Page 5 of Silent Knight: Alexander

“My lord, he seems to know how to handle the weapon,” said the man’s squire.

“I see, but I don’t understand it,” said Dreyfis. He lunged at Alex a few more times and, each time, Alex rose to the challenge, blocking and keeping the man at bay. Alex’s leg hurt like hell from the fall, but he bit back the pain and continued to spar. Every job he and Crandell had as mercenaries during his life had made Alex that much stronger.

“Come and get me,” taunted Dreyfis, backing away, wanting Alex to attack. Of course, with his leg, he couldn’t chase him, and neither did he want to. What he needed to do was get on his horse. From atop his horse, Sir Dreyfis would be no match for him. He reached out to pull himself up into the saddle. When he did, Dreyfis rushed forward and kicked Alex’s bad leg out from under him. Alex grabbed for the saddle, accidentally dropping his sword in the process as he fell to the ground in the snow.

“Now let’s see how well you handle a weapon from the ground.” Dreyfis held the tip of the sword up to Alex’s throat.

“What is going on, here?” came the low voice of a man on horseback. He was followed by a woman riding her horse sidesaddle, and two younger women on horses of their own.

“Lord Mowbray,” said Dreyfis, lowering the sword and nodding his head. “I was just clearing the road of undesirables to make room for you and the ladies.”

Lord Mowbray frowned. “Sir Dreyfis, no one treats anyone with such disrespect while on my lands, no matter if they are a commoner or not. Certainly, as a knight, I would expect better from you.”

“What is your name?” asked the woman who accompanied Lord Mowbray, looking straight at Alex. Suddenly, he felt tongue-tied. He pushed up to his knees and then to his feet, embarrassed that all the women were watching him, seeing that he had a bad leg.

“Lady Mowbray asked a question. Answer her,” snapped Dreyfis.

Alex’s head snapped up at hearing Dreyfis call the woman Lady Mowbray. He drank in the sight of the mature but beautiful woman who looked like a goddess atop her horse. Her long, blond hair was pulled back and atop her head was a small hat. She wore a long, purple, velvet cloak that stretched out and covered the back of the horse. She looked to be mayhap twenty years his senior but did not show her age with wrinkles or gray hair. If she was Lady Mowbray . . . Alex realized he could be staring at his own mother. Now, he found it impossible to answer.

“Sir Dreyfis, I do not like your tone. And I warned you to hold your tongue while on my lands.” Lord Warren Mowbray sat majestically tall atop his steed. He was dressed in fine clothes that looked very expensive. Even his horse had elaborate tack trailing down the sides. “Now please, give the man back his sword and go to the castle and wait for me there.”

“He doesn’t need two swords. He can’t possibly use them both,” complained Dreyfis. “He probably stole them, because no commoner would have swords like these.”

“Don’t make me tell you again,” warned Warren.

Dreyfis snarled and threw the blade down on the ground at Alex’s feet and left with his squire following.

Alex collected both his swords and proceeded to wipe them down on his cloak and sheath them. All the while, he focused on his weapons, not having the nerve to look up at Lady Summer again.

“Is there something wrong with your leg?” asked the young, blond girl from atop her horse. She stretched her neck to peruse him.

“Claire, that is inappropriate for you to ask him that,” warned Lady Mowbray.

“Mother, I simply asked a question.”

“I’m sorry, I should be going.” Alex mounted his horse, keeping his eyes away from the traveling party.

“Why are you here and who are you?” This time, it was the other woman that spoke. She seemed much more mature than the blond girl, and not nearly as haughty. She looked to be a few years older than him. The woman wasn’t as adorned with jewels and elegant clothes like Claire. Somehow, this made Alex feel more comfortable.

“I was just passing through,” he said, not wanting to tell them more. He started thinking about the situation. If Claire called Lady Mowbray, Mother, then Claire could very well be his sister. He wondered if the other woman was a sister of his, too. Then again, he didn’t really believe Crandell’s story, so why was he even giving it any thought?

“Are you here for the Christmas festivities?” asked the woman.

“What festivities?” He looked up in question.

“Lady Charlotte, you have to be jesting,” said Claire. “He’s obviously not a knight or a nobleman, so he’s not invited.”

“Why not?” said Lady Mowbray.

“Summer, what are you saying?” asked her husband. Hearing him call her Summer hit Alex hard. Everything Crandell had told him swarmed in his head at once. It was too much to think about at a time like this. He needed to get out of here, now. He should never have come. What had he been thinking?

“I saw the way he handled a sword, and it is apparent he can fight as well as any titled man,” said Summer.

“Are you a knight?” asked Charlotte.

“Nay,” he said, looking down at his ring. “I’m not a knight.”

“Are you a noble?” Charlotte continued with her questions.