Talon
Talon took the point position on a logbehind a thick bramble where a wide, shallow river snaked down andinto an open meadow, giving him and the ten men with him anunfettered view of where the murderous bastard Nithard and hisBasque slavers would have to cross to get to the pass a leaguefarther up the mountainside.
Anglbert took the woods closest to theother shore with the other ten men, which made twenty-two archersbetween them, every one of them a swordsman as well.The Basqueswere to be the bowmen’s first targets.Talon’s was Nithard andPhillipe’s was Ranulf, Oswald would take Lothair.
“Here.”Phillipe handedTalon a strip of jerky.
Talon had no appetite, but he took itbecause he knew he needed the energy for the fight to come, and itkept him busy chewing something besides the inside of hischeek.
“I saw you speaking withArnulf before we left him with the horses,” Talon said.“Whatabout?”
“He told me come what may,he would be proud to call me son from this day on.”
Talon coughed and rubbed at aninvisible gnat in his eye.“Congratulations.”
A short, quick whistle had themcrouching low and notching arrows to their bows.Where the pathopened onto the meadow, Talon counted two Basques before Nithardand Ranulf rode out, followed by the line of women with fourBasques riding along either side of them, one of them next to Lara,who was last in the line and had a rope around her neck and wrists.“Bloody hell.”
Lothair rode out behind her, and twomore Basques brought up the rear.Wilric rode with Patience, butTalon didn’t see Isabeau with Lara or any of the other women.Hesucked his breath in as he made sure she wasn’t with Nithard orRanulf, then let it out in a slow hiss as the Basque alongside Larashifted something from one shoulder to the next.His daughter andher head of red curls settled into the man’s neck.
“Nobody shoots the Basquewith Isabeau,” he told Phillipe.“Spread the word.”
He lifted his arrow to aim at Nithard,but Lara jerked her head back and tugged at the rope around herneck.Behind her, Lothair raised his fist and gave the rope anotherjerk.
“Plan just changed,” hesaid.“I’m going for Lothair first.We’ll deal with Nithard and theBasque with Isabeau later.”
“Should I tell Oswald?”Phillipe asked.
“No.I want that bastardLothair dead.”
He waited what felt like an eternityuntil the first Basque urged his horse into the river to cross itand another eternity until all the horses were in or near thewater, then he gave three short, sharp whistles.
Lara snapped her head up again andthrust her bound hands between her neck and the noose.Talon lethis arrow fly, growling with satisfaction as a second arrow piercedLothair’s chest a handsbreadth from his.Lothair fell from hishorse, yanking Lara backward and sending her tumbling off herhorse, into the river.
“Lara.”
***
Lara
Lara had just enough time to gulp airinto her lungs before she was pulled backward off her horse.Sheheard her name a moment before she hit the water and went under,jolting as her back landed on the stony bottom.But she managed tokeep her head from knocking against the rocks and twisted away fromher horse’s hooves and scrambled to get her arms and legsunderneath her, scraping them on rocks as she managed to pushherself up onto her hands and knees when a pair of hands whosetouch she’d know anywhere grabbed her at the waist and stood herup, coughing and sputtering.
“Talon.”
“Aye, you troublesomewench.”
He yanked her to him, and Lara buriedher nose into his neck, breathing in the masculine scent of man,horse, and sweat, then reared her head back.“Isabeau?”
Talon nodded to the three men heldcaptive on their horses: Nithard, Ortzi, who had an arrow stickingout of his thigh, and Inigo, who held Isabeau in his arms.Larablew out a breath of relief, and Talon pulled the noose from herneck and cut her wrist ties.All around them, her Basque captorslay dead or dying, as well as Lothair with two arrows in his chest.She glanced upriver to where Ranulf’s body lay on the riverbankwith three arrows in it.
Talon pulled her into his shoulder andwalked over to where Nithard, Inigo, and Ortzi sat on their horses,marked by Frank arrows.Anglbert and Phillipe helped the otherwomen dismount as Talon stood next to Inigo’s horse and held hisarms out.
“A wise choice,” he toldthe Basque as he handed Isabeau over.
Lara broke into gasping sobs as Talonkissed his daughter’s head and then offered her over.She heldIsabeau tight, her tears falling on her daughter’s head.Talonpulled his longsword.
“For keeping my daughtersafe,” he told Inigo, “your deaths will be swift and far kinderthan you deserve for the rest of it.”
Inigo nodded and looked to Lara.“Forgive us,” he said.“Pray for my family, pray they not sufferfor what I do.”
