The Devastation: Unexpected Circumstances Book 7 Read Online Free PDF Page B

a resident of Wynton, Lord William’s king was Edgar, not me.
    “And Edgar knows nothing of this?”
    “If he does, it is not because anyone from Wynton has told him,” Lord William assured me.  His hand went to my shoulder.  “We are loyal to Silverhelm, my king.  That never changed in the people’s hearts.”
    “I hope what little help I could get to you was useful,” I said.  When Edgar starved those who did not readily accept his rule, Alexandra had convinced me to send food and other aid to the people of Wynton.  Sir Rylan and Seacrest had also provided supplies, and Lord William knew this.
    “Many more would have perished without it.” Lord William nodded.
    “How much of this...pitch do you have?” I asked the blacksmith.
    Young Benjamin’s grin was accompanied by waggling eyebrows.
    “Plenty.”
    *****
    This was it.
    We crested the hillside that marked the edge of Edgar’s lands.  Over a handful of rolling hills, the castle walls could be seen.  There was a small group of farms and shacks in the outlying areas, but we passed them by.  No one was in the fields, and no one came out to either stop us or join us.  I would not kill innocents, but anyone who stood up for Hadebrand would not live to see another day.
    Less than an hour later, we could see movement near the castle walls as a large group of soldiers, most of them wearing the red armor of Hadebrand, moved into place to stop us.  They obviously knew of our coming, but not far enough in advance to truly prepare.  I could see the castle gates close and the archers line up on the walls as we approached.
    I did not hear them in time, but I saw swift movement in the sky.  I yelled at the men to raise shields, but they did not move fast enough.  As arrows fell all around us, many of the serfs near the front line were pierced and fell to the ground.  Shields went up all around, but it was not enough to protect them all.
    “Advance!” I called out.  The slower they moved, the more likely they were to be hit.  I spurred Romero on, and he whinnied as he increased his speed.  “Keep up!”
    The foot soldiers began to march forward, protecting some of the peasants and serfs with their shields as they moved.  The archers from Silverhelm and from Wynton were not close enough to start picking off the bowmen on the walls and in the towers—the angle was still too great at this distance.  Those with crossbows, which included Rylan, began to fire from the front rows—aiming for the knights on horseback.  The thick bolts drove home with enough force to pierce through their armor, and they fell noisily from their mounts.
    The rest of the archers stayed behind the cavalry of Sawyer and Silverhelm.  They were prepared with traditional arrows to use at first, but once they were within range, they would rain down fire over the walls of Hadebrand’s castle.  I could still hear the rumbling of wheels on the road as the siege weaponry followed behind the rest of us.
    We did not slow our pace, and as we reached the field outside the gates of Hadebrand’s castle, Edgar’s army moved forward.  I raised my sword up high, cried out to the cavalry, and led the charge as we rushed to close the remaining distance.
    With my eyes focused on the men in red before me, I was in my element.  I rode without thought into the middle of the grouping, and my sword drew blood every time I swung my arm.  Romero snorted and pawed at the ground, but he also knew his place in battle and did not rear up or spook.  In the eyes of each man I encountered, I saw Edgar.  I saw the one who tried—and had succeeded in many ways—to hurt her .  I saw the man who was now holding her captive and endangering our child.
    Though she was in the back of my mind and pushing me forward in my attack, I still dared not think of her openly.  I growled with hatred as I stabbed into the eye-slit of one soldier’s helm before I turned Romero in a wide circle and ducked to avoid a