Page 111 of The Champion

“I warned him I wanted silence. You two go and don’t worry about us.”

Feeling a little less sure about leaving his men to their own ends, Stryder led her from the tent.

Rowena let out a tired sigh as they walked back toward the castle. “What a long fun event filled day this has been.”

“Aye, it has.”

She pulled him to a stop and ran her fingers over the scar on his hand that the Saracens had burned into his flesh. “Why won’t they just let all of you go?”

“Because we’re still fighting them.”

“And if you stopped?”

“Believe me, Rowena, I would give anything to lay aside my sword. But how can I when I know there are more boys down there like Kit? More women like Elizabeth? Would you have me abandon them? To just turn my back on them and say, who cares?”

“Nay, I would not.”

“Then what would you have me do?”

“I would have you find this Scorpion and expose him. He alone knows the identities of the assassins. Find him and we stop this.”

“And just how do you propose we do that?”

“I’m not sure, but I think I may know of a way.”

Fifteen

Rowena was numb for the entire next week as Elizabeth was buried, and the crowd tried to put aside the tragedies that had plagued the event thus far. It was as if a pall hung over everything and everyone, and what was normally a festive occasion more times than not was only half-hearted.

The days of the tournament progressed slowly as knights and squires practiced for the oncoming events.

But all the while, Rowena missed her friend.

Stryder and his men were more concerned than ever for her safety. So much so that Stryder even forwent his plans to stay away from her while they looked into the truth of what had happened to Elizabeth.

Her only solace came in meeting with Stryder to teach him a song while he continually fought against learning one.

It had become quite a habitual routine. After supper, Rowena would travel with him to his tent where he would grimace and complain for a full half an hour, or more, before he would sit and let her teach him some notes and words.

Neither of which he ever tried to duplicate well.

Then, he would finish the lesson off with a kiss and Swan would find some way to interrupt them so that Stryder would be forced to take her back to the castle.

It was enough to make her want to take her lute to Swan’s bottom. But he meant well and, for that, she tolerated his interference.

During the daytime while Stryder practiced his sword play and jousting, Rowena tailed Damien everywhere he went, trying to catch him in the midst of some dubious behavior that would show him for who and what he was.

Elizabeth’s killer.

In fact, she had spied him only a few moments ago heading toward the king’s counsel room where Henry had been holding court all morning.

Why would Damien be interested in venturing there while the king was gone, unless he was looking for information about the king that he could hand over to Henry’s enemies?

She was sure he was up to something evil. Insidious. Just like she had been when she followed him into the woods two days ago.

Of course then, the dubious event had been him meeting with a farmer to buy fresh berries, but...

He was guilty and she would prove it.