Page 131 of The Champion

“It’s not just Rowena,” Stryder said. “There are many matters at stake.”

“Like whether or not we continue.” Raven took a seat at Stryder’s desk. “You know, Swan, we don’t need Stryder to lead us every step of the way.”

Swan’s nostrils flared. “Bite your tongue, rat. You know not what you speak.”

“Nay, let the lad have his say,” Val said. “It’s not fair for us to ask Stryder to give any more of his life to our cause. Any more than it would have been to stop Simon from marrying Kenna.”

“But we need a leader,” Swan insisted.

“I’m not dying.” Stryder grimaced at their fatal tones. “I will still be here. I’ll just be spending more time in England.”

“Guarding your family?” Swan’s voice was laden with venom. “I thought we were your family.”

Val grabbed him by his tunic. “Don’t you dare try and place guilt on his shoulders like that. We are family. All of us. And part of being a family is giving support to our brother when he finds something he needs.”

Swan broke his hold. “We need Stryder.”

“Stryder needs Rowena,” Raven said quietly from the desk. “You’ve seen the way he watches her. And he has a son to raise. Personally, I would like to see Alexander safely ensconced in a home rather than traveling about with us.” Raven looked at Stryder. “All of you know I never knew my parents. My mother died at my birth, my father before I was sent to foster.” His gaze went to Swan. “You may not care for your blood relatives, but you know who they are and you can go visit them any time you wish it. You’ve no idea what it’s like to wonder what a father’s love would be like or a mother’s touch. I swore my service to the Brotherhood so that children, such as I, would have those things I lacked.”

Raven stood up and held his arm out to Stryder. “Either here or abroad, I will serve you wherever we go. But for Alexander’s sake, I hope you choose to stay here and be his father.”

Val nodded. “We can tourney on our own and still pose as a relay between Outremer and England.”

Will curled his lip and made a noise of disagreement, but finally he joined them. “Love, bah. I never thought you’d buy into such foolishness, but I hope that damned fool emotion serves you better than it has ever served me.”

They all looked to Swan who hadn’t budged. “I stand by my words. I will not throw my lot in with the likes of you to see our cause fail.”

“I don’t need your permission,” Stryder said. “I only wanted all of you to know this from my lips.”

“And so we know it,” Swan left the tent.

“He’ll come around,” Will said. “Or I shall thrash him until he does.”

Stryder snorted at that.

Rowena opened the flap. His three men were instantly awkward as they quickly took their leave.

“Did I interrupt something?” she asked as she brought her lute into his tent.

“Nay, we were finished.” He frowned as he glanced back at the opening, expecting to see Alexander trotting along behind her.

“Alexander is being watched by Bridget and Fatima in my rooms.”

Stryder nodded. “Good. I wanted a few minutes alone with you. I’ve been thinking–“

”What is this?” she asked, breaking him off as she moved to his desk.

He frowned as he saw her pick up the list of matches for the tournament that Will had been reading to him earlier that evening. “‘Tis nothing. Just our opponent listings.”

Her face went flush as she flipped through the stack of papers. “My word...how many men are on here?”

“One hundred and fifty.”

“One hundred and fifty?” she repeated in disbelief. “This says there will be three straight days of jousting.”

“Aye, there were so many entrants this year that Henry decided to lengthen the time accorded for the jousting.”

She looked at him incredulously. “Why are they all here?”