The Last Crusader Kingdom
"Encounter in a Tavern"
An Excerpt
In
the stables, John first got Lord Aimery’s palfrey tacked up and then Centurion,
while [his dog] Barry kept watch at the door warily. It seemed a long time before Lord
Aimery loomed in the stable door, but he had their gear, and together they tied
it on the pack horse.
From the tavern came the sound of men grumbling and calling for their bills. “Closing time!” John whispered to Lord Aimery.
From the tavern came the sound of men grumbling and calling for their bills. “Closing time!” John whispered to Lord Aimery.
“They’ll
all be coming out, then,” Lord Aimery drew the correct conclusion. “Hurry.”
John
grabbed the lead of the pack horse and took Centurion by the bridle, while Lord
Aimery took charge of his two horses. They made it out into the courtyard, but
before they had a chance to mount, men spilled from the tavern into the yard.
“Mount!”
Lord Aimery hissed at John, but before he could even get his foot in the
stirrup one of the Greeks lunged at John, drawing a knife as he did so.
John
saw the steel blade in the darkness and tried to jump aside, only to collide
with the pack horse. He felt the blade hit his side and then slide over the
rings of his hauberk. The man drew his arm back for a second strike as, with
the clatter of hooves, Lord Aimery spurred forward, his sword raised. Most of
the crowd fled to the safety of the building, but the attacker grabbed John by
the throat of his hauberk with his left hand and swung him about, using John as his
shield against Lord Aimery’s sword. John felt him draw back his right hand for
a second stab. In his mind he registered that at this range his chain mail
wouldn’t save him.
Suddenly
his assailant was screaming in pain and terror as Barry sank his fangs deep
into the man’s buttocks and dragged him away from John. Immediately Lord Aimery
spurred past a dazed John and, leaning down from his saddle, swung his sword in
a blow strong enough to nearly decapitate the would-be murderer.
As
the man collapsed in a spume of his own blood, Lord Aimery turned his horse
again, shouting to his still-dazed squire: “Mount!”
John
turned, grabbed the near stirrup, and pulled himself up into the saddle. Lord
Aimery spurred toward the exit to the stable yard with his destrier on the lead.
Centurion leapt forward without awaiting any human instructions, and the
pack horse followed out of habit. Barry brought up the rear at a lope, his tail
in the air and his ears up -- as if he were enjoying himself for the first time
since he’d acquired a new master.
