“I understand that you are refusing Norfolk’s offer.”
“That would be a fair assumption.”
Summerlin didn’t back away, not even when Atticus came to within a few yards of him. He simply stood there, facing the man who had earned a reputation as a cunning fighter and brilliant military commander. He was waiting for Atticus to rush him and he believed himself properly braced.
Not wanting to provoke anything, he stood as still as stone and bade du Reims to do the same as Atticus began to stalk a slow circle around him, studying him from in front and behind. Atticus wasn’t wearing a lick of protection. In fact, all the man had on was a heavy, woolen tunic, breeches and boots, and a very big broadsword in his left hand. Summerlin’s senses were heightened as Atticus got in behind him, studying him and inspecting him. But The Lion made no move against him; he was watching, waiting, and biding his time.
“What did you say to Thetford that upset him so?” Atticus asked from behind.
Summerlin turned his head slightly so he was speaking in Atticus’ general direction. “His wife is my sister,” he said. “I told him that she has returned to the home of our father.”
He heard Atticus snort faintly. “And you hoped that would sway Ren to Edward’s cause?”
“I had hoped nothing. I simply told him the truth.”
Atticus was still standing behind the knights in a move designed to unbalance them and make them very nervous. “I want you to listen to me and listen closely,” he said. “My knight by the gate has the crossbow trained on your companion, du Reims,” he said. “If you look upon the walls, there are several soldiers with crossbows trained on your men-at-arms. If they move, they will be killed. Is this clear so far?”
Summerlin glanced to the wall without moving his head. He could, indeed, see armored men with nasty-looking crossbows trained upon them. Cursing himself that he had allowed his party to walk into a trap, he was starting to feel some disgust.
“It is clear,” he said, knowing his men heard him. “Is this how you treat guests?”
“You delivered a violent ultimatum. Therefore, you are not a guest.”
“I could have brought the entire bloody army to your doorstep.”
“But you did not. Now, I will deliver an ultimatum of my own.”
“I am listening.”
“I am going to take you and your men hostage and exchange you with Norfolk for de la Londe and de Troiu.”
Summerlin did turn to look at him, then. “It will not do you any good,” he said. “The two knights you seek are not with Norfolk.”
“Where are they?”
Summerlin turned back around. He wasn’t going to tell him. It was information that would betray those two knights and, subsequently, Norfolk. Now, the true test of wills would begin.
Atticus didn’t think that Summerlin would willingly supply the information but he was fairly certain that the knight knew where de la Londe and de Troiu were. If he didn’t know, he more than likely would have said so; therefore, his silence was telltale. As he lifted Titus’ sword to poke Summerlin in the back with it, a silent threat and a hearty suggestion that he tell what he knew, du Reims caught the movement of the blade and panicked.
Seeing the flash of the sword from his periphery, du Reims moved to unsheathe his sword, thinking a battle was at hand. The problem was that he wasn’t fast enough to adequately gain his weapon. In cold armor and bogged down by the weight on his body, he simply couldn’t move fast enough.
Atticus, seeing that Summerlin’s companion was going for his weapon, shifted Titus’ sword quickly and went for an immediately disabling move; since du Reims had his back to him, Atticus went for the most crippling and most obvious part of the body. Using the razor-sharp tip of Titus’ sword, Atticus sliced through both of the man’s ankles, at the heels, severing both of the major tendons that controlled the feet and, consequently, the legs. It was one of the weakest parts of any suit of armor and also on the human body, hence the name Achilles’ heel. Tendons severed, du Reims fell like a stone.
But the fight was on. Summerlin, believing that du Reims saw danger that he didn’t, moved to unsheathe his own weapon. As Atticus disabled du Reims, Summerlin brought forth his weapon and moved swiftly away from Atticus, giving himself room to maneuver. The Norfolk men-at-arms, thinking the knights were under attack, began to move but they were subsequently cut down by the archers on the wall and by Kenton,who was still near the gate. In a hail of arrows, the four soldiers went down and their mounts fled. Now, all that was left of the Norfolk party was carnage and one able-bodied knight.
Atticus faced off against Summerlin, who had his broadsword out and was currently on the defensive. The big, blond knight was now in a fight for his life and his previously pleasant manner was gone. Now, there was a deadly gleam in his eye as he beheld his enemy.
“I did not believe you capable of attacking me from behind, de Wolfe,” he said, sword leveled in Atticus’ direction. “I thought you were a man of honor.”
Atticus, too, had his sword defensively postured. “I did not make the first move,” he said evenly. “Your knight did.”
“He would not have acted without cause.”
“Mayhap not, but in this case, I was not poised to strike.”
Summerlin couldn’t chance taking his eyes off of Atticus to look at du Reims, who was lying on the ground several feet away, grunting in pain. “What did you do to him?”
“He will not be able to walk for quite some time.”
