“Jesus Christ!” Iagan shouted when they caught up with Izzie and found her sat atop a large embankment at the back of the whorehouse , inspecting an arrow.

“Sorry,” Iagan nodded to Thomas when he realised he had blasphemed.

“You missed one hell of a show,” Izzie called over at them, without even looking up.

“I can see that,” Drystan muttered when he caught sight of the ten royal guards all tied up to a large post; most with wounds to their legs and a couple with head injuries but he was glad to see that she hadn’t killed any.

“It was touch and go,” she muttered when Drystan remarked on it, “But the beating they got from the working girls was rather amusing that it was almost worth letting them live,”

“I’m sorry I missed it,” Drystan muttered as he got down from his horse and walking across to her, “What’s that?” he nodded to the arrow.

“Nothing,” Izzie shook her head and placed it inside her quiver on her horse, “What do we do with that lot?” Izzie nodded to the guards.

“I’ll send a message to Brandon until then they can remain there,” Drystan muttered as he looked Isadora over.

She had just taken down ten royal guards, something all of them could do, but she had not a single mark on her. Her hair was wavier than before and lighter as if it had just been washed and her skin held that new brightness to it making her seem even more beautiful.

“You! You!” A deep voice called across the courtyard and Izzie’s hand went to her dagger until she saw it was only the owner of the establishment, he’d been begging her all day to stay.

“Are you in control of this woman?” Barius asked Drystan, pointing his meaty finger at her.

“I can’t imagine anyone being in control of her,” Drystan muttered and Izzie regarded Drystan carefully before turning back to Barius.

“Well, who is, because I would like to offer her a job,” Barius growled as he removed a pouch of gold at his waist.

“Sir, the gold you seek in this morale turpentine of business, is unholy and against God’s work. Surely, you can see the sin you are invoking,” Thomas spoke like a true Christian as he recited the lord to a whorehouse worker.

“Son,” Barius turned on Thomas, “I make people feel good. It’s exactly the same as following your God,” He waved Thomas away and turned back to Izzie and Drystan however the others had soon gathered around, their arms draped around a woman, “How much do you want for her?”

Izzie removed her sword and aimed it at his throat, “I’m not for sale,”

Barius gulped as he glanced down at her sword.

“Barius, this woman is not a woman of pleasure,” Drystan explained.

“No, no,” Barius shook his head, “I want her for protection. Did you see how she dispatched those guards? Catching arrows out of mid-air? No, I would pay for her to remain here and protect my girls,”

“Sir, there are many a person wanting work and I’m sure you’ll find someone to protect you. However, I would be grateful if you provide us all with a bed tonight whilst we keep the guards here and . . .” Drystan added when he saw Barius was about to decline, “protect your establishment for the time we are here.”

“Of course!” Barius perked up and clapped his hands at his women, ordering them back into the house to prepare for their special guests.

“Well, you can look after the guards,” Izzie told Drystan, “I’m going to get some sleep.”

Drystan stared after her as she disappeared inside the building, grumbling to himself as the others all went and found heaven in the arms of a woman whilst he was stuck watching a bunch of unconscious guards.

Izzie only managed to have a few hours’ sleep before the sounds of a whorehouse grew too much for her to bear and she headed downstairs into the tavern area where everyone was still awake as if it was the middle of the day rather than the middle of the night.

“Ahh, Isadora!” Dermot called out, coming out of his shell with the help of mead, “Come and sit with me,”

Izzie simply turned her back on him, raising her eyebrow and the way women were all draped across them, and walked outside.

Thomas was sat crouched on bench looking like he wanted nothing more than to be in his own bed at the monastery.

Izzie wouldn’t say ‘I told you so’ but she was starting to feel sorry for the meagre creature that put too much faith in an unknown being rather than in his own hands.

“Thomas,” Izzie announced her presence and his head whipped up to look at her, his eyes growing hard when he saw who it was.

“I hope you can live with yourself,” Thomas muttered as he got to his feet, “for I cannot.”

“This is about that woman back at the village, isn’t it?” Izzie stepped in front of him.

“She was asking for help,” Thomas told her, tears forming in his eyes.

“She would have died no matter how we helped her. I just gave her a more merciful death. She felt no pain, I can promise you that,”

Thomas looked torn as she told him that she was pain and that she gave her the best relief possible. Relief from the pain.

“She’s in the arms of the Lord now,” Izzie told him, she might not believe it but he did, “And aren’t you always telling us how much that’s better than being here in this cruel world?”

Thomas said nothing as he walked past her towards the stables.

“I never took you as being kind,” Drystan called out behind her.

“How long have you been there?” Izzie snapped at him, turning around to face him.

“Long enough to know that you are not all you appear to be,” Drystan muttered.

“Don’t act like you know me,” Izzie told him, annoyed that he had seen a weak side of her; she had to show them all that she was just as good as them or else they would chuck her to the curb.

“You don’t believe in God and yet you help Thomas with his problems with the word of the Lord,” Drystan observed.

“I might think it’s stupid, but he doesn’t,” Izzie confessed, “Everyone needs something to believe in.”

“What do you believe in?” Drystan asked, falling into step beside her.

“Swords,” Izzie murmured, her hand curling around the hilt of her own, “Sturdy, strong and reliable. They can cut your enemy down when you need it to. Praying can’t do that,”

“Why do I get the feeling that you hate God?” Drystan asked, looking at her.

“I don’t hate Him,” Izzie muttered, the lack of sleep making her compliant, “For me to hate Him I would have to believe he was there in the first place,” Izzie walked on past Drystan and took her place on top of the rock.

“I’ll take watch now. You can go and get some sleep.”

Drystan nodded his head and went inside leaving Izzie in the cold.