How to Train Your Knight: A Medieval Romance Novel Read Online Free PDF

prayers, well, most of them, she ran back into the village. It took a full day to assure her town’s people that they should continue with their labors as was the norm. When the sun began to sink low into the sky, she entered the bathhouse and pushed on the geared wall.
    With heavy legs, she climbed up the steep stairs and into her room. Once there, she collapsed onto her pallet. Her empty stomach made a rude noise to remind her that she’d forgotten to stop for supper. How in the world was she going to extricate herself from this mess when she couldn’t even remember to eat?
    She dropped to her knees and prayed, this time in earnest, for God to save her.

Chapter 3
    Marcus pulled back on the reins and came alongside Thomas as they exited the forest. Below them, a spring green valley, dotted with pools of violets, opened up as far as the eye could see. Sheep, startled by their appearance, ran in foolish circles, not one of them wanting to take the lead. Lost little ones bucked and bleated and tried to follow.
    “It’s hard to believe how fertile the lands and how well-kept the town,” Marcus said.
    “Aye. You’ve done well. Plenty of wooly beasties, too. Tell me more about this Abernathy fellow. What’s the fuss?”
    Midnight nickered, then decided to munch, so Marcus shifted back in the saddle. “You know my father. No doubt he hath turned molehill into mountain. My understanding is that for centuries, the north fields have been shared. He says that Abernathy has been stealing the Lady Ann’s sheep from this common ground. That needs to stop. Hold. I see a shepherd.”
    “Ho, there.” He reined in beside a young man with a bright green wool cap and a brown tunic tied with leather cord. His legs and feet were bare.
    The boy backed away slowly and put his arms high in the air. “Ho, there, yourself. Who are you, good sirs?”
    “I’m Sir Blackwell, second son of your liege lord and now wed to Lady Ann. These are my men. We’re here to protect what is mine.”
    “Really? I didn’t know she’d wed, I’ve been in the fields for so long. I’m sorry, but I didn’t recognize you. I’m Sam, son of Mary and Bartholomew.” The boy lowered his arms and bowed somewhat awkwardly at the waist. “I thought maybe you were Abernathy’s men come for the whole of my herd.”
    “Why? Have you had issues with him?”
    “Issues? No issues. Just plain stealing. Last night, twenty more were taken.”
    Down in the valley below, dozens of sheep grazed. Mayhap even a hundred. “How can you tell them apart?” Marcus asked. “They all look identical.”
    The boy appeared stricken. No, more like appalled. “You jest?”
    Marcus’ horse shifted, sensing his ire. Digging deep within to find his most patient demeanor, he leaned over and lowered his voice, “Yes, by the blood of all the holy saints, they all look the same. Please explain.”
    Shaking his head side to side, the shepherd tsk-tsk’d. “They’re nothing alike. See the yellowish color of their coat? That is theirs. The ones with the whiter fleece? Thems is ours. You can see how the herd on the field yonder looks like yellow with white dots? The white dots is ours.”
    “Why don’t you just go get them back?” Maybe I’m a little slow today . It seemed all her people spoke in riddles. Maybe she was a witch; though a damned beautiful one.
    “Well, that’s just it. They got armed men and well, we have naught.”
    Again, Marcus cocked his head and looked upon the boy as if he was dull of mind. He grunted. “Where are these armed men?”
    He pointed out several oaks on top of the hill, past the field. “See that tree? Two archers are stationed there.” He moved his arm toward a small hut deep in the grasslands of the valley. “And over there are men with swords.”
    The situation just became more than amusing.
    Thomas turned to the boy and winked. “Oh, ho. I know that look. It is said when The Beast smiles like that, the devil himself stands