chance to surrender and explain themselves. You will be kept back, until we know more." He fixed me with a look. "I will be obeyed, Warprize."
I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to argue, but the words never emerged. Marcus launched himself at my throat.
In an instant I was down on the ground, flat on my back, my breath gone from my lungs.
Marcus's thin body was on top of me, pinning me with all the considerable strength in his wiry frame. Worse, he had a blade at my throat, the metal cold against my skin.
I opened my mouth, trying to gasp in air, my heart hammering in my chest. No one else moved.
"This is no child's game," Marcus hissed, his voice as harsh as I had ever heard. "You have no skill, none—and death comes in an instant."
I just stared at him, his disfigured eye, his puckered skin, frightened and wide-eyed.
"Do you understand?"
I nodded carefully and swallowed hard, very aware of the sharp blade pressed against the pulse of my neck.
Marcus pulled back and just as fast as he took me down, I was up on my feet and in Keir's arms. I clung to him, shaken. "That was harsh."
"And the elements are not?" Keir asked me softly.
"Better you learn at my blade than at another's." Marcus brushed off my back.
I shrank from his touch, trying not to cry. "Keir…"
"Harsh, but the lesson is true, Lara." He tightened his arms around me.
I buried my face in his chest and tried to get myself under control. "I'll do as I'm told."
Keir chuckled. "At least until the shock has worn off." He drew in a deep breath. "It won't stop you from flinging yourself to the aid of others, I know. All I ask is that you think before you do, and that you let us protect you. Yes?"
"Yes."
He leaned down and nuzzled my ear. "Ah, my Lara. I took you from your sheltered den, kitten."
"No." I straightened, wiping my face. "I left my den and chased you, remember?"
Keir smiled and kissed me gently. "I will send someone to speak to the village. You will stay with your guards, toward the center of the main army, back from the front."
Rafe cleared his throat. "I have enough of that tongue, Warlord. I am willing to go."
Marcus spoke up as well. "I can fill his place as Lara's guard." Keir looked at him and Marcus shrugged. "You will have no need of me, and it takes four to watch over this woman." Marcus gave me a wicked grin, but I looked away.
Keir lowered his head to speak softly in my ear. "Lara, understand this. I will send Rafe to the gates. But one rock, one arrow, one word of defiance and I will destroy the village."
"Keir, there are innocents there." I leaned back to look into his face. "Women and children who have no part in this. If we can talk to them, we can convince—"
"I will not take back an oathbreaker, nor will I leave one unpunished."
"But—"
He released me. "What would the penalty be, Lara, if a village broke its oaths of fealty to the King of Xy?"
I looked away. "I do not know. It hasn't happened that I know of."
"Because the penalty is severe. My hand can rest lightly on this land, but not on those who defy me. I will do what must be done."
With that Keir was gone.
I waited under the tree as Marcus hurriedly put out his small fire and two of the others gathered up the blankets. My feet were still tender, and I shifted my weight from one to the other as I stood there. They weren't really painful, but they reminded me that they weren't completely healed.
As we emerged from under the tree, one of Yers's men approached me, leading a large brown horse. "For you, Warprize. From the Warlord."
I looked over to where Keir was standing, talking to Yers, Rafe and some others. Our eyes met and Keir gave me a small, hopeful smile. I smiled back, recognizing a peace gesture, and took the reins.
The horse was a glossy brown, with a brown mane. What caught my eye about it was a white line of hair that curved down its chest to run between its forelegs. On looking a bit closer, I saw that it was an old scar. The horse
I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to argue, but the words never emerged. Marcus launched himself at my throat.
In an instant I was down on the ground, flat on my back, my breath gone from my lungs.
Marcus's thin body was on top of me, pinning me with all the considerable strength in his wiry frame. Worse, he had a blade at my throat, the metal cold against my skin.
I opened my mouth, trying to gasp in air, my heart hammering in my chest. No one else moved.
"This is no child's game," Marcus hissed, his voice as harsh as I had ever heard. "You have no skill, none—and death comes in an instant."
I just stared at him, his disfigured eye, his puckered skin, frightened and wide-eyed.
"Do you understand?"
I nodded carefully and swallowed hard, very aware of the sharp blade pressed against the pulse of my neck.
Marcus pulled back and just as fast as he took me down, I was up on my feet and in Keir's arms. I clung to him, shaken. "That was harsh."
"And the elements are not?" Keir asked me softly.
"Better you learn at my blade than at another's." Marcus brushed off my back.
I shrank from his touch, trying not to cry. "Keir…"
"Harsh, but the lesson is true, Lara." He tightened his arms around me.
I buried my face in his chest and tried to get myself under control. "I'll do as I'm told."
Keir chuckled. "At least until the shock has worn off." He drew in a deep breath. "It won't stop you from flinging yourself to the aid of others, I know. All I ask is that you think before you do, and that you let us protect you. Yes?"
"Yes."
He leaned down and nuzzled my ear. "Ah, my Lara. I took you from your sheltered den, kitten."
"No." I straightened, wiping my face. "I left my den and chased you, remember?"
Keir smiled and kissed me gently. "I will send someone to speak to the village. You will stay with your guards, toward the center of the main army, back from the front."
Rafe cleared his throat. "I have enough of that tongue, Warlord. I am willing to go."
Marcus spoke up as well. "I can fill his place as Lara's guard." Keir looked at him and Marcus shrugged. "You will have no need of me, and it takes four to watch over this woman." Marcus gave me a wicked grin, but I looked away.
Keir lowered his head to speak softly in my ear. "Lara, understand this. I will send Rafe to the gates. But one rock, one arrow, one word of defiance and I will destroy the village."
"Keir, there are innocents there." I leaned back to look into his face. "Women and children who have no part in this. If we can talk to them, we can convince—"
"I will not take back an oathbreaker, nor will I leave one unpunished."
"But—"
He released me. "What would the penalty be, Lara, if a village broke its oaths of fealty to the King of Xy?"
I looked away. "I do not know. It hasn't happened that I know of."
"Because the penalty is severe. My hand can rest lightly on this land, but not on those who defy me. I will do what must be done."
With that Keir was gone.
I waited under the tree as Marcus hurriedly put out his small fire and two of the others gathered up the blankets. My feet were still tender, and I shifted my weight from one to the other as I stood there. They weren't really painful, but they reminded me that they weren't completely healed.
As we emerged from under the tree, one of Yers's men approached me, leading a large brown horse. "For you, Warprize. From the Warlord."
I looked over to where Keir was standing, talking to Yers, Rafe and some others. Our eyes met and Keir gave me a small, hopeful smile. I smiled back, recognizing a peace gesture, and took the reins.
The horse was a glossy brown, with a brown mane. What caught my eye about it was a white line of hair that curved down its chest to run between its forelegs. On looking a bit closer, I saw that it was an old scar. The horse
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