Legendary Warrior Read online

  He remained silent for a moment as though in contemplation. “Come join me in food and drink while we discuss this matter?”

  The scent of the roasting lamb that cooked on the spit in the hearth had her mouth watering, as did the full platter of breads and cheeses, and she was hungry, having taken only a meager portion of food from her deprived village.

  She could not deny her hunger, but the guilt of filling her belly while those she cared about starved caused her pain. “I would be grateful for your hospitality.”

  The Legend walked to the table nearest the hearth, but before he sat, a plump little puppy came running into the great hall and jumped up and down in front of the dark lord, happy to see him. The Legend ordered him to sit, but the puppy ignored his edict and continued jumping.

  The Legend attempted again to make the puppy obey, but it was futile; the plump animal intended to have his way. The Legend shook his head and sat with the puppy cuddling at his feet.

  Thomas took a seat beside the Legend, and Reena sat across from the two men. Ale was poured, bread broken and sliced lamb was served before any words were exchanged.

  “Your name?” Once again the Legend ordered.

  “Reena,” she answered after hastily swallowing a bite of delicious black bread.

  “I am Magnus.” He offered her his hand, a show of respect she appreciated.

  She took his hand, her small one insignificant compared to the size of his, and she realized he softened his handshake to accommodate her meager strength.

  “Now what is it you want from me?”

  This was why she had come here, and she had to make certain she succeeded. Otherwise, her village would be doomed.

  “My village is starving, though our harvest is bountiful. Philip Kilkern, earl of Culberry, was a fair and decent landlord, but he passed unexpectedly, and his property went to his nephew Peter Kilkern, who is not at all fair and definitely not decent. He demands the impossible from his tenants and forbids us to hunt on his land—and he strikes out without provocation. We are at his mercy, for many fear his heavy retributions.”

  “Why come to me?”

  Reena felt his question fair, and he asked it without malice or disregard to her plight—he simply wanted a reasonable explanation. She gave it.

  “I have grown up hearing stories about your bravery and how you help others—for a price, of course. I knew of no other who is capable of helping my village.”

  “What do you offer in exchange for my help?”

  Thomas smiled and popped a piece of cheese into his mouth.

  She raised her chin and spoke with pride. “I am a skilled mapmaker, and I offer you my services in exchange for your help.”

  “She is a good mapmaker,” Thomas said, his words garbled, since he had not finished all of the cheese.

  Magnus turned to him. “You saw her maps?”

  Thomas nodded as he swallowed, then pointed to Reena. “Show him.”

  Reena quickly dug several maps out of her sack, moved the food out of the way and spread out one map after another. “This one is of the village and the earl’s land, including his keep.”

  Magnus looked it over carefully. “You drew this?”

  “I have a fine and steady hand with a quill—good eyes and a mind that remembers what I see.”

  He studied the map for several minutes, then rolled it up to glance over the second map.

  Reena was fast to explain. “This is of the land that sits adjacent to Culberry land. It is Dunhurnal land; I have mapped some but not all. It is beautiful, though the keep is in sad neglect. Some believe that Peter Kilkern is attempting to gain the land to advance his holdings and wealth. If that is so, my village will surely starve, for our men travel there now to hunt.”

  Magnus rubbed his chin while he studied the map with intent interest.

  Reena felt a sense of hope. The Legend—she silently corrected herself; Magnus, his name was Magnus, and she must remember to refer to him by his given name—looked truly intrigued with her maps.

  He rolled the map up and looked at the next one. “This is my land.”

  “Aye,” she said with pride.

  He looked at her. “You have been here before this visit?”

  “Nay, I learned my mapmaking skills from my father. He was in this area and recorded the landmarks. I simply copied his, though now I could do a more detailed map of your property and your keep.”

  “And the price for a map of my land and home would be my helping your village?”

  “Nay,” she was quick to say. “I offer my mapmaking skills to you whenever you would need them.”

  “You would then be my official mapmaker.”

  “If that is what you wish in payment for your help, then so be it.”

  He considered her offer and she prayed hard—very hard that he would agree.

  “Why did the village send you and not a man?”

  She took no offense at his question. It was odd that she, a woman, and a small one at that, should journey on her own to request help from the infamous Legend. “The village does not know I have come here seeking your help, and if my father had known what I was about he would have forbidden me to come. He would be more upset with himself that he could not journey here himself.”

  “He is ill?”

  “He suffered a broken leg while hunting for food for the village. He now suffers a severe limp and is limited in his activities.”

  He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table. “You are a wee bit of a lass to be traveling these parts on your own.”

  “I can see to myself.”

  Thomas disagreed. “A good gust of wind would pick you up and carry you away.”

  “I would like to see it try,” Reena said defiantly.

  “She has courage,” Thomas said, looking to Magnus. “She did not fear me and spoke right up about wanting to see the Legend. Most quake in their boots before they meet you.”

  “I heard the Legend was feared but that he was also a fair man.” And seeing him now, the puppy asleep at his feet, offering her food and listening to her plight, Reena knew this to be true. But she also understood why he was feared. It was simple; he feared nothing. “Your skill is fighting, my skill is mapmaking. Think how much easier it would be for you if you knew the lay of the land before you proceeded into battle.”

  “I have men who supply me with that information.”

  “But you will have the information there in front of you for you to study again and again. You will know where paths and streams connect, where rivers flow and merge, and the boundaries of lands. It will all be at your fingertips whenever you wish to see it for yourself.”

  Magnus remained silent, though he kept an eye on her. He looked to be considering her offer, and again she prayed for a favorable decision.

  “How do I know this is your work?” Magnus asked.

  “A fair question,” Thomas said with a nod and broke off a chunk of bread.

  Reena agreed. “Aye, it is, and I will be glad to demonstrate my skills for you.”

  Magnus’s silence once again filled the hall, and Reena realized he grew quiet when in thought. She waited.

  “You could map the keep and the village. If I find it adequate, I will then consider your offer,” Magnus said, as if declaring it done.

  His response was not good enough for Reena. “Time is of the essence for my village. I cannot waste time mapping for you if in the end you will only consider my request. I ask that if my skills prove adequate, my offer be accepted—not merely considered.”

  Again he grew silent, but this time Reena did not wait.

  “Time is a factor that can win or lose a battle. I will map your keep and the village in a day’s time, and you will then see how my skills can be used when time is of the essence for you.”

  “You are sure of your skills.”

  “I am.”

  “One day’s time,” Magnus said.

  “Tomorrow at this time I will present you with a
map of your keep and the village, and you will let me know if my skills are adequate enough for me to be of service to you.”

  She offered him her hand, binding their agreement.

  He took it and held it for a moment. “Tell me if there is anything you need.”

  Need.

  There was so much that she needed, food for her village, protection for the villagers and hope—hope that once again life would be good for them all—and this man could provide it all.

  “I have everything I need right now, thank you.”

  She intended to get right to work, but Thomas stopped her with his question.

  “What made you think the Legend was real? Some think Magnus a myth.”

  “Nay,” Reena said with a soft smile that had both men staring at her oddly. “I never thought the Legend a myth. The tales spoke of his strength and courage, and while it was said he was feared by many, they never spoke of brutality. To me the Legend fought with honor and dignity—a difficult task in this brutal world.”

  “And what do you think of him now that you have met him?” Thomas asked, looking from her to Magnus.

  “You are not bound to answer that,” Magnus said. “It matters not what others think of me, and Thomas well knows this.”

  “I do not mind answering,” she said. “I think you are a man of many mysteries.”

  “What mysteries?”

  Reena placed her elbows on the table and rested her face in her hands. “You are considerate and accommodating, yet demanding and commanding, and I find it easy to speak with you.”

  Thomas’s whole body shook with a laughter he attempted to contain.

  Magnus ignored his friend after giving him a rough shot to the side with his elbow. “There are not many who would agree with you on that.”

  Reena yawned; with a full stomach and the warmth of the hall relaxing her, she was about ready to fall asleep. “They do not see you as I do.”

  “You have only met me. What makes you think you see me more clearly than others?”

  “I have a good eye, which is the reason why I am a skilled mapmaker. I see much and remember even more. Your face tells me much.”

  Thomas wanted to hear more. “What does his face tell you?”

  Another yawned attacked, and she moved her arms off the table to sit straight, as if the new position would keep her more alert. “Besides the obvious?”

  “You mean that he is so handsome that women fall at his feet?” Thomas asked with a grin.

  Both Thomas and Reena ignored Magnus’s scowl.

  “Aye,” she said with a nod, then shook her head. Sleep was nipping at her heels fast and furious, and she had no time for it. She had to start mapping the keep now if she was to finish in a day’s time.

  “Tell us,” Thomas urged.

  “He is a man who respects honor and strength, and a man who commands with a demanding hand, and I sense compassion in his heart.”

  Both men sat speechless, staring at her.

  Thomas leaned forward. “You know him well.”

  Reena smiled at the large man, and then at Magnus. “I see how you truly are a legend, and I hope you will help me in my time of need.” She stood, yawning. “Now, I must begin my mapmaking.”

  “You are tired,” Magnus said with concern.

  “It will pass.” Reena reached for her sack.

  “Take time to rest.” There was that demand again.

  She ignored him. “Nay, there is no time.”

  “I say there is,” he challenged.

  “I know otherwise.” She held firm to her annoyance and worry. “And I beg for you to understand my plight.”

  He remained silent for a moment, and Reena held her breath.

  “Go do as you will and know that when you grow weary there will be a sleeping pallet ready for you in front of the hearth.”

  Reena could not contain the sigh of relief that rushed from her lips. “Thank you. I am free to look throughout your keep?”

  “Aye,” Magnus said. “You are free to go where you wish.”

  “Again thank you,” she said and went through the arch that led to the cooking area.

  “She is different than most women,” Thomas said, staring after her.

  “She is too skinny.”

  Thomas nodded. “Lack of food will do that.”

  “She does have courage.”

  “And she is honest.”

  “Aye, that she is.”

  Thomas waited a moment, then continued. “The question is, will you be honest with her?”

  “In time.”

  “You will not tell her then?”

  “There is no need,” Magnus said.

  The puppy woke, yawned, stretched and attempted to climb in Magnus’s lap. He picked him up and held him close, the little pup licking at his chin.

  Thomas shook his head. “No need to tell the small wisp of a lass that you already had every intention of paying Peter Kilkern, earl of Culberry, a visit?”

  Chapter 4

  Reena stretched her arms up as if reaching for the sky. She rolled her neck from side to side, lowered her arms, and gave a huge yawn. It had been a long night, with barely two hours of sleep, and the pallet before the hearth in the great hall had been most welcoming. Now that dawn had graced the land with light she needed to get busy.

  She had mapped most of the keep, having started at the top and worked her way down. The tower room had fascinated her. She had recorded the area quickly, but she could not help but linger and look over the many interesting objects. Many were from distant lands, but many were foreign to her, their purpose unknown to her. She realized the room was Magnus’s solar, his retreat that held his prized possessions, and it gave her a more personal glimpse of the Legend.

  He had traveled extensively, and she envied him the sights he had seen and the memories he had gathered, though she realized not all were favorable memories. Weapons of all shapes and sizes hung on the walls, along with beautifully crafted tapestries. Wooden chests carved with the most interesting designs mingled with chairs carved in the same fashion. Goblets of silver and gold sat along flasks of the same metals, and bright-colored silks lay draped over chairs and chests. Then there were the skulls of animals and pelts of the softest fur and a silver metal shield imprinted with strange symbols and several large dents, making her cringe at the thought of the severe blows it had suffered.

  She had lingered too long in that particular room, but then there had been so much of interest to look at. She had hurried on after that, recording with her charcoal and storing objects in her mind so that she could add pertinent details later.

  Now that the sun had risen she wanted to take advantage of the light and the fine weather.

  The keep was just coming to life, the smell of fresh-cooked food wafting in the hall from the kitchen. The delicious aroma made her lick her lips. But there was no time to eat if she was to finish mapping the castle grounds. Besides, there were many in her village that would not have food this day. And that reminded her of the consequences of her task at hand. She could not fail her people. They needed a champion, someone to defend them and to see that they had decent lodgings and adequate food—they needed the Legend.

  And she intended to make certain they got the Legend.

  She would map his keep and castle grounds so well that he would realize that he could not do without her skills, and though her agreement would bind her to him, she did not mind—the thought actually excited her. Being his mapmaker, she would travel with him and get to see and to record far distant lands, and she would learn and strive to improve her skills.

  Reena felt confident, while her stomach quietly protested its hunger. With a hand to her stomach she said, “There will be time for food later.”

  “I think not.”

  The strong objection had her spinning on her heels to face the Legend. His good looks caused her stomach to flutter. She had never known or seen such a handsome man.

  Today he wore all black, the l
eather on his tunic trimmed with silver metalwork over his shoulder and across his chest in a well-crafted, circular design. His brown hair was tied back with a few strands of golden blond falling free. But it was the sight of the plump black puppy he held in his arms that made him appear less intimidating.

  “You will fill your protesting stomach before you set to work.” He summoned a servant who lingered nearby.

  The young woman’s face lit with a wide smile as she hurried over to him.

  “Fill this table close to the hearth with a hearty fare.”

  The lass nodded, her smile remaining as she hurried off.

  Magnus directed Reena to the table flanked by two benches.

  Reena felt it impolite to refuse his offer, and by the strong tone of his voice, he told her he would have it no other way. With little choice and not wanting to waste precious time in arguing, she joined him for the morning meal.

  He placed the puppy on the ground, and the little animal wandered over to her. She picked him up before she sat down and cuddled him to her. He in turn licked her face, then his attention was caught by something on the ground. He squirmed out of her arms and went off to play with his discovery.

  “What do you call him?”

  Magnus sat opposite her, his arms braced on the table. “I had thought to give him a warrior’s name, but he possesses more friendly traits than warring instincts. So I named him after a friend with a similar nature—Horace.”

  Reena smiled and looked at the plump puppy that frolicked in delight after whatever caught his eye. “I think Horace suits him.”

  “Perhaps, but I chose him from the litter, thinking him to be of a warrior’s mind.”

  “Looks can deceive. He is plump and looks as though he will grow large and be strong.”

  “My exact thought when I first saw him.”

  Reena spoke in defense of the pup. “He is young and you can guide and train him.”

  “He runs behind me any time a voice is raised or someone unfamiliar approaches, and he pays no attention to my commands.”