This time when he spoke, his tones and facial expressions were much softer. "I do not know all of the magic that was placed on the blade. I know that for me, the glow was green, not blue as it is for you. I know that it does not like to draw the blood of its master – that was one of the attributes I asked for when I commissioned it. I do not know why it did what it did, but I am sure it had something to do with it cutting you."
The small group dispersed still thinking about what they had seen and heard and not knowing what they thought about it. Sylvia returned to the place where she had fought Delora. There she found that none of the men could handle Veritás without it striking back at them, though none could explain how as the blade never moved. She would have to clean it herself. She could handle that, even with a wounded hand. Thus ends phase one of this project ...&nbs
"I do not dispute that it is. Pay the woman that she and her guard may leave!""Guard?!" the man asked angrily, "She brought an entire regiment with her!""Never mind my guard," Sylvia’s voice was a shock to the crowd, "Let us finish our business and I will leave this place and my guard with me.""All of them?""All of them.""We will need some sort of proof that it was you who did slay Retribution," the once very haughty man sounded defeated."If the body and the blade are not enough, then what else can I offer as proof but the wound that blade inflicted on my hand in the struggle that preceded the death ofthat woman?" She held out her left hand to show the bandage."May we see that wound?" he asked. Sylvia pi
"Something like that. Captain, I do not wish to have this discussion with you at this time! You have interrupted a chiding I was receiving from Master Revenge," she spoke as though she was very close to sending him on to the manor. He took in the tears threatening to overflow the blue eyes he had come to love on a dear and trusted friend. He wanted nothing more than to protect her, but knew that something more was going on between Sylvia and her father than a mere chiding. They had done that many times back and forth and it had not made her cry. He bowed to her and walked just out of earshot, but kept his eyes on them.When Sylvia looked back up at the face of Revenge, his expression had changed. She couldn’t decide if she liked the new one better or not. "How long have you been with child?" he demanded through gritted teeth."This will be my second cycle missed," she replied flatly.
PreludeHe walked in to find her doubled up on the floor next to the cot she usually occupied when she was there. "I was wondering when you would arrive.""Why? Do I owe you something that has slipped my mind?" her tones were full of the pain she felt, but were otherwise playful."Respect, caution, avoidance of betrayal, but I do not think you have forgotten any of that. No. What I want from you is information." The elderly man sat with eyes apparently unseeing the agony of the woman on the floor. She remained silent, clutching her abdomen.She was half his age. Her hair was a deep red, quite different from his graying black. Her eyes, a bright – almost luminescent – blue, were a startling difference from his dark brown. After a pause he said, "Not going to offer?"
Chapter 1The ContractCaptain Tane unrolled the parchment that had been handed to him by the messenger who had both arrived and departed that morning. He was a tall man, taller than most of the men in his company, but not by much. His sandy blonde hair was common for the people of this region, but his green eyes stood out a little. His father’s had been hazel, like most of the Tane family who trained the horses at Chadwick manor. He had his mother’s green eyes. He thought about his parents for a few moments, strengthening his resolve, before forci
"That is why I did that. I am here to save your armies once again.""My armies do not need you to save them. Last time you led us away from victory, remember? That is when I found out you were a spy and threw you in prison." He said with such venom she did not know if even the fact that the men were still enchanted would spare her life this time."As soon as I was out of that prison, I was contacted. Some of my peers thought that I had misunderstood the instructions I had been given that day. Some of them thought that I was just showing the fact I was a stupid female and should not have been entrusted with that mission or any other. But my employers were not so misled. They knew that I took you away from the fighting on purpose and are after blood."
Chapter 2 VictorIn exactly an hour, the captain was on the field talking to some of the men who had gathered around to see the sparring match when a young man wearing studded leather armor walked up, saluted him, and said, "Victor Sill Young reporting as ordered, Sir." The other soldiers walked off the field instantly assuming that Victor was the apprentice the captain had taken and whispering to each other that this young boy must have exceptional skill for the captain to take him after ten years of not taking an apprentice at all.The captain looked closely at this boy. Close enough that their noses were almost touching then asked in a low voice, "Sylvia?" The soldier only gave a sligh
The captain jumped. "I was wondering when you would be back," he said as he turned to face her, " Where are they now?" One glance and he turned back to his maps. She was definitely Sylvia right now and that outfit didn’t hide her curves.She walked over behind him and leaned over his shoulder to point to the map. "Here. They are setting up camp for the night. We have bought enough time to come up with a strategy and put it into action but only if we move quickly. They will not be fooled for long."Before he could ask what they would least expect from this position, they heard Ian say hello to the guard outside the tent. The captain looked up at Ian and glanced over his shoulder to find himself alone with Ian, his second in command.How the devil does she do that?"What is it Ian?"
The three-day march to the city of Bohen was long and tiring. They rose before the sun each morning and did not set up their tents at night. They rolled out their blankets on the ground itself without the light of fires. The last thing they wanted was to draw attention to themselves.When they finally reached the city, they camped in the forest nearby. They sent a couple wagons into the city for supplies with the men again dressed in civilian’s clothes. If they were inquired of, they were to say they were headed towards the mountains to mine for gold. The mountains were at least three weeks away to the east. The camp itself was well hidden and well guarded. The army had nothing to do but wait for their enemies to approach. In the mean time, the captain and Victor held more training sessions and poured over the corrected maps.That evening, everythin