CHAPTER FIFTEEN

HARPER HALL

They draped the man back over his horse, commanding the gates to open as they drew near. Rayner sent one of the knights to bring his father, Lady Oharra, and the queen immediately. Magnus came rushing through the central square to where his son stood next to the dead man.

“What is this?” the king asked. Rayner handed his father the letter, giving his mother a sorrowful look. Elana looked at her son, confused until Magnus read the letter and, with the same look, gave it to his wife.

“What?” Elana commanded them.

“Your father,” Magnus said sadly. “The raiders have demanded that we give up Godstone, or they’ll take Harper Hall and slay all who live there.”

Elana’s face flashed through emotions within the space of mere seconds: first, fear, then worry, and then finally settling on anger. She balled her fists and ordered some knights to take the dead man down from his horse.

They scrambled at the queen’s command. Lady Oharra went to help, as it was her scout and friend who’d been slain.

“My love,” Magnus touched his wife’s shoulder, “what are you doing?”

“First, we need to bury this man and honor him. And then you will go retrieve my father and slaughter any man who tries to stop you.” A fire burned in her eyes, and Magnus nodded his head, promising he would go get her father.

A week after the feast, Magnus and Rayner crossed the southern border with their men and Lady Oharra’s. Harper Hall sat on the east coast, surrounded by grasslands and swamps. The snow wasn’t piled as high there, but it still covered the land as far as the eye could see. Lord Harald’s castle was small, and he’d managed to stay out of the war until now.

The walls rose high into the sky, forcing Magnus to crane his neck as they approached. A guard came trotting out to meet them, and they were led inside the walls, which opened to a massive training yard for the knights to practice. Snow-covered trees lined the road that led to Lord Harald’s castle at the center of Harper Hall.

Lord Harald was surprised to see King Magnus, and then disappointed to see that Elana hadn’t accompanied him. Lord Harald had short, gray hair and a matching beard that hugged his face. He was an older man but still looked sturdy and muscularasaknight. Heaskedabout Elanabeforeproperlygreeting Magnus, and only after he’d been assured that Elana was safe did the lord embrace his son-in-law.

He moved Magnus aside to hug his grandson, who now stood taller than the lord. Rayner greeted his grandfather warmly; it had been many years since Lord Harald had been to Godstone for a visit.

“Where’s my granddaughter?” Lord Harald asked.

Magnus told him of how he’d sent Ivy away and why.

Lord Harald looked disappointed to hear the news and sat back down in his chair. “So then, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

Magnus pulled out the letter and let Lord Harald read for himself what the raiders were demanding. When he was done reading, he crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it down.

“They can bloody well try,” Lord Harald scoffed.

Magnus closed his eyes and balled his fists. He’d been afraid the stubborn old man would refuse to leave.

“My lord,” he started, “you don’t have a choice. You have to come with me back to Godstone where—”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Lord Harald interrupted. “If these raiders want my castle so badly, then they can come and take it.”

Magnus sighed and took the seat next to him, where Elana’s mother had once sat. Lady Kira had died in childbirth bearing Lord Harald’s son, Elana’s would-be younger brother. The boy had died soon after Lady Kira, and Elana had grown up an only child.

“My lord,” Magnus repeated. “It wouldn’t be wise to remain here. The raiders are surely lurking nearby.”

“You think I’m afraid of that band of murderers? I’m staying here.”

Magnus was losing his patience. “What should I tell your daughter when I return without her father?”

“You tell Elana whatever you want. I’m not leaving.”

Magnus knew he couldn’t return empty-handed. His wife would surely blame him should something happen to her father.

“Grandfather,” Rayner spoke up, “don’t you want to see Ivy when she returns home? She should be coming back in a few months, and I know she’d be glad to show you all that she’s learned.”

Lord Harald looked as if he was considering this. Magnus knew he had a soft spot for Ivy, just as he did. “You’ll apologize to young Ivy on my behalf. I won’t leave my home or my people.”

Rayner spread his hands before him. “Your people are welcome as well, but we must—”

Lord Harald slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair. “I will not go! Do you hear me? I’ll die before I let those people take my ancestral lands away from me!”

Magnus stood to tower over the old man. “Don’t take your anger out on my son! You’ve always been a stubborn man, and now it’s going to get you killed!”

Lord Harald abruptly stood to face the king. “Then so be it,” he said as he brushed past Rayner and stormed out of his castle.

Magnus sank back down in the chair and ran his hands over his tired eyes.

Rayner came to sit next to his father and placed a hand on his shoulder. “What should we do, Father?”

Magnus shook his head, thinking of the right answer. “I’ll drag him out of this castle if I have to,” he said, earning a grin from Rayner.

“You know he won’t go, Father.”

“I know,” he sighed. “Then, we have no choice but to stay and defend his lands.”

After a quiet supper with Lord Harald, who drank more than he ate, Magnus and Rayner went to walk the wall. The night was brisk and clear; no clouds lingered in the sky. Magnus had placed some of his men along the wall as well to help keep watch for raiders. He knew they were coming, just not when. Magnus didn’t want to talk about Lord Harald anymore, so instead he asked his son about Correlyn.

Rayner blushed when he mentioned her name but told his father that nothing had happened between them.

“You care for her, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Rayner answered, almost angrily. Magnus stayed silent and didn’t pry further. Rayner stopped walking to face his father. “I was going to ask you something last week, but then we found the dead scout, and I didn’t have a chance.”

“What is it?”

Rayner worried his bottom lip before speaking. “Would you take Correlyn in as your ward?”

Magnus looked at him, confused for a moment, but then understood. As king, he’d never taken a ward. Even if he did, they were usually young children who needed training, and Correlyn was already a strong warrior.

“You don’t want her to leave,” Magnus stated. Rayner averted his eyes and shook his head. “You would need to talk with Lady Oharra. I can say yes, but it’s not up to me.”

“I promised Correlyn I would come to you first.”

“And you have. Now you must talk with her mother as well.”

“So, is that a yes?”

Magnus leaned over the wall and stroked his beard. “I would be glad to take her in,” he answered.

Rayner beamed as he thanked his father and left him on the wall to find Correlyn.

Magnus stayed outside, gazing out at the vast white ocean of land that lay before him. One of his knights came running up to him only moments after Rayner left. Ser Caster was tall with a lean face that he kept shaven. One of Magnus’s best knights, he had been put in charge of the queen’s guard by Ser Osmund when he left. It was the queen who insisted Magnus take Ser Caster along.

“Your Grace,” he said. “Lady Oharra’s scouts have come back. Raiders were seen coming this way, not two miles from here.”

Magnus cursed and ordered Ser Caster to get the men ready; he needed to find Lord Harald.

Down below, men were scrambling to get their gear on while civilians ran toward the castle seeking safety. Magnus pushed through the crowd, searching the faces for Rayner and Lord Harald. Men on the wall began yelling down to the other warriors as the raiders approached. Magnus spotted Rayner helping Correlyn tighten her armor as Lady Oharra stood by, filling her quiver with arrows.

“Where’s your grandfather?” Magnus shouted over the commotion. Rayner shook his head just as something exploded near the front gate.

Magnus turned back to see men on fire, screaming as the flames consumed them. He drew his sword and yelled, “Rayner, with me. Now!”

Rayner drew his sword and began to follow his father before turning back. He walked back up to Correlyn and grabbed the back of her head, pressing his lips to hers. She kissed him back for a long moment before letting him go, and Rayner ran to catch up with his father, who stood just ahead watching.

They ran up the steps and emerged atop the wall to see a massive army gathering below. It wasn’t so much the men that worried Magnus, it was the catapults standing to frame the army that could certainly bring down the walls of the castle with little effort. He watched the raiders load a boulder into the pouch, light it on fire, and cut the rope releasing the counterweight. The flaming rock soared over their heads and landed somewhere within the walls. They heard a tremendous boom and then people screaming everywhere. Rayner was as still as a statue.

Magnus shook him until he met his father’s eyes. “Stay with me, Rayner! We need to find your grandfather.”

Archers formed up on the wall, Lady Oharra and Correlyn among them as raiders began to charge the gates, which had been damaged by the catapults.

Correlyn loosed an arrow and dropped her first raider before he could reach the gate, and Lady Oharra did the same. Raiders brought forth a log, which they used to start ramming the gate.

“Get men down there. Now!” Lady Oharra screamed to her knights just as another flaming rock came sailing toward them.

Magnus ran with Rayner through the yard, yelling for Lord Harald. Raiders had now managed to create enough of an opening in the gate to start slipping through one by one. One raider threw an ax and nearly took off the king’s nose. Magnus pushed Rayner behind him as a raider charged and threw an ax. He threw his sword up, slashing the man’s arm, and stabbed his blade through the raider’s chest.

“Go find your grandfather!” Magnus commanded his son.

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Go! Now!” he screamed as another raider approached. Rayner turned and ran, leaving his father to fight alone.

Magnus’s armor was well made, and he was grateful for that when the raider landed an otherwise killing blow to his back.

Magnus stumbled under the man’s blow but recovered quickly and swung his sword back to meet the raider’s throat just as another raider came plowing into him. Magnus was knocked off his feet but kept hold of his sword. He struggled with the raider on the ground and noticed the man had a familiar look about him.

“Helvarr?” he half said to himself. The man looked at him curiously before punching Magnus in the side of his head. He realized it wasn’t Helvarr, but the resemblance made him falter, and the raider was on top of him, pounding on his skull.

Magnus drew a knife from his boot and thrust it up under the man’s chin, spilling blood onto his face. He choked on the other man’s blood as he sat up and wiped his face, looking around at the destruction. A flaming barrel came flying overhead and exploded on impact behind him, sending liquid fire raining down on civilians. His heart was pounding along with his head, but he forced himself to stand.

He cut his way to the front gate, yelling at civilians along the way to run and take shelter. The gate was nearly open now, and raiders were pouring through, a river of steel. Magnus glanced up the wall to try to spot Lady Oharra or Correlyn, but there was too much chaos. He could only hope that they were alright as he advanced on another raider. Their swords slashed at one another, then Magnus saw another barrel on fire out of the corner of his eye. It sailed too low and crashed into the building next to them, sending fire and splinters of wood everywhere. He felt a sudden pain in his lower leg but ignored it.

One of the raiders was on fire and came running toward Magnus. The raider he’d been fighting shoved Magnus into the flaming man’s path. Magnus twirled around him, plunging his sword into the man’s scorched back, and led him toward the first raider, who didn’t hesitate to cut the man’s head from his body. Magnus leapt over the raider’s flaming corpse and stabbed his blade down through the raider’s chest.

The adrenaline coursing through his veins was like lightning, a feeling he always got when in a battle. Above him, a man fell from the wall and landed with a sickening crunch in front of Magnus. Another man ran to escape the fire that consumed his body. Carnage surrounded him. He took a deep breath and focused on the next raider.