Page 6 of Knight of Darkness
“’Tis none of your concern what is transpiring here this eve.”
“I despise those who bully others. Is this not right, Reynard?” the man asked not taking his eyes from Sperling.
“Right enough, brother,” the man called Reynard smirked. “The last one you fought with ended up with a busted nose and then face down in a pile of cow dung if I remember correctly.”
The tavern erupted in laughter as wagers began to be made on who would win a fist fight. Many began siding with the other man, who was apparently called the Knight of Darkness. Ratcliff’s eyes narrowed at the man before him. He was unfamiliar with anyone going by such a moniker, but then again, he had never been to Lincoln prior to now.
Sperling crossed his arms over his chest. “Who are you?” he said briskly wondering about the man behind his reputation.
“No one of import. My name has no bearing on the fact you should not pick on people either under your care or smaller than you.”
Sperling’s hand lowered to the hilt of his sword. “I should like to know your name before I kill you for your interference.”
The other man next to Reynard came forward and began laughing. “Why is it we can never have a quiet evening without someone threatening you, Wymar? If you are going to brawl with this cur, take him outside and be done with it quickly, if you please, so we can go back to more pleasant entertainment.”
“Wymar…?” Sperling frowned trying to place the name. He didn’t believe he had heard it before.
“Aye, Wymar Norwood, and I shall be more than happy to oblige you by showing you a lesson or two in manners. Since we are exchanging pleasantries, mayhap you shall also tell me your name?” he asked with a smirk whilst looking him up and down as though he was assessing his worth and finding it lacking.
“Lord Sperling Ratcliff,” he said scowling. How dare this man look upon him in such a manner? Clearly this warrior was nothing more than a mercenary for hire. And were that to be the case, that meant he was far beneath him.
“And the young lord who just left?”
“Not that it is any of your business, but he is Lord Elric Bartone. He is the brother of my intended,” he stated, to make it clear that this was a family matter and was thus none of Norwood’s business.
Norwood walked around him before facing him once again. “Brother? If I were you, and thankfully I am not, I would take more care with the young man who will one day be a relation.”
“You know nothing of the situation so enough of your pestering me, lest you wish to test my blade!” he roared.
Norwood had the nerve to laugh. “Mayhap I am making it my business. Never did like to see someone taken advantage of. And if you’re so eager to have your blade tested, then I’d be happy to oblige you. Let us take this outside and settle this among us, since you seem so very anxious for a fight. It is odd, though, for I somehow thought we would be fighting on the same side. Mayhap I was mistaken thinking those who dined here were faithful to Empress Matilda, considering her army is camped close by.”
Sperling glanced around the room as all eyes became focused upon him as if awaiting him to declare himself a traitor to the woman they saw as their queen. Seeing no one else present who would come to his defense, he knew he had no choice but to concede. “My Empress knows I am loyal to her cause.”
“Good!” Norwood declared crossing his arms. “’Tis gratifying to know we are on the same side and all seek to do whatever is within our power to restore our Empress to her rightful place upon England’s throne!”
A loud cheer went up as those present raised their drinks in a salute to their queen. Sperling held onto his temper knowing now was not the place for a confrontation with the man before him. Not when the odds were stacked so heavily against him. He was not opposed to an unfair fight—but he preferred to hold the advantage on his side. “You and I can then settle this between us at another time, unless you remember to stay out of my affairs by then,” Sperling stated.
“’Tis unlikely, so I will be at your service whenever you are ready to take me on,” Norwood mocked with a jaunty salute.
Sperling gave a short nod and fled the inn. He knew when he was outnumbered. The morrow would be soon enough when the battle began anew, if by some slim chance he came across Norwood.
Drawing his cape around him, he made a vow Norwood would pay for interfering just when he had Ceridwen where he wanted her. If luck was on his side, the bugger would already be dead by someone else’s hand. If not, it would give him the greatest pleasure to perform the deed himself!
Chapter Four
Wymar perused thetavern door with a scowl as it slammed shut. Something about the man who just left perplexed and unsettled him.
Reynard began chuckling. “Ratcliff… he certainly is living up to his name.”
“How so?” Wymar asked, still curious why this man in particular irritated him.
“Did you not see him? He looks like a drowned rat with those beady brown eyes and his black hair plastered to his head,” Reynard answered with another amused laugh.
“We most likely do not appear in much better condition, brother.”
“Nay, none with our grand titles could ever be as ridiculous as that man!” Reynard protested.
“Knights of Darkness… Chaos… Havoc. We are not immune to what those in the heat of battle have come up with to call us,” Theobald chimed in. “But those names do not provide us with any protection—or absolution. Our past misfortunes continue to follow us to this day.”
