Chapter 1 #2
Her heart raced faster than the steed beneath her. Raven was excellent on a horse and always rode astride, although it upset her parents. Excitement coursed through her body as she moved closer and closer to her opponent.
She knew better than anyone that the joust was dangerous and that she should be frightened for her safety.
Instead, she saw it as a challenge, pushing her fear away.
Just as she approached Harold, her helm slipped again, covering her eyes completely.
She could no longer see where she was going.
Before she could even try to straighten the helm, she felt the tip of Harold’s lance hit against her chest.
“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise, not quite ready for this, since she’d just been trying to see.
It wasn’t a hard blow, but certainly enough to set her off balance.
Her body shifted to the side, causing her to lose her grip on the lance as well as the reins of her horse as it continued to run.
As hard as she tried, she was not able to right herself.
The pole fell from her grasp, making a loud thunking noise as it hit the ground. She fought to retrieve the reins, but without being able to see properly, it was impossible to do. Raven could no longer hold on to the horse. She fell, striking the ground hard. Her horse ran off without her.
“Ooomph.” She’d had the air knocked from her lungs and struggled to breathe. This had not gone at all as planned.
“My lady, are you all right? I am so sorry.” It was Harold. Or at least she thought so. Everything was muffled and all she could see was a slit of sunlight coming in through the visor, as well as the trees high above her head. She lay there, unable to move.
“Lady Raven, I knew this wasn’t a good idea,” came the voice of Albert next, along with the sound of his feet pounding the ground as he ran to help her. “Lord Corbett is going to kill us when he discovers his only daughter has been knocked off her steed.”
Then she heard the panting of her dogs as well as the sound of somebody slowly clapping their hands together.
Looking up out the opening in the visor she saw Brindy, her male mastiff curiously staring down at her.
The dog slobbered as he tried to lick her face but instead got the helm.
When the hound moved to the side, she saw her brother Rook sitting atop his horse clapping, looking down at her with a smirk on his face.
“Rook!” She tore off the visor in anger.
When she did, Copper, the female mastiff, reached over and licked her face.
Both dogs were big, each weighing more than she.
They had square-shaped heads, floppy black ears, and black muzzles.
The male was a beautiful brindle color with black and brown stripes that looked to have a golden hue to them when illuminated by the sun.
The female dog was a little darker than the normal light fawn color of mastiffs.
The color was called apricot, but reminded her of shiny copper. That is how the dog got its name.
Copper lay down next to her, resting her head on Raven’s chest. Brindy kept pushing up against her, nudging her with his nose, examining her to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
They were both cute and cuddly and also good watchdogs.
They weren’t apt at running long distances, but were still taken along on the hunts because of their tracking abilities.
Not only could they follow the scent of an animal, but as this proved, they could follow the scent of a human, too.
“All right, that’s enough. Get the hounds off of her,” Rook commanded, making Raven realize that Daniel, the kennelgroom, was there as well.
He was an older man, and traveled on foot while Rook rode his horse.
The kennelgroom usually accompanied the men on the hunts, holding the dogs back with leads until they were ready to be set loose to chase down the prey.
“Aye, my lord,” answered Daniel, pulling the heavy dogs off Raven, hooking leads on their collars to control them.
Raven pushed up to a sitting position, scratching Copper behind the ears. “Do you think it’s wise to take her away from the castle while she’s pregnant?” she asked the kennelgroom.
“She’s in no danger, my lady,” answered Daniel, trying to gain control of the dogs. “You weren’t far into the woods, and a little exercise is good for her. She’s not birthin’ the pups for at least a few more weeks yet.”
“Still, there was no reason to bring my hounds at all.” She looked up and glared at her brother, knowing this was all his doing.
“Well, little sister, have you learned your lesson yet?” Rook asked with a chuckle. His dark hair lifted in the warm spring breeze. His hair was black, the same as hers, and nearly as long.
“Quit calling me little,” spat Raven. “I’m the same age as you and you know it.” True, they were twins, but Rook had been born two minutes before her and would never let her forget it. “And what do you mean, did I learn my lesson?” she asked.
Still sitting, she pulled off her leather gloves one by one, throwing them on the ground. Copper and Brindy took the opportunity to pick them up, thinking she wanted to play. Daniel busied himself trying to pry the gloves out of the animals’ mouths.
“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” asked Raven, before her brother had a chance to answer. “You wanted this to happen,” she said, seeing it all so clearly now. “That is why your squire came to me offering his help. You told him to do it, didn’t you?”
“I’m sorry, my lady,” blurted out Harold, coming to her side while Albert collected Raven’s horse.
“I was only following orders. I didn’t hit you hard at all, I swear.
” His head jerked around to look at Rook.
“I only gave her a tap just like you instructed, my lord. I had no idea she would fall from her horse or I never would have done it.”
“Rook! You swine,” hissed Raven through gritted teeth. “How could you?”
“Hopefully, this little lesson knocked some sense into you,” said Rook. “Besides, it would serve you right if you ended up a little bruised. It’s no one’s fault but your own. This is a sport for men, not women. It is time you get these silly notions out of your head and start acting like a lady.”
“Stop being so mean to me,” snapped Raven. “We always sparred together growing up, and I can handle any weapon. You know that.”
“True,” said Rook, dismounting his horse and walking over to her. “You just can’t joust and this is proof of it. Now give me your hand and I’ll help you up. Let’s get back to the castle.” Rook reached out for her, offering his assistance.
She took it, but as soon as she was on her feet, she used her leg to try to sweep Rook’s feet out from under him, the way she always did when they fought as youths. Rook saw it coming. He moved to the side, grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back.
“Don’t think that little trick is still going to work on me.”
He released her.
“Get away from me,” she said, slapping his arm.
“I was only trying to help.”
“I don’t want your help and neither do I need it.
I don’t need anyone’s help, for that matter.
” Raven felt a little light-headed. She rubbed her aching shoulder, wondering how bruised she was going to be, come the morrow.
When Brindy jumped up on her, wanting to play, she was knocked off-balance by the dog’s motion and weight.
Rook reached out and caught her before she fell.
“Daniel, take those damned dogs back to the kennel,” Rook told the man.
“Aye, my lord,” answered the kennelgroom. “Right away.”
“Harold, make sure the horses are stabled and tended to properly,” Rook called out. “I will also hold you and Albert responsible for the equipment getting back to where it belongs.”
“Of course, my lord,” answered Harold.
“Aye,” added Albert, as they collected the lances and headed back toward the castle with Daniel and the dogs leading the way.
When they were out of earshot, Rook spoke to Raven. “Stop playing these silly games and start acting like the lady you were meant to be.”
“Never!” she answered defiantly, brushing the dirt off her clothes. “And you can’t make me.”
“Mayhap I can’t, but our father can,” he reminded her. “I assure you, he won’t just ignore what’s happened here today, Raven.”
“Then don’t tell him,” she said with a sniff. “He doesn’t need to know.”
“You can’t honestly believe that he doesn’t already know. Father is lord of the castle and privy to everything that happens there. I’m sure not only he but everyone knows by now that you’re missing. It’s no secret you’ve been sneaking off to the woods to practice with your weapons for a while now.”
“Well, if Father knows and he hasn’t stopped me, I hardly think this will be any different. After all, he’s the one who gave me my sword, so he won’t mind.”
“Raven, that was when you were younger. And he does mind, I promise you. You are twenty-two years old now, but you’re acting like a child. It’s time you start embracing your status and title.”
“I don’t care about it, and I don’t think you have a right to tell me what to do.”
“It doesn’t matter what you think. Father has found a way to make it happen.”
“He has?” she asked. “What do you mean? Make what happen? Tell me, Rook.”
Rook chuckled playfully and shook his head.
It was obvious that he wasn’t going to tell her.
Angry with him, Raven beat her fists against his chest. Rook only laughed louder, grabbing her wrists in his large hands to stop her.
Or rile her, was more like it. She twisted out of his hold and elbowed him hard in the ribs.