Dark Shadow Rising
by Kanay

The covered wagon hobbled down the dirty road, barely managing to stay mobile with its damaged rear wheel and overloaded cargo. Kathryn Edwards knew that if she were to pay her debts on time this month then she would have no other choice than to use the wagon in hauling her goods, especially when the village was so far from her home. She only wished she had time to fix that chipped wheel, for every time she hit a hole she prayed the thing would not split in two.

When she arrived at her destination, a mercantile of sorts in the center of the small town Danbury, she let out a sigh of relief.

“Looks like it might hold off until we get back home,” she said to her companion as she took a final glance at the wheel before departing the wagon.

“Indeed,” the man coolly replied.

She entered the store to conduct her business while he began unloading their haul. Several minutes later, Kathryn returned with a frown.

“Not quite what I expected,” she admitted, “but it’s enough to replenish supplies.” She handed the man several coins and directed him to another merchant with a list of items to purchase while she headed to the saloon. “One whiskey then we’re on our way.”

When she entered the saloon, however, her usual warm welcome of friendly hails and banter was replaced with a buzz. Several of the usual patrons were huddled around a table in the middle of the room chatting amongst themselves about something she couldn’t quite determine, and she was able to sidle right up to the bar undeterred and drink without disturbance.

Naturally, curiosity got the better of her and she kept an inconspicuous ear open to the commotion across the room as she savored her drink. She was able to make out bits and pieces of the chatter, but nothing of consequence until a man across the room slammed his fist on the table and began shouting.

“First Wellesley, then Lilymore. We’re next I’m telling you!” he yelled. “They burned the whole town. Killed every one of ‘em!”

The room silenced quickly and heads turned to his direction as he continued on.

“This conquering must be stopped! We won’t fall to them!”

When the crowd gathered around the man, surely interested in what he had to say, Kathryn tilted her head for a closer listen as to what they were talking about. She heard some of them mumbling about destruction that happened to Lilymore and several other towns in the south, but it wasn’t until they started yelling that she knew there was definite trouble heading her way. Astonished, she downed her drink and left to search out her companion.

“We need to fight this!” she heard them shouting as she rushed toward her wagon to find her companion already waiting for her.

“We’ve got trouble, Russell,” she informed him. “We need to…”

Before she could continue, she was silenced by the thundering sound of horses racing her way. As the barrage of troops got closer, the children playing in the street had stopped, women stepped out onto balconies to get a closer look at the commotion, and a few of the men, drunk and somewhat disorderly, stammered out of the saloon in time to see a small assembly of armed men approaching.

The leader, a tall burly man with a strange tattoo over his left eye, dismounted from his horse and nailed a bulletin to a nearby post, momentarily ignoring everyone who watched. When enough of the town folk had gathered on the street, he turned and addressed the group.

“This town now belongs to the King William. Taxes will be collected every thirty days. Any person who disputes this or fails to pay will be jailed.”

“This is absurd!” Kathryn barked.

Astonished, the knight turned and stared her dead in the eye. “You said something?”

“You can’t just come here and take our businesses away. This is our livelihood. Most of us are farmers and merchants.”

The town people all agreed with her, nodding in agreement with the woman they considered their own leader of sorts. The armed men on horseback snickered in retort.

The tattooed man was surprised. Of all the times he had done this, no one had ever stood up to him before. “You all feel this way?” he asked as he looked out to the group.

Most of the people only nodded their heads in fear and looked around for support from their fellow town folk, but some had gathered enough courage and managed to mutter a few words of agreement.

“Very well,” he said. He turned to his men and pursed his lips together in anger. “Burn the town.”

“Wait!” Kathryn yelled, grabbing his arm in fear. “Surely there must be another way. Can’t we come to an agreement?”

“You’re asking me, King William’s chief knight, commander of an army that will pass through this town in two days time, to shed some mercy and make an exception? …A town full of peasants who will be under the protection of the Empire after the annexation, and you want me to make a deal to spare you that greatness?”

It sounded ridiculous when he stated it that way, and she didn’t trust him one bit, but that was exactly what she was asking.

“Yes.”

He thought it over for a moment before speaking again, though she swore he took more time than needed purely for dramatic effect.

“Very well. On behalf of King William I will make a deal with you.”

Kathryn let out a big sigh of relief, unaware that she was even holding her breath in the first place.

“I will spare this town on one condition.”

Kathryn looked to Russell and saw her apprehension mirrored in his expression, quite uncommon for a man who always remained emotionally detached on the surface.

“You must bring me the Sword of Drakan.”

Kathryn heard some of the closer men gasp in shock but she had no idea what they were surprised about. Some of the women on the dirt road pulled their children closer for protection and she sensed they were deeply afraid of something, though what that was she didn’t know.

“I’ll do it.”

“You’re brave,” he said, smirking. “You have two days. At that time, if you fail to give me the sword, this town will belong to the Empire.”

“How will I find you?”

“If you succeed, you may ask for me, Akoochi Moya. I’ll be in the church. But I doubt it will come to that,” he added and mounted his horse again.

Kathryn had no idea what she had suddenly got herself into but managed to nod.

“Time’s ticking,” he snickered before ordering several of his men to remain behind while he rode off with a select few.

Once the knights were far enough out of earshot, Russell pulled her aside. “Do you have any idea what you agreed to?”

“I’ve got to get a sword. What’s the big deal?” she asked, bewildered by his concern.

“The Sword of Drakan has been sought after for decades.”

“Do you know where it is?”

“Yes, it is in a cave half a day’s journey north of here, in the mountains, but it is rumored to be lodged in stone,” he answered. “It cannot be removed.”

Kathryn pursed her lips in thought. “We’ll just have to find a way to get it out then, won’t we?”

Having known his companion well from years together, the devilish grin on her face worried Russell, but he would always stand beside her. “Indeed.”

Hours later, after they had returned home and made some changes to their appearance, Kathryn rushed into town with her companion again, this time having discarded their common dress in exchange for battle gear and riding their fastest horses. She was now dressed in leather and chain mail, her companion matching her appearance, and they each had an ample supply of weapons she had not yet brought to the trading post. Rather than stop at any of the establishments in town, they bypassed everything and several onlookers shouted their support when they recognized her as she charged out of town on her way to the cave.

They had been riding for hours and while there was still plenty of daylight left, being so deep in the woods left them vulnerable to an early nightfall so they decided to set up camp and rest for the night only a short distance from the hidden cave.

They tied their horses to a distant tree, and as Russell began collecting firewood, Kathryn removed her hood and weapons and laid them beside Russell’s. She emptied their bags in search of food but found none. Neither had eaten a single thing and she was sure Russell was as famished as she was, but with all the commotion the day had brought them, they had both forgotten to pack food and water.

“I’m going to have to catch something for supper,” she said.

“That’s just as well,” he replied. “I am having difficulty finding wood dry enough that won’t reveal our location.”

“Keep looking. I don’t want any unwanted guests popping in later.”

He nodded and she retrieved a smaller dagger, the one she normally strapped near her ankle, along with her prized weapon, a lengthy rapier that she harnessed over her back. She handcrafted the weapon herself, one of her finest, and although it hung on her wall for years, she knew it would be used for something special one day.

Her mind wandered as she scoured the woods in search of food. Every few minutes she thought she heard twigs snapping, a sure sign of an animal nearby, so she would head in that direction, only to be lead deeper and deeper into the woods. When a half hour of constant following passed and she saw no direct sign of an animal, she turned to head back to camp. But when she made her first step in retreat, the sounds of twigs snapping from different directions caused her to panic and she instinctually quickly drew her weapon in defense.

“What have you got there?” a man asked, stepping away from the shadows on her left.

To her right another man stepped into the light. “Looks like we’ve got some company, boys,” he said.

One by one, the men had become visible from their hiding places, and when they had all emerged, Kathryn was faced with five aggressors before her. Certainly more than she was used to handling alone but still confident she could handle this bunch without too much trouble. Besides, without Russell here to help, she didn’t have a choice.

“Gentlemen, I don’t think you realize how much trouble you’re in if you don’t leave me be,” she said, sword raised in front of her as she slowly backed up.

Clearly they didn’t take her words seriously as they continued approaching the smaller woman, drawing their own swords and mimicking her.

“I suggest you turn and leave right now before this gets ugly,” she cautioned, but it went unheard as they drew closer and closed the gap between them.

“This is your last chance,” she warned.

She glared at her attackers and assessed the situation, but her concentration was broken when the not so distinct sound of leaves crunching behind her alerted her to a sixth man and the others suddenly began rushing at her once her attention was diverted.

She turned to her left and swung hard, instantly killing the man behind her. A high kick with her leg wielded off the next closest man, pushing him into another of his companions, and that gave her the split second she needed to fling her dagger into the next oncoming man before raising her weapon again to ward the others. She felt a slight stinging in her arm but continued using her momentum and a series of kicks and swings to pick them off one by one.

The fight was over just as quickly as it began, and in the end she stood looking at their bleeding broken bodies scattered about. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t seen before, having been involved in her fair share of battles over the years, but the sight was something she never became accustomed to.

Then, as if on cue, a single drop of blood falling to the ground broke the silence and diverted her attention from the men to the small pool gathering by her foot. Another drop fell. And then another. The blood dripped from her finger and it tickled, but as she traced the crimson line up the length of her arm to the gash near her shoulder, she knew Russell would have to play the role of doctor once more. This wasn’t a wound she could repair herself and she couldn’t afford to let it become infected.

Suddenly, she heard leaves crunching and twigs breaking in the distance, but this time it was much more rhythmic. It was footsteps she recognized.

“I thought you’d never get here,” she said when Russell emerged, weapon drawn and ready for battle.

“It appears you have the situation under control,” he smirked. He glanced around and counted up the bodies. “Five. Impressive.”

“You missed one,” she added, pointing to the hidden man beside a rock.

“Quite a show of superiority. I believe you have earned your supper this evening.”

“Well, I still haven’t managed to find anything.”

“I passed their camp on my way here. Perhaps they have prepared something in anticipation of our arrival.”

Kathryn chuckled. “Let’s hope they have medical supplies too. I’m going to need you to sew this. Think you’re up for it?”

He took a quick glance at the wound. “It is far less severe than anything you have sustained in the past,” he said, recalling the many times he had given her medical attention from their various battles over the years. He learned early on after meeting Kathryn that appearances meant nothing. To the casual observer she was a quiet blacksmith trying to make a living, but he only knew her as a cunning warrior, afraid of nothing.

“I’m glad. We’re leaving before daybreak. If these men are any indication of what lies out here waiting then I’m not about to meet any more friends.”

Very early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Kathryn and Russell broke camp. Kathryn had spent most of the night thinking about their situation and wasn’t able to get much sleep. She didn’t fear another attack, knowing that Russell was an excellent guard in his own right and kept a careful ear out for any intruders, but rather kept pondering ways they could remove the sword once they found it.

“How much do you know about this sword?” she asked Russell as they trotted off.

“What would you like to know?”

“Everything.”

“I can only tell you what I have observed first hand,” he explained. “I cannot account for any myths involving the sword.”

Kathryn smirked, expecting nothing less from the man.

“Before I joined you I was a guard for King Henry. Prior to the invasion—”

“When William started seizing control of everything?”

“Yes. Prior to the invasion, King Henry ordered us to retrieve the Sword of Drakan. This sword is rumored to bring victory to anyone who uses it. He sent us to the cave to retrieve it, but as I have already mentioned, it is lodged in stone. Scores of men have attempted to remove it, but all have been unsuccessful. I do not believe King William’s Empire has good intentions to use this sword.”

Kathryn realized the predicament she was in. She could try to remove it, and if by some miracle was successful when all others had failed, she would be placing it in the hands of someone who was potentially her enemy. Suddenly, the idea of this whole mission sickened her and she began having second thoughts.

“We are nearly there,” Russell informed her.

Off in the distance Kathryn could see a large rock formation hidden by climbing vines that camouflaged it well. Had she been casually traveling through this area she would have otherwise passed by the structure so it was no wonder she hadn’t heard of this cave or its contents before, confident that not many people would have recognized it either.

They tied their horses to a nearby tree and Russell suspiciously looked around. He sensed that something was amiss but there was no obvious sign of anyone else being nearby so he dismissed the feeling as irrational anxiety.

“Everything all right?” Kathryn asked. Russell merely nodded and led her into the cave.

The cavern itself was dark and cold, the walls narrow, jagged, and slimy, and Kathryn was positive there were rats or snakes making this their home. As she followed Russell deeper into the cave she began to lose sight of him with the increasing darkness and was forced to use the walls as her guide. Ahead, she could see a dim light and wasn’t sure if she felt relief that the darkness was almost over or apprehension because of what she might find. However, when they reached the point of the light, sunlight shining through a hole in the roof, she found they had actually entered a wide-open room vastly different from the narrow corridor that led them here. And in the middle, displayed on a makeshift alter, was a boulder with an impressive sword jutting out its top.

“So that’s it?” Kathryn asked.

“Indeed.”

“And all we need to do is take it out of the stone?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you give it a shot first? My arm is still a little sore and I don’t think I could do it the justice you can, my friend.”

Russell nodded. He climbed up the boulder and anchored himself as he grabbed the Sword’s handle, pulling with all his might without success. He grunted loudly as he gave it another hard tug, but still had no effect.

“Perhaps if we both pull,” Kathryn suggested. She climbed up and positioned herself between Russell and the wall and grabbed hold with him. They both pulled together with all their strength and had the same luck Russell had with his first two attempts.

Russell nearly fell over and calmly returned to the ground while they thought over their options.

“What if we blew it up?” Kathryn asked.

“We do not have any explosives. I am also sure that method has already been tried, and it might damage the Sword as well.”

“Do you think we can chip away at it? Maybe if we remove enough of the rock we can jar it loose.”

“Kathryn, do you honestly believe these techniques have not already been attempted?”

“We can’t just give up.”

“I do not believe this Sword was meant to be removed.”

For a moment, Kathryn thought about Akoochi Moya and his men conquering the town. Was it possibly Danbury would suffer the same fate the other towns had? Would her friends and neighbors be robbed and killed like those in the south? It didn’t take very long for anger to flood her veins and she refused to give up so easily when the solution to their problem lay right before her.

“This is ridiculous!” she shouted. In one rush of heated emotion, she seized the Sword handle and pulled with everything she had. But something was different this time. Before she knew what was happening, she lost her footing and fell hard to the ground. The severity of the fall ripped open her wound and she gave a small cry at the sudden pain. When she looked up at the rock again the Sword was gone. She frantically looked around and saw it lying hear the side of the boulder.

Turning to Russell for his reaction, the otherwise emotionless man had a rather astonished expression on his face. “How…”

He couldn’t even finish his question, and she completely understood, finding herself in the same state of shock. It took a moment for them to gather their composure again, and she stood up and brushed the dirt out of her hair.

“How’s that for determination?” she asked smiling, obviously proud of herself.

“You never cease to amaze me,” he answered.

Kathryn picked up the Sword and they turned to leave but suddenly froze as a shadow moved before them.

“Please tell me that’s a large rat,” she whispered, raising the Sword in defense.

Before Russell could answer, the shadow moved again and a tall figure stepped from the darkness.

“I’ll be taking that Sword now, thank you,” a woman said.

The woman was tall and blonde and had the bluest eyes Kathryn had ever seen. She was drawn to them immediately. There was something in them that held Kathryn’s attention, almost mesmerizing, and she was hesitant to let it go so easily.

Kathryn continued watching her intently, sizing up the woman’s potential to take the Sword from them. While it was true she was sure both she and Russell could normally outfight their challenger, the crossbow the woman held, armed and pointed directly at her, made her think otherwise.

“I’m sorry but I can’t let you have this,” Kathryn stated.

“I need that Sword and you will give it to me now,” the woman demanded. She raised the crossbow higher, taking aim at Kathryn, and waited for a response.

Russell leaned in and whispered, “I suggest you hand over the weapon.”

Kathryn didn’t need to hear him say they would get it back again. She knew the man well enough to believe he had her best interest at hand, and now that the Sword was removed from the stone they could come up with an easier plan for taking it back again.

“Very well,” Kathryn said.

She lowered the weapon and held it out for the woman to take. However, when the woman took the Sword’s handle, her body immediately began seizing. A look of extreme pain crossed her features and within seconds she lost consciousness.

Kathryn ran up to her and checked for a pulse, completely ignoring the weapon that lay beside the woman’s limp body. “She’s still alive.”

“I suggest we take the weapon and leave immediately,” Russell said.

“We can’t leave her for dead!”

“May I remind you, this same woman would not hesitate to kill us?”

“Well I’m not leaving her.”

Kathryn looked around for something she could to prop the woman’s head up but didn’t find anything but jagged rocks.

“We need to move her,” she suggested.

Russell considered the situation for a moment. He had never seen Kathryn react so intensely before. She was a passionate woman and would help any stranger who asked, but her reaction this time was different.

“If you can guide us through the passageway I can carry her,” he eventually said.

Kathryn nodded and wondered if she was doing the right thing. There was no telling if the woman had any accomplices waiting in ambush, any traps set up in case they outwitted her in here. She looked down into the still features of the young woman laying on the ground and felt a sense of ease fill her. Perhaps it was a sixth sense, but, despite their not so friendly first meeting, she had the strongest impression this woman would never hurt her.

Hours later, after Kathryn and Russell had made a temporary camp not far from the cave, the young woman began to stir from unconsciousness. She felt around for her crossbow but there was nothing within reach aside from leaves and twigs.

“I didn’t think you were ever going to wake,” someone said. She sat up and looked directly into the gray blue eyes of her captor.

“What have you done to me?”

Perched on a nearby log, Kathryn raised her hands in peace. “We brought you here to rest. You were injured.”

“Where’s the Sword?” she demanded.

Kathryn looked to Russell off in the distance. The man was perched on his own log, sharpening their weapons to pass the time. “It’s hidden.”

“I need it!”

“Why do you want it so badly?”

The woman looked away in frustration, clearly deciding to take another approach. She didn’t normally act so irrational, but being in the presence of this older woman made her on edge. She was distracted, perhaps by the hospitality shown to her when so many others would have killed her without a second thought, or perhaps it was something completely different about the older woman.

“May I have it?” she begged. “Please? My people need it.”

“What’s your name?” Kathryn asked.

“Why does that matter?”

Kathryn laughed. “It doesn’t, but I’d like to be able to call you something. I’m Kathryn. That’s Russell over there. We’re not your enemy.”

The woman turned and looked in Russell’s direction, briefly making eye contact with him before he nodded his head as a friendly gesture. “You may call me Annika,”she said when she returned her attention to Kathryn.

Kathryn smiled. “Well, Annika, my people need the Sword too. We—”

“My town was attacked. I offered to bring the Sword to the commanding knight and in return they were to leave us unharmed.”

“What was his name?”

“I don’t remember. He had a strange tattoo on his face, but I don’t remember anything else.”

Kathryn winced at the similarity and felt as if someone had just punched her in the stomach. “What town do you live in?”

“Lilymore.”

Somehow Kathryn knew Annika was going to say that before the word even crossed her lips. She rubbed her brow in distress, unsure how to break the news to the young woman. If she said nothing and Annika returned to Lilymore, or what was left of it, she could find herself in a deadly situation. That didn’t seem to be an option in Kathryn’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Annika, but Lilymore was destroyed.”

“What?” Annika’s voice cracked at the news, the first sign of vulnerability she displayed voluntarily.

“Burned to the ground. Everyone was killed. I’m very sorry.”

Kathryn reached out to comfort the young woman but Annika pulled away. They sat in silence a few moments and although Kathryn barely knew this woman, she felt a need to stay and be with Annika, to comfort her.

“Are you sure?”

Kathryn looked into the tear filled eyes and it took everything she had to keep herself from crying at the thought of an entire town being wiped out for no reason.

“I haven’t seen it myself, but several people I know in my town were warning their friends about what had happened to Lilymore and others right before some knights arrived and threatened us. I was ordered to retrieve this Sword to save them.”

Annika looked down, not fully hearing Kathryn’s words because she was still so upset over the news.

“My whole life was there. My family…”

She trailed off and Kathryn put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“Kathryn,” Russell interrupted. “It is getting late and we still have several hours before we return. I suggest we leave immediately to avoid any further delay in delivering the Sword.”

Kathryn nodded and Russell began packing up their belongings in preparation for the trek home.

“I can’t even begin to know your loss, Annika, but you’re welcome to come with me to Danbury and stay as long as you wish,” Kathryn offered.

Annika remained silent, still obviously stunned by the news, and Kathryn wasn’t even sure the young woman heard her.

“What do you say?” Kathryn asked. “I won’t force you to come, but I’d like to be your friend, if you’ll let me.”

This time Annika stood up and offered Kathryn a helping hand in getting up. She smiled simply and offered her thanks, and Kathryn recognized the sentiment behind the gratitude.

“There’s a creek about 200 feet behind that rock face if you want to freshen up before we leave,” she said. Annika accepted and Kathryn briefly talked with Russell while they packed.

“What’s her story?” he asked.

“She’s from Lilymore, Russell. They lied to her.”

“Who?”

“That tattooed man, Akoochi Moya. She offered to give them the Sword and in return they would spare her town. But they burned it instead, killing everyone. We need to get back as soon as possible.”

“Can she be trusted?”

“I believe so. I can’t place my finger on it, but she’s got a story. There’s something she’s not saying, but I do believe we can trust her.”

“What about her weapon?”

“She can have it back,” Kathryn said. “Since I seem to be the only one that can handle the Sword unharmed, I’ll carry it and she can ride with me. You’ll have to carry everything else with you.”

Annika returned just as they were tying up the last of their belongings to the saddle pouches and looked quite refreshed.

“All ready then?” Kathryn asked.

“I want to thank you. If what you say is true, then I really have no place to go. Everything I have…everyone I care about… is gone.”

Still amazed at how drawn to this woman she was, Kathryn wanted to tell her that as long as she was alive she would always have a friend. Instead, she offered Annika a warm smile and a hug. “I think you should ride with me.”

Russell handed Annika the crossbow and they hastily rode off towards Danbury in an attempt to get home before nightfall.

Just as the sun was setting they cleared the wooded area and would be able to look down the valley at Danbury once they passed the next knoll. Annika remained quiet most of the journey, holding firmly onto Kathryn’s waist as they rode. Several times Kathryn found herself clearly distracted by Annika’s warm breath on her neck and large breasts pressed into her back and wished this moment could last forever. She was lost in the beginning of a fantasy when Russell had stopped suddenly and Annika gasped.

And then she saw it.

A solid funnel of dark smoke drifting high into the sky sent a wave of terror shooting through her and she kick started her horse into a high-speed race toward the town. Russell’s horse could barely keep up with hers, and she had no idea the danger that could still be waiting for her, but she didn’t care. She needed answers.

When they finally arrived, most of the town had looked the same. The saloon and merchant stores were untouched, as were various other establishments, and not a single sign of struggle. But there was definitely an eerie feeling to this as she allowed her horse to slowly trot through the town toward the direction of the smoke.

“No one appears to be here,” Russell said when he caught up with her.

“Let’s go to the church,” Kathryn said. “Maybe Akoochi Moya’s got some answers for us.”

When they reached the end of the town they discovered it was the church that had been burned. The roof had collapsed and there was barely any of the building left standing. They dismounted their horses and Kathryn frantically looked around for survivors, anyone who might have seen what happened, when Russell said the one thing that was on their minds.

“We’re too late.”

“No!” Kathryn shouted. “We have until morning! We’re not too late!”

She made a run for the church, but when she saw the doors had been chained shut she nearly lost her mind. Just like Lilymore, just like Wellesley and probably many others, Danbury had fallen. Everyone she knew…all her friends…gone. Everyone but Russell and Annika.

Without thinking, she grabbed the Sword off her back and raised it in anger, allowing her hatred for the tattooed man to flow through her and guide her. She began pacing in circles, unsure which direction to go first in search for the man, but she was determined to find him and seek vengeance for this atrocity.

“Kathryn, now is not the time,” Russell said.

“Don’t tell me now is not the time, Russell. These people were murdered by him and he’s going to pay if it’s the last thing I do!”

She took a few more erratic steps and felt herself choking back tears of anger and hatred unlike any other she had ever felt in her life.

Annika approached slowly. “Kathryn, he’s right.”

Kathryn turned and looked into Annika’s eyes. The icy blue that was so visible earlier was replaced with softness…a gentleness that spoke of a connection they now shared. Annika placed her arm tenderly on Kathryn’s shoulder and slowly began calming the hatred with simply a touch.

“Not now,” she said. “Another day. There has been enough killing today.”

Kathryn knew she was right. She lowered the Sword and dropped it enough so the tip hit the ground. Then Annika did something she hadn’t expected. She leaned in and kissed Kathryn’s cheek.

“You did the right thing,” she said. “I’d like to help you find him.”

“I don’t even know where to begin looking,” Kathryn confessed. “He said his army would be marching through here tomorrow, but something inside me is telling me that’s a lie.”

“May I suggest we return to the house and discuss this?” Russell asked. “There is a very strong possibility there may be stragglers behind waiting for our return.”

Kathryn nodded. “You’re right. ”

She strapped the Sword on her back again and grabbed her horse’s reins. Annika walked beside her as they went home to began making plans for Danbury’s retribution to the tattooed man. Although they hadn’t said a word the entire trip back home, something inside her knew Annika would not leave her side.

Not today.

Not ever.

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