Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

but by one drunken coward and his magic!'
    The Champion turned suddenly and stalked out of the stables, his hands curled into massive impotent fists at his sides. Rupert watched him disappear into the waiting crowd. A memory came to him, of him and the Champion standing together on a hill, looking down over the Coppertown pit. Of the Champion telling how he had run away from the mines as a small child, and how he would never run from anything, ever again.

    Julia elbowed her way through the growing crowd, ignoring the glares and muttered curses of those she left in her wake. It had started out as a thoroughly rotten day, and it showed no signs of improving in its last few hours. She stopped and looked about her, hoping against hope to catch a glimpse of Rupert somewhere in the courtyard, but he was nowhere to be seen. Julia sighed, and once again headed for the far corner where her troop of fighting women were waiting for her. She'd promised to lead them through one last weapons drill before the battle, not that it would make much difference. They'd come on well, much better than she'd expected, and certainly a great deal better than the Castle guards had ever expected. A few more months' training, and they would have been good enough to ... Julia smiled sourly.
    They didn't have a few more months, or even a few hours. The gates would open at dawn, and shortly after that, her women would either be warriors, or dead.
    Julia's hand tightened round the pommel of her sword till her knuckles ached. So much to do, and never enough time. Rupert had to be here somewhere, but nobody had seen him for ages. It was as though he'd fallen off the face of the earth. She had to find him before the battle began, she had to, but her women were waiting for her. Julia's mind worked frantically as she plunged on through the crowd, searching desperately for a way out of her dilemma, and then a sudden calm fell over her as she realised there was no way out. Her women needed her, and she'd given them her word that she'd be there. Rupert would have understood. He knew a lot about duty.
    The crowd suddenly broke apart before her, and Julia stumbled to a halt as King John stepped out of the crowd to block her path. Harald stood at the King's side, carrying a huge sheathed longsword in his arms as though it were both infinitely precious and utterly repellent. Julia eyed Harald and the King warily as they bowed to her. They were being polite and formal, which could only mean that they were up to something. She watched their faces change as they realised she was no longer wearing formal Court robes, and smiled politely at them, daring them to say anything. She'd had to search half the Castle laundry to find the sensible, hard-wearing clothes she'd worn in the Forest during her time with Rupert, but it had been worth it. For the first time in months, she felt comfortable.
    Besides, she couldn't use a sword properly while wearing formal robes.
    'Princess Julia,' said the King slowly, 'your garments are hardly suitable for a Lady of the Court.'
    'Probably not,' said Julia. 'But they're quite suitable for wearing during a battle. If you think I'm going out to fight demons wearing high heels and a long flowing gown, you're crazy. Now, did you have something in particular you wanted to say to me, or were you just indulging in a little fashion criticism?'
    'We have something for you,' said Harald.
    'Oh yes?' said Julia suspiciously. 'And what might that be?'
    'A sword,' said Harald. 'It's called Wolfsbane.'
    He held out to her the long silver scabbard he was carrying, and Julia looked at it for a long moment
    before finally taking it from him. Despite its seven feet and more of length, the sword seemed practically weightless in her hands. The scabbard was covered in ancient, deeply etched runes that teased her eyes with hints of meaning. I don't like this sword , thought Julia suddenly. It feels . . . unhealthy . She started to hand the sword back to Harald, and then stopped as she realised both he and King John were wearing similar swords strapped to their backs. The long leather-bound hilts peered over their shoulders like watchful eyes. And that was when Julia remembered the name Wolfsbane.
    'This is one of the Infernal Devices,' she said slowly. 'One of the most powerful and evil swords ever created. And you expect me to use this?'
    They're our only hope now,' said the King. 'We need their power.'
    'Wait a minute,' said Julia suspiciously. 'Why are