sliced forward, nicking the second thief’s arm, and the man howled in pain.
“Go get the silver,” the first robber whined to his wounded companion. “We’ll hold him off.”
“Nae!” Rose shouted. She astonished them all, for none had noted her presence till now. Without considering the consequences and before they could gather their wits, she tore off for the tree where the silver was cached.
Behind her, Blade suddenly bellowed, “Nae! To me!”
But the thieves were apparently more interested in the silver than his challenge. When she stole a glance over her shoulder, all three were lumbering after her.
She skidded on the leaves in front of the tree, and she was sure the robbers would simply push her out of the way, reach in, steal the treasure, and disappear.
She hadn’t counted on Blade’s speed. He roared up on their heels before they could grab anything, and his dagger whistled about their heads, taking the first thief’s hat and leaving a bloody gash alongside his ear.
The second thief, angered now, thrust his knife forward. Blade dodged out of its path just before it would’ve skewered him and dealt the man a bruising blow to the arm with his left fist.
Meanwhile, the giant retreated. Though ‘twas hard to see the bent of his dim-witted thoughts, he appeared to plan some mischief.
“Run!” Blade commanded, glancing at Rose.
But she set her mouth in a stubborn line and shook her head. She wasn’t some timorous maid to flee and hide. She intended to help him.
The first man recovered and seized the second man’s dagger.
“Come on! Come on!” the man snarled, whirling both daggers in his fists, egging Blade to strike so he could dodge in and inflict damage from two places at once.
The robber probably never expected to be struck in the back of the head by a flying rock. Rose beamed in triumph. She’d hit her target and successfully stopped his forward progress. Her victory, however, was short-lived. To her dismay, not only did it not knock the man senseless as she’d planned—it served to further enrage him. He wheeled toward her, bubbles of angry spit dotting the corner of his mouth.
“Ye’re next,” he sneered.
Rose was undaunted. Anything that broke the thief’s concentration had to be helpful to Blade. She searched the ground for another missile.
Blade fended off another attack, this time by both men at once, for the second had produced yet another short knife.
Rose glanced over to see the giant—his dim eyes narrowed, his tongue at the corner of his lip—poised to throw his dagger toward Blade.
“Nae!” she screamed, diving for the ogre.
Her shriek startled Blade enough to distract him, and in that moment, he earned a gash across his thigh from one of the thieves. But it also startled the giant enough to make him hesitate in his throw. She hurled herself at the muddy beast’s back, knocking him against a tree. Her pitiful weight couldn’t do much, but she hung tenaciously onto his immense neck while he thrashed like a hound trying to loose a kitten from its back. She clung to him for all she was worth, kicking at his legs and clawing at his face when she had the chance.
She should have known ‘twas hopeless. She might possess twice the dolt’s wits, but she was no match for his strength. And, unbeknownst to her, he still had the dagger.
With one powerful arm, he yanked her from his back and planted her between his two trunk-like legs. Then he hauled her back against his wide belly and set his dagger to her throat.
The steel edge felt cold and dangerous upon her neck. But the look Blade sent her when he saw what had happened was sharper and far more chilling, a glare that said she should have listened when he’d told her to run.
To her dismay, Blade, wincing with bitter regret, let out a great sigh, dropped his dagger to the ground, and raised his hands in surrender.
CHAPTER 6
Blade silently cursed his wretched shackles and his lack of a sword. If not for
“Go get the silver,” the first robber whined to his wounded companion. “We’ll hold him off.”
“Nae!” Rose shouted. She astonished them all, for none had noted her presence till now. Without considering the consequences and before they could gather their wits, she tore off for the tree where the silver was cached.
Behind her, Blade suddenly bellowed, “Nae! To me!”
But the thieves were apparently more interested in the silver than his challenge. When she stole a glance over her shoulder, all three were lumbering after her.
She skidded on the leaves in front of the tree, and she was sure the robbers would simply push her out of the way, reach in, steal the treasure, and disappear.
She hadn’t counted on Blade’s speed. He roared up on their heels before they could grab anything, and his dagger whistled about their heads, taking the first thief’s hat and leaving a bloody gash alongside his ear.
The second thief, angered now, thrust his knife forward. Blade dodged out of its path just before it would’ve skewered him and dealt the man a bruising blow to the arm with his left fist.
Meanwhile, the giant retreated. Though ‘twas hard to see the bent of his dim-witted thoughts, he appeared to plan some mischief.
“Run!” Blade commanded, glancing at Rose.
But she set her mouth in a stubborn line and shook her head. She wasn’t some timorous maid to flee and hide. She intended to help him.
The first man recovered and seized the second man’s dagger.
“Come on! Come on!” the man snarled, whirling both daggers in his fists, egging Blade to strike so he could dodge in and inflict damage from two places at once.
The robber probably never expected to be struck in the back of the head by a flying rock. Rose beamed in triumph. She’d hit her target and successfully stopped his forward progress. Her victory, however, was short-lived. To her dismay, not only did it not knock the man senseless as she’d planned—it served to further enrage him. He wheeled toward her, bubbles of angry spit dotting the corner of his mouth.
“Ye’re next,” he sneered.
Rose was undaunted. Anything that broke the thief’s concentration had to be helpful to Blade. She searched the ground for another missile.
Blade fended off another attack, this time by both men at once, for the second had produced yet another short knife.
Rose glanced over to see the giant—his dim eyes narrowed, his tongue at the corner of his lip—poised to throw his dagger toward Blade.
“Nae!” she screamed, diving for the ogre.
Her shriek startled Blade enough to distract him, and in that moment, he earned a gash across his thigh from one of the thieves. But it also startled the giant enough to make him hesitate in his throw. She hurled herself at the muddy beast’s back, knocking him against a tree. Her pitiful weight couldn’t do much, but she hung tenaciously onto his immense neck while he thrashed like a hound trying to loose a kitten from its back. She clung to him for all she was worth, kicking at his legs and clawing at his face when she had the chance.
She should have known ‘twas hopeless. She might possess twice the dolt’s wits, but she was no match for his strength. And, unbeknownst to her, he still had the dagger.
With one powerful arm, he yanked her from his back and planted her between his two trunk-like legs. Then he hauled her back against his wide belly and set his dagger to her throat.
The steel edge felt cold and dangerous upon her neck. But the look Blade sent her when he saw what had happened was sharper and far more chilling, a glare that said she should have listened when he’d told her to run.
To her dismay, Blade, wincing with bitter regret, let out a great sigh, dropped his dagger to the ground, and raised his hands in surrender.
CHAPTER 6
Blade silently cursed his wretched shackles and his lack of a sword. If not for
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