The Mercenary Knight (2 page)

Wybert handed him some warm broth and glanced at the girl. Conrad glared at him. Had he seen her naked too? No one had any rights to see the maiden naked again. She should be the one to decide who got to see her bare flesh. He burned the roof of his mouth as he hastily swallowed some food. Conrad glanced at the woman accusingly. There had been other women in their company in the past, prostitutes most of them. Some they had shared, some they hadn’t, but Conrad had never felt possessive of any of them. Who was this seductress that made him so jealous? Furious, at his own reaction to the girl, he took another spoonful and almost dropped the bowl.

“Damn,” he growled.

The men turned to him with questioning faces, but Conrad chose to ignore them. He pretended to concentrate on his food, but out of the corner of his eye, he watched. They ate in companionable silence, but every once in a while he caught them glancing at the sleeping woman. Conrad wondered what dirty thoughts crossed their minds, and vowed that no one would see her unclothed during the remainder of the night. The men began to move around camp as they finished their meal. He set his own dish aside but didn’t undo his bedroll.

“I’ll take the first watch.”

The men nodded in acquiescence and quickly settled to sleep. Conrad studied the woman one last time. She was too much of a distraction. Tomorrow, they’d drop her off at Wilton and he’d be done with all this nonsense of jealousy and temptation. Determined, he turned his back and stared at the forest gloom, all senses alert for any sign of trouble.

Chapter
Two

Tanya shifted underneath the soft material and covered her eyes with an arm, trying to block the oncoming daylight. Upon tentatively stretching her legs, Tanya realized something was wrong: her skirt was gone. She tried to stand, but fell back, biting back a groan as the sudden movement caused her head to throb. Gingerly, Tanya began to explore her body. She was dressed in her chemise and some wool hose. Her knees ached, and she guessed she must have fallen at some point. Her right arm was intact, but the top of her left arm hurt. She touched her face. Her nose hurt like it had been slammed against a wooden board. Finally, she reached up and touched the back of her head, grimacing at the large lump there. Tanya heard noises and slowly turned around. Four men labored around her, lifting camp. The memory of the day before rushed to embrace her.

Tanya stood on the hill overlooking the village. Spring had barely begun: the grass was parched after the winter snows, and the trees were still partially bare. The sun was rising in the east, its soft rays chasing away the shadows and slowly bathing the village below in light. She closed her eyes. At this hour, Joseph would be setting the bread to bake, the sweet aroma filling the whole tavern. She and Matty would clean and prepare the common room for the morning guests, while Baldric would be running around making sure nothing was amiss. She shook her head, dejected. She would probably never see any of those people again. The morning chill coupled with her grief caused her to shiver and she wrapped her arms tight around herself, searching for comfort. A ray of sunlight fell across her face and she opened her eyes. "It will be for the better, but damn you, Reynard." Taking a deep breath she turned around to smile at Hermes, the wool merchant. He waited patiently atop his coach for her to mount. With a farewell nod to the village of her birth, she clambered onto the back of the wagon. Vane and Brennard rode behind them, watching for trouble. Anyone who looked at them would think twice before attacking. A horrid scar from his temple to his lip disfigured Vane's face, and Brennard had a bumpy nose from all the times it had been broken. However, she knew they were kind men, always
leaving her a generous tip when they passed by Lester.

The slow pace of the cart and its unsteady swaying reminded Tanya of the way her mother rocked her when she was a small child. It had been several years since her mother's death, but the pain hadn't eased. Perhaps, if she hadn’t gone out that night... Tanya snapped out of her reverie as the wagon stopped with a jolt and caused her to lurch forward, hurting her arm.

She heard raised voices. Vane indicated with a finger to his lips that Tanya should be silent. Brennard was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, the horse whinnied and reared. She jumped from the cart. Her heart went to her throat as she recognized the sound of swords clashing in battle. Someone shouted something and she fell to the ground. Darkness overcame her.

Tanya swallowed back tears. If she was here, that meant that Hermes and the rest were dead. Bile rose to the back of her throat and she slapped a hand to her mouth, vaguely recalling having spilled the contents of her stomach the night before. Inhaling a deep breath, she tried to calm her unsteady nerves. Tanya observed the men around her. Had they killed the merchant? Was she their prisoner? They hadn’t bound her but her skirt and bodice were missing. Had they abused her? She patted her breasts and slid her hands down to the apex between her thighs. She didn’t feel abused. Even so, she had to get out of there. Tanya threw back the blankets and tried to sit up. She closed her eyes as a wave of nausea passed through her. When she opened them again, a giant man, dark as ebony, grinned down at her. "Ah, you're awake. Do not fear, little one, we mean you no harm. My name is Wybert. That there with the horses is Gregorii, and those two are Johann and Conrad," he said, pointing to each of them in turn. "What is your name?" Tanya stared at the man. His voice was deep, with a slight accent which she had a bit of trouble understanding through her daze. She shook her head slightly.

Wybert smiled. "Do you think you can sit?"  "I've tried, but--" "The world dances before your eyes," he said with a low rumbling chuckle. Tanya nodded. "Let me help you." Wybert placed his hand at the small of her back and gently pushed her upright. "Easy now, take a deep breath…" The clearing became a blurry mess and she shut her eyes tight, waiting for the feeling to pass. When she opened them again, all four men stood before her.

“Here.”

The large man offered a water skin. With trembling fingers, Tanya took it and drank deep. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until he had offered the drink. The cool liquid slid down her throat, helping her head clear. She drank some more while glancing at the men out of the corner of her eye.

Even though he stooped over her, Wybert was incredibly tall. Tanya couldn’t tell for sure from her position, but guessed that he was probably the largest of the men. He wore tight leather breeches that hugged his muscled legs and a brown vest over a green chemise that barely held his buff arms in check. Hanging at his side was an equally powerful weapon, a cutlass. His hair was short and curly, closely hugging his scalp. His nose was a bit flat and had a slight bump towards the middle, probably from previous battles. He was clean-shaven.

Tanya’s gaze landed on his lips. They were full and defined, the lower lip protruding slightly. The sort of lips Matty, her work mate, would have described as ‘kissable’. The man who had tended the horses earlier, whom Wybert had called Gregorii, stood next to them as well. His large brown eyes regarded her kindly. He had beautiful brown hair in a neat ponytail almost to his waist, high cheekbones and a finely chiseled nose. His lips were a bit thin, but pleasant to look at. He wore a simple brown tunic and trousers with knee-high boots. Tanya wondered at his precedence, for he wore leather armbands with an intricate design, of which she had never seen the kind.

Suddenly aware that she had been staring, Tanya passed the water skin back.

"Drink all you want, little one. We can refill," Wybert said. With a smile of gratitude, Tanya took another swig. Where the other men were broad, the one called Johann was slender with thick blonde eyebrows, and vivid blue eyes. His blond hair was streaked with brown highlights and cropped short. He wore a goatee, which he caressed as he watched her intently. Tanya quickly lowered her gaze. He was dressed much like the other men, but his weapon of choice was of a lighter build: a sword that required speed and skill more than brute force.

Finally, she chanced a glance at the last man. He was by far the best looking of the four. Almost as tall as Wybert, his thick, sinewy hard muscles were visible under his tunic and leather breeches. At his side, he carried a broadsword and she had no doubt that he knew how to wield its girth. Unbidden, her gaze wandered to his crotch and she swallowed at the hefty bulge. Tanya quickly averted her eyes and peered at his face. He was clean-shaven, with a solid jaw and proportionate nose. The man’s gaze met hers and she barely stopped herself from dropping the skin.

“Are you all right, lady?” Gregorii asked, taking the empty bottle. Tanya hesitated. The men seemed pleasant enough, but she wasn’t sure if they could be trusted.

“I’m just a little confused.” She smiled tentatively. "You have no need to fear us. As Wybert told you, we mean you no harm," Conrad said. Tanya nodded. His voice was deep, with a rough quality to it that caused goose bumps on her arms.  "Indeed, we saved you," the blonde spoke up with a roguish smile.  "I am in your debt, then." Tanya bowed her head.  "Not at all, we did what any honorable men would do."  "Are you knights, then?" The men burst out laughing, clearly amused at her notion that they could be knights.

"No, but a man doesn't need to be a knight to have honor," Conrad said as the laughter died down. "Indeed," Tanya said.
Nor does a man need honor to be a knight
, she added to herself.

“A woman with a natural distrust of men. How rare,” Conrad chuckled. “Very well.” Quickly, without adornment, he filled her in on what had occurred the previous night. “Will you now tell us your tale?”

“I was traveling with Hermes, the wool merchant, to Wilton when some men attacked. I don’t remember much. I was sitting at the back of the cart and a few minutes after I jumped off someone hit me on the head and all went black.” She shrugged. “Next thing I know, I’m here, sleeping in men’s hose in the middle of a clearing with you gentlemen.”

Grigorii nodded. “Our guess is that the man we found tried to protect you by knocking you unconscious and hiding you in the bushes.”

“I apologize for removing your garments, my lady,” Johann said with a slight bow. “But it was necessary. You had soiled them badly.”

Tanya smiled in earnest. “I thank you, my lord, but there is no need to call me a lady, for I am not one.” As soon as the words had spilled from her lips, Tanya knew she shouldn’t have mentioned it. She cursed herself. What had prompted her to tell these four men that she was no lady, no virginal maiden?

"What was your occupation before?" Johann asked. The tone of his voice and the way he was eyeing her left no doubt as to what he was asking. She surveyed the men around her. To one they all seemed to be holding their breath, waiting to hear whether she was a whore or not. "I was a serving maid at Lester's inn," she replied with pride. The men looked slightly disappointed, but they were quick in recovering. "A worthy profession, like many others.” Gregorii offered her his hand. “Perhaps my lady feels ready to stand?” He extended an arm.

Tanya smiled at him and took the proffered limb. Wybert put a helping hand to her back as she stood. She held on to Gregorii as a wave of dizziness overtook her.

“Are you well?” Conrad asked her, concern showing in his green eyes. Tanya nodded, unable to speak at the intensity in his gaze.

“I will fetch your clothes.” In quick strides, he left her. Tanya bit her lower lip, unsure of what had just passed. Fortunately, her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly and her cheeks warmed in embarrassment.

“How thoughtless of us,” Johann said. He hurried to the horses, while Gregorii tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and walked her toward them. When she arrived, Johann handed her some bread and dried beef. Without hesitation she took the food.

“Thank you, Johann,” she said between mouthfuls. The men watched her eat and she shuffled her feet, uncomfortable under their relentless gaze. Tanya had not been unpopular at the inn, but she had never had so many men fawn over her at the same time.

“Where are you gentlemen headed?” she asked them, unnerved at the silence.

Johann was the first to answer. “To Wilton. We will look for some odd job or another, perhaps guarding a caravan or something of the sort.”

“But before, we’ll stay one or two nights at the town. We miss a hot meal and a warm bed.”

“Not to mention the warmth of a willing woman,” Wybert said with a barking laugh.

Johann and Gregorii glared at him. Amused at their discomfort, Tanya laughed gaily. She wondered when had been the last time they’d taken a woman to their bed.

“Don’t mind me; men have their needs, as do women.”

"The camp does not pick up itself," Conrad growled, openly glaring at the men. In his hands he held Tanya's skirt and bodice. With audible groans and silent curses, the other men scattered to do his bidding.

"Here are your clothes." Conrad thrust the material into her hands and turned his back on her so she could change. Tanya knew she had no right to feel that way, but she was irritated at his offhand behavior.

“I wonder if you have some soap I can borrow. I would like to wash myself before redressing.” Conrad studied her without a word or a flicker of emotion.

"Come with me." He led her to another of the horses, a beautiful grey mare that nuzzled his shoulder when he approached. Conrad patted the animal and scratched it behind the ears, whispering sweet nothings as he searched in one of the leather pouches hanging from the beast. Tanya lowered her head trying to hide the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. She found it endearing that the large man, with such a powerful presence, treated his horse with such tenderness.