Free Lord Soth by Edo van Belkom Page A

against a direct blow from an ogre’s club or long sword. To Soth, it was far better to die bravely in battle than to be seriously injured and unable to continue his life as a knight.
    He balanced the helm between his hands and prepared to place it over his head when he heard a voice calling him.
    “Milord! Milord!” It was a woman’s voice. He turned around and saw Lady Korinne approaching. While she usually called him Loren, they had decided on using the more formal address in the presence of others.
    “Milady,” said Soth, nodding his head graciously.
    “I wanted to give you one last kiss before you go.”
    Soth bent forward and the two kissed deeply.
    “And to tell you this …”
    Soth’s eyebrows arched expectantly.
    “Fight for the cause of Good, and when you’re done, hurry home. Hopefully upon your return I will be able to reward you with the news that I am with child.”
    Soth’s mouth fell open and remained that way for a moment. While he was glad to hear the words, he was somewhat confused by them. A short time ago she’d played the part of a knight’s wife to perfection, instructing him not to think of her while on the journey. But now she was speaking more like a young bride, teasing him with words of a child in order to ensure that his thoughts were never far from home—no matter where he might be.
    A child, he thought, perhaps even a son. Soth’s heart raced at the possibility. “That would make my return to Dargaard Keep a truly triumphant one,” he said.
    He moved to kiss her again, but she stepped away from him and shook her head, once again playing the role of the steadfast lady of the keep. “Go,” she said. “Your people need you.”
    Soth looked at his wife a moment, his heart full of love and pride, then gently slipped his helm over his head. He turned and mounted his horse, a huge animal, char-black from head to hoof, which despite Soth’s size and weight, did not seem to be burdened by its new load.
    He took one final look around, saw that his knights were ready, and drew his sword. Then he raised it over his head and shouted, “Est Sularus oth Mithas.”
    A cheer rose up.
    Soth’s mount surged forward.
    And the knights followed him out of the keep.

Chapter 5

    After the exhilarating charge out of the keep, the thirteen Solamnic Knights loyal to Lord Soth settled down to a somewhat more relaxed pace which would allow them to travel the maximum amount of distance in what was left of the day.
    After night had fallen, they continued on in the darkness for several hours and would have ridden through the night had Soth asked it of them. But of course, he would never think to do such a thing. For although it was imperative they get to Halton as quickly as possible, Soth refused to compromise his knights’ fighting ability by bringing them to the point of exhaustion before they’d even arrived at the battle. When they passed the halfway point between Dargaard Keep and Halton, the decision to stop for the night was made easy for Soth when the passage through that part of the mountains proved too treacherous to complete under the cover of darkness.
    He stopped the procession and the knights dutifully, if not gratefully, dismounted and stretched their limbs. Soonafter, Caradoc had arranged a watch rotation and the knights set about eating what little provisions they had taken with them. In a day or so the squires would catch up to the group and there would be plenty of time to feast, but for now they had to travel as lightly and as quickly as possible.
    A chill wind blew down from the mountains, but fires were obviously out of the question. And so, they ate cold food in the dark, and after they’d staved off their pangs of hunger, at least temporarily, the knights silently made themselves comfortable wherever they could.
    Finally, they closed their eyes for a few hours’ rest …
    And dreamed of the battle ahead.

    Soth looked up and saw the rocks tumbling down the mountainside.