Uncle Bruce emerged from the house, a stalwart man, wearing a cotton brown tunic and breeches. His wheat hat waved in the breeze and he had to hold it on as he gazed down the road. He straightened and shouted, “Inside!” He raced back toward the cruck.
Justina dropped the basket and ran toward the house. Hungars. Chills peppered the nape of her neck as she raced toward the cruck. Could it be the Hungars raiding their farm? She met Adam halfway to the house and they exchanged concerned glances while running. Uncle Bruce raced toward them until he caught up. He took up a protective pace behind them, urging them forward with quick waves of his hands.
A large group of horses emerged on the road, thundering toward them. The lead one held a banner and on it was a white dove. The heraldry for Acquitaine.
They slowed their run and when they realized there was no threat they turned in unison toward the group of mounted men. As the men closed the distance, Justina saw they wore tunics with the Acquitaine heraldry on them. Soldiers.
Uncle Bruce stepped before Justina and Adam to greet the men.
As they reined up before them, Justina’s eyebrows rose in shock as she recognized the leader. The captain of the guard. What was his name? Gawyn.
He was an imposing figure atop the horse. Black boots were in the stirrups. He wore a chest plate of armor, but no other armor. His thick, shoulder-length brown hair waved in the breeze. He grinned at her, his brown eyes twinkling, before turning his resolute gaze to Uncle Bruce.
A strange quickening fluttered deep in Justina’s chest in response to his perfect smile.
“We’ve received word that the Hungars have been raiding farms along the Acquitaine border.” He glanced at Justina and then back at Bruce. “Has your farm been attacked?”
“No, Sir,” Bruce stuttered. “But the farm east of us has had problems.”
Gawyn signaled a man with a wave of his hand. The man rode up to him. Gawyn looked at Bruce. “The farmer’s name?”
“Montague,” Bruce answered.
“Take half the men and secure the Montague farm.”
“Aye, Captain.” The man signaled some men and they rode off down the road.
Gawyn swung his leg over the horse and dismounted. He stopped before Justina and nodded to her. “Good to see you again, Justina.”
Shocked, Justina’s mouth dropped open, too stunned to reply. How did he know her name?
He smiled at her. “Lady Aurora and Lord Damien send their regards.” He leaned in close to her. “Sometimes it’s worth it to take the two-day trip into the city.”
Justina watched, startled, as he moved passed her to her uncle. He had listened to her!
“A word about your borders and your livestock,” Gawyn said. Uncle Bruce nodded and led the way into the cruck, but not before he locked gazes with Justina. There was relief and happiness in his eyes.
For a long moment, Justina stood in shock. The captain of the guard, Gawyn, had brought soldiers to defend them. He had listened to what she said the night before! Warmth blossomed in her chest. She wasn’t exactly sure what to make of him, whether to thank him or be distrustful of him.
Adam tugged on her arm. “Did you see his sword?”
She had seen his sword. But that wasn’t what was intriguing her. It was his eyes, the merry way they gleamed at her. There was just something about him. She nodded. “I saw it.”
Gawyn emerged from the cruck, Bruce following. Bruce was a hard-working farmer who was trying to look out for his family, his animals, and his crops. He had given his word to report back to the city. But Gawyn had other plans. He would not leave the farm unprotected. Not with the Hungars so close.
Gawyn’s gaze swept the lands. An ox ate grass not far from the cruck, pigs roamed nearby, and the quacking of geese sounded in the distance. Healthy fields encircled the cruck. Most of them had been harvested. There were still peas left. His gaze halted on the field of peas where he noticed Justina working at harvesting them. She was bent over in a simple cotton dress; her dark hair fell toward the ground like a waterfall. She paused to brush a strand from her cheek before she continued. No one would ever know she was a force to be reckoned with. He wondered if Bruce knew.
Gawyn had been given specific orders to get her back to the city and to find out how she knew Damien. A mission he intended to accomplish. Shouldn’t be hard. He moved toward her when a little whirlwind of a child stepped before him. The boy’s blonde hair was unkempt with a leaf sticking out of it near his ear. Gawyn swore he saw the rest of the branch buried in his wild head of hair.
“Is it true?” the boy asked. “Are you the captain of the guard?”
“Aye,” Gawyn answered.
The boy circled him, inspecting every aspect of person. “That’s a big sword. Is your chest plate heavy?” Gawyn opened his mouth to answer, but the boy stepped before him again, looking up at him with wonder-filled eyes. “I would have liked to eat at the castle, but Justina said we couldn’t make the trip.”
“Your sister works hard.”
The boy nodded. “So does Uncle Bruce. We all work from dawn til sunset. My favorite part is tending the ox. He’s so big. Do you think he’s bigger than your horse?”
