There were five in total, dressed in armor and carrying swords. Upon their shields was the brand of their Lord and Master; a black dragon brandished the metal like a scar burned into flesh. They positioned themselves into a circle, protecting their flanks from all directions.
Red looked to Wolf. “Where did they come from?”
“I do not know. I could hear them, though.”
“More magic,” Rapunzel said as she rubbed her goose-fleshed arms.
“If we run, they will see us.” Red slid the knife out from her pants. She twirled it in her hand.
“I believe they already know we’re here,” Wolf said as he did the same.
The lead horseman unsheathed his weapon, a long, steel broadsword. “You can not run. You might as well give yourselves up. Lord Drake might show you mercy.”
The other horsemen snickered.
Wolf looked to Red. She nodded to him, a coy smile playing at her lips. Wolf smiled back.
“You stay hidden away,” he said to Rapunzel. “We will lie and say you drowned. When the time is right, try to move away.”
“When will I know the time is right?”
He grinned. “You will know.”
She placed her hand on his arm. “Do not try to save me.”
Red snorted. “He’s not. He’s trying to save himself, as am I. As should you. There is no glory here.”
Rapunzel turned to Red. “Oh, but there is, Red.
You’re just too thick-headed to believe it.”
“Believe what you wish, my Lady. But I am not risking myself for you.”
Red and Wolf stood up, knives lowered to their sides. They started to walk toward the horsemen.
“You already have,” Rapunzel whispered.
The horses whinnied as they approached, stamping the ground nervously.
“Where is the Lady Rapunzel?”
“She drowned. She was not much of a swimmer,”
Red answered.
The lead horseman pointed his sword toward Red.
“You probably killed her.”
Red grinned. “You’re right. I probably did. Just like I’m probably going to kill you.”
The horseman laughed. “You have balls, woman, I’ll give you that.”
“Enough!” Wolf bellowed. “We all know that we will not go in quietly. So, make your move, fellas.
And make it quick, for I tire of your banter.”
The horseman’s grin faded. He pointed his sword at Wolf. “You, I’m going to skin and hang on my wall like a trophy.”
Wolf raised his arms out to the sides. His knife glinted in the sunlight. He growled low in his throat.
“Come and get me.”
The horseman kicked his horse and galloped toward Wolf sword raised high in the air.
Wolf waited until the horse was almost upon him before he jumped out of the way. He brought his knife around and stuck the horse in the flank. It wailed and went down. The horseman bolted forward off the saddle.
Wolf was on him before he hit the ground. He slit his throat quickly. Wolf took the sword from the man’s twitching hand and tossed it to Red.
“Here!”
Red caught it. It was heavy but not oppressing in her hand. She swiped the air with it expertly.
“Come and get me, boys!” She snarled.
Two horsemen charged her. The other two charged at Wolf.
From her spot behind the bushes, Rapunzel watched in horror. She gasped as the horses charged.
She closed her eyes as the animals flanked Red.
Red advanced her sword and struck one man in the leg. He screamed. She swung around and sliced the sword over the back leg of the other’s horse. The horse buckled, and reared its head. The horseman lost his grip and fell off his mount backwards. The horse tumbled sideways, its ligaments cut.
Red was on the man instantly. She stabbed him in the side twice between his armor. She took his sword.
She ran with it to the clear. She searched out Wolf.
He rolled underneath a horse and sprang back up.
He had to duck swiftly as a sword swung at his head.
“Wolf!”
He turned to her; an open cut on his face.
She threw the sword to him.
A horseman was bearing down on him quickly; his sword pointed right at his heart.
Wolf caught the blade and pivoted toward the charging horse. The blades clashed against each other.
The sound resonated through the trees. Birds flew up in the air as the pitch echoed through the foliage.
Rapunzel could watch no more. She began to move through the woods.
The other horseman advanced on Wolf. Wolf jumped up and grabbed the man around the torso.
They tumbled off the horse and onto the ground.
Wolf immediately slid his knife into the man’s throat.
Wolf rolled off him and was on his feet before the other horseman could turn around.
Red ran from her horseman. He was gaining on her. She could not escape. She ran toward the trees.
She threw her dagger. It stuck solidly into the tree trunk. She ran to it and jumped, using the knife as a foothold, and bounded up the tree to the overhanging branch. She caught it and swung herself up. The horseman passed beneath her.
She turned on the branch and launched herself into the air. She came down on the horseman. He was taken by surprise as they fell off the horse. He landed heavily on top of Red knocking the air from her lungs.
She thought she heard a bone crack.
The horseman pushed off of her. He stood up warily shaken from the attack. He glared down at his quarry and smiled. Red tried to move but found she could not. Her ribs had been busted.
The man raised his sword above her, the blade pointing to her chest. “Lord Drake will reward me well for this.”
Red took in a breath. This would be her last. She regretted to die like this. She looked to Wolf and regretted it all. She wouldn’t get a chance to find the man inside The Wolf.
The man’s eyes bulged then closed. His knees gave and he dropped to the ground, the sword falling away from his limp hand.
“You will have your reward in hell.” Rapunzel held a large tree branch in her dainty hands.
Red closed her eyes and let out her breath.
Rapunzel tossed her branch aside and held out a hand to Red. She helped Red to her feet. Red swayed and grabbed her side.
“You are hurt.”
“Yes, but I will live.” She glanced sideways at Rapunzel. “Thanks to you.”
Rapunzel nodded.
“Can you wield a sword?” Red asked as she stumbled toward where Wolf stood on defense from the last of the horsemen.
“I feel like I could wield anything,” Rapunzel said as she bent down and retrieved the fallen sword. It was heavy and she could barely lift it.
Wolf and the horseman were engaged in swordplay. They matched swing for swing. Wolf smiled when he saw the two women approach behind the horse.
Red held her sword high as she cradled her ribs, wincing from the pain it caused her. Rapunzel dragged her sword behind her.
“My saviors arrive.”
The horseman paused. He turned briefly to look behind him. He started to laugh. “Two women? One weak and feeble, the other injured, are going to save you?”
Wolf growled. “They already have.” He threw his sword.
It whizzed through the air like an arrow. It found its mark accurately. It imbedded deep into the horseman. It pierced his heart. He gurgled wetly from his open mouth as he fell over onto the ground.
Wolf rushed to Red’s aid. She leaned on him slightly, still too afraid to show any weakness.
“I’m fine.”
“Your ribs are broken,” he said as he put his arm around her.
She shrugged him off. “I’ll heal.”
“Let me help you.”
“No!” She stepped away from him, turning her back.
“I can not believe you still do not trust me.” Wolf stared at her, his eyes blazing. “I have risked everything for you, to help you see the way.”
Red turned to him. Her eyes sad and weary. “I do trust you,” she said barely above a whisper. “But I hate every minute of it.”
Wolf understood. He knew what she was risking in herself to trust him. She was going against all her instincts, all her training. She was bending her own nature to believe him. But he could see now, that she did indeed believe.
He walked to her and helped her up onto a horse.
“When they don’t return, he will send out more. We need to ride and fast.”
“Can you ride?” He asked Rapunzel.
She mounted a horse with ease. “With pleasure.”
Wolf got on the same horse as Red. He nuzzled in behind her to keep her from falling.
“Where do we ride?” Rapunzel asked.
“To the Schwarzer Wald, the Black Forest. There we will find food and shelter. And the allies we’ll need to come back and fight.”
Rapunzel kicked her horse and galloped down the trail. Wolf and Red were right behind her.
Chapter Eleven
They rode hard for two days, stopping only when the sun went down and the horses whinnied their complaints. They found rocked-in areas to make camp so that their fires were not seen.
Wolf hunted for their meals, usually coming back with rabbit or various rodents. He would roast them on a stick over the fire. They ate in silence, all too ravenous to make polite conversation.
Red’s ribs ached with every deed. Wolf had wrapped leather strips around her torso to stop any unnecessary movements. She just hoped she did not puncture anything before they reached their destination.
On the second night, as she ripped stringy flesh from the roasted rabbit on a stick, Red watched and measured Rapunzel. The woman had possibly saved her life, but she felt no real gratitude toward her. Red did not trust her. Her motives for their rescue were selfish ones. She did it for some other purpose that alluded Red. She also didn’t trust the look that Rapunzel passed to Wolf.
Red handed the rabbit to Rapunzel. She took it gingerly, but tore at its flesh with little dignity. Red watched her intently.
Rapunzel was acutely aware of her gaze.
“Why?” Red asked simply.
“Why what?”