A Wizard in War

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Dicea didn’t hear the knight approaching until it was too late—even though he was laughing and joking with his men-at arms—so she was tardy turning her face to the wall, and the knight espied her. “Hola! Come here, pretty lass!” he cried, but Dicea shrank away, eyes wide. “Fetch her, Barl,” he ordered one of his men, and the soldier came, grinning and reaching out for Dicea, who cried out and tried to push herself back into the wall, forearms up to shield her torso, face down in her fists.

Anger tore through her brother, Coll. He jumped between Dicea and the soldier and cracked a fist into his jaw. The man gave one surprised grunt—after all, serfs never fought back—and slumped, eyes rolling up.

The knight turned scarlet on the instant and shouted, “Kill him!” He, too, knew that serfs couldn’t be allowed to fight back.

Four soldiers came at Coll. Panic seized him; he knew his only chance was to kill them first. He leaped on the foremost soldier and swung high, but the soldier was ready to block now, so Coll kicked his feet out from under him and seized his spear as he fell, twisting it from his grasp. He slashed with it at the soldiers. They leaped back in surprise and caution, knowing what that honed edge could do and how little use leather armor might be against it. Then they reddened and shouted, but Coll had just time enough to stab downward and kill the fallen soldier.

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