Page 5 of Lady's Steed
“How? They’re all dead.” Verlora and its people had essentially ceased to exist after a catastrophic event. Ships stopped sailing between their lands because those who went to investigate never returned.
“Not all of them perished. A few that weren’t in the country at the time of its demise did survive and, from what I’ve heard, turned to pirating and apparently now murder,” was Gustav’s grim reply. The grizzled soldier had long been in the crown’s service. In his sixties—as old as her mother—and yet still fit and sharp. He could be demanding and quite stern when he gave Avera lessons in swordplay, but at the same time, he’d always been kind to her. She knew when he praised her that she’d earned it. In many respects, he was like a father to her, not that he was ever so bold as to show her actual affection. But the fact he didn’t ignore her helped.
“How did a group of Verlorians manage to get past our port authority without notice?” Avera asked.
“That is a question we’re all asking.”
“Do you think the port inspector was bribed to look the other way?”
“Most likely. The question being, which port?” Gustav mused.
Daerva, a continent that sat high above sea level with dominating cliffs all around, had only two bays where ships could anchor. Horizon’s End was only a day’s ride from the capital city of Velunda, and Seaserpent Bay took a week or more of travel overland. If the killers came through that far port, they could have chosen to save time by crossing the Lake of Tears, but that would have required the assassins hiring—or stealing—a vessel capable of handling the lake’s poisoned waters. Only the most daring ever attempted to cross.
“You said only one of them was killed. So where did the rest of the assassins go?” Avera mused aloud.
“We don’t know,” Gustav growled. “It’s why the queen sent me to find you. Currently, we have knights and pawns searching the castle top to bottom.”
Apparently, they should have been searching the city because as she and her soldierly escort cantered into the last street—one lined with three-story houses inhabited by the richest and most favored noble ladies and lords—they were attacked!
Chapter 3
The assassins attackedfrom the rooftops. The first arrow narrowly missed Avera as Gustav suddenly turned his mount and used his body as a shield. He grunted as the arrow slammed into his armor, denting but not puncturing it.
“Protect the First Princess,” bellowed Gustav as more arrows rained down.
Despite the enemy being high above, Avera pulled the small dagger at her waist. Not very long and not useful for much more than cutting up her food, slicing through twine, or hacking at the big wheel of cheese in the kitchen. She’d have preferred her sword, but it was all she had to defend herself. It should be known Avera had never actually faced a real foe, only those she practiced with in the training yard.
Luna remained steady as Avera gripped her weapon in a sweaty palm, her wide gaze trained on the assassins who rappelled from the rooftops. They were dressed head to toe in dark fabric and feature-covering hoods. The soldiers formed a square around her, blocking her from direct attack.
Much yelling and huffing occurred as the soldiers swung their swords. The knights who’d never seen much action given Daerva’s peaceful nature did their best to counter the skilledassassins. Two knights fell from their steeds as she watched, the attackers quick on their feet, their flashing blades even faster.
Gustav remained near Avera and growled, “Stay by me.”
Fine advice except for the fact the assassins, unmounted, slid between the horses to get close. Luna shuffled away from Gustav’s mount as he parried the thin blade of an assassin. The clang of metal filled the air, a more strident sound than that of the training ring where the wooden guards meant the swords thunked instead.
Chaos reigned as the nine soldiers fought the assassins, six attackers in all. It should have been an even match against trained knights.
The assassins were better.
A knight to her left parried as a man of slim build attacked him in a flurry of strokes so fast she could barely follow the whipping parries of blades as they slashed back and forth. The soldier did his best to counter, but when his horse went down, he never had a chance to block the long dagger that stabbed him in the armpit where the armor didn’t cover. As the soldier crumpled to the paving stones, the assassin advanced on Avera, and she licked her lips.
While she’d trained, she’d never actually had to put her skills to the test, nor had she ever actually drawn blood. When the assassin lunged, Luna quickly stepped to the side and Avera’s reflexes kicked in. She leaned down and slashed with her dagger, catching him in the sleeve. The assassin recoiled in surprise but that was only a feint as his free hand grabbed at her ankle and yanked her from the horse.
Avera only narrowly avoided the blade that swept past, ducking under it. She scuttled to give herself space, not just from the attacker but also from Luna who reared, hooves lifted high, ready to trample him. He saw the danger and brought his armback to strike the horse. Avera saw red. She threw herself at the man, striking him in the midsection, ruining his blow.
The assassin recovered quickly, shoving at Avera, sending her stumbling a few steps. The man came at her, his rapier moving quickly, but so did Avera. She ducked under the swing, and as she rose, she aimed her dagger at his gut. It slid in easily. More easily than expected. The knife stuck and the assassin staggered back, wrenching it from her grip, leaving her weaponless, but only for a moment. She snatched a fallen knight’s sword from the ground, heavier than her usual blade, but better than nothing. She took stock of the situation.
Four assassins remained—three, if the one with the belly wound died. Only four of the nine soldiers, including Gustav, still stood. Not good odds given the skill of the attackers.
Three of the assassins charged, aiming not for the soldiers themselves but their mounts. The screams of the wounded horses added to the horror. Luna whinnied and panicked when an arrow nicked her hindquarters, and she took off running. Avera couldn’t blame her. She wanted to run, too, but the man she’d wounded lunged, still determined to kill her.
She did her best to defend herself, but the unfamiliar and heavy sword she’d procured didn’t move as she wanted. The assassin knocked it from her grip.
Avera retreated as he advanced.
Gustav took that moment to shout, “Run!” and threw himself between her and the attacker.
While a part of her wanted to stay and fight, standing her ground without a weapon would get her killed and that truly wasn’t on her list of things to do for the day, nor even that year.