Medieval 01 - Untamed

you see anything?” she called.
    â€œNo,” the man said curtly.
    Rufus hacked a piece off the roast with a dagger, stuffed the meat into his mouth, and chewed.
    â€œHe will come,” she insisted. “He is besotted with the witch.”
    Rufus grunted.
    Eadith resumed pacing.
    A ragged Reever stepped up to the spit. His knife sliced easily through the tough meat.
    â€œWhat of you, shepherd?” Eadith demanded. “Did you see riders?”
    â€œNo, mistress. My flocks are to the east.”
    With a muttered curse, Eadith turned back to the guard, who ignored her.
    The shepherd wandered toward the back of theencampment. As he passed by Meg, he dropped the piece of meat. When he bent down to retrieve it, he spoke in a voice that carried no farther than her.
    â€œThe Sword comes at dusk.”
    Meg’s eyes widened as she looked at the pale hair and light eyes of the strange shepherd.
    â€œHe does not come,” she said softly.
    â€œBe ready, lady.”
    Sven smiled thinly, tossed the meat away, and kept walking toward the back gate. As he had hoped, Duncan’s “renegade” knight sat nearby, sharpening the edge of a huge battle-ax.
    â€œDusk,” Sven breathed as he walked past.
    The rasping of stone on steel paused just long enough to tell Sven that the knight had heard.
    â€œGuard!” Eadith called a few minutes later.
    â€œNo one comes as far as I can see,” the man answered in a bored tone. The question had been asked and answered many times that afternoon.
    Dusk settled over the camp like a cloak. Though the moon had not yet risen, its silver glow shone just above the western horizon. Rufus wiped his knife on his sleeve and looked over at Meg with naked intent.
    Casually Duncan’s knight stood up, hefting the ax as though to test its balance. He began swinging the weapon one-handed around his head, making the air whistle with the speed of the ax’s passage. It was not the first time he had drilled himself with the ax since he had come to the Reevers, but it never failed to intrigue the ill-trained men.
    The knight’s skilled play with the ax was all the distraction Sven needed and more than he had hoped for. He went to the back gate as though to relieve himself. When he passed the guard, a knife blade gleamed dully and the guard slumped. Sven propped him up against the palisade and pulled the man’s mantle around him as though he slept.
    A few quick strokes into the earth cleaned the knife blade. Sven returned the weapon to its sheath and waited, knowing the battle would begin soon.
    Suddenly the guard at the front of camp shouted and pointed toward the cart road.
    â€œThey’re coming! Two knights. One is dressed in black. God blind me if it isn’t the Norman bastard!”
    â€œDo they have the treasure?” Eadith demanded.
    â€œAye! Their pack animals are fair staggering beneath their burdens.”
    A ragged shout went up from the camp. Men jostled one another eagerly to catch the first glimpse of the riches that would soon be theirs.
    No one noticed Sven quietly slipping the bolt on the sally port, opening it a crack, and then going quickly to stand near Meg.
    â€œSoon, my lady,” he said softly.
    Meg was too stunned to answer. As she watched, Dominic slipped through the sally port. In the slowly condensing darkness, he seemed like a part of night itself. Both his drawn sword and the ancient silver pin gleamed as he turned, encompassing the camp with a single glance.
    Behind him, Simon and Duncan took shape out of the dusk, their swords drawn, but Meg saw only the Glendruid Wolf gleaming savagely on Dominic’s shoulder. Chills coursed over her as she understood that her people’s curse had finally been lifted. No longer would each Glendruid girl feel the weight of her people’s hope on her shoulders.
    A Glendruid Wolf had been born, but not of a Glendruid woman .
    Just as Dominic spotted Meg chained to the large oak, a shout came from the men gathered around the front gate.
    â€œTo arms! The bastard is among us!”
    Reevers snatched up swords and shields and attacked without thought or order. Duncan, Simon, and Dominic took the brunt of the ragged charge, holding the gate open while other knights shouldered through the sally port and into the camp.
    Soon steel rang on steel and blood shone blackly beneath the risen moon. Shouting, cursing, clashing, the battle surged back and forth across the