Annaleigh shook her head. “Nay,” she lied. “No one. We saw fighting near the river, but no bodies. Did the English carry their dead away, then?”
Robert Scott came to a halt, eyeing his petite younger sister. She was a stunning creature with big, green eyes and curly, red hair that tumbled to her knees in an unruly and glistening mass. She was also well-loved, which was why they’d summoned an army to punish those who had accosted her. It had been costly, but no one would complain. If that’s what they had to do to avenge their womenfolk against the English, they’d do it happily.
“The English dunna want their wounded tae fall victim tae the scavengers.” He lifted a hand up to shield the bright morning sun from his eyes. “I suppose ye can tend the wounded out here. There are enough tae go around.”
The men with Robbie started to wander away, picking through the dead, trying to figure out where to start with collecting the bodies, but Annaleigh reached out and grasped her brother’s arm before he could get away.
“Come with me,” she said. “Ye can help me. Are men coming with litters tae carry off the wounded?”
Robbie nodded, glancing to the north where the remains of their army was gathered. “They’ll come,” he said. Then, he sighed heavily as he looked around. “The lads fought valiantly. I was proud tae be at their side.”
Annaleigh looked around, too. All she saw was carnage that she had caused. “So many… lads dead or dying,” she murmured, blinking away the tears. “Oh, Robbie, why did ye have tae do it? I dinna want this, all of these lads dying because of what happened. Their deaths are on me.”
Robbie’s jaw ticked faintly, trying to remain stoic while his sister wept. “Their deaths are on the English, not ye,” he said steadily. “We canna allow what they did tae go unpunished.”
“And all of these dead men are worth the price?”
“I’d kill a thousand Sassenach myself tae keep ye safe,” he said with deadly conviction. But he looked at his sister and saw that the entire situation had upset her sensitive soul deeply. She was such a caring creature. He grasped her wrist and gave her a tug. “Come on,cearc. Let’s find those proud lads in need.”
Cearc. It meant “chicken” in Gaelic, something he’d called her since they were children. Robbie was a good older brother, a little reckless at times, but loyal to the bone. He also hated the English with a passion so it was a good thing they were heading away from the thicket. If he discovered his sweet little sister had lied to him, things would not go well for her.
Annaleigh knew that very well.
As the morning deepened, she followed her brother into the fields of the dead and dying Scots, leaving a dying English knight somewhere back in the trees. Even though Annaleigh was focused on helping her own people, still, her mind was lingering back with the big, bloodied Sassenach. There was nothing more she could do for him other than make sure her kin didn’t find him still alive.
At least let the man die in peace.
Truly, she hoped it would be enough.
CHAPTER ONE
Eight months later
Thropton Castle, Northumberland
Thirty miles southwest of Bamburgh
“Have you seenhim?”
“Who?”
“Herringthorpe.”
William de Wolfe’s brow narrowed in puzzlement. His best friend and leader of an allied army, Paris de Norville, was asking him the question rather breathlessly. Given that they were in the middle of a battle, the exhaustion and excitement was understandable.
But this was different.
Paris had an odd look to his eyes.
“You mean the Angel of Death?” William asked.
“Aye.”
“I’ve seen him in battle,” William said, keeping an eye on the action around them. “I saw him cut down three men not fifteen minutes ago, men that were seasoned and skilled. Why do you ask? You know I’ve not seen him before today. This is the firstbattle we’ve supported Bamburgh in since Herringthorpe took command.”
Paris merely nodded, a pensive and pregnant pause. There was much more he had to say on the subject but bit his tongue. For the moment, anyway. Clad in expensive and well-used protection, he commanded the armies from the House of de Longley, the Earls of Teviot. The red, black, and gold standards were distinctive in the north, announcing the mighty bastion of Northwood Castle. Being one of the biggest castles in the north with thousands of men on active duty, Northwood Castle was a force to be reckoned with.
But, then again, so was de Wolfe.
