Michael Spradlin - Trail of Fate

“Everyone stay calm!” the Captain shouted. He waved at his men and they retreated into the darkness. Sir Hugh turned back to us.

“All right, squire,” he said. “I am weary of this. Give me what I want. I’ll count to ten. If it’s not in my hands, she dies.” For emphasis, he moved behind Maryam and put his sword at her back. “Rope or blade, it makes no difference to me, squire.” Maryam raised her head, her eyes slowly coming into focus. She looked around the courtyard, but I don’t think she really knew where she was yet.

The Queen Mother still wouldn’t remain silent. “What do you want, squire? Land? A title? You only need tell me and it’s yours.” Her voice had risen in pitch, and she chattered on nervously.

“What I want is for you to be silent,” I whispered, “and my friend to be released.”

“You must have something quite valuable for Hugh to be acting this way. What is it? I can help you, squire.” She tried to wiggle from my grasp but I held fast. She was confusing me. I had expected her to fight, not negotiate. I had no interest in anything she said, but her constant prattle was distracting.

Robard peeked over the side of the wagon again and our eyes met. His face was a mask of rage, and he shook his head vigorously toward Sir Hugh as if imploring me to do something and soon. I nodded slightly, taking a deep breath.

“Do you have a death wish, my lady? If so, keep talking,” I whispered to Eleanor. “Captain, on my honor as a Templar, I swear I will run her through and not think twice about it! Your choice! Richard will see you hang, Captain! Let her go, now!”

The Captain drew a breath and his shoulders slumped. He truly had no idea what to do and would undoubtedly have cut off a hand if it would have freed him from this place in time. Yet he knew where his duty lay. Slowly he turned to face Sir Hugh, but before he could do or say anything, Eleanor took action.

“Captain!” she shouted. “Listen to me clearly!”

Everyone stopped, even Sir Hugh, and stared at her.

“If I die, if anything happens to me, KILL THEM ALL! Sir Hugh included! Do you understand my orders?”The Captain clearly did not, for he cocked his head in confusion, and Sir Hugh’s eyes went wide as he stared at her in amazement.

Then Eleanor of Aquitaine twisted her neck in my grasp, looking out at me from one evil eye. “If I die, so be it, boy,” she said. “But I’ll see you dead before you ever sit on Richard’s throne.”

A familiar feeling came over me. Time slowed, and I saw everything before me with the clarity of a circling hawk. It had happened before in Outremer on the battlefield and again when Robard had accidentally shot me. Every movement lags. Each sound becomes a muted symphony, and my senses are honed so sharply, I feel as if the air around me tastes of lightning. Another life-and-death moment was at hand.

This time there was a new feeling as befuddlement overwhelmed me. It was as if Eleanor’s words had pulled me without warning from the deepest slumber. I lost my concentration for a brief moment. In a split second, may God forgive me, I paused to consider what she had said. She would see me dead before I sat on Richard’s throne? What could she possibly mean?

And in my short moment of contemplation, whatever clue I gave away in my stance or eyes or the look on my face, in that brief instance Sir Hugh saw his chance.

He was still too far away for any of us to reach him, and knowing this he reared back with his right leg. I watched in terrified fascination as it started its inevitable descent forward toward the barrel. In less time than I could draw a breath Maryam was going to die.

Then as it had many times before, the stillness of time was broken by a familiar humming sound that filled the air around me. Angel barked and everyone was screaming, but in my heightened state all sounds became faint and far away.

“Robard! Now!” I shouted. My own voice sounded dull, like I had tried to shout to him from under water. My body tensed, then sprang into action. With my eyes on Maryam, I pushed the Queen Mother roughly toward the Captain and sprinted for the wagon and Sir Hugh. There was a flicker of movement in the corner of my vision as Robard rose and took aim.

He let the arrow fly.