When he at last he recalled his better senses, he ended the kiss, pressing her cheek to his chest, to rest his chin upon her crown. It was much more than he intended, but he was powerless to do less in the overwhelming joy of having her home again.

At last, his heart calmed and he noticed the quiet. Erec grinned as he looked about the empty room.

When he built her a bed, he wished to give her a feather mattress and a pile of soft furs, but he was pleased with what he managed in his limited resources.

The mattress of fresh pine boughs was covered with a woolen blanket and a soft quilt from her home. Scooping her up, he carried her to the new bed which was easily large enough for the two of them.

It was far too empty without her...

---

Erec leaned against the jamb and watched the children playing nearby.

"You look at them, but you do not see them, husband." Gwyn stepped up behind him and a bit to the side so she could see what he stared at. "What is it that has you so troubled?"

"I am thinking on what we should do, if there is anything that can be done. It is difficult to know with so many things yet unknown."

"It will be better when John returns from Brecken. I am given to understand that he should be back any day now." Gwyn smiled, rubbing his back.

"Aye." Erec frowned. "It was a risk to send him, although, it was a necessary one."

Gwyn said nothing. Erec looked down and saw her watching him, with a patient, encouraging look. He took her free hand and brought it to his lips.

"There are so few of us that even should I go to Brecken, I fear I could do nothing to prevent the inevitable. On the other hand, I am persona non grata in Kingstown. Even should I find a way to get through the web of men Neron has set to lie in wait for me, no one would believe me over Lord Neron," Erec met her eyes and held them earnestly.

"For the first time in many years, Gwyn," He sighed heavily, "I am truly frightened."

"Berk is in Kingstown. You said that he was as capable a man as these here with us. Trust him and Cameron to keep the king alive. For now, our problem seems to be how to keep King Axel and his troops in Far North, where they belong."

Erec could only manage half a smile for all of his concerns. "One thing at a time."

---

Gwyn spoke true for John arrived before the sun set that eve with word from Lady Brecken. And as Erec feared, the news was not favorable. Her ladyship promised that she would find a way to keep the men at Brecken for another fortnight. Beyond that she could not promise.

"We have only so long to find soldiers enough to stop Far North at the pass and preserve our Kingdom."

"Is that all?" Gwyn gave a teasing smile in attempt to lighten the severity of Erec's mood.

"God's Teeth!" Erec growled, turning suddenly and pacing furiously the length and breadth of the room. "I must trust to Cameron and Berk to keep our King alive. But are we to come so far and be defeated by treachery from within our own borders? It bears the stench of villainy! Neron is a traitor born of the devil!

"By his treasonous blockade of Kingspass, he has forsaken Brecken to our enemy. King Axel is no fool. He will be informed of the situation and he will attack soon. Without the reinforcements from King's town, Brecken will be an easy target and when Brecken falls, the kingdom will soon follow."

"It is dire indeed, milord." Gwyn said thoughtfully.

"You are thoughtful, milady. You have something more to say on the subject? Please, speak."

"Did you not once tell me that the people north of Kingspass were a superstitious lot?"

"Aye?" He studied her face. He could see the thoughts churning behind her eyes.

"And did you not tell me that the people of Far North are even more so?"

"Aye." Erec nodded, trying to think where Gwyn could be going with her reasoning.

"Are you not the People's Champion? Were you not the one who defeated Lord Basil of Blackboughs and Lord Aromor, driving them back to lick their wounds in Garrett's Keep where they spend a long hard winter near starvation? Did you not march through the northern borders of our kingdom chasing back King Axel's marauders?"

"Aye." Erec frowned, puzzling over her recounting of the past.

"And were you not murdered? The first to fall in ambush, a faceless attack from a cowardly enemy? Was your grave then not desecrated and robbed of your corpse by the same faceless enemy?"

"Get to the point, wife, if you have one. The situation is a desperate one. There is no time for retelling of a past that you and I both well know."

"That is the point exactly, husband." Gwyn snapped tartly. "This past is well known. Not just to you and I, but all of the people of the land. Your death was mourned from the highest noble to the lowest peasant. Nay, it is still mourned."

"And how is this to be of help to us?" Erec almost growled in his growing frustration.

"Was there not a full moon the night you fell?"

"I recall not."

"Then you may trust to me when I say that there was. And there will be a full moon within a fortnight. A fortnight was the deadline set by her Ladyship, was it not?"

"A full moon?" Erec growled. His patience was nearly spent. He was feeling as desperate as their situation. The entire kingdom could fall in that same fortnight.

"Let you and one other stay behind. I shall ride with John and the children and make my return to Brecken. Let the rest go forth and ride to every village. Let them visit every pub and speak to every person they cross. They must speak of the champion and his great deeds. They must speak of his murder and put your name on the people's tongues once more."

Erec nodded, beginning to see where this was going.

"And then, when the full moon draws nigh, you and your man will ride by moonlight and go to the Brecken loch and hide among the trees. When the full moon sets, you must move to the edge of the loch and as the first rays of the sun warm the sky and the mists rise from the moors you must ride for Brecken. So, you will arrive in first light, riding out of the mists..."

"And the people will say that I am risen from the grave." Erec finished with a nod, finally gaining full comprehension of her plan.

"Just so. If you ride out through the mists with the garrison behind you, the soldiers of Far North, who are even more superstitious than the men of Brecken, shall quake with fear and many will flee. Those that remain will quiver inside. They shall not fight at their best. Brecken shall stand."

"Wife." He smiled proudly as he felt hopeful for the first time since the ambush, "You are a very clever woman. Remind me never to cross you."

"Remember that, husband." She smiled wickedly and turned quickly away.

"DREW!" Erec bellowed out of the door. Robin and he were sparring and they turned at once, jogging over.

"Aye, milord."

"Get everyone here. Even the hermit and have the guard at the mausoleum sit near the entrance so that he may hear also. We have much to discuss."

---

"I would gladly go with you, milady." John spoke up, but why me? And why just one? Would you not be safer if Thomas also travelled with us? Or Gil or—"

"Nay. One because we are few in number. The rest of you are needed to set every tongue afire with new tales of the People's Champion. We need everyone fearful of the enemy hovering at our border and wishing that the People's Champion were still here to defend us. We need them all thinking on their champion so that when he makes his appearance—"

"So that when he makes his appearance it will seem to the superstitious folk that he was summoned by their need of him. The superstitious tongues will spread the tale that he appeared out of the mists like an avenging angel sent to protect them. It will stir up their support, should we need to call upon them to defend their homes. And their fervor shall stoke the enemy's fear."

"Just so," Gwyn smiled at Thomas.

"Milord." Thomas smiled at Erec, "You were wise to wed this one before you left. For if you had not, I should have sought to woo her myself. She is wise and clever as she is beautiful and kind. She is a rare gem and you should have to answer to me if I should ever hear that you do not treasure her accordingly."

"Aye." John laughed as he added his support to Thomas. "There is not a man of us who would not die to protect her, milord. You can be sure that you will answer to all of us if you should ever do her harm."

Gwyn blushed crimson and looked to her fraying sleeves. Erec reached over and took her hand, kneeling before her. Holding her hand in both of his, he met her eyes.

"I shall submit willingly to any punishment these good men see fit, should I ever lift a hand against you or harm you in any way. I cannot promise that my boorish ways will never cause you offense, for I am but a man. But this I do swear before God, and before these men and before you on this day. I shall love you all the days of my life and I shall never deliberately cause you harm."

"I love you, too." Gwyn smiled tugging his hand, bringing it to her lips before pressing her cheek to the back of his hand.

Erec turned his hand around and cupped her cheek, stroking with his thumb. Then with a sigh, he stood and turned to his men.

"We have wasted enough time. You know what you must do. Make haste and be away with you. Make certain that you are at Brecken before the next full moon. It is important that you arrive there before I do. Gwyn and the children must be kept safe and I know not if there are spies within Brecken's walls or not. John, until they arrive, I trust her to you."

Erec reached out and placed a hand on John's shoulder and John nodded solemnly.

"I will keep her safe, my lord."

"John," Gwyn started, "Harness the cart to the horse and load provisions on the packhorse. By the time you are finished, the children and I shall be ready to depart."

"As you wish, milady."

Gwyn started after John but Erec grabbed her wrist. Turning back, she stepped readily into his embrace.

"Be careful, love." Erec whispered against her hair. "I could not bear it if anything should happen to you."

"You also, my love." Gwyn whispered against his heart. "I could not bear it if anything should happen to you. I thought my heart would surely break in to pieces when I first found you lying upon that bed so near death. Do be careful. I know that war is a dangerous business, but..."

"I shall be extra cautious. There shall be no ambush this time and I am hoping that fear shall send our enemies fleeing before us. It would be better if the guards were watching...word would spread more quickly if they sounded alarm while we were yet a way off, so that others could rush to the So, walls to look for themselves."

"Do you still have your surcoat and armor?"

"Only the mail, but the others all have theirs. I can use one of their surcoats."

"Good. You and Drew should be dressed in armor, either full or half, however you looked when last you left Brecken. Wear the surcoats and use one of the others to create a banner to hold high. Held aloft, the sanguine field shall stand out against the mist and shall be seen first. It will be easy to recognize and when Zeus is spotted with a rider bearing the king's colors..."

"My identity will be confirmed. Word will spread like fire through the Hall and to the countryside from there as every servant carries the word home. Word will reach King Axel's troops through his spies and his servants. Let them worry themselves ill in their anxiety over the stories. Let fear melt their bones like beeswax candles set to flame. Let the fear consume them!"

---

"Gwyndolyn, Child!" Lady Alexandi called as she entered the room.

She hurried as she crossed to Gwyn, arms outstretched, but was so very graceful in her way that it seemed to Gwyn that the lady floated.

"Lady Alexandi!" Gwyn reached for her hands but found herself swept into an embrace instead.

"I was so worried for you. When you left, we knew not how the battle at the pass would end. But word reached us here that Lord Erec was the first to fall and that he died of his wounds and was buried there."

"Did you also hear that his grave is now empty? A sennight after he was...someone dug...his body was taken."

It was not hard for Gwyn to summon tears. The very thought of such happening to her beloved was heartbreaking. The fact that the unknown grave-robbers thought they were indeed injuring Erec thusly stirred her anger more than her sadness. Thankfully, the Lady was quick to catch on and joined Gwyn in expressing sorrow at such sacrilege.

"If things were not so grave here at the Hall," His lordship began, "I would have sent men to hunt down the bastards and hasten their meeting with their maker."

"I am sorry to find that I have come at such a bad time."

"Nonsense, child." Baron Brecken smiled, "You are always welcome. Although with a warring army knocking at our back door, as it were..."

"My dear," the Lady said, setting a hand on his arm, "You must not frighten her. You will prevail. And you have made provisions for my escape should things take a turn. I shall simply take her and the children with me."

"You are right, as always, my love." The baron smiled at his wife and Gwyn wondered how such a man could be a traitor to the crown. She hoped they were misguided in their belief.

"Now," the lady said, "I think we should let Gwyn and the children get settled back into their rooms so that they may be rested. We shall have a feast this night to celebrate their return."