Back from the Shadowlands, page 32
Back from the Shadowlands
The Golden Wolf Series Book 2, Volume 2
Tori Lennox
Published by Shadowlands Publishing, 2024.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
BACK FROM THE SHADOWLANDS
First edition. October 24, 2024.
Copyright © 2024 Tori Lennox.
ISBN: 979-8223663775
Written by Tori Lennox.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
EPILOGUE
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PROLOGUE
Northumberland, England 1139 AD
“Wolf.”...“I am the Wolf.”...The golden-haired giant dragged filthy fingers through blood-matted hair...“I am the Golden Wolf.”...“Sheriff of Lothian and David’s sworn man...”
Croaked words forced through cracked lips, he felt human again. More than human. Alive. Powerful. Like the warrior he was. All it had taken was a single memory piercing the mental haze for others to break through.
In a matter of hours, the game had changed. He was Thor, son of Sweyn Sword-Cleaver, the most feared warrior in the lands. The fools who left a dying man to rot in this cesspit were clueless to the danger in their midst.
Wolf...The Golden Wolf...He was the Golden Wolf. The most feared warrior in the land. His captors sealed their fate by hiding the only man their king would give half his kingdom to claim. Laughing harshly, he admitted what they wished they knew. It would have been wiser to kill him while they could.
Relieved the shards of his splintered memory were piecing together, Thorauld Sweynsson prayed to a God he barely knew to remain forgotten long enough to escape this hole. If he didn’t, he was a dead man. The Golden Wolf was much too dangerous to ransom. He would eventually fall to the executioner if neglect and infection didn’t claim him first.
While he would have quickly dispatched a threat like him, his captors chose vindictiveness over wisdom. To allow a warrior of his stature to remain alive invited attempts to free him. Or it would if anyone knew he was here. They didn’t. None of his party escaped the ambush to share their tale.
Scratching another mark in the wall, Thor was fortunate he’d overheard the guards discussing a breach in the dungeon wall that would take several days to repair. One caused by an instability in the ground beneath the foundation which led to a section of stone collapsing from too much rain. While unfamiliar with the dungeon’s layout, he recalled the general direction of that breach from his initial journey to his cell.
At that time, he’d clung to consciousness by a thread until he was dropped on a hard stone floor. Blacking out, he’d roused a few hours later to the clank of manacles and knew he would venture no farther than the chains allowed. He knew as well that his wounds would go untreated and his stomach unfilled as long as he clung to life. Ransom nor survival was part of the plans. Painful, drawn-out retribution was.
However, as he visibly wasted away, his manacles loosened bit by bit. Imperceptibly testing his bindings, Thor was satisfied he could easily wriggle free and spring like a rat from a trap at the appropriate time. Studying his surroundings, he was fortunate that while a place of darkest horrors, this oubliette possessed no walls or cell doors. Just iron shackles and short chains suspending lost souls in the pit of hell. Were he a lesser man, insanity would have claimed him long ago.
Looking to the left, his fate played out in the rotting corpses of three fellow Scots lacking his fortitude. Looking to the right, the dangling skeletons of three unfortunates drawing final breaths long ago testified to the hopelessness of his situation. As discouraging as their death grins were, he refused to accept that his life would end the same way. However, he wasn’t above letting his captors believe he did. Beneath his powerless demeanor, a Wolf calmly plotted actions that played to his strengths and his captors’ weaknesses.
After three long months of festering wounds and deprivation, he was les morts-vivants bound for the shadowland. Right. Leaning against the wall, Thor’s laugh was manic. That sound issuing from the lips of another would signal his rapid descent into madness. He wasn’t any other man. He was the Golden Wolf. He lived for victory. He lived for vengeance. He lived to spill crimson rivulets of his enemies’ blood across verdant soil.
Calming the bloodlust rising within him, he silently vowed to start with the fools taking rabid pleasure in watching noble warriors waste away before their eyes. Fools so lax in their over-confidence that it was preferable to mock and torment dying men than guard their charges. Once that score was settled, he would handle the lord of this impressive demesne. Watching him slowly, painfully die knowing everything he held dear was destroyed before him would avenge the good men dishonorably slaughtered after a truce was called.
In the interim, he would pander to his guards’ foolish assumption that he was a dead man crawling. That his will to live was gone. They weren’t entirely wrong. Or they hadn’t been. He had no reason to live when he didn’t know who or what he was. Now that he did, hell would freeze over before he gave up the fight. He had a life to live and a king to serve. Death was not an option. He would escape this place.
When he did, may God have mercy on de Vescy’s soul...
CHAPTER ONE
Menteith, Scotland 1138 A. D.
Alexandria stared over the moors. This spot felt haunted though puir Eddie never joined her anymore. He’d been laid to rest when the MacLarens fell. As difficult as it was to admit, her unease came more from the royal messenger emerging from the mist than visitors from the other side. Although not his intent, Greggorius’s arrival signaled changes in her life that she wasn’t ready to embrace.
Not when she knew his purpose and didn’t like it. Not when Drummond was at peace and her life was everything she hoped it could be. Yet, from her experience, that was when the bogills appeared. She’d be more surprised if they didn’t.
However, her displeasure wasn’t Gregg’s fault. It was her godfather’s. David was up to something or he wouldn’t send his trusted servant to summon her husband to service. As usual, he wanted his Wolf by his side for the planning and execution. There was nothing strange about that. However, that he’d sent Greggorius on such a menial assignment was.
She’d seen enough of these lone riders over the years to know a herald when she saw one and Greggorius wasn’t just any herald. He was the king’s official messenger. Deciding she needed to find Thor, Alexandria turned from the window to find herself staring into her husband’s favorite golden-brown tunic instead.
“How do you do that?” Sneak up on her without making a sound. “It shouldn’t be possible with how bloody huge you are.”
“No, it shouldn’t.” Thor dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “But my father taught me well.”
“As you are teaching our bairns.” Alexandria resisted the urge to punch a taunt belly for that little trick. “The beasties are as good at sneaking as you are.”
Laughing softly, Thor pulled her close. Glancing out the window, he instantly noted why the woman in his arms was in such a foul mood. She knew as well as he what the man dismounting in their inner bailey signified. Heart racing in anticipation, he was torn by unexpected emotions.
The warrior within relished the coming battle for that was all Greggorius’s appearance could mean. The husband and father didn’t wish to leave his wife and lover...His people or his cubs...However, he was honor-bound to do just that. His king needed him and his bloodlust needed an outlet. While Alexandria soothed the animal within, she had yet to tame him.
“Come, lady, we have a guest to greet.” Thor draped his arm over her shoulders. “Don’t get that look on your face.” He dropped a reassuring kiss on her lips. “We both knew this day would come when I became David’s man.”
While true, this was much sooner than expected. He’d heard no talk of raids on his last visit to court a scant month ago. Not the faintest whisper. He wondered briefly what had changed his sovereign’s mind and knew his questions would be answered soon.
“It would come were you not;” She retorted. “So don’t try to soothe my ruffle
“Yes, it would.” Thor agreed. “David needs all of his men in the service of Matilda.”
“Aye.” Alexandria agreed. “But that doesn’t mean I like it.”
Shaking his head, Thor laughed. He would never tire of the fire in her eyes. Though Zan’s beauty was undeniable, her resilience and spirit first drew him to her side. Her devotion and love kept him there. Knowing this woman was his greatest strength and his greatest weakness humbled him. Almost losing her when they lost their son taught him to value the life he now had above all else, even duty to his king and country.
“Come, we must go below.” Thor rested his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Hiding up here won’t make Gregg disappear as much as we might wish it so.”
“You’re right but,” Alexandria rested her hand over his. “Do you?”
“Do I what?” Thor pretended not to understand as he guided her towards the door.
“You know what.” Alexandria halted midstep. “Do you wish you didn’t have to go?”
“Truthfully?” She wouldn’t like his answer. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“Aye.” Alexandria nodded. “The truth.”
“Your husband has no wish to go,” Thor admitted. “To leave you and our babes.”
“But the warrior is chafing for the fight.” She finished for him.
“Aye.” There was nothing left to say. “He is.”
“While I didn’t expect anything different,” Alexandria nodded. “I’m glad part of you doesn’t wish to go.”
“Why would I?” Thor turned her to face him. “While I enjoy a good fight more than most, I am content with my life at Drummond.”
With his bride, his cubs, and his people.
“Good.” Alexandria headed for the door. “Make sure that never changes.”
Shaking his head at the expected response, Thor followed Alexandria down the stairs smirking at every exaggerated sway of her hips. He didn’t need reminding of the pleasures he was leaving behind. His bride was never far from his thoughts. Whether working the fields or on campaign he counted the hours until they were together again. He’d done that almost from the start. Resisting the urge to laugh at the final saucy look Alexandria cast over her shoulder, Thor decided she was a delightfully strange creature.
One he didn’t regret taking to wife though he had questioned his sanity soon after he’d agreed to wed the woman. He could have just as easily snatched that sword from her hand and impaled her with a twist of his wrist instead. However, he hadn’t questioned his sanity in the years since. He now knew only a dalcop would have refused the lady of Drummond or harmed a hair on her head. A fool was something he had never been.
Shaking his head at the man he’d become Thor silently acknowledged that while he’d never lacked female companionship, he never knew what was missing from those relationships. That oversite was quickly remedied when he discovered the illusive “what” in an unwanted union with an unusual woman not to his usual tastes.
Watching his wife head for the kitchen as he entered the hall, Thor noted the royal messenger already seated by the lord’s chair breaking his fast. While his visits were few and far between, Bertie had a soft spot for Greggorius of Grontabricc. Something about his deceptively good looks tugged at her shriveled heart and fueled the desire to spoil him much as she did her lord.
Settling in his chair, Thor glanced at the laden trencher and the filled goblet before the other man. Catching Greg’s eye, he made a loud sound of disgust. That old woman acted like she owned Drummond and everything in it, not just her domain. From what he’d heard, Bertie always had. Maybe that was why he let her get away with her hubris. She was a tough old busard, and he admired strength, even in a woman.
Shaking his head, Thor laughed thinking that while he had to bribe his wife’s cook with bolts of fine fabric to get the same treatment, the king’s messenger boy had but to smile at the stingy old hag to receive her choicest morsels and a goblet or two of his finest wine. While he’d like to inform Bertie that her pretty boy wasn’t just the royal messenger, he was the king’s pet assassin as well, he suspected she already knew. Like him, she appreciated power and strength, even in a man.
“I assume you bear messages from our king.” Ignoring unnecessary pleasantries, Thor cut to the chase. He didn’t need the missive sealed with David’s signet lying on the table beside Greggorius to know the truth of his words. “We are preparing for war.”
“Skirmishing at the least.” Gregg agreed. “If I don’t miss my guess, the king wants you in on the planning.” He nodded in the direction of the letter. “He wants to catch King Stephen by surprise.”
“I doubt that is possible.” While he may not know the exact day David’s warriors would pour over the border, Stephen knew they were coming. “No good ruler is ever caught totally off guard.”
Not that Stephen was a good ruler. Nor a good man for that matter. Stephen of Blois wouldn’t sit on the throne of England instead of Empress Matilda if he were, and he would still be bouncing his son on his knee instead of riding off to war. Not that he minded too much.
The leaving, yes. The fighting, no. He would assuage the blood lust within him in a matter of days. He could then refuse the king’s invitation to celebrate their victory at court and return to his wife and family more at peace for a bit of battle play.
“Tell my liege I will join him as soon as I consult with Lionel and see that my family is safely settled.” He would do all of that as soon as he read the king’s letter and knew the lay of the land. “I should be at the royal keep before you are.”
“I doubt that.” A blonde brow rose in question. “You are the only warrior the king has summoned. He wishes to have your advice before final decisions are made.”
“I see.” Then this skirmish was more serious than just harrying the borders. His king had an objective in mind. One he needed guidance in deciding how best to achieve. Interesting. “Then I will see you at the royal keep as soon as possible.”
Nodding his goodbyes and grabbing the sealed letter, Thor rose to his feet, distracted by the words he needed to say to his wife. While Alexandria knew what Greggorius’ appearance meant, she wouldn’t expect him to leave so soon. There was usually a matter of days, if not weeks, between the summons and the departure. However, she wouldn’t try to stop him either. She knew the ways of a warrior as she was a warrior, too.
CHAPTER TWO
Exiting the hall, Thor broke the seal on the vellum in his hands. Scanning the brief message, he immediately understood his king’s intent and how best to prepare for his departure. He would start by meeting with Alexandria and Lionel. From there, he would alert his men and his messengers they would be needed soon.
While he couldn’t give anyone a definite time frame, he could ensure his men were in peak fighting form when the time came. And he would. They knew the routine: eat well, sleep well, abstain from overindulgence in distilled spirits, and practice battle-play until summoned. When that happened, they’d fight as though their lives depended on it. None of them would survive if they didn’t.
Looking around him, Thor huffed thinking of the whispers he’d heard over the years. Not that he would share, but there was nothing magical about his successes. The secret to his seeming invincibility was preparation, not mystical spells or incantations as some thought. While he wasn’t above dreams and divination, they weren’t common tools in his arsenal.
He’d learned long ago that self-discipline, self-awareness, mental fortitude, and constant practice ensured a good warrior became a great one. His vassals were cut from similar cloths or they wouldn’t be his sworn men. Times were turbulent. When called to service without warning they were always ready. Their overlord expected nothing less and he returned the favor. The Golden Wolf stood by his men and his men stood by their Wolf. Mutual loyalty and constant training were why the Sheriff of Lothian had the best fighting force in the land.
Heading for the kitchen, Thor knew his unhappy mate was hiding so she didn’t have to face what was coming. He knew as well that she’d finished discussing the menu with Bertie hours ago. She was more likely perched on a stool burying her sorrows in toasted bread slathered with fruit spread, crispy strips of bacon, and cider instead.
