sailed past him, landing hard on the ground. But Talon could not spare her a glance. Griffen, his sword flashing, charged him.
Talon’s anger boiled and he forgot he wore no armor and his feet were bare. He was a knight and it was damn time he started acting like one. He blocked Griffen’s blow easily, settling into a fighting stance and instantly shifting the momentum of the fight to his own. Steel crashed against steel, ringi ng sharply through the forest. Griffen grunted and panted, blinking in surprised as Talon forced him to block shot after shot, never allowing him to go on the offensive.
Talon’s lip curled in distaste. This man was not a swordsman. He had not the skill to stand in battle, only taking his victims by surprise and sla ughtering them in cold blood. No wonder he would not accept Talon’s challenge.
Talon immediately increased the pace of the battle. His sword snapped out and around, then back across, down and over for a quick feint then up, arcing in a downward slash. Griffen fell for the feint, his sword swinging wildly. With cool dispatch, Talon buried his blade at the juncture of his shoulder and neck, cleaving into his chest.
Griffen stared at him, his expression shocked as he realized he was dead, a small amount of blood trickled from his lips. He dropped his sword and his knees slowly buckled.
Before the assassin hit the ground, Talon turned back to Gwen who struggled to her knees. “Are you all right?” he asked as he grabbed her hand again.
“Aye...just had the breath knocked from my lungs.”
“It happens to the best of us, lady,” he said and sprinted forward through the trees.
Men behind them shouted for Griffen. There should only be two left unless more of their group hid in the trees where Talon could not see them.
Abruptly he heard a snort of a horse close by. “Ebon!” he cried, then whistled through his teeth. The giant black stallion exploded through the trees, snorting and stomping.
“I know, my friend,” Talon said, dragging Gwen forward. The horse stilled, waiting for him to mount. Instead, Talon threw Gwen into the saddle. “Go, Ebon, get her to safety. I’m counting on you.”
“Talon!” Gwen cried. She reached for him but he stepped back.
“Go home, Ebon!” Talon bellowed, slapping the horse on the rump. The animal snorted and lunged, turning for home.
His heart soared in relief. The stallion would get her to Montgomery safely.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Talon spun, seeing another man charging, his sword raised. He defended. Talon had no desire to die this day but he would make certain Gwen was safe.
“Ebon, don’t you dare!” he heard Gwen screech. “Help Talon!”
He had no time to spare a glance from the fight. “Ebon, go home!” he roared.
Suddenly the black horse appeared before him, forcing himself between the fighting. Talon glanced up at Gwen, her skirts bunched at her waist, revealing the most beautiful, shapely legs he had ever seen. The horse reared violently. Gwen’s black hair flew around her like an illumination of an enraged pagan goddess. She folded herself over the horse’s neck, trusting the beast to know what to do. Ebon struck with both hooves, instantly killing the man.
“Talon come on!” Her face a sickly gray, she turned Ebon, and reached down for him.
Cursing her folly, and knowing she would not leave without him, Talon grabbed her hand and vaulted aboard the giant stallion.
“Go, Ebon!” Gwen cried. “Go home!”
The stallion once again launched himself forward. Talon wrapped one arm around Gwen’s narrow waist as Ebon hurtled out of the trees. They broke free of the glade and the stallion flattened himself on the road. Abruptly his stride faltered and Talon looked up, seeing armored men before him.
“My lord!” Aaron cried.
Both Talon and Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. Talon reached around her, grabbed the reins and pulled Ebon to a
Talon’s anger boiled and he forgot he wore no armor and his feet were bare. He was a knight and it was damn time he started acting like one. He blocked Griffen’s blow easily, settling into a fighting stance and instantly shifting the momentum of the fight to his own. Steel crashed against steel, ringi ng sharply through the forest. Griffen grunted and panted, blinking in surprised as Talon forced him to block shot after shot, never allowing him to go on the offensive.
Talon’s lip curled in distaste. This man was not a swordsman. He had not the skill to stand in battle, only taking his victims by surprise and sla ughtering them in cold blood. No wonder he would not accept Talon’s challenge.
Talon immediately increased the pace of the battle. His sword snapped out and around, then back across, down and over for a quick feint then up, arcing in a downward slash. Griffen fell for the feint, his sword swinging wildly. With cool dispatch, Talon buried his blade at the juncture of his shoulder and neck, cleaving into his chest.
Griffen stared at him, his expression shocked as he realized he was dead, a small amount of blood trickled from his lips. He dropped his sword and his knees slowly buckled.
Before the assassin hit the ground, Talon turned back to Gwen who struggled to her knees. “Are you all right?” he asked as he grabbed her hand again.
“Aye...just had the breath knocked from my lungs.”
“It happens to the best of us, lady,” he said and sprinted forward through the trees.
Men behind them shouted for Griffen. There should only be two left unless more of their group hid in the trees where Talon could not see them.
Abruptly he heard a snort of a horse close by. “Ebon!” he cried, then whistled through his teeth. The giant black stallion exploded through the trees, snorting and stomping.
“I know, my friend,” Talon said, dragging Gwen forward. The horse stilled, waiting for him to mount. Instead, Talon threw Gwen into the saddle. “Go, Ebon, get her to safety. I’m counting on you.”
“Talon!” Gwen cried. She reached for him but he stepped back.
“Go home, Ebon!” Talon bellowed, slapping the horse on the rump. The animal snorted and lunged, turning for home.
His heart soared in relief. The stallion would get her to Montgomery safely.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Talon spun, seeing another man charging, his sword raised. He defended. Talon had no desire to die this day but he would make certain Gwen was safe.
“Ebon, don’t you dare!” he heard Gwen screech. “Help Talon!”
He had no time to spare a glance from the fight. “Ebon, go home!” he roared.
Suddenly the black horse appeared before him, forcing himself between the fighting. Talon glanced up at Gwen, her skirts bunched at her waist, revealing the most beautiful, shapely legs he had ever seen. The horse reared violently. Gwen’s black hair flew around her like an illumination of an enraged pagan goddess. She folded herself over the horse’s neck, trusting the beast to know what to do. Ebon struck with both hooves, instantly killing the man.
“Talon come on!” Her face a sickly gray, she turned Ebon, and reached down for him.
Cursing her folly, and knowing she would not leave without him, Talon grabbed her hand and vaulted aboard the giant stallion.
“Go, Ebon!” Gwen cried. “Go home!”
The stallion once again launched himself forward. Talon wrapped one arm around Gwen’s narrow waist as Ebon hurtled out of the trees. They broke free of the glade and the stallion flattened himself on the road. Abruptly his stride faltered and Talon looked up, seeing armored men before him.
“My lord!” Aaron cried.
Both Talon and Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. Talon reached around her, grabbed the reins and pulled Ebon to a
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