Legend of the Stone Page 11

  She hands me my pack. "I am glad that you told me the truth. I will tell my husband, but not until you have ridden off. If you say Grey is hurt, you must go. I am truly glad that we met, Alexa, please take care of my boys."

  I nod. "On my honor, I will protect them as best as I can."

  Running through Percy's room, I stuff his clothes from yesterday in to my already full pack. My pace quickens as I head for the door, and I squint as I step back into the sunlight.

  Lancelot is standing in front of me, handing me the reins of my mare. "Thank you for everything,” I say with a quick nod. “I hope next time our visit is not cut short."

  He nods in agreement. "It was my pleasure to meet you. Send us word when you have found Grey; let us know his condition and if there is anything we can do to help."

  Holding my tears back, I climb on my horse. "It was my honor to meet you as well. We will come back as soon as time allows it."

  Grey

  From the first moment I laid eyes on Alexa, I was transfixed by her. It took everything within to hold myself back from scooping her up and carrying her off, to claim her as mine. I may have done just that if it was only the two of us when we met.

  For her not to reject me when I kissed her, it was almost a dream come true. I had hoped she returned my feelings. It came as a shock that I was not the only one she had these feelings for, but I was not crushed when the news was delivered.

  Bidding her goodbye not soon after learning it, Lance, Beck, Henri, and I were to go searching for the heir for the king. Unknown to him, she was indeed found and was in the process of training.

  I was trailing behind, scouting the rear and making sure no one was following us. My eyes wide in their search for movement, I couldn’t keep my thoughts from Alexa. That is, until I noticed that Lance was not leading like he normally did. Beck has taken point and Lance is following him. I was about to speak up, when we stopped.

  Henri had briefed us that the village we were to search was a small one, it’s name forgotten on any map. What he failed to inform us is that we were teaming up with two more knights. When we are halfway to our destination, they appear.

  “Well, what do we have here?” I ask.

  Henri is the first to reply. “The king did not tell me about any help being sent, the four of us should have been more than enough.”

  I nudge my horse, guiding her until I am sitting in between Lance and Beck.

  “Is there a problem here men?” I ask.

  “Not at all, I was just telling Lance and Beck that King Phillip sent us to aid you in your search,” Edward claims.

  Frederick chimes in, “He thought some hands on training from the one and only Lance was in order.”

  Lance eyes them. “You two will do as you’re told, stay out of the way. I do not mind bringing you along, but you will follow my orders. Edward, you scout the back with Grey. Frederick you are in the middle with me. We are wasting daylight, let’s ride.”

  Once again Beck is point but spurs his horse to a faster pace than we were riding. At this rate we will reach the village just before dusk.

  As we ride to the outskirts of the village, Lance barks commands from his horse. Mostly at Edward and Frederick, commanding them start building camp.

  "Grey, Beck, and I will go into the village and quietly ask about the girl in question. Henri, please water the horses and make sure that these other two stay in line," Lance barks as he hops down from his horse, handing the reins to Henri.

  Beck walks toward the gates of the small village, his hand on the pommel of his sword, as if he senses danger inside.

  Lance and I fall into step with each other, and I peer at him. He is not carrying himself with his natural confidence. Keeping quiet, I wait until we are away from the camp to speak up.

  "Lance, you seem different. Is there something bothering you?" I ask.

  Beck turns his head to the side. "Tell him," is all he says as he faces forward again.

  "Fine, I am not Lance. It's me, Merina. As Lance was to meet up with you, Alexa was overcome with a fearful feeling for Lance's safety. I made a split second decision to transform into him and come instead. I am playing the part to the best of my abilities. My lack of knowledge has made it a challenge to not raise suspicion. We need to be on alert; we are more than likely walking into a trap set by the king," Lance’s voice tells me.

  "So where is the real Lance?" I question.

  "He is still at the DeGore farm, and the less people that know, the better. Beck has vouched for Henri, but I told him not to tell unless it was necessary," Lance/Merina says.

  "I understand; my lips are sealed. I am eager to get this over with and return to Alexa. She dropped a bomb on me mere moments before we left. I have sorted some of my thoughts, but it is not something I can do from afar."

  Lance's eyebrow raises. "What did she tell you?"

  Sighing, I reply, "That not only does she have a tug to me, but to Lance and Percy as well."

  Lance/Merina stops me to face him. "I know that my sister is pure of heart, and she would not string anyone along. If she told you, it was to be truthful and up front, she is not one to play or take emotions lightly. Enough of this talk for now, let's get this over with. With each step toward this village, the more I have the urge to run the other way. There is evil energy radiating from the walls. If I had not promised my sister to protect you, I would have faded the moment the uneasy feeling hit me."

  "Thank you, I am glad that in the tragedy of Alexa losing her parents there was a silver-lining. Finding a wonderful family that cares for her as much as if she was their own. Not many are that lucky," I reply.

  "Ladies, we have a town to secure. If you are ready, let us get this over with," Beck calls.

  "Shut it, Beck, would you like me to recount our talk last night?" Lance/Merina asks.

  Beck does not miss a step, but is furiously shaking his head no.

  Lance/Merina and I laugh as our steps match Beck's and we walk shoulder to shoulder up to the large wooden gates looming over us.

  Taking one step forward, Lance/Merina knocks. A guard peers down from the tower at the top of the gate.

  "What?" he yells down.

  "We are here by order of the king. We are here to search for a girl that has been accused of crimes against the crown. Open up," Lance/Merina orders.

  Lance/Merina takes a step back just as one of the gates swings open toward us. It creaks on its old hinges, stopping just short of Lance/Merina's boot. A disgruntled guard is on the other side, scowling at us.

  "If you want in, best move your asses. This door locks at dark; no one goes out and no one comes in," he informs us.

  "Thank you for that useful information. We will make our trip fast," Lance assures him.

  "Makes no difference to me, you will be on one side or the other. I am paid to open and close it, I do not care what business you have here," he replies with a scowl.

  We take that as our cue, and head to the heart of this tiny village, where most taverns are found.

  "We should enter separately, we may get more information," Lance offers.

  "I vote we send Beck in. He has a way to get the ladies to talk," I reply.

  Beck's cheeks flame red, and he stammers, "Me… no… Lance is the ladies man." He points to Lance/Merina.

  "Your cheeks betray you, Beck,” Lance/Merina teases, hands on hips. “Go, work your magic. Grey and I will talk to any of the merchants that are still out. We will meet back here in ten minutes’ time. That is all we can spare, if we are to make it to the gate in time for lock down."

  At that, Beck enters the tavern, and Lance/Merina and I walk back toward the market we had passed. There are a few merchants and customers still milling around. Lance/Merina goes to the left side, toward the jewelry table, as I head to the baker’s table.

  As I step up, the scent of freshly baked bread hits me and my mouth starts to water a little. I spy a shy girl in the corner, avoiding eye contact with me, and a smile tips m
y lips.

  "Miss, how much for a loaf or two?" I ask.

  She takes a step closer and her voice is not more than a whisper.

  "Forgive me, Miss, I did not catch that. How much?" I repeat.

  "Two silver coins," a male voice replies.

  My eyes divert from the young lady to the man that is now resting a hand on her shoulder.

  "Good evening, sir, I would like to purchase two please," I say.

  He nods to his daughter, and she grabs the loaves and bundles them up. I pay the two coins and head on to the next stall. I chuckle to myself as I step up to the butcher’s table.

  It is full of dried meats. I order a few and strike up a conversation with the butcher.

  "The king has sent me here to bring back a girl. She would be around the age of twenty-five, blonde hair, with the last name of Wolfe. Or maybe just a new woman to the village," I explain.

  "There have not been any families with the name Wolfe here in years, whomever your king sent you to find, I have not heard of. As for new woman, the only ones we get here would be found in the bar. If she was alone when she arrived, that is where she would be. I am sorry not to be more help," he replies.

  "Thank you, sir, your words have been most helpful."

  He hands me my order and I thank him again. My eyes search for Lance/Merina, and when I find that he is still at the same stall I wander over.

  "Eyeing something for a special someone?" I jib.

  My voice startles him. "No, I've been conversing with this gorgeous woman, her beauty is simply entrancing. Thank you for your time m'Lady," Lance/Merina says to the vendor.

  We walk toward the bar, and spot Beck smiling as we approach.

  "Satisfied with yourself, are we?" Lance/Merina asks.

  He shrugs. "Maybe a little, more than one maiden invited me up to their chambers. I was a gentleman and politely declined."

  I push a finger into my ear, as if to clean it out. "Did I hear you correctly?"

  Beck's smirk widens showing his teeth. "Yes, you did."

  Lance/Merina snorts. "Enough praising yourself, did you learn anything useful?"

  The grin fades from his face. "Not much, no one with that last name here or a fairly new woman moving here. Looks like this was a ghost chase."

  Lance/Merina nods. "Let's get back to camp before we are locked in this town for the night."

  "If we are,” I pipe in, “I'm sure Beck can get us a warm bed."

  Beck stares daggers at me while Lance/Merina rolls his eyes; it's all I can do to keep from laughing.

  As we approach the gates, the guard wordlessly opens them for us. We bid him goodnight and get silence in return.

  Back at our camp, the tents are set and a fire is lit, the three of them chattering around the blazing fire in the middle of it all.

  Henri glances at us. "Any leads to follow?"

  I take a seat next to him in the dirt. "None, my conversations with the baker and butcher turned up nothing. Same for the merchants Lance chatted with. All Beck received was an invitation to a few rooms, so we have nothing to go on."

  Lance/Merina speaks up. "We will pack up at daylight, and I will inform the king that we still have no idea where this criminal we are chasing is hiding. He will be sour, but I will assure him we will not give up until she is found. Henri, will you take the first shift with Grey? Wake myself and Edward for our shift and we will do the same for Beck and Frederick."

  With that the four head to different tents, leaving Henri and me at the fire.

  I jump up. "Henri, I will start perimeter checks and then we can trade."

  He nods, standing and wiping dirt off his trousers. With skilled hands he takes a piece of cloth from his pocket and wraps it around a freshly cut tree limb, then lights the fabric, it flares to life with fire as it touches already lit inferno.

  I unwrap a loaf of bread and tear a hunk off and hand it to him as he passes the torch.

  "Cheers," he says, raising the piece in the air a little. I return the movement and step past the tents into the dark of our surroundings.

  My footsteps are the only sounds my ears hear, besides the insects that fill the trees and greenery nearby. After a while, I have tread a circle in the dirt around our make-shift camp. I go back to find Henri snoring in front of the fire, and I shake him a little to wake him. He continues to snore, so I head back and retrace my trail until it is time to wake the next pair.

  I wake Henri with success this time, and he apologizes for not doing his part. I shake him off and tell him to wake Edward as I head to the tent Lance/Merina is occupying.

  "Lance," I call, just inside the tent.

  "Mmm," a sleepy reply.

  "It is your turn for watch," I say.

  In the torch light, he runs his hands through his hair and stands.

  "Henri is waking Edward, I have this torch you are welcome to use," I say and hand it to him as he exits the tent.

  "Thank you, Grey," he replies. "Get some rest," he calls over his shoulder as he heads toward where Edward is standing.

  Debating on whether or not to take off my boots, I finally reach the decision that I will keep them on. I don't want to be shoeless if we are attacked. I set my blade within my hand's reach as well. Rolling onto my left side and trying to find a comfortable spot on the hard ground, I fall asleep with Alexa on my mind.

  Roused from my dreams of my soulmate, I discern the sound of metal upon metal. Alarms sound in my head, and I spring to my feet and exit the tent.

  There in front of the embers of the fire are Lance/Merina and Frederick trading blows. To the left of them, Beck and Edward are sparing as well.

  Henri leaps from his tent just as I did, confusion on both our faces until Lance/Merina gets our attention.

  "Little help here, they are trying to kill us," Lance/Merina grits out.

  We are rushing to Lance/Merina's aid, when three more guards appear from behind our tents. Leading them is Radcliffe; he has always been jealous of the close relationship Lance shares with the king, waiting in the shadows for a chance to take his place.

  "Well, well, what do we have here?" Radcliffe muses as two of the knights notch arrows.

  At the sound of his voice, Edward and Frederick stop their fighting and walk to stand next to him. Henri and Beck stand behind Lance/Merina as I stand next to him.

  "I knew you two could not be trusted, what are you up to?" Lance/Merina questions.

  Radcliffe laughs. "Here to end you and you little band of brothers. Once we take care of you four, the other eight will fall easily. Then I will take your place next to the king, as well as the commander of the knights. Under my leadership, the heir will be found and pay for her crimes."

  This time it is Lance/Merina that laughs. "You are scared to take me on man to man?"

  "There is no need, once you fall there will be no need for the others." Radcliffe nods and one of the archers next to him lets an arrow fly.

  I spring in front of Lance/Merina, and his face twists in fear as he wraps a hand over mine. Just as we start to fade a sharp pain explodes on my left side.

  When we land in the DeGore home, Merina still has my hand as I fall to my knees. I glance down to see an arrow protruding from my shoulder.

  "This can not be a good sign," I comment, falling weakly to the ground.

  Heal Him

  Alexa

  Nodding to Percy, I follow his lead down the path and away from the farm. We ride hard once we are no longer on their driveway. Gripping the reins in one hand, I rub my shoulder with the other; the pain has subsided to a dull ache.

  All the trees we pass are a blur of green and brown. The sun's rays are no longer beating down on us, as the sky is full of clouds.

  Percy slows, so I follow suit.

  "Looks like rain. We can run the horses fast but best not at full speed. We can make it back by dark but it will depend on the weather. If it does rain we will have to seek shelter for the night or at least until it lets up."

 
“I vote we try for the farm, so let us ride fast,” I reply.

  Percy nods in acknowledgment and spurs his horse to go faster. I do the same.

  Once the thunder sounds, my heart drops. We will have to stop and seek shelter. I will not reach Grey tonight. I urge my horse to go faster, catching up to Percy.

  “We need to find shelter before the rain hits. Any more thunder booms and my horse is likely to buck me off.”

  “There is only one place near here, a crumbling castle. We may be able to find shelter there. No one has lived there for centuries,” he replies.

  “Show me the way.”

  He takes a right faster than I anticipated and my horse struggles to make the unexpected turn, causing me to slide in my saddle.

  The sky is darkening by the second. In the distance, lightning illuminates the collapsing castle.

  We are half a mile from the castle when we are drowned in rain. Percy rides his horse in through the front door that is barely hanging on one hinge. I follow but I slow my pace to navigate the door.

  Once inside, I guide my mare to where Percy has his tied. After dismounting, I secure my horse, then search the castle to find where Percy has gone to.

  Quietly I call out his name, my hand on the hilt of my sword; my cautious steps propel me forward into the unknown, dark castle.

  Each lightning hit throws light on my path. When I spy a glow coming from under a door I pause.

  “Percy,” I whisper. Standing in the dark, the minutes tick by as I call out again.

  There is still no response, and fear encases me as I grip my sword in one hand and the handle in the other.

  I push it inward, raising the blade into the open door frame.

  “Easy there, Alexa. Sorry I left you. I did a scout of this floor and this room has the best walls and least rain. The fireplace is a bonus and I was getting it lit before coming to retrieve you,” he explains.

  “Next time, take me with you. I understand your thoughts, but do not leave me alone again. Or at least leave me a light.”