Everwet.”
Unca returned to the inn for a quick meal and took off to the north. A wagon filled with girls wouldn’t be traveling very fast. Along the way, he passed a group of men wearing the Red Kingdom colors. He recognized the wizard who accompanied them—one of the Duke Histron’s men. The man had more power at his disposal than Unca, but lacked training and sophistication in the use of magic. It didn’t matter now, since Unca had lost all of his wizardly abilities.
He rode up. The men were cooking an evening meal. They all looked like scoundrels. None were King Billeas’s men.
“Hello,” Unca said as he dismounted.
“You can be on your way,” the wizard said.
Unca had figured that they wouldn’t act with the slightest grace. “I will then. Fare well.” He got back up on his horse and headed north. No wagon. No girls. They were only cooking enough for themselves. Perhaps he could reach Sallia before these men joined the others who must be searching for the princess.
He rode through the night and finally arrived at Everwet as the dawn broke. He walked into the larger of the two inns in town and asked them to take care of his horse. The mare would need a few days to recover from the night’s ride. He regretted pushing his mount so hard, but he had gotten ahead of the wizard.
“Has there been a wagon of women through here?” he asked the serving maid.
“Yesterday. They went past, but they ended up staying on the green, near a half-mile north. The men said they’d be back in the morning.” The maid yawned. “I don’t suppose they’ll be as early as you.” She squinted and smiled at Unca. “You be staying long?” Her eyebrows went up. He would have to put up with such women as long as he wore Anchor’s body. That’s how he had begun to think of himself—Anchor.
Sallia would be here, perhaps within the hour.
He expected them to come at breakfast, but they were late. Perhaps they let the girls sleep in. His anxiety grew as time went on. The hour approached noon as a man in Histron’s colors entered the common room.
“You in that corner, find other tables.” He drew his sword. “We’ll need that place to work.”
Anchor loosened the sword in its scabbard and waited a bit longer. The wagon drove up and his heart raced when he noticed Sallia. She looked around the inn and didn’t recognize him at all. He had the Bloodstone and that would verify his identity.
His heart sank as the wizard and only some of his men sauntered into the inn. There would have been at least ten of them. His anxiety grew as the women sat down to eat. Sallia ate more than the rest. Good girl. She’d keep her strength up and fight to the very end.
The wizard walked up to the girls. “Now, we will see if one of you is the Princess Sallia.”
Unca nearly stood, but a villager beat him to his feet and yelled at the wizard with a cudgel in his hand. The guards began pushing him. This would be his last chance before they discovered Sallia. He jumped up and joined the fight. He tried to make the sword work, but his youthful strength didn’t improve his less-than-mediocre sword skills.
More villagers joined in. Unca didn’t know if they would prevail until another young man barged through the inn door carrying an ironshod battle staff. Unca hadn’t seen one in action before and the guards began to fall in his wake.
Sallia would be saved! But then a searing pain erupted in his shoulder causing him to go down to his knees. Someone must have stabbed him from behind. He tried to stand, but the pain overcame his mind and all he could do was see the fight’s progress in a haze, until someone lifted him and carried him away.
~~~
Chapter Ten
~
A ll of the girls cried and Sallia couldn’t help but join in. These brave villagers risked their lives for them. The stabbed man was hopefully being treated in a room upstairs. The fighter with the staff had been dragged out of harm’s way by the
Unca returned to the inn for a quick meal and took off to the north. A wagon filled with girls wouldn’t be traveling very fast. Along the way, he passed a group of men wearing the Red Kingdom colors. He recognized the wizard who accompanied them—one of the Duke Histron’s men. The man had more power at his disposal than Unca, but lacked training and sophistication in the use of magic. It didn’t matter now, since Unca had lost all of his wizardly abilities.
He rode up. The men were cooking an evening meal. They all looked like scoundrels. None were King Billeas’s men.
“Hello,” Unca said as he dismounted.
“You can be on your way,” the wizard said.
Unca had figured that they wouldn’t act with the slightest grace. “I will then. Fare well.” He got back up on his horse and headed north. No wagon. No girls. They were only cooking enough for themselves. Perhaps he could reach Sallia before these men joined the others who must be searching for the princess.
He rode through the night and finally arrived at Everwet as the dawn broke. He walked into the larger of the two inns in town and asked them to take care of his horse. The mare would need a few days to recover from the night’s ride. He regretted pushing his mount so hard, but he had gotten ahead of the wizard.
“Has there been a wagon of women through here?” he asked the serving maid.
“Yesterday. They went past, but they ended up staying on the green, near a half-mile north. The men said they’d be back in the morning.” The maid yawned. “I don’t suppose they’ll be as early as you.” She squinted and smiled at Unca. “You be staying long?” Her eyebrows went up. He would have to put up with such women as long as he wore Anchor’s body. That’s how he had begun to think of himself—Anchor.
Sallia would be here, perhaps within the hour.
He expected them to come at breakfast, but they were late. Perhaps they let the girls sleep in. His anxiety grew as time went on. The hour approached noon as a man in Histron’s colors entered the common room.
“You in that corner, find other tables.” He drew his sword. “We’ll need that place to work.”
Anchor loosened the sword in its scabbard and waited a bit longer. The wagon drove up and his heart raced when he noticed Sallia. She looked around the inn and didn’t recognize him at all. He had the Bloodstone and that would verify his identity.
His heart sank as the wizard and only some of his men sauntered into the inn. There would have been at least ten of them. His anxiety grew as the women sat down to eat. Sallia ate more than the rest. Good girl. She’d keep her strength up and fight to the very end.
The wizard walked up to the girls. “Now, we will see if one of you is the Princess Sallia.”
Unca nearly stood, but a villager beat him to his feet and yelled at the wizard with a cudgel in his hand. The guards began pushing him. This would be his last chance before they discovered Sallia. He jumped up and joined the fight. He tried to make the sword work, but his youthful strength didn’t improve his less-than-mediocre sword skills.
More villagers joined in. Unca didn’t know if they would prevail until another young man barged through the inn door carrying an ironshod battle staff. Unca hadn’t seen one in action before and the guards began to fall in his wake.
Sallia would be saved! But then a searing pain erupted in his shoulder causing him to go down to his knees. Someone must have stabbed him from behind. He tried to stand, but the pain overcame his mind and all he could do was see the fight’s progress in a haze, until someone lifted him and carried him away.
~~~
Chapter Ten
~
A ll of the girls cried and Sallia couldn’t help but join in. These brave villagers risked their lives for them. The stabbed man was hopefully being treated in a room upstairs. The fighter with the staff had been dragged out of harm’s way by the
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