Page 70 of Picking Up the Gauntlet

“Yer father will have both yer heads.”

“Nay. I’ll take care of that, don’t worry. I will smooth things over with my father once I’ve won the competition.”

“How are ye plannin’ on winnin’? Ye will be goin’ up against strong men. Accomplished knights. Soldiers. Plus, ye’ll have to joust.”

“I thought about that, and figured out the answer. I only need to win both the archery and sword-fighting rounds. If I do, it won’t matter about the joust because it will never have to happen. The way my father set up the tournament, the two winners of these first events are the only ones to move on to the joust. So, if I win both of them, the tournament is over and I am proclaimed the winner.”

“I’m afraid ye’ll be hurt. I canna let ye do this.”

“You can and you will. You know as well as I how important it is to marry the right man.”

“I’m scared for ye, Raven.”

“Don’t be. I’ll be fine.” She spotted Jonathon hurrying toward them from the smithy. “Damn it, Jonathon’s here. He’s going to make me stop. I don’t have much time to practice.”

“Ye need to tell Jonathon the truth. Be honest with him,” said Lark, trying to change her mind.

“Nay, I can’t. If I tell him, I’m sure he’ll inform my father and it’ll be over before I even have a chance to try. Now, stay silent. I mean it.”

“Lady Raven, what are you doing?” Jonathon hurried to her side. Some of the competitors started to stare.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m practicing archery,” she answered.

“Whatever for?” He seemed nervous and kept glancing over his shoulder at the knights and nobles who were starting to wander over.

“I was bored. Plus, you know I like to practice with my weapons.”

“Not now. Not here.” He reached for the bow. “Come, let’s go to the great hall.”

“Nay!” she said. “Not until I am finished.”

“You are finished,” he said. “I am supposed to be guarding you. Now stop this.”

“Guarding me from what?” she asked, pulling back the bowstring and letting the arrow fly. It landed dead center of the target.

Jonathon’s eyes opened wide when he saw it. “That was... that was good,” he told her, sounding impressed.

“I know,” she said with a smile. “I have bested every man at the castle, including my own father, when it comes to archery.”

“Well, that’s nice, but you need to stop it now.” He reached for her bow once more but she moved it away from him. “How are you at archery, Jonathon?” she asked him curiously.

“Me?” He lowered his hand. “I-I’m all right at it, I guess. I mean, I’ve been hunting since I was a lad, so the bow is no stranger to me.”

“Compete with me,” she said, urging him to do it.

“What? Nay. I can’t. I’m a just a commoner, Raven,” he reminded her under his breath. “I don’t belong here and we both know it.”

“I saw you jousting with my brother,” she said, letting another arrow fly. Once again, she hit the center of the target. The competitors hanging around noticed and moved in closer to watch her. “Compete with me as well,” she told him.

Jonathon’s heart raced. The competitors who were here for the tournament and to try to win Lady Raven’s hand in marriage were noticing Raven’s skills and moving in closer. He needed to stop her. He was hired to keep her out of trouble, and to act like a lady, not a man. If word of this got back to Lord Corbett, he wouldn’t be happy.

“All right,” he told her in a low voice. “I’ll compete with you, but only if you promise to stop this nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense. Now pick up that bow and arrows,” she said, nodding to the equipment right behind him.

Jonathon hadn’t used a longbow before. Only the bow and arrows he had for hunting. Still, it couldn’t be that hard, could it? “If I can beat you, two out of three shots, then you’ll agree to put down the bow and stop this,” Jonathon told her, not asking.

“Done,” she said, raising a corner of her mouth, looking and sounding so cocky. “And if not, we continue until you can. Even if we’re here all day.”