End of days

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Rayford woke abruptly late in the morning to find himself alone in the chamber, He felt only a little stiffness from his wounds as he got up to wash and dress. a consumed it, feeling better after he had eaten. When he left the room, he walked carefully downstairs, testing his strength and stability. Servants were setting up the trestle tables for dinner in the hall, and he greeted them as they crowded around him.

"Good morrow, milord," Renwold said with a grin, bowing before Rayford. "We have all been very worried about you. How are you feeling, milord?" "I am well. Just a little stiff and sore still," Rayford replied. "I am famished, though

How soon till dinner?"

"Dinner will be served in about half an hour, milord. Shall I bring you something to eat now?"

"Aye. Where is Lady Merclif?"

"I believe she is in the dairy. I will send "Very good, thank you, Renwold."

for her immediately."

Rayford walked briskly to the lords' table, not wanting the servants to see his weakness. As soon as Renwold set a platter with cold chicken and bread in front of him, he ravenously devoured the food. He was starving as if he had not eaten in a week. When Leah Rose arrived shortly afterwards, he started to stand up to greet her.

"Nay, milord, do not get up." Her voice was breathless, as if she had run the entire way from the dairy to the donjon. "How are you feeling?" She sat down in her usual place beside him.

"Hungry," Rayford said before taking another bite of the chicken leg in his hand. "Did you walk downstairs on your own?"

"Aye. I am almost back to normal, so you can stop fussing over me, Leah Rose."

"As you wish, milord," Leah Rose muttered. "You can stop worrying about me as well, Leah Rose," Rayford said as he finished off the

chicken. "I have always been fast to heal." "Amazingly so, Rayford. You were asleep for so long that I was beginning to wonder if you were more severely injured than we first thought. But now you seem to be completely recovered. I have never seen anything like it."

"What can I say?" Rayford shrugged. "I have been blessed."

After eating a hearty dinner and then instructing Belwick to bring in Langston, Rayford repaired to his solar to await his suspected assailant. Belwick ushered Langston into the room, removed his sword from its scabbard, and stood on guard with his back against the closed door.

Rayford stared at his prisoner's face, letting the silence stretch between them, trying to intimidate the younger man. Langston calmly returned Rayford's look, his eyes direct and his expression serene.

Rayford's temper ignited. "Did you try to kill me?" Rayford demanded. "Nay, milord."

Rayford's eyes narrowed. "Admit it, Langston. Cardel has paid you to kill me. "Tell me the truth, and I will let you go free. "Tis Cardel I want, not you."

"What has he promised you? Leah Rose?" Rayford, alert for any sign of discomfort by his prisoner, detected a slight wavering of

"Nay, milord."

"I am telling the truth, milord," Langston insisted.

Langston's gaze before he composed himself. "Milord, I am not working for Cardel."

Rayford shifted in his seat and changed his tactics. "Tell me what you saw and heard

while hunting the boar." "Milord, I saw nothing you were wounded."

but trees and brush. I heard nothing but your shout when

"Sir Roger sent you back to look for traces of an assailant. If you were not the culprit, why did you not find any?"

"Either the assassin was very skilled in camouflage, or I am not a very good tracker.

Or, mayhap, 'twas a combination of both." Frustrated and angry at the younger man's refusal to admit his guilt, Rayford looked

at his castellan. "Sir Hugh, return Langston to his cell."

"Aye, milord."

"Milord," Langston said, "I am not guilty. You cannot keep me in prison forever." "Oh, but I can," Rayford said. "I am lord here. My word is law. Take him away, Sir

Hugh."

"Aye, milord," Belwick replied.

"Sir Hugh, please rejoin me here when you have returned Langston to his cell." Belwick nodded, then took Langston's arm in a firm grip and led him out of the solar. When the castellan returned to the solar ten minutes later, Rayford poured him a cup of wine. Rayford waited until Belwick was seated before he spoke.

"We need to flush Cardel out. The only way to do that is to offer myself up as bait."

"Rayford..."

"Hugh," Rayford interrupted, "I know what you are going to say. Just hear me out. I will not be kept a prisoner in my own castle, nor will I wait around to see when and where Cardel is going to strike next. I plan to resume my regular activities, including hunting. I will continue to take only four or five men with me. However, there will be another man shadowing us, keeping out of sight. When there is an attack, he will blow a horn to alert the castle. You will then send the garrison out to defeat the enemy." "In the event of an attack, you would have to hold our long enough for the garrison

to reach you." "You can assign the most experienced men to accompany me." Belwick looked disgruntled. "Twould be impossible to keep you in the castle, would it not?"

"Aye," Rayford said with a grin.

"In that case, your plan has merit. You will need to stay your forays outside of the castle so we will know where to find you." 

"Aye." Rayford took a drink of his wine. "And whenever you are outside the castle grounds, I will have the rest of the garrison close at hand and ready to ride at a moment's notice."

"That is an excellent idea." "Rayford," Hugh pleaded, "will you at least scale back the number of hunts to once a week?"

"Four." Rayford leaned back in his chair. Hugh was now in accord with the plan, he thought with satisfaction.

"Two," Belwick said with a stern look.

"Aye." Rayford grinned. "Two it is." He raised his goblet. "To Cardel's defeat." "Cardel's defeat." Hugh raised his cup, saluting his lord, before taking a long drink.

"Rayford, may I speak with you before you go downstairs?" Rayford had already finished dressing and was preparing to leave the chamber. Leah Rose hurriedly donned her kirtle as she watched Rayford walk back toward her. "Of course, Leah Rose. What do you wish to speak with me about?"

"Let us sit down."

 Leah Rose dreaded having this conversation with him. Although it was only three days since he had been injured, Rayford now appeared to be completely back to normal, and she felt she could delay no longer. After the wonderful night they had just spent together, she hoped he would be in a good mood. She tightened her belt around her waist as she walked over to the chair near Rayford's. Sitting down across from him, she tucked her cold, bare feet up under her skirts.

"I want to know how long you intend to keep Langston in prison," Leah Rose said. Rayford's amiable expression turned to stone. "That is not your concern." "Rayford, Langston is innocent. You cannot keep an innocent man locked up in prison." Grabbing the arms of his chair with both hands, Rayford pushed to his feet. "I will not have you telling me what I can and cannot do." "Damien said you put him in prison because you are jealous of him."

Rayford leaned over her, imprisoning her his hands braced on the arms of the chair in which she was sitting, his strong arms barring any escape. His menacing posture and hard look terrified her.

"When did you talk with Langston?"

"When?"

"I...I spoke with him the day after you were injured." *You expressly disobeyed my order to stay away from him?" Rayford demanded.

"I needed to find out how he was. He was locked in prison. The guard watched everything."

"Do not ever disobey me again." Rayford's voice was cold and harsh. "Understand?"

"Aye," she whispered. She shrank back in the chair, trying to get as far away from him as possible. Averting her face, she raised her bent knees up to her head, cowering into a tight ball.

Rayford pushed back from her and strode away. "I cannot have you undermine my authority in any way." His voice was now calm and controlled. She did not look at him; she was merely glad that he had moved away from her.

"Your safety and the safety of everyone at Merclif depends on my orders being obeyed without question." "Aye, milord," she murmured. "I am sorry."

Huddled in her chair, her head down and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, she his every step as he walked back toward her. He stopped in front of her chair. " Leah Rose, please look at me."