Defender of Crowns, page 20
Roul climbed off him and got to his feet, and the pair jogged off. Time was already running out.
They made it all the way to the prince’s quarters without encountering anyone else but were met with two English guards parked at the door. The men drew their swords the moment they caught sight of them. Eda threw the dagger she was holding, striking the man closest to them in the throat. Roul ran at the other guard. After a short fight, the guard lay dead beside his comrade.
Eda went for the door and found it locked. Plucking the keys from the guard’s belt, Roul tossed them to her. A minute later they were inside, face to face with an on-edge Woottone. Roul and Eda placed their weapons down and raised their hands to show they were no threat.
Prince Becket was standing in front of a dying fire, glaring at them. ‘They think I liaised with you, deceived them.’
‘We know,’ Eda said. ‘And because of that, we have to leave. All of us. You can’t stay here. It’s not safe.’
‘It was perfectly safe until you arrived.’ Becket linked his hands atop his head. ‘They are not just going to let us leave.’
Roul gestured to Woottone to help him move the bodies.
‘For the love of Belenus,’ Becket said when the men dragged them into the room. ‘They will hang you for that.’
‘They’ll more likely hang us for the things we did before that,’ Eda replied. ‘Which is why we really need to leave now.’
Becket took in Roul’s bloodied and dishevelled state and narrowed his eyes. ‘Is that Lord Roger’s tunic?’
‘We need to go,’ Roul said quietly. ‘We have a very small window of opportunity to get you home. If you would prefer to take your chances here, then speak up. We can’t force you to come with us.’
Becket looked to Woottone for guidance.
‘Never a good sign when they lock you in a room and confiscate your weapons,’ the bodyguard said.
Becket exhaled a slow breath, then went to fetch his cloak. ‘If I die here today, I am going to be very cross.’
Roul and Woottone took the scabbards from the dead guards while Eda distributed all the weapons among the living.
‘What exactly is the plan?’ the prince asked as they stepped out into the corridor.
Roul looked both ways before speaking. ‘We have some men outside the castle who’ll assist in whatever way they can.’
‘Can they get us through the gatehouse?’
‘We’re not leaving via the gate,’ Roul replied. ‘We’re going over the wall.’
The prince nearly tripped over his own feet. ‘Please tell me you are joking.’
‘There’s a berm between the wall and the moat, and the moat’s dry. We’ll be fine.’
Becket glanced at Eda. ‘You expect a woman to descend a wall?’
‘I’ve been known to climb a wall or two in my time’ was Eda’s reply. ‘I’ll be just fine, Your Highness.’
They rounded the corner and descended the stairs, hit with the smell coming from the garderobe outflow.
‘What if they shoot at us?’ Becket asked.
Eda brought a finger to her lips and listened a moment. Footsteps approached. Roul gestured for everyone to keep moving, then pressed himself against the wall to wait. A guard appeared. Roul lurched out from the shadows, cutting the man’s throat before he could utter a sound. He dragged the corpse beneath the stairs before running after the others.
‘Are we good?’ Woottone asked when Roul caught up to them.
Roul nodded.
The curtain wall now loomed before them, and they headed for the steps at its base. They flew up them. Two laundry maids in the courtyard paused their work to watch them.
‘Halt!’ A guard on the ground had spotted them. ‘Stop right there.’
‘That means go faster,’ Roul called to Woottone, who was at the front of the group.
‘I said halt!’ the guard shouted below.
They had no bows and arrows, and even Eda could not throw a dagger accurately from that distance. Bringing two fingers to his mouth, Roul whistled as long and loud as he could, a signal to his men on the other side of the wall. Unfortunately, he got the attention of everyone inside the walls as well.
Footsteps sounded overhead, and the guard at the bottom was now on the steps behind them.
‘Keep going,’ Roul called as he dropped back to deal with the guard in pursuit. The man’s sword was drawn, but he was no match for Roul. The commander disarmed him on his first strike, then kicked him backwards. He tumbled all the way to the bottom of the steps and did not get up again.
When Roul arrived on the wall walk, Eda was pulling her dagger from a guard’s stomach while Woottone fought off another nearby.
‘How do we get down without rope?’ Becket asked, turning in a circle.
Roul stepped across the dead guard and peered over the embrasure. ‘Everyone hand me your cloaks.’
‘You must be joking,’ Becket said.
Eda was already removing hers. Woottone had taken care of the other guard and was now doing the same. Cursing, Becket surrendered his cloak also. Roul tied expert knots in record time, testing their strength before throwing one end of the makeshift rope over the embrasure. It barely reached halfway down the wall, but he was confident they could drop from there without breaking any bones.
‘Suttone, you’re up,’ Roul said, wrapping the fabric around his hand.
She shook her head. ‘Woottone should go first so he can help the prince at the bottom.’
He should have known she would not go without him. ‘Get your arse down that wall.’
‘No.’
They did not have time to stand there arguing. ‘Fine. Woottone, go.’
The defender leapt up onto the embrasure and began climbing down like he would have done during training a hundred times before. Roul placed one foot on the wall for balance. The moment the defender let go, Roul steadied himself and gestured to Becket. The prince appeared afraid.
Eda helped him up onto the embrasure. ‘Try to keep your feet on the wall as you go down. Land with bent legs.’
Nodding, the prince lowered himself over the edge.
Voices coming from the turret made Eda and Roul look in that direction.
‘Go,’ Roul said, adjusting his grip. ‘Now.’
Reluctantly, Eda tucked her weapons into her dress and climbed onto the embrasure. She looked back at him. ‘Throw the cloaks the moment I let go.’
He nodded, gaze darting in the direction of the turret as the voices grew louder. ‘Hurry.’
Eda descended quickly at first, then was held up by Becket, who was still making his way down. Roul gritted his teeth against the extra weight and leaned farther back. When Becket finally let go, he straightened a little and waited for Eda to follow.
The creak of a bow made him turn his head. He saw the arrow a split second before he felt it graze his arm. When Eda let go of the rope, he immediately tossed the cloaks over the edge.
‘You did not think this ridiculous plan would actually work, did you?’ Lord Roger’s voice carried along the wall walk. He was flanked by two men with loaded bows pointed at Roul.
The commander dashed for the embrasure. It was jump or die. So with blind faith, he leapt over it. He looked down as he fell, relieved to find one of the cloaks stretched out beneath him. The three of them repositioned themselves at the last moment so he landed in the middle of the cloak. He tumbled off it on impact, slamming shoulder first into the ground.
‘You did not even check first,’ Becket said, visibly shocked. ‘What if we had still been navigating your impossible knots?’
Roul leapt to his feet and began ushering everyone towards the moat. ‘Run. Lord Roger’s on the wall.’
An arrow struck the ground next to his foot.
Woottone moved behind the prince, and they were all running for their lives then.
‘What’s your plan for getting us up the other side of that moat?’ Becket asked, between pants.
Roul brought his fingers to his mouth, whistling again. ‘We’re going to have help.’
Eda was struggling to run in the dress. Roul could see her frustration as she held it up.
‘They’re still shooting at us,’ Becket said as an arrow flew past his head.
Eda glanced over her shoulder. ‘Their accuracy will drop at around two hundred and fifty yards.’
‘How far are we now?’
‘Not two hundred and fifty yards.’
Roul slowed and moved behind her. ‘I need you to go faster.’
‘I know’ was her reply.
An arrow tripped Woottone. ‘Keep running,’ he called to the prince as he fell. He was back on his feet a moment later.
The sound of a portcullis rising in the distance filled Roul with dread. But then four horses appeared on the other side of the moat, and Blackmane dismounted with a length of rope in hand.
‘Please tell me those are your men,’ Becket panted.
Roul nodded. ‘That’s them.’
When they reached the moat, they navigated the rocks all the way to the bottom. While it was technically a dry moat, the constant rain had turned the base of it into a bog. Still, they leapt into it without hesitating, sinking knee deep into the mud. Woottone took the prince’s arm as they trudged through it. Roul resisted the urge to take Eda’s.
Hiss, hiss.
Arrows flew past them, striking the cliff face they were about to climb up. Woottone ushered Becket to the rope, and the prince grabbed hold of it with both hands.
‘Pull!’ Roul shouted up at Blackmane.
Prince Becket was lifted out of the hungry mud as hooves pounded the bridge in the distance. Lord Roger’s men were coming for them. Roul could hear his men returning fire above but knew they were severely outnumbered. All the while, archers continued to shoot arrows into the moat.
‘Bow!’ Eda called to the men above.
Hadewaye’s head appeared, and he dropped a bow and quiver over the edge. Eda caught the bow, and Roul caught the quiver. He passed her a handful of arrows as she turned to face the wall. Loading the weapon, she took aim at the archers. She did not miss.
‘I’ll cover you,’ she told Roul when the rope dropped for the third time.
Because she was safer in a ditch than atop the ledge, Roul went ahead of her.
Blackmane pulled him up, then took hold of Roul’s arm to help him onto the ledge. He looked down at his bloodied hand when he let go. ‘You injured, Commander?’
Roul glanced down at the wound. ‘Just a graze.’ He looked over to where the other three men were positioned in front of the horses, shooting at the riders on the bridge.
‘Good to see you alive, Commander,’ Hadewaye said.
‘Alveye,’ Roul called. ‘Get the prince on a horse and get them to the river. We’ll meet you there.’
Woottone had already mounted one of the geldings and was pulling the prince up behind him. Alveye leapt onto his mare, and a moment later, they were galloping towards the trees.
Blackmane was pulling Eda up now. She was almost to the top when an arrow struck the defender’s shoulder. The rope slid from his hands. Roul dove onto the ground, catching hold of it. Blackmane lost his balance. Seeing he was about to go over the edge, Roul caught hold of the defender’s cloak with his other hand, but the pin holding it together released, and Blackmane toppled forwards. Eda caught him by the trousers as he fell. The extra weight dragged Roul to the edge of the ledge, but he managed to anchor himself with his foot before going over.
His eyes met Eda’s panic-filled ones.
‘I can’t hold him.’ As she spoke the words, Blackmane slipped from her grasp and fell. His head clipped a rock on the way to the bottom.
Roul reached for Eda’s hand and pulled her up. She caught hold of a rock near the top and met his eyes. ‘I can get him,’ she said. ‘I’ll tie the rope to him, and you can pull him up. I can do it.’
Blackmane’s groans reached them from the bottom of the moat. He was still alive, and Roul knew they would not leave without him. While it almost killed him to do it, he let go of Eda’s hand.
‘We’re running out of arrows here,’ Tatum called over his shoulder.
Roul pressed his eyes shut. ‘I need two minutes.’ He got to his feet and watched as Eda scaled the rocks to the bottom. She trudged over to Blackmane, slipping and falling in the mud as she tried to tie the rope around him. The second it was secure, Roul began pulling him up.
Hiss.
Roul felt the fletching of an arrow brush his ear. ‘I need some cover here.’
Tatum swung his bow and took aim at the wall, but arrows continued to fall from the sky.
‘Grab hold of his foot!’ Roul called to Eda. They did not have time for two separate trips. Eda reached for Blackmane’s boot and climbed while holding on to the injured defender. Her feet slipped constantly as they tangled in her skirts.
Hiss, hiss.
Finally, Roul dragged Blackmane over the edge. He was conscious but disorientated, his hair slick with blood and mud. Roul reached for Eda, pulling her up.
‘I’m out of arrows,’ Tatum shouted.
Eda still had a bow and quiver looped over her head and shoulder. She reached back, then looked down at her hand. She only had five left.
Blackmane attempted to get to his feet. ‘Give me a sword.’
He could not even stand, let alone fight.
‘Hadewaye, I need you on a horse—now!’ Roul shouted.
The defender gave his remaining arrows to Tatum, then ran to his horse. Somehow, they managed to get Blackmane up onto the mare behind him.
‘Hold on to him,’ Roul told Hadewaye as the horse took off.
More hooves sounded on the bridge. It was time for them to go.
‘Take Eda,’ Roul said, drawing his sword.
Tatum leapt onto the remaining horse and held out his hand to her, but Eda was looking only at Roul.
‘Eda,’ Roul warned.
‘You can’t outrun horses.’
He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her over to the horse.
‘Roul, stop.’ There was panic in her voice. ‘Stop!’
‘Take her,’ Roul told Tatum, passing her to him.
The defender hauled her up behind him despite a small struggle.
‘You can’t fend off mounted soldiers with one sword while on foot,’ she pleaded.
‘You’re right.’ He gestured to the five arrows still in her hand. ‘So you better make those count on your way out.’
With that, he slapped the rump of the horse to get it moving.
Chapter 29
Eda’s insides screamed. She thought about sliding from the horse’s rump and returning to Roul, fighting alongside him the way they had planned, the way he would if it were her back there. But then the horses charging towards him split into two groups, half of them continuing towards Roul and the other half coming after them.
‘We have company,’ she told Tatum as she retrieved her bow.
The defender glanced over his shoulder. ‘Shit.’
Eda took aim at the rider closest to Roul. The angle of her body combined with the speed at which they were travelling made it difficult to keep her hand steady. Breathing out slowly, she released the first arrow. It struck the guard through the ribs. Wasting no time, she reloaded her bow and shot the next rider. Her aim dropped slightly upon release, but she still managed to hit his leg, which would make him easy prey for Roul.
One of the men pursuing them was getting closer, so Eda used the third arrow on him. Trees appeared around them, and a moment later, Roul was gone from sight. Panic rose in her. He would have to face the remaining riders alone.
She fired the final two arrows and missed completely as Tatum weaved left and right between the trunks. They emerged onto a leafy path. Eda could no longer see the guards, but she could hear the horses.
Eda hooked the bow over her head and pulled out the dagger she had tucked in her dress. She looked up at the low-hanging branches dashing overhead and had an idea. ‘I’m going to need you to circle around and come back.’
He looked at her, confused. ‘What?’
‘Just come back for me.’ Reaching up, she grabbed hold of the next branch and swung herself up onto it.
Tatum looked back, then, realising what she was doing, pulled hard on the right rein and disappeared into the trees.
A moment later, the guards rode into sight. She readied herself. When the first horse was a few strides away, she dropped from the branch, plunging her knife into the rider’s neck as she landed. She shoved the injured man off the horse, then moved onto the saddle and gathered the reins as she turned to face the second rider.
She was feeling good about her plan until horses appeared through the trees on either side of her. A blade came at her. She leaned so drastically in order to avoid it that she fell off the horse. Her back hit the ground. Her bow snapped, and the dagger flew from her hand. She was gasping for air as she crawled towards the knife.
‘On your feet, and hands where we can see them,’ said one of the men in a tone that suggested he was out of patience.
She was outnumbered with only a dagger to fight with—and the dagger was not even in her hand.
As she rose, Tatum chose that moment to return. He charged in, sword swinging. Eda used the opportunity to swoop down and snatch up the knife, throwing it at a nearby guard. It stuck. She ran to catch the sword as it fell from his hand. The horse spooked, almost trampling her as it fled. She turned, ready to fight, and found Tatum disarmed and surrounded by English soldiers.
‘Solid plan, by the way,’ Tatum said drily.
She looked around, knowing one sword was not enough. It would not have been enough for Roul either. Still, she would not lie down and die yet.
‘Tatum.’ She tossed the sword to him because she could not watch him die without a weapon. He caught it and looked around.
A guard came for Eda—to kill or capture, she had no idea. She would fight with her bare hands if that was all she had.
But she did not need to.
An arrow pierced the neck of the approaching man. The horses stirred, and the soldiers looked to the trees surrounding them.
Hiss.
They made it all the way to the prince’s quarters without encountering anyone else but were met with two English guards parked at the door. The men drew their swords the moment they caught sight of them. Eda threw the dagger she was holding, striking the man closest to them in the throat. Roul ran at the other guard. After a short fight, the guard lay dead beside his comrade.
Eda went for the door and found it locked. Plucking the keys from the guard’s belt, Roul tossed them to her. A minute later they were inside, face to face with an on-edge Woottone. Roul and Eda placed their weapons down and raised their hands to show they were no threat.
Prince Becket was standing in front of a dying fire, glaring at them. ‘They think I liaised with you, deceived them.’
‘We know,’ Eda said. ‘And because of that, we have to leave. All of us. You can’t stay here. It’s not safe.’
‘It was perfectly safe until you arrived.’ Becket linked his hands atop his head. ‘They are not just going to let us leave.’
Roul gestured to Woottone to help him move the bodies.
‘For the love of Belenus,’ Becket said when the men dragged them into the room. ‘They will hang you for that.’
‘They’ll more likely hang us for the things we did before that,’ Eda replied. ‘Which is why we really need to leave now.’
Becket took in Roul’s bloodied and dishevelled state and narrowed his eyes. ‘Is that Lord Roger’s tunic?’
‘We need to go,’ Roul said quietly. ‘We have a very small window of opportunity to get you home. If you would prefer to take your chances here, then speak up. We can’t force you to come with us.’
Becket looked to Woottone for guidance.
‘Never a good sign when they lock you in a room and confiscate your weapons,’ the bodyguard said.
Becket exhaled a slow breath, then went to fetch his cloak. ‘If I die here today, I am going to be very cross.’
Roul and Woottone took the scabbards from the dead guards while Eda distributed all the weapons among the living.
‘What exactly is the plan?’ the prince asked as they stepped out into the corridor.
Roul looked both ways before speaking. ‘We have some men outside the castle who’ll assist in whatever way they can.’
‘Can they get us through the gatehouse?’
‘We’re not leaving via the gate,’ Roul replied. ‘We’re going over the wall.’
The prince nearly tripped over his own feet. ‘Please tell me you are joking.’
‘There’s a berm between the wall and the moat, and the moat’s dry. We’ll be fine.’
Becket glanced at Eda. ‘You expect a woman to descend a wall?’
‘I’ve been known to climb a wall or two in my time’ was Eda’s reply. ‘I’ll be just fine, Your Highness.’
They rounded the corner and descended the stairs, hit with the smell coming from the garderobe outflow.
‘What if they shoot at us?’ Becket asked.
Eda brought a finger to her lips and listened a moment. Footsteps approached. Roul gestured for everyone to keep moving, then pressed himself against the wall to wait. A guard appeared. Roul lurched out from the shadows, cutting the man’s throat before he could utter a sound. He dragged the corpse beneath the stairs before running after the others.
‘Are we good?’ Woottone asked when Roul caught up to them.
Roul nodded.
The curtain wall now loomed before them, and they headed for the steps at its base. They flew up them. Two laundry maids in the courtyard paused their work to watch them.
‘Halt!’ A guard on the ground had spotted them. ‘Stop right there.’
‘That means go faster,’ Roul called to Woottone, who was at the front of the group.
‘I said halt!’ the guard shouted below.
They had no bows and arrows, and even Eda could not throw a dagger accurately from that distance. Bringing two fingers to his mouth, Roul whistled as long and loud as he could, a signal to his men on the other side of the wall. Unfortunately, he got the attention of everyone inside the walls as well.
Footsteps sounded overhead, and the guard at the bottom was now on the steps behind them.
‘Keep going,’ Roul called as he dropped back to deal with the guard in pursuit. The man’s sword was drawn, but he was no match for Roul. The commander disarmed him on his first strike, then kicked him backwards. He tumbled all the way to the bottom of the steps and did not get up again.
When Roul arrived on the wall walk, Eda was pulling her dagger from a guard’s stomach while Woottone fought off another nearby.
‘How do we get down without rope?’ Becket asked, turning in a circle.
Roul stepped across the dead guard and peered over the embrasure. ‘Everyone hand me your cloaks.’
‘You must be joking,’ Becket said.
Eda was already removing hers. Woottone had taken care of the other guard and was now doing the same. Cursing, Becket surrendered his cloak also. Roul tied expert knots in record time, testing their strength before throwing one end of the makeshift rope over the embrasure. It barely reached halfway down the wall, but he was confident they could drop from there without breaking any bones.
‘Suttone, you’re up,’ Roul said, wrapping the fabric around his hand.
She shook her head. ‘Woottone should go first so he can help the prince at the bottom.’
He should have known she would not go without him. ‘Get your arse down that wall.’
‘No.’
They did not have time to stand there arguing. ‘Fine. Woottone, go.’
The defender leapt up onto the embrasure and began climbing down like he would have done during training a hundred times before. Roul placed one foot on the wall for balance. The moment the defender let go, Roul steadied himself and gestured to Becket. The prince appeared afraid.
Eda helped him up onto the embrasure. ‘Try to keep your feet on the wall as you go down. Land with bent legs.’
Nodding, the prince lowered himself over the edge.
Voices coming from the turret made Eda and Roul look in that direction.
‘Go,’ Roul said, adjusting his grip. ‘Now.’
Reluctantly, Eda tucked her weapons into her dress and climbed onto the embrasure. She looked back at him. ‘Throw the cloaks the moment I let go.’
He nodded, gaze darting in the direction of the turret as the voices grew louder. ‘Hurry.’
Eda descended quickly at first, then was held up by Becket, who was still making his way down. Roul gritted his teeth against the extra weight and leaned farther back. When Becket finally let go, he straightened a little and waited for Eda to follow.
The creak of a bow made him turn his head. He saw the arrow a split second before he felt it graze his arm. When Eda let go of the rope, he immediately tossed the cloaks over the edge.
‘You did not think this ridiculous plan would actually work, did you?’ Lord Roger’s voice carried along the wall walk. He was flanked by two men with loaded bows pointed at Roul.
The commander dashed for the embrasure. It was jump or die. So with blind faith, he leapt over it. He looked down as he fell, relieved to find one of the cloaks stretched out beneath him. The three of them repositioned themselves at the last moment so he landed in the middle of the cloak. He tumbled off it on impact, slamming shoulder first into the ground.
‘You did not even check first,’ Becket said, visibly shocked. ‘What if we had still been navigating your impossible knots?’
Roul leapt to his feet and began ushering everyone towards the moat. ‘Run. Lord Roger’s on the wall.’
An arrow struck the ground next to his foot.
Woottone moved behind the prince, and they were all running for their lives then.
‘What’s your plan for getting us up the other side of that moat?’ Becket asked, between pants.
Roul brought his fingers to his mouth, whistling again. ‘We’re going to have help.’
Eda was struggling to run in the dress. Roul could see her frustration as she held it up.
‘They’re still shooting at us,’ Becket said as an arrow flew past his head.
Eda glanced over her shoulder. ‘Their accuracy will drop at around two hundred and fifty yards.’
‘How far are we now?’
‘Not two hundred and fifty yards.’
Roul slowed and moved behind her. ‘I need you to go faster.’
‘I know’ was her reply.
An arrow tripped Woottone. ‘Keep running,’ he called to the prince as he fell. He was back on his feet a moment later.
The sound of a portcullis rising in the distance filled Roul with dread. But then four horses appeared on the other side of the moat, and Blackmane dismounted with a length of rope in hand.
‘Please tell me those are your men,’ Becket panted.
Roul nodded. ‘That’s them.’
When they reached the moat, they navigated the rocks all the way to the bottom. While it was technically a dry moat, the constant rain had turned the base of it into a bog. Still, they leapt into it without hesitating, sinking knee deep into the mud. Woottone took the prince’s arm as they trudged through it. Roul resisted the urge to take Eda’s.
Hiss, hiss.
Arrows flew past them, striking the cliff face they were about to climb up. Woottone ushered Becket to the rope, and the prince grabbed hold of it with both hands.
‘Pull!’ Roul shouted up at Blackmane.
Prince Becket was lifted out of the hungry mud as hooves pounded the bridge in the distance. Lord Roger’s men were coming for them. Roul could hear his men returning fire above but knew they were severely outnumbered. All the while, archers continued to shoot arrows into the moat.
‘Bow!’ Eda called to the men above.
Hadewaye’s head appeared, and he dropped a bow and quiver over the edge. Eda caught the bow, and Roul caught the quiver. He passed her a handful of arrows as she turned to face the wall. Loading the weapon, she took aim at the archers. She did not miss.
‘I’ll cover you,’ she told Roul when the rope dropped for the third time.
Because she was safer in a ditch than atop the ledge, Roul went ahead of her.
Blackmane pulled him up, then took hold of Roul’s arm to help him onto the ledge. He looked down at his bloodied hand when he let go. ‘You injured, Commander?’
Roul glanced down at the wound. ‘Just a graze.’ He looked over to where the other three men were positioned in front of the horses, shooting at the riders on the bridge.
‘Good to see you alive, Commander,’ Hadewaye said.
‘Alveye,’ Roul called. ‘Get the prince on a horse and get them to the river. We’ll meet you there.’
Woottone had already mounted one of the geldings and was pulling the prince up behind him. Alveye leapt onto his mare, and a moment later, they were galloping towards the trees.
Blackmane was pulling Eda up now. She was almost to the top when an arrow struck the defender’s shoulder. The rope slid from his hands. Roul dove onto the ground, catching hold of it. Blackmane lost his balance. Seeing he was about to go over the edge, Roul caught hold of the defender’s cloak with his other hand, but the pin holding it together released, and Blackmane toppled forwards. Eda caught him by the trousers as he fell. The extra weight dragged Roul to the edge of the ledge, but he managed to anchor himself with his foot before going over.
His eyes met Eda’s panic-filled ones.
‘I can’t hold him.’ As she spoke the words, Blackmane slipped from her grasp and fell. His head clipped a rock on the way to the bottom.
Roul reached for Eda’s hand and pulled her up. She caught hold of a rock near the top and met his eyes. ‘I can get him,’ she said. ‘I’ll tie the rope to him, and you can pull him up. I can do it.’
Blackmane’s groans reached them from the bottom of the moat. He was still alive, and Roul knew they would not leave without him. While it almost killed him to do it, he let go of Eda’s hand.
‘We’re running out of arrows here,’ Tatum called over his shoulder.
Roul pressed his eyes shut. ‘I need two minutes.’ He got to his feet and watched as Eda scaled the rocks to the bottom. She trudged over to Blackmane, slipping and falling in the mud as she tried to tie the rope around him. The second it was secure, Roul began pulling him up.
Hiss.
Roul felt the fletching of an arrow brush his ear. ‘I need some cover here.’
Tatum swung his bow and took aim at the wall, but arrows continued to fall from the sky.
‘Grab hold of his foot!’ Roul called to Eda. They did not have time for two separate trips. Eda reached for Blackmane’s boot and climbed while holding on to the injured defender. Her feet slipped constantly as they tangled in her skirts.
Hiss, hiss.
Finally, Roul dragged Blackmane over the edge. He was conscious but disorientated, his hair slick with blood and mud. Roul reached for Eda, pulling her up.
‘I’m out of arrows,’ Tatum shouted.
Eda still had a bow and quiver looped over her head and shoulder. She reached back, then looked down at her hand. She only had five left.
Blackmane attempted to get to his feet. ‘Give me a sword.’
He could not even stand, let alone fight.
‘Hadewaye, I need you on a horse—now!’ Roul shouted.
The defender gave his remaining arrows to Tatum, then ran to his horse. Somehow, they managed to get Blackmane up onto the mare behind him.
‘Hold on to him,’ Roul told Hadewaye as the horse took off.
More hooves sounded on the bridge. It was time for them to go.
‘Take Eda,’ Roul said, drawing his sword.
Tatum leapt onto the remaining horse and held out his hand to her, but Eda was looking only at Roul.
‘Eda,’ Roul warned.
‘You can’t outrun horses.’
He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her over to the horse.
‘Roul, stop.’ There was panic in her voice. ‘Stop!’
‘Take her,’ Roul told Tatum, passing her to him.
The defender hauled her up behind him despite a small struggle.
‘You can’t fend off mounted soldiers with one sword while on foot,’ she pleaded.
‘You’re right.’ He gestured to the five arrows still in her hand. ‘So you better make those count on your way out.’
With that, he slapped the rump of the horse to get it moving.
Chapter 29
Eda’s insides screamed. She thought about sliding from the horse’s rump and returning to Roul, fighting alongside him the way they had planned, the way he would if it were her back there. But then the horses charging towards him split into two groups, half of them continuing towards Roul and the other half coming after them.
‘We have company,’ she told Tatum as she retrieved her bow.
The defender glanced over his shoulder. ‘Shit.’
Eda took aim at the rider closest to Roul. The angle of her body combined with the speed at which they were travelling made it difficult to keep her hand steady. Breathing out slowly, she released the first arrow. It struck the guard through the ribs. Wasting no time, she reloaded her bow and shot the next rider. Her aim dropped slightly upon release, but she still managed to hit his leg, which would make him easy prey for Roul.
One of the men pursuing them was getting closer, so Eda used the third arrow on him. Trees appeared around them, and a moment later, Roul was gone from sight. Panic rose in her. He would have to face the remaining riders alone.
She fired the final two arrows and missed completely as Tatum weaved left and right between the trunks. They emerged onto a leafy path. Eda could no longer see the guards, but she could hear the horses.
Eda hooked the bow over her head and pulled out the dagger she had tucked in her dress. She looked up at the low-hanging branches dashing overhead and had an idea. ‘I’m going to need you to circle around and come back.’
He looked at her, confused. ‘What?’
‘Just come back for me.’ Reaching up, she grabbed hold of the next branch and swung herself up onto it.
Tatum looked back, then, realising what she was doing, pulled hard on the right rein and disappeared into the trees.
A moment later, the guards rode into sight. She readied herself. When the first horse was a few strides away, she dropped from the branch, plunging her knife into the rider’s neck as she landed. She shoved the injured man off the horse, then moved onto the saddle and gathered the reins as she turned to face the second rider.
She was feeling good about her plan until horses appeared through the trees on either side of her. A blade came at her. She leaned so drastically in order to avoid it that she fell off the horse. Her back hit the ground. Her bow snapped, and the dagger flew from her hand. She was gasping for air as she crawled towards the knife.
‘On your feet, and hands where we can see them,’ said one of the men in a tone that suggested he was out of patience.
She was outnumbered with only a dagger to fight with—and the dagger was not even in her hand.
As she rose, Tatum chose that moment to return. He charged in, sword swinging. Eda used the opportunity to swoop down and snatch up the knife, throwing it at a nearby guard. It stuck. She ran to catch the sword as it fell from his hand. The horse spooked, almost trampling her as it fled. She turned, ready to fight, and found Tatum disarmed and surrounded by English soldiers.
‘Solid plan, by the way,’ Tatum said drily.
She looked around, knowing one sword was not enough. It would not have been enough for Roul either. Still, she would not lie down and die yet.
‘Tatum.’ She tossed the sword to him because she could not watch him die without a weapon. He caught it and looked around.
A guard came for Eda—to kill or capture, she had no idea. She would fight with her bare hands if that was all she had.
But she did not need to.
An arrow pierced the neck of the approaching man. The horses stirred, and the soldiers looked to the trees surrounding them.
Hiss.
