“Keep your elbows bent and close to your body,” Jacob instructed one of the village men the next morning. They practiced with the new weapons in the secret camp hidden in the woods just as the sun began to rise. “Nay, Lyle, not like that,” Jacob called over his shoulder. He walked over to help another man. “You need a firmer grip on the sword to make it more difficult for your opponent to knock it out of your hand. Like this.” He repositioned the man’s hands on the hilt.

“Ah, I see,” said Lyle. “Thank you, that is much better.”

The air was cool and crisp and every time they spoke their breath could be seen. Soon it would be winter and they would have to move deeper into the forest since, without the cover of the leaves on the trees, it would be hard to hide.

“Roger, face your hips toward your opponent and put one foot in front of the other so you have a good base, like this.” Jacob demonstrated.

“Aye, I understand, Sir Jacob. Thank ya,” said Roger, practicing his stance.

“It’s just Jacob now,” he reminded the man. “No need to use my title. How many times do I have to remind all of you of that?”

“We’ll always think of ya as a knight and nothin’ less,” said the man. “It is the way we’ll remember ya till the day ya die.”

“Well, hopefully I, nor any of you, will be dying anytime soon.”

Jacob hurried over to where Will was instructing a group of villagers how to use the battle axes they had just obtained.

“Will, can I talk with you?” asked Jacob in a low voice.

“Aye, my lord,” said Will, following Jacob over to a clump of bushes.

“We don’t have long before the day of the attack.”

“Aye,” said Will. “I think the villagers will be ready by then. Don’t you? They are doing well handling the new weapons.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what?” asked Will.

“Well, now that I know Lady Maira and her cousin are at Durham Castle, I don’t feel as confident about the attack.”

“What do you mean, my lord?”

“Dammit, Squire, stop calling me lord. It only hurts too much to hear the title when I am nothing now but a thief.”

“Sorry about that. So, what are you planning on doing about Lady Maira?”

“I don’t know. I am going to have to find a way to get her and her cousin out of there before the attack.” Jacob paced back and forth, feeling very perplexed about the whole thing.

“I have a feeling this has nothing to do with getting your dagger returned,” said Will.

“Nay. Not really. You see, ever since I kissed the girl, I have felt something for a woman that I haven’t felt since Lady Catherine.”

“I see.” Will raised a brow. “Could this be that you’re still mourning the death of your last lover and that is why you’re seeking a replacement?”

“Nay. Aye. Mayhap. I don’t know anymore.” Jacob ran a weary hand through his long hair. “All I know is that I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“Catherine?”

“Nay,” scowled Jacob. “Maira, you fool. She is like no other lady I have ever met. She seems to have a mind of her own and she is fearless. She can also handle a blade as well as a lot of men I know.”

“She sounds as if she’d be an asset to have in our army.”

“What did you say?” Jacob’s head snapped up.

“I just meant, even though she’s a woman, you said yourself that she knows how to handle a blade. But she is inside the castle walls and betrothed to your archenemy. So, I guess that is not an option.”

“On the contrary,” said Jacob, running a hand over his chin in thought. “She might be exactly what I need to get inside the castle. If luck is on my side, perhaps I can even get her to fight with us.”

“Against her betrothed?” asked Will.

“She doesn’t want to marry the man. I’m sure of it. This could be our lucky break.”

“But what are you going to do? You’d have to get inside the castle to talk to her.”

“Then that is what I’ll do. I’ll wear a disguise, looking like a peasant and hole up near the gates with the beggars. Then when I see her, I’ll come up with some excuse to get inside.”

“I don’t like this. It’s too risky.” Will frowned. “Why don’t you just forget the whole idea?”

“I’m not going to be able to attack if she is in there with her cousin. If anything happens to them, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“But you don’t even know her, my lord.”

“Well, I hope to change all that soon.”

Jacob looked down the road that led to the castle and wondered how the hell he was going to convince a woman who hated him to be on his side.

“Morag, hurry up,” said Maira, standing watch at the door of their chamber the next morning. “Branton has already taken our trunks to the stable. If we want to get out of here before the High Sheriff awakes, we have to move fast.”

Morag yawned and stretched, taking her time putting on her shoes. She wasn’t one to awake before the sun, and normally liked to sleep right through the first meal if she could.

“Maira, ye are daft if ye think the High Sheriff is goin’ to let us just ride right out the gate. He’s goin’ to stop us and then we’ll be punished again.”

“You don’t want to stay here, do you?”

“Of course no’, ye ken that.”

“Then less with the talking and more with the moving. The corridor is empty. Now is our chance.” She ran back and took Morag by the hand, pulling her to the door as Morag grabbed her cloak along the way. Then Maira dragged her along as they hurried down the corridor. “If we’re quiet, we can sneak past the great hall and out to the stables without anyone seeing us. Put up your hood.”

“Aye,” said Morag with a yawn, pulling her hood over her head. “What about ye, Maira? Ye should cover yer head, too.”

“I will.”

When Maira lifted her hood over her head, Morag made a face. “Where is yer crown, Maira?”

“Oh, no.” Maira’s hand flew to her head. “I forgot it in the room. Go to the stable and I’ll meet you there. Now hurry!”

Maira rushed back to the room to retrieve her crown that she had placed on the shelf the night before. “I’ll not be foolish enough to leave this for the greedy man.” After putting the crown on her head, she pulled up her hood and made her way back down the corridor.

Along the way, she had to stop several times and wait in the shadows as some of the High Sheriff’s men passed by. Finally, she made it to the courtyard. Rushing into the stable, she found Branton helping Morag up to the bench seat of the wagon. She headed in their direction and was about to call out when she saw the High Sheriff enter the stable.

“And where are you off to so early this morning?” he asked Morag and Branton.

Maira stopped in the shadows and watched, not sure what to do.

“We’re goin’ . . . out for a ride,” said Morag.

“Really?” Sir Gregory made his way to the back of the wagon and peered over the edge. “With your trunks? You were leaving Castle Durham, weren’t you?” he asked.

Maira flinched. The man had caught them and if she didn’t do something quickly, he was going to punish them again.

“Aye, they are leaving,” she said, stepping out to make her presence known.

“Lady Maira?” The man scowled at her. “You were going to leave Castle Durham, too, weren’t you? After all, we are betrothed and leaving here would break the alliance. That would be punishable with a spell in the dungeon for both you and your friends.”

Maira’s eyes met with Morag’s and then Branton’s. She couldn’t let her cousin and Branton be punished because of her actions once again. Nay, she would do whatever she had to in order to protect them. And right now, there was only one thing she could do or say that would allow Branton and Morag to leave unharmed and unpunished.

“Of course not, High Sheriff,” she said, forcing a smile. “I was here only to see them off. It seems my cousin has become lonely for her family and so Branton is going to take her home to the Highlands.”

“I am?” asked Branton, earning a dirty look from her, willing him to go along with her plan.

“The Highlands?” asked Morag.

Maira shot Morag a look as well that warned her to be quiet. “Dear cousin, it is a long journey home, and I suggest you get going before you end up riding in the dark. That wouldn’t be safe.”

When the High Sheriff looked the other way, she motioned with her head, and mouthed the words that she would follow later.

“Well, make it a fast goodbye,” said Sir Gregory. “I want you at my side for the morning meal. I’m sure you must be hungry since you had no supper last night.”

“Famished,” said Maira with another smile and a nod. “I’ll be right there as soon as I see my cousin to the gate.”

“And take off that damn sword,” commanded the High Sheriff as he turned and headed to the great hall.

“Maira, get in the wagon, quickly so we can leave,” whispered Morag.

“Aye. I can drive this thing fast enough to get far away before they notice you are gone,” added Branton.

“Nay, I can’t leave now.” Maira looked back toward Sir Gregory and then leaned over and whispered to them. “Go as fast as you can back to Rothbury. Then send a missive to my father right away telling him I am a prisoner here and how awful the High Sheriff really is. If he hears it from you two, he might believe it.”

“We’re not going anywhere without you, Lady Maira,” objected Branton.

“Aye,” agreed Morag. “Besides, we have all yer clothes packed on the wagon.”

“I don’t need them. I won’t be here that long. I’m going to try to escape to the woods the first chance I get. I should follow you by only a day or two.”

“All right,” said Branton, directing the horse from the stable. “If you’re sure you don’t need me to stay and protect you.”

Maira rolled her eyes and drew her sword from her back. “I have all the protection I need right here. Not that you were ever able to protect me, Branton. But I want you to protect Morag now. Promise me that.”

“I’ll protect Lady Morag with my life,” Branton told her almost a little too enthusiastically. It worried her, but she had no choice. She had to send them away before it was too late.

“Good. Now, I’ll walk you to the gate and then ride as fast as you can out of here before the High Sheriff changes his mind and wants you to stay. Whatever you do, don’t stop and don’t turn back.”

Maira sheathed her sword and walked with the wagon, stopping at the front gate as Branton and Morag left her there alone. Morag turned back with tears in her eyes, making Maira want to run and jump in the cart to go with them. But she couldn’t. It would only endanger Morag and Branton and she wouldn’t have that again.

She watched out the gate, looking past the many beggars standing around the entrance who were crying out for food or coin. Then she reached into her pouch and pulled out a coin and handed it to one of the children. All of a sudden, the crowd of beggars all crowded around her, tugging on her gown and holding out their hands.

“Give me a copper, too,” shouted an old woman with rotten teeth.

“We want food,” said a man, digging his nails into her arm.

“Help us,” shouted someone else as they came at her like a swarm of angry bees.

She stepped back and stumbled, falling on the ground. With her sword on her back and with all the daggers attached to her waist belt it became impossible to get up with the crowd hovering over her.

“Get back,” shouted one of the beggars, pushing the others away. The man stood between her and the others with his arms outstretched, keeping them at bay. When the crowd subsided, he turned around and held out his hand to her. “Allow me to help you to your feet, Lady Maira.”

“Thank you,” she said, taking his strong hand, wondering how the man knew her name since she had just arrived in Durham and didn’t even know anyone yet. Then she noticed the leather wrist guards he wore, realizing he was not a beggar at all. She yanked the jeweled dagger from her waist belt and held out the tip to his chest.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“I’m an old acquaintance of yours, and I want my dagger returned.”

“Jacob?” she said in a half-whisper. Her heart sped up a beat as he raised his chin to show her his face. “What are you doing disguised as a beggar?”

“I need to talk to you, Lady Maira.”

“Lady Maira,” called out a guard, hurrying over to her. “Is this man giving you trouble?”

“Meet me in the forest later, but don’t let anyone follow you,” he whispered, keeping his eye on the approaching guard.

“What? Nay! Why would I do that?”

“Go west until you see the fork in the road. Then veer off to the left, and head for the thicket and the tallest rowan tree you see.”

“Rowan tree?” she asked, thinking of her father since Rowen was his name. She wished he were here to help her right now. If she did what Jacob told her, what was saying the man wouldn’t kill her and bury her body in the forest? But if she stayed at the castle, there was no telling the High Sheriff wouldn’t kill her when he went off on one of his next rampages.

“Lady Maira,” the guard said, approaching her.

“I’ll be waiting,” whispered Jacob, lowering his head and backing up into the crowd.

“I’m fine,” Maira told the guard, her eyes still fastened to Jacob as he disappeared. “They are just poor beggars and you can’t blame them for trying.” She looked down to the jeweled dagger in her hand, knowing Jacob had probably come to get it. But then, why hadn’t he taken it from her? She thought of how the High Sheriff had told her it was once Lady Catherine’s dagger. And hadn’t one of Jacob’s men called him lord?

Suddenly, her curiosity was piqued and she knew without a shadow of a doubt where she would be later today.