"I do not think it to be any of tourney champions, nor any of the others under contract." Drew supposed.

"I see that you have come to think as I. Our enemy will hide among the men sent by the barons. They are less conspicuous without fame or the chance of being recognized. Whether or not they are actually sent from the barons, or merely claiming to be is yet unknown. I do know that if we prevail, they stand to lose everything, even as our prisoners will upon our return." Erec paused.

"Do you trust Cameron? Bennett? The others under contract?" Erec asked pointedly.

"Cameron and Bennett? Aye. The rest of the lot? To stand and fight in a battle, Aye. But to trust them with my life...of that I am still uncertain."

"Then we have come full circle again. Bring Cameron and Bennett into our confidence about the assassins. There is no one else to trust save the few, and no way to know from where a strike may come." Erec looked out of the tent at the camp. The silence between them broken only by the rain...

"Set John and Thomas to guard the prisoners." Erec spoke without turning, "Caution them to be extra vigilant and to trust no one. Set Cameron and Bennett to the front to lead us home. It is an honor they have earned and it will free you and I to fall back to guard the tribute."

"You believe we will be attacked from outside our ranks." It was not a question.

"Not necessarily by our assassins, but the threat of bandits is very real. If bandits do attack, they will hit the gold first and the prisoners will use the situation to attempt their escape." Erec rolled his shoulders and tipped his head hard right and left, cracking the bones with a loud sigh. "See that it is done. We march at first light, full-mail and breastplate minimum for every soldier."

"John." Drew nodded in passing as left and John entered with a sack over his shoulder.

"Your armor." John said. I have greeves and sabatons also. And your short surcoat if you wish it."

Erec sighed as he hauled himself to his feet and submitted to the armor.

There was too much that was yet unknown for him to plan a proper defense with just the eight of them. They could not be everywhere, and their defense was weakened by dividing. But it could not be helped.

---

After riding all morning and a goodly part of the afternoon in their new positions, Erec saw no signs of trouble, yet he felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristling as the wood came into view. It was a warning that served him well over the years and his muscles tensed in preparation.

At the rate they were traveling they were three or four days from the palace. But once they made it through the pass, the likelihood of attack was reduced to almost nothing. They would begin to cross paths with villages and travelers and the terrain was wide and open with little chance to hide.

If he were a bandit, the wood or the pass would be the perfect place to strike.

"Milord?"

"What is it?"

"I suggest we camp for the night before we reach the wood. There are a several hours of light yet remaining, I know. But darkness comes early in the wood and..."

"I have no desire to pass through the wood carrying this gold with a traitor in our midst...but especially not without the benefit of daylight."

"Shall I ride forward then and—"

"Milord!" Bennett came riding against the troops, "Milord!"

"Halt!" The orders to halt passed down the line. Erec reigned Zeus to a stop as Bennett reached them.

"Sir Cameron requests that you join him at the front. There is something you need to see."

Erec and Drew shared a look. Drew nodded.

"Stay with Drew!" Erec shouted to Bennett as he spurred Zeus and galloped forward. Erec was confident that even as he rode, Drew would order men from the ranks to set double guards around the tribute, send men to the strengthen rear guard, and double the guard on the prisoners.

With his heart pounding and adrenaline rushing his system, every sense was heightened as he rode forward.

---

Gwyndolyn's life changed so greatly that she could scarce believe it was only six days ago that Erec knelt before her in front of everyone and pledged his troth. Reaching a hand to the ring she wore on a string beneath her gown, a bittersweet smile touched her lips. She longed to tell him of her news...

She could write to him!

The Baron said she need only to ask if ever she needed anything. Surely, he would have what she needed to write. With happy steps, she made her way toward the baron's rooms, but stopped halfway there.

She could not write to Erec and tell him of all her news! She knew not where he was. Perhaps the baron would know how to reach him.

"Enter." He answered her knock. A few moments later.

"I am sorry to disturb you, milord."

"Nonsense child. You are always welcome. Come. Come. Sit. Sit. "

"I thought that I should like to send word to Erec and let him know of my discovery of family. But it occurred to me that even should I write to him, I know not where to send such a missive."

"Worry not. Whenever it is that I needed to reach him, I sent word to the Garrison. He has servants there that will hold the missive for him if he is away."

"That is good to know. But surely, he is not at the garrison so soon. He only left us six days past and he told me that were weighted down with much gold and with the prisoners, so they would be traveling much slower than when they came north."

"That is true enough, but if I send a servant out in the morning with your letter, it should reach the garrison at the same time as he does, or very shortly after him."

"Of course." She blushed at her ignorance. "I do not often send missives. In point of fact, I have never done so before. I only ever sent Robin to carry word to his brothers or to father when they were out in the fields. Until I came here, I have never been away from my father's home."

"We are very glad that you came to us. Alexandi is beside herself with joy over having a house full of children. You see, she counts you among the children." He winked.

"I see." She chucked. "I suppose since she was as a sister to my mother—"

A rather urgent sounding knock interrupted and the door opened before the baron called out. Before the Baron could scold the nervous looking maid at the door, a soldier pushed past and Gwyndolyn felt the blood drain from her face at recognition.

"What has happened?" Gwyndolyn rose to her feet and grabbed at the edge of the table when she felt her knees tremble. "Where is Erec?"

---

Erec rode fast along the lines toward the front gathering nervous energy as he rode. Horses stamped and snorted and weapons were drawn. They were not his men and he had not trained them, but they were trained and he was pleased to see that so far, they were well disciplined. He had seen them in battle and knew they would hold rank until ordered otherwise.

His confidence in survival grew as he rode, noting the ranks, formerly riding 2 x 2 were now turned outward, preparing to fight back-to-back if needed. He heard horses and cast a quick glance back to see men breaking ranks to ride back down the line. Drew...

Turning front, he smelled it before he saw the smoke and his stomach turned. It was too much for a campfire, but there was no village near the road. It could only mean one thing. When he reached the front and reigned up next to Cameron, he felt sick as he surveyed the scene before him.

He expected they would be alone on the road until they were closer to the castle or at least on the other side of the pass. He expected attack upon his soldiers, not this butchery before him. But then, one is never prepared for such a sight, or smell, as that of burned flesh.

He leaned forward on Zeus and slowly took in each detail. The road before them curved slightly where it turned into the wood. It looked clear between here and as far as he could see into the wood before the darkness obscured the road. The wood line was clear as far as he could see in either direction from the road.

His eyes returned to the carnage and he prepared himself to take in every detail. There were no animals anywhere about. Two wagons, or rather the remains of two wagons blocked the way ahead. The wagon nearest them was upright, but it was burned beyond repair. He thought the lump on the wagon seat was most likely the remains of a driver.

On the ground near that wagon, he detected two corpses. One lay curled and blackened, no doubt a victim of the same fire that destroyed the wagon. The other appeared unaffected by the fire, but there appeared to be several arrows protruding from the body and it was unmoving. Counting these as complete losses, his eyes moved on.

Further back, not very far from the wood line, a second wagon lay overturned. He could not see the wagon seat, as the bottom of the wagon was facing their direction. He did see the legs of another body that had fallen behind the wagon. Without closer inspection he could not tell more.

Scattered where he could see them were the remains of three other bodies, some with arrows, and none of them moving. Erec closed his eyes and focused on what he could hear...which from this distance was precious little. Opening his eyes, he frowned. He had not expected much. He could tell from the smoke that the embers of the fire were still hot.

Even the wolves would not approach yet. He supposed that if there were any animals, they either fled or were taken with the rest of the spoils. Erec sighed and sat back in his saddle.

"It does not appear that anyone remains alive." Cameron spoke softly. "But after I received your orders from Sir Drew, I did want to send anyone forward without consulting with you first."

Erec frowned...orders from Drew...oh yes, he had brought Cameron and Bennett into confidence. Erec nodded and turned his attention back to the scene.

The hairs on his neck bristled and his skin tingled. He was not sure if this was in reaction to the

With the sun low on the not horizon, the wood was already deep in shadow. The long shadows of the trees crept slowly toward the wreckage. He was convinced he would find nothing but corpses. And since the fire was down to embers, the bandits were probably long gone. He would not bring his men any closer...but perhaps he could spare ten men...

"We will take ten men to search the area and check for survivors. If there are none, we can at least give these pour souls a proper burial."

With a nod to his captain, Cameron yelled for his men to break off and follow. The rest were ordered to hold.

Erec rode through the clearing slowly, his eyes continuously searching the shadows. They were almost upon the first wagon when the hairs on the back of his neck bristled and his skin tingled. Erec called a halt.

Looking around, he took another closer look. He could see now that there were several more bodies behind the other wagon. And they were much closer to the wood line than he previously thought.

Since they had encountered no one at Brecken or since, it was safe to assume these travelers were attacked as they were leaving the wood, probably traveling north. Brecken was expecting no one, since Lady Alexandi's summons for the tailors and dress makers could not have reached King's Town yet.

Erec continued to sweep the shadows at the edge of the wood, but now his eyes scanned the scene before him with suspicion. Bandits might be lucky enough to capture the wagons without losing any of the animals, but the burned-out wagon drew his attention. The driver was still on the seat, which meant he was driving while the fire burned.

"Cameron."

"Aye."

"If the animals were gone, why would the driver still be at his seat while the fire burned?"

"Perhaps he was trying to put the fire out, or mayhap he was trying to save someone or something?"

"Or he was already dead when the fire started." Erec frowned. That was reasonable, but still...

Looking around he found it strange there was no debris anywhere. There was nothing anywhere to indicate what the wagons carried. Unless the bandits brought their own wagons and transferred all of the goods—

A moan broke through the silence and sent a shiver down Erec's spine.

"Milord?" Cameron looked around. "At least one of them yet breathes."

"Hold here." Erec cautioned as he pulled his sword. "Cameron, with me...slowly. And for God's sake, be careful."

He heard the others draw their weapons and felt a little easier. They were close enough to the burned-out wagon now that the air was thick with the smell of smoke and burned flesh. Zeus sidestepped and Erec had to sheath his sword or be unseated.

"Easy Zeus." Erec said in a soft low voce that seemed to echo across the meadow. He could hear the various creaks and subdued sounds from the men behind him. caution and distance muffled any sounds his army made.

Darkness had drawn closer and the shadows stretched further so that some of the bodies were now under its dark cloak. Erec looked more carefully at the bodies. One of the corpses was nearly severed in half, and clearly not the source. Another lay in a pool of blood from the gaping wound in his throat where an arrow struck. Also, not the source. In addition to the driver there were six bodies on the ground. The remaining four men were bloodied, but without any obvious wounds.

There was another moan and the hairs on the back of his neck bristled as Zeus was once more restless.

"Back out slowly." Erec whispered to Cameron and bit off a curse when Cameron swung down from his saddle instead.

"I too am uneasy,milord." Cameron whispered as he stood, listeningand looking about. "I cannot shake thesense that something is amiss, but I cannot leave someone alive, milord."