Beau felt as if his heart would explode out of his chest. He could feel his cousin struggling next to him within the stranger’s powerful arms. Beau began to cry, not knowing what would happen next.

“Now, be good boys and stay calm,” The man said in a low, raspy voice. “You are safe, as long as you keep your voices down. lookup.” Beau raised his eyes to see a shadowy figure approach from behind a tree.

“We have been searching all over for you two,” Nisila said as she knelt before them and removed the man’s hands. He let them up and stood back. As Beau looked around, bewildered by what was happening, he saw more figures emerge from the shadows. It was the men of the New Brotherhood.

Adore stepped forward and looked the boys over, before handing Nisila a cloak for each of them. “Looks like no harm has come to them. Let us return to Milton’s Holdfast. Our horses are ready.”

“Where is my father,” Julius cried out, causing sharp looks from Nisila and the men of the Brotherhood. “You will pay for this, jumping me in the dark like—“

“Julius, you must keep your voice down,” Nisila whispered. She looked suspiciously at the shadows surrounding them. “There are enemies in these woods. We have waited too long, and now they are here.”

“How do you know that? Have you seen them?” Beau asked. He wished Milton and Corin were there with him. Nisila and the men of the Brotherhood, being strangers, gave him no comfort. Seeing them reminded him of why he ran away in the first place. Now that she was standing before him, Beau wanted to be far away from her.

Nisila sighed as she looked at him. “I suppose I am not the person you were hoping to meet. I asked your uncle to send a party to find you, but he refused. He said you and Julius knew the surrounding woods better than anyone.”

“It’s true,” Julius replied. “We did not need you to come searching for us. We were on our way home.”

“Then let me escort you back,” Nisila said, reaching out for them, but Julius swatted her hand down.

“We know the way, we have nothing to fear,” Julius said. Nisila frowned and Beau could see the rebuttal pained her.

“Listen to me, Prince Beaumont, enemies have arrived in Mount Hope,” Nisila said. “Shadow-cry spied riders approaching from the south. Thankfully for his efforts, we were able to find you.”

Beau was unmoved, and emboldened by Julius’s defiance he glared at her. “I am thankful for nothing. It is as my cousin said, we were on our way home.” Adore scoffed and muttered something Beau could not hear. The old warrior turned and signaled his men to return to the Holdfast.

Beau and Julius turned to leave with them, but Nisila stopped them. “Listen, my Prince…I know my coming here has changed your way of life. It is not my wish to anger you; I am here because it is my duty, and you are important to the people of the Middle Islands. A good man gave up his life in your service—“

“I did not ask for his service,” Beau scoffed.

“Then in the service of your family,” Nisila replied. “Maybe you do not see it now, but in time you will. Give me a chance to keep you safe. You do not have to love me. I only ask for your trust.” Beau could not deny the sincerity in her eyes. For all his animosity toward her, she looked concerned. He was growing weary of the discussion, so he nodded to appease her. Nisila gave a wane smile and helped them with the cloaks, before stepping out of the way.

“Do you believe her?” Julius whispered to Beau.

“I don’t know, but she believes what she is saying, so there may be some truth to it. All this talk of enemies is frightening. I want this over and done with.” Beau began thinking of the dreadful journey to come. Nisila did not scold him for fleeing, but he knew Corin would have some words about it. Corin wanted Beau to conduct himself as a prince and a king, especially around their guests. Running away and hiding in the woods until the evening hours was not one of the actions Corin encouraged.

The night was cold, and Beau hugged himself, rubbing his arms. The trees around them were large and tall, but they grew sparsely in this particular area. Stars burned brightly in the night sky, with hardly a cloud in sight. Finally, the bad weather was letting up on the day he had to leave. His poor luck soured his mood even more, and he wished he had not wasted the time he had alone in his room.

The small party walked silently upon the moist forest ground. A light frost began accumulating on the trees, and the forest sang a sad, ghostly song as the freezing branches swayed in the wind.

There was a flutter of wings in the air, and Beau saw a large shadow quickly descend upon Nisila. It was Shadow-cry, the raven they saw earlier as they climbed down from the Watchtower. The bird was curious indeed, with its bright beady eyes, filled with awareness and intelligence. She fed Shadow-cry something from her belt and once again the raven took to the night sky.

Adore stopped to speak with Nisila. “Well, what does the raven have to say?”

“That raven belongs to you?” Beau asked.

“The raven speaks?” Julius added.

“Not like you and me,” Nisila said. “But he can understand commands and is intelligent enough to know trouble when it comes. Just so, he alerted me when the strangers appeared at the borders. I had him keep watch at the borders.”

“Shadow-cry is truly marvelous,” Adore said. “I am thankful for its vigilance, but tell me, can the bird give you a count of the enemy?”

“That I do not know,” Nisila replied. “But we should avoid them at all costs. I cannot risk the prince.” She turned back to look at Beau. She looked confident enough, but her words left Beau with a feeling of dread. He could not imagine men wanting to hurt him, especially in Mount Hope. It was a peaceful land. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding, and there would turn out to be no trouble at all. Perhaps he would remain in Mount Hope. Despite everything happening, he still held on to that dream.

“How much longer till we return to the holdfast,” Nisila asked. “Is this the quickest route? We are isolated out here, and Shadow-cry brings no news of the enemy whereabouts.”

“Was the bird not trailing them?” Adore asked.

“Yes, but we needed help locating the prince,” Nisila said. “After that, he lost them.” That was unfortunate news. Beau did not mean to take the raven away from its watch. The goal was to clear his mind and come to terms with his fate. Julius helped him do that, and he was better for it. If anything went wrong because he ran away, he would never forgive himself.

“I have sent my man to scout ahead,” Adore said. “We are going directly to the holdfast. When we arrive—” He suddenly stopped as he saw a signal from one of his men in the front. The man raised a fist and took a knee. Nisila brought the boys to a crouching position. Beau did not hear anything unusual, and the surrounding woods were devoid of other human sounds. He happened to look to his right and saw one of the Brotherhood men patiently waiting, looking bored. The man, with his thick beard and long hair, winked at Beau reassuringly.

Beau forced a smile to be polite, but he saw something rapidly moving through the shadows behind the man. Beau opened his mouth, but no words came out. The bearded man turned to follow Beau’s gaze and leaped up, drawing his sword. “Ambush! They are on us!” The clash of the weapons shattered the silence. Shouts echoed from all directions, as enemies surrounded them.

Nisila grabbed Beau and Julius. “Get up, run!” She dragged them forward with Adore leading the way. Beau could hear men shouting but he could not make out the fighting in the darkness.

“Stop!” Adore cried out as he threw his arm out in front of Nisila. A man attacked from the darkness, but Adore parried his strike. The sword fight unfolded directly in front of Beau. He read about battles, but he had never seen men try to kill one another. Adore felled his opponent by hacking him in the face, and moved on to another enemy. Beau tried to put the man’s face back together mentally, as the image of his death seared into his mind.

“Come this way,” Nisila cried and took the boys back the way they came. More enemies appeared behind them. The men of the Brotherhood were hard-pressed fending off multiple attacks. Beau could not tell how many there were, but from the shouting, it seemed like the whole forest had risen against them.

“There, I see two boys, get them!” The words heard over the din of the fighting sent a shiver through Beau’s body. Nisila shuffled the boys behind her and retrieved the sword from her belt and a dagger from her boot.

“Stay close, stand behind me!” She shouted. Beau finally saw the attackers who came for them. Two men in dark clothing and hoods, holding short swords. What could Nisila do against two warriors? Beau felt Julius grab hold of him, and they hugged each other as they watched the two men engage Nisila.

Nisila roared like a wild animal. The crash of the swords made Beau jump. Nisila danced backward as the men attacked. She moved so quickly that Beau could not keep track of the exchange. Nisila sidestepped one attacker and threw him to the ground. She ducked a savage swing from the second man and planted her dagger in his gut. He fell over groaning.

The first man was back on his feet and rushed Nisila again. The man had underestimated her before, but now he fought in earnest. They exchanged a series of blows, but Nisila landed a slash upon his hand, and he dropped his weapon. He closed the space between them and tackled her. She tried to evade him, but her boot caught in the brush and she lost balance. The man wrestled her to the ground, knocking her sword out of her hand. He cuffed her and then wrapped his long fingers around her neck.

Beau watched in horror as the man squeezed her throat. He wanted to help, but he hesitated. It was Julius who was the first to act. Seeing the sword at his feet, Julius picked it up by the hilt and threw it toward Nisila, but it fell short. Nisila kept reaching, but Beau saw there was no way she would get to the weapon. Emboldened by his cousin, Beau dashed forward and kicked the sword within Nisila’s grasp.

She picked up the sword and thrust into her adversary's armpit until the man collapsed. She wobbled to her feet, shook away her dizziness, and nodded at Beau. Beau felt a surge of pride, and he nodded back.

“To me, quickly!” One of the Brotherhood men shouted as he reached out his hand, but as soon as they moved toward him, he was struck from behind and went down. Two men leaped on him and began stabbing him. Beau and Julius screamed at the violence unfolding before them. One of the killers turned to fight Adore, and the second man ran at Beau and Julius.

Once again, Nisila came to their defense. She ran at the man and struck his knee with a powerful kick. It bent awkwardly, and he went down, dropping his weapon to hold his leg. The man grabbed Nisila’s ankle as she attempted to flee, tripping her. She fell on her chest, and he dragged her back.

“Run! Run!” She cried. The man flipped her over and landed a hard cuff to her jaw, then another and another. Beau thought for sure she would not get up again. The man began limping toward them, dragging his injured leg behind him.

As he drew closer, Beau and Julius huddled together, unsure of what they should do. Nisila found her feet and leaped on the man’s back, throwing a chokehold around his neck. She leaned back, with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and they went down together.

The man squirmed on the ground, pulling at her forearm, but she would not let up. He struggled to get her off, but there was no hope. It was a deadly choke that she had used more than a dozen times to deadly effect, and this time would be no different.

Beau was stunned by the savagery of it all. Nisila tossed the body over and once again crawled to her feet. Beau could see how exhausted she was, but she was relentless. Her hands were warm and sticky with blood as she took hold of his hand to lead them to safety. Adore appeared once more with his weapon drawn. “Come, Nisila, you have to get out! I have seen two of my men fall, but I could not find the others.”

“I fear we are outnumbered,” Nisila said breathlessly. “They will overrun us.” Hearing this, Adore stopped and looked back, the sound of fighting echoing behind him.

“I must go back,” He said. “You keep going this way.”

“I will see you back at the holdfast,” Nisila said. “Be safe.”

“I cannot promise you that I will return,” Adore said. “But we will win you some time if we can. Good luck to you.” Adore winked at Beau, his eyes bright and warm despite their dire circumstances. As Adore turned around, he cried out in pain as a spear pierced out his side. The old warrior went down.

“Not so fast, grandfather,” Said the man who had stabbed him. Appearing from behind Adore’s body was the biggest man Beau had ever seen. He was so black that he seemed to be one with the shadows. His eyes were bloodshot, and his head covered in thick, long dreadlocks.

“I am, Rudan,” He said. “Do you know me, woman?” Nisila shuffled the boys behind her. Keeping her eyes on the beast of a man before her, she reached for her sword, only to find her belt empty. Rudan laughed.

“I know you, Rudan, of the Iron Lion’s,” she sneered. “You’re a filthy traitor.”

Rudan replied with a smirk. “A traitor? Because I fighting on the winning side? That don’t make me no traitor. How you going blame me for your stupidness.”

“Rancine will fall,” Nisila said. “And you will die along with him, dishonored and forgotten.”

“You think that youth going be king?” Rudan scoffed. “Look at him, even in darkness I see him a shake.” Beau felt his body shudder at the dark words. Julius stood with his mouth open, his eyes running up and down the giant of a man. “Are afraid, little Prince?”

“You will not touch him,” Nisila screamed. “I will die a thousand deaths before I allow that to happen.”

“I only need you to die one time,” Rudan replied. “You think you can protect him? Give him up, Nisila, and I kill you quick and clean. A warrior’s death is the least I can do for a sister.”

“Never,” She replied, backing away. Nisila squeezed the boy’s hands and whispered to them. “You know this forest better than anyone. At my command, run and do not stop until you get to the holdfast.”

“No, I can’t,” Beau whimpered. “They are everywhere, and they will catch us. He will catch us.”

“No, he won’t,” Nisila said. “I won’t let him, on my life I swear it.”

“I want my father!” Julius cried out. At that, Rudan charged at them.

“Run!” Nisila screamed, and she ran at Rudan. He struck Nisila with a heavy gloved hand, sending her to ground. Beau wanted to run to her and help, but one look at the man froze him in place. Rudan picked Nisila up by her hair. She tried to defend herself but it was a feeble attempt, all the fighting had taken a toll on her. Rudan slapped her, and she fell against a tree. He pulled a dagger from his belt.

“With regards from Royce, witch,” Rudan said, and he stabbed Nisila in her stomach, driving the dagger down to the hilt. She grabbed at his muscular arms, trying to push the blade out, but there was nothing more she could do. He let her go and she slid to the ground.

Rudan looked at the boys. Beau felt sweat running down his temple, and his legs were failing him. He held on to Julius for support, and he could feel his cousin shivering. Adore and Nisila had fallen, and the men of the Brotherhood were nowhere to be found.

Beau feared what Rudan would do once he had them but the mighty warrior’s face twisted in pain as a quill pierced through his collar bone.

Rudan stumbled and turned around. Another quill flew from the dark and struck his hip. The impact forced him around again, and he eyed Beau and Julius with murderous intent. He reached out for them as he limped forward. A third quill sprung out of his throat, and he fell stone dead on the ground.

Beau blinked, not comprehending what had just happened. Rudan stood before him just a moment ago, and now he was dead on the ground. Beau quickly thought of Nisila, and the horrible wound she had suffered at Rudan’s hand. She was in a fetal position at the foot of the tree. He made his way toward her, but Julius held his arm.

“No, do not go,” Julius said, covering his mouth with his hand, trying to fight back a cry. Beau could not help himself. He needed to know if she lived. He knelt next to her, and she was breathing, but with difficulty.

Beau put his hands upon her shoulder. “She is alive, Julius, but badly hurt. Help me get her up.” His cousin remained frozen, as a figure came walking out of the woods. Beau saw a man standing a few feet away. He was nearly as tall as Rudan, and for a moment he feared another enemy had found them.

The man ignored the boys as he walked over to Adore. The stranger knelt and put his crossbow on the ground. He was not an enemy, but a man of the Brotherhood. As he tended to Adore, Julius joined Beau next to Nisila. Her breaths were short and labored, and Beau feared the worse.

Regret flooded over him, and tears poured from his eyes. He was nasty to Nisila, and all she wanted to do was protect him. She had done that and more this night, and he would never forget it. Beau read books about women warriors like the Amazon’s who dwelt in the grasslands of central Daymo, the greatest among them being Latree the Valkyrie, who was the hero who had saved the world from the Titan. That was who Nisila was, a mighty warrior of the Middle Islands, and she saved his life.

If she died tonight, Beau knew it would be his fault. If he had not been a coward and did his duty as a king, they would have avoided the ambush in the woods. Beau said a silent prayer, in hopes that she lived, and that his uncle or Corin would find them. With tears in his eyes, he looked to his cousin.

“What have I done, Julius,” Beau said. “How are we going to get back? The enemies, they will capture us.”

“Then we must flee, Beaumont,” Julius said. “We cannot carry her, and she wished that we returned to the holdfast.” Beau could not find it in his heart to leave her side. The guilt he felt kept him weighed down right where he knelt. Beau wished someone else was king. He only wanted to be Beaumont of Mount Hope.