimmed beard would be soft to the touch. Would he mind that her hands were as calloused as his from years of holding a sword? What would it be like to—
“Damnation, Lord Elric, hold up!”
Arthur’s shouting quickly brought her out of her musings of the handsome knight and she pulled back on the reins. She watched the fleeing horsemen as they continued onward from the battlefield. They were too far out ahead—there would be no catching them now. Very well, then. Let the cowards go back from whence they came.
“What is it?” she bellowed once Defiance came to a halt and Arthur was abreast of her.
“I could ask you the same thing considering I said your name several times before you heard me. You may be chasing after those traitors but your mind was somewhere else, I think,” he replied whilst watching her with a quizzical gaze and furrowed brow.
How easily he reads me, she thought, although why should he not? He had been by her side protecting her for more years than she could remember. They were more like brother and sister than captain and lady. “I do not know what you are talking about,” she said irritably before pulling on the reins to turn her steed back toward the battle.
“You cannot fool me, Ceridwen, even if you wish to try to convince yourself that your mind was completely focused on chasing down the Welsh riders,” Arthur taunted.
Thomas paused to look at the riders who were disappearing from view. “Perchance this is a good omen that we shall win the battle.”
“Aye,” Symond joined in. “Mayhap the rest of our enemies will also come to realize they fight for the wrong ruler. If those Welsh are so cowardly to up and leave theirking, then perchance his soldiers shall do the same!”
Ceridwen chuckled. “Well, let us not waste any more time. Shall we join in the fun to send the rest of them on their way, men?” Flicking the reins, she sent Defiance into another gallop with her men following close behind.
But there was no reason for them to hurry. Nay. By the time they made their way back to the battlefield, the Empress’s army was in the process of placing any of Stephen’s troops under guard. They slowed their mounts to take in the scene of those who had perished.
“You there!” Ceridwen shouted at one knight checking to ensure those upon the ground were in truth dead. “Have we won?”
