After a few days wait, I began to feel restless. Leyda had secured her seat and Folcburg seemed to slip through my fingers. In these days I spoke often with Feod about other ways to improve our position and secure our assets, but all seemed risky at best. Letter after Letter I had send to my friend, the good thane of Aldburg, requesting him to finally act out the decree following our plea for justice.
Finally the day came, and Feod and I rode along with the Thane of Aldburg to Folcburg. The thane brought a heavy escort on my request to ensure our safety. I had failed to inform him that safety was not the main reason that I asked for this show of force, No… I wanted to scare Leyda into complying with the decree. The time of arguments was over, and I felt that this display was enough to ensure no bickering would start about the outcome of the sentence.
I asked Feod to ride to the gate to deliver the word of the Reeve.
Feod spurred his horse as he rode ahead of us, he pulled the horses reigns hard to stop only inches away from the town-guards. Feod looked down on the duo with a cold stare as he produced a parchment from his satchel.
“By Decree of the Reeve of the Eastfold, Halva son of Hale is to be executed for treason. We have come here today to see justice served. Lady-Thane Leyda daughter of Wyrden is to perform the sentence, as the thane and liege of the accused.” Feod said, in loud voice.
The guards nodded, “I’ll inform mi ’lady” one of the two said, whilst he swiftly ran toward the mead hall.
After a short wait Leyda came down from her hall, her father’s sword hanging from her left side. She looked ready to perform the deed, her eyes filled with determination to prove herself a capable thane. “If it is the wish of my liege, then I shall comply.” Leyda said, as her guards raised her upon her steed. “I trust that this verdict has been decided on fairly, and that our reeve has made a most just decision.” Leyda said, her voice louder than before.
Together with Leyda and her personal guards we rode an hour east. We dismounted our horses in front of a large hill, on top of this hill a boy sat chained to a rock flanked on both sides by one of my own men. His neck hovering over the far side of this grey execution-rock. “You will not improve your popularity this day” Belethui whispered quietly into Leyda’s ear.
“They shall not blame me, it is by your hand that this deed is truly done. Lord Bregion.” Leyda replied calmly. Leyda unsheathed her sword and stepped up to the block. My guards stepped away from the block and left Leyda to stand there on her own. She hovered her blade above the neck of the young boy. “Try and get it over with in one blow.” Harred said teasingly. This comment seemed enough to unnerve Leyda. She then stopped to take a few swings in midair to make ready.
Halva looked up at Leyda with pleading eyes. “Please, have mercy he asked.”
Leyda failed to respond to the lad.. and raised her sword high once more.
She swiftly lowered the blade as she flung the sword for the boys neck. .
The sound of a high pitched whistle broke before we heard the expected sound of steel on stone.
Leyda had been stopped dead in her track, as an arrow hit her hard piercing right through her right leg.
She screamed in agony as she send the sword flying downhill whilst she grabbed for her leg.
The thane and I quickly left the scene guarded by our men as we did not want to endanger ourselves by standing against a possible hail of arrows.. A loud roar emerged from the other side of the hill, over twenty men charged uphill, carrying whatever weapons they could find. Leyda’s five guards met the men in their charge. They managed to halt the poorly armed rabble, as one of them blew his horn requesting our aid. Hewing cruelly at each other the first guard fell after taking down three of the rabble. Another was subdued and dragged away by two assailants. Leyda limped over the top of the hill and tried to flee in our direction.
Finally we gave our men permission to assist Leyda. “Charge!’Harred barked.
I myself followed the charge from the second line. Harred managed to behead one of the attackers with his first sweep of the sword. He then took down two more before driving their main force away almost single handedly. With a vile trust of my spear I pierced the chest of an assailant I followed by throwing my spear at the retreating bunch still able to flee. I struck one of the attackers in the back, incapacitating him. Feod and Cethelion followed the remainder of the assault force into the woods.
The remainder of our men quickly came to the aid of the guardsman whom had all been severely wounded.
“Help.. me” Leyda asked, tears rolling down over her cheek. “This might sting a little” I said.. as I twisted the arrow before pulling it out.
I stared at the empty stone block.. Halva was gone. “It seems, that my justice… is on the run.” I added calmly. “Help the wounded onto their horses, we ride for Aldburg!” the thane shouted, marching swiftly down the steep hill, a deep rage clearly visible on his face. I spend a few moments calming the now in shock Leyda, before telling her that we had to leave.
I waited for the men of the thane to get out of ears reach before lifting Leyda from the ground.
“Our location has been betrayed, they couldn’t have followed us.” I whispered into Leyda’s ear.
“Wulfreda!” She replied.
