Excerpts

Here is an excerpt from the upcoming Minstrel Tale Mystery--Minstrels' Covenant.

I grabbed up our discarded gear and repacked the important things, taking special care with Andreas’s med kit. The unguents were an old tried and true recipe of Andreas’s mixed by Mam. They would speed his healing after an experienced physician removed the shaft and head. 

Anything we did not need for survival I did not care about. I was in a hurry.

With the packs resituated and secured I took time to search the dead. I hoped for another identifier, a button, or signet with Harald’s mark upon it.  What I found was even better; a note on a goatskin parchment. August is on the roads.  Secure all roads that lead to Hoarfrost and Nagrom. There was no signature or seal. I took it and placed it securely against my breast.

I gathered the horses to me and knotted the long leads of the pack horses to the packs and knotted the reins of Andreas’s mount to the saddle. I led them all out carefully through the woods while watching for an attack. When I made it to the road unscathed I mounted my horse quickly and herded the others before me. I rode hard, constantly watching the side of the road for signs of ambush and ahead to find Andreas and August. The horses ran together filling the width of the road.

The chill was in me as it had been for several days now, but it increased suddenly and I felt my strength sapped from me. I urged the horses for more speed, but they were giving me all they had. We crested a hill and on the road below us I saw August and his cart in the valley charging onward toward the next rise. I would catch them on that rise.

Suddenly arrows flew from the trees flanking them. August snapped the reins and the horse lunged, but he too was giving all he had. Six horse men crashed through the woods and ran beside them, three on each side. Two sought to wrestle the reins from August. Two swung at him with swords and two swung at Andreas who had only the carpet bag to defend with.

I had not been seen yet, but I would never reach them on time. All was lost. My anguish overwhelmed me and an un-natural roar burst from my throat. My vision went red from an intense pressure behind my eyes. The chill burned at me and though I tried to fight it I blacked out.