’Twas late afternoon when they approached their destination and the horses were cantering with less enthusiasm than before. Ceara knew she would not be the only one glad to abandon the saddle. They had halted only to let the horses drink, pressing on to their destination, but she had not uttered a sound of complaint. She would ride as long as any of the men, though Louis was clearly exhausted.
Finally, Beaupoint’s tall tower pointed to the heavens like a sentinel before them. They had asked in a village to the east and been directed by a suspicious miller. That man had stood in the road, hands on his hips, watching them proceed as if he would verify that the keep was their true destination. Rafael guided his company around the village clustered outside the walls of the fortification sworn
