“No!” Elora cried, her fingers gripping the stone ledge tightly.
The knight brought his sword down into Julian’s chest.
Elora stumbled back away from the window. She whirled and swept up her traveling cloak, throwing it around her shoulders.
“Where are you going?” Edward demanded.
“They’ll take him to the physician's tents.” She glanced at Sarah, who was putting aside her mending and standing.
“Elora!” Edward called.
She didn’t stop. She continued toward the door. Her limbs trembled with fear. Numbness gripped her mind. She had seen the other knight try to run Julian through. She had seen the other knight stab him! She had seen…
“Be careful,” Edward commanded. “Sarah, go with her.”
Sarah nodded and followed Elora out of the room.
“James!” Edward hollered to a knight positioned at the door. “Escort them!”
Julian had ransomed two knights early and charged out into the fields again to find Mace. They worked well as a team, covering each other’s back. Before he could spot Mace, he noticed two knights on the opposing team battering Osmont’s shield with their swords.
Julian spurred Storm forward to intercept one of them. He raised his shield, and the knight swung his sword down. The blow jarred through Julian’s arm.
Evenly matched, the two cowardly knights broke off the attack and charged away.
Julian exchanged a glance with Osmont, and then drove Storm to pursue them. Suddenly, Storm stumbled and fell to the ground, throwing Julian off. Julian put up his hands to stop his fall and tumbled away from Storm. He rolled onto his feet.
When Storm nickered, Julian swung his gaze to him and saw he was on the ground. Confused, he glanced about for what had caused Storm to trip. He saw Osmont sitting on his warhorse; his lance pointed downward. Concerned for his horse, Julian jerked toward Storm.
Osmont urged his steed between them, blocking Julian.
“What are you doing?” Julian demanded. “We are on the same team!”
“We areneveron the same the team,” Osmont growled. He pointed his lance at Julian.
Behind Osmont’s steed, Julian saw Storm push up to his feet and stand. Relief swept through him, followed quickly by hot fury. “You tripped him? You could have injured him!” He grabbed Osmont’s lance and pulled it hard, ripping it free from his hold. “I grow weary of your spite.” He tossed the lance aside. “We are on the same team; you cannot ransom me.”
“No.Ican’t.”
He saw a familiar black steed charging across the trodden meadow toward him. Tingles of trepidation danced along his shoulders as he recognized the rider. His lips thinned, and he quickly looked around for his shield. He snatched it from the trampled grass, holding it before him, bracing himself.
The rider stopped before him, holding the tip of the lance at Julian’s shield. “Thank you for your help, Osmont.” Then he addressed Julian, “Yield.”
“You taught me never to do that,” Julian growled, keeping his shield between him and the rider. “You called me weak for doing that. Didn’t you, Father?”
A dark rumble of laughter issued from his throat. “You are out-manned here.”
“I’m not the inexperienced young boy you remember,” he snarled and grabbed the lance, shoving it backward until his father lost his balance and his steed reared. His father tumbled head over heels from his horse.
A hard push from behind sent Julian propelling forward onto his hands and knees. Osmont! He rolled out of the way just as a sword slashed down where he had been.
“Osmont! What are you doing?” a voice called.
Julian recognized Mace’s voice and saw him galloping toward them atop his horse. But Julian didn’t have time to feel relief. He rose and whirled to find his father approaching with his sword lifted high.
Julian held up his shield, blocking Lord Luther’s blows. His father’s strikes slammed into the wooden shield, again and again, the impetus driving Julian backward. He braced himself, planting his feet solidly in the grass.
After one attack, Julian rushed forward, pushing the shield against Luther. When his father stumbled back, Julian readjusted his grip on the shield, urgently scanning the ground for his sword.
