by Jane Glatt
them broke through the trees and onto the riverbank. Blaze slipped on the softer soil, but Brenna clung to the horse and stayed on. For another quarter hour, Blaze kept ahead of their pursuers but even Brenna, unskilled with horses as she was, felt the poor beast falter underneath her.
She pulled up on the reins and Blaze wheezed to a stop, flecks of white speckling her neck. Brenna slid to the ground. She wasn’t sure she could stand, but she had no choice. Blaze was spent and she wasn’t going to be taken alive. She tried to contact Kane through the old steel. Get here soon, she prayed.
She gripped Blaze’s saddle for support and held her knife out in front of her. The two riders slowly edged their horses towards her. She let her knife flare even brighter and one of the men stopped. The other one kept coming. Then she recognized him.
“If it isn’t Thorold’s lackey,” Brenna said. “Barton is it?” Brenna kept Blaze between her and the second rider.
His sword snicked from its scabbard, glinting in the light from her knife. “Come with me little girl, and you won’t be hurt,” Barton said. He nudged his horse closer.
“You don’t understand your master if you think that,” Brenna said. She checked for Kane through her knife. He was still too far away. “I know what Thorold has planned for me. He’ll try to use me. If he can’t, he’ll kill me. That doesn’t sound like I won’t be hurt.”
Now that they were still, she could better sense Barton’s sword. It was old steel, but different in some way - discordant and somehow wrong. And it hadn’t lit up like her knife and Kane’s sword. She reached towards it, and gasped. The sense of wrongness intensified and Brenna clutched at Blaze’s saddle to stay upright. She blocked herself from his sword.
“You won’t take me alive, you know,” she said. “I’ve been an indentured servant to Duke Thorold before. I won’t do it again.”
“I think we can take one little girl with a knife,” Barton drawled. His horse took a step towards her and Barton waved the second man in as well.
Brenna leaned against Blaze and reached into her pack. “I’m a witch and a healer. Do you think I didn’t prepare something, just in case?” She held up a small jar. “It’s a very potent poison, in powder form. Just a small amount can kill instantly. Once the wind catches it, who knows how far it will travel?” She smiled as she saw both men rein in their mounts. “As I said, you won’t take me alive.” Let them decide if she was bluffing. She checked for Kane - he was almost here.
A branch snapped and Kane rode into view. His sword still shone, although there were dark stains along the length of it.
“Well, Barton,” Kane said. “We meet again. And it looks like the roles are reversed - last time I was the captain.” Kane circled his horse around the other two riders, his sword pointed at Barton.
“I see your witch has given you a fancy toy.” Barton kept his eyes on Kane’s sword.
“It’s no toy,” Kane said. “This sword has been handed down in my family for generations. It’s killed many men, including your two friends back there.” Kane gestured behind him. “If you leave now, I’ll let you gather their belongings for their families.”
Barton scowled. His companion shifted his reins and closed in on Kane. Steel clashed against steel and then all Brenna could see was Barton advancing on her. She took two shaky steps back and then Barton reached down, grabbed her arm, and wrenched her towards him. The bottle flew from her hand and smashed on a rock. She thrust up weakly with her knife, cutting into the arm that held her. Barton swore but did not loosen his grip.
“I’ll make you pay for that, witch.” With one hand he dragged her up against the side of his horse. He dropped his reins and backhanded her across the face.
Brenna struggled against the horse’s bulk. Her knife still in her hand, she stabbed wildly and connected with the flank of Barton’s horse. With a high-pitched scream, the horse reared. Barton was forced to jump clear and Brenna was thrown to the ground. She crawled away, only to have Barton grab her again. This time he pinned her knife hand into the dirt with his boot.
She kicked out, but missed. “Let go of me!” Brenna yelled.
“I suggest you do as the lady says, friend.”
Brenna looked up into the face of a stranger, the tip of his sword pointed directly at Barton’s chest. The tip of his glowing sword. Barton stepped back and she rolled away, her knife clutched to her side. Another man reached out a hand and helped her to her feet. More men disarmed Kane’s attacker.
“Kane.” She hobbled over to him. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. What about you?” Kane sheathed his sword and looked her over. He frowned when he peered at her face.
“Nothing is broken.” She gingerly touched her swelling cheek. “I’m sure I’ll look a sight, though.”
He looped his left arm over her shoulders. “But you’re safe,” he said. He turned them both towards the men who now filled the small clearing.
“Well met, Brother,” Kane said. He clasped hands with the man who had saved Brenna. “No names yet,” he said softly and the other man nodded.
He was slightly taller than Kane and perhaps a dozen years older. He had dark hair and a beard, and eyes so brown they appeared black. His sword still glowed softly and Brenna reached out to it and all the other old steel. She didn’t understand how she’d missed them before. Perhaps she’d been too distracted by her own situation, or maybe she’d been concentrating on Kane so much that nothing else had registered. Now she saw six, no seven pieces of old steel, since their leader carried both sword and knife. All of the weapons matched their bearers - there was none of the wrongness she’d sensed with Barton’s sword. With a mental shrug, Brenna let all the weapons go dark.
“That’s quite the trick, lass,” the Brother said, looking at his weapon with interest. “Although, seeing as it’s getting dark, it might be nice if we had some light to see who we’re dealing with.”
“Oh, sorry,” Brenna said. She quickly let his and one of his companion’s swords flare to life again. “Is that enough?”
“A fine trick, indeed,” he said and grinned at her. She smiled in response and leaned tiredly into Kane.
“I can see that you’re about done,” the man said. “So why don’t you and the captain mount up and be on your way. The border’s just up a ways. I’ll send two of my men along to make sure you make it safely. There’s a fine inn not far from the border, we may as well meet up there later. I’ll make sure our friends make it home safely.”
Brenna must have dozed off in the saddle. She had no recollection of the journey to the inn, but here they were. She grabbed onto Kane as he helped her down from Blaze.
“We’ll take care of the horses, Captain,” one of the Brothers said.
“Thank you, Jesson,” Kane said. “We appreciate that.”
“Yes, thank you,” Brenna said. She leaned heavily into Kane and concentrated on moving her stiff and sore legs. She didn’t think she could make it to the stable, let alone care for Blaze.
Jesson nodded and he and the second Brother led all four horses away.
“Tell me again when riding gets easier?” Brenna asked Kane. She let go of him and limped towards the door of the inn.
“Today’s riding was rough.” Kane picked up their packs and slung them over one shoulder. “We should have easier traveling now that we’re in Fallad.”
Kane held the door for her and Brenna entered the dimly lit inn. The noisy rumble of the common room greeted her and she paused to let her eyes adjust to the dim light of the candles that lit the room.
“I’ll order you another bath,” Kane said. “I’m sure you could use a good long soak.”
“Thanks.” Brenna hesitated. “Do you want one first?”
“No, I’ll wait for the rest of the Brothers. I haven’t met all of them before, although I do know Lord Westley Stobert.”
“He’s the one in charge?” Brenna asked. “They feel like true Brotherhood. At least their old steel feels right. A
nd you trust them?”
“The ones I know, yes,” Kane said. “They’re from old families. Lord Stobert especially,” Kane said. “He’s the Brother closest to the Duke of Fallad. Now let’s get you sorted out.” Kane headed towards a woman in a large apron.
Brenna waited while Kane arranged a room and bath. If he thought Lord Stobert could be trusted, she’d have to take his word for it, at least for now. She was too tired to do anything else. And they had rescued them.
Kane finished with the inn keep. Exhausted, Brenna followed him up the stairs to a room. Once inside, she dropped onto the bed and closed her eyes. She heard Kane move quietly around the room. The sound of splashing water lulled her to sleep.
Brenna bolted awake; she felt old steel close by. It called her. Kane sat on the chair across from the bed, his head bent as he cleaned his sword. The cloth he held was dark with dried blood and the sword hummed. He wiped the cloth along the steel and the hum vibrated along her spine. She shuddered. Two men dead tonight - it could have been her and Kane.
Kane glanced up at her. “Are you all right?” he asked. She simply nodded and lay back down. She heard Kane slide his sword back into the scabbard and the old steel quieted.
There was a soft knock on the door. Kane opened it and a serving woman hauled in a wooden tub through the door. She was followed by two lads with buckets of steaming water. Once the tub was filled and the inn staff gone, Kane
