The Barbarian's Lady

Part 1

Delilah tried to conceal her laughter as she and her maid, Lily, raced down the dirt trail on horseback. Only when they both broke through the woods and upon the plains of the Fields of Roses did Delilah slow her horse to an easy walk.

Lily let out a sigh of delight at having been allowed a break from their great game. "I thought for sure Lancelot's legs would pop off, my lady. Poor Cabbage is no match." Lily paused in her musings as she took the time to glance around their surroundings. Delilah's maid grew nervous. They had never been this far from the castle without a guard. "We should return to the castle soon, my lady, the sun is setting."

Delilah chuckled and watched as her maid hopped off her own medium sized pony, Cabbage, while Delilah sat atop her own thoroughbred stallion, Lancelot. Turning away from watching her maid fiddle with her riding dress, Delilah breathed in the fresh air. She took in the beautiful fields before her. Beautiful.

The Fields of Roses were aptly named. The roses abounded everywhere. They were special, magic storytellers in their village said. These roses grew without thorns that pricked and instead rose from the grassy, field floor. They burst with such beautiful colors that Delilah felt she could stare at them for hours and find a new color each moment she looked deeper.

"What is that over there, my lady?" Lily questioned and Delilah turned Lancelot away from the field. Her gaze shifted to the wooded trails behind them that led south, away from her home. Smoke was billowing from beyond the trees.

Delilah shook her head in confusion, "I did not realize someone had made their homestead here. We should investigate."

Lily looked at her mistress in alarm, "No, my lady. We should return home to the castle and tell your father or perhaps General Gaul."

Delilah scoffed. "Of course not. I am sure it is nothing serious. King David blessed my father with these lands and we took an oath to see to these lands being properly cared for."

Giving her horse a hard tap, Delilah was off before her maid could say another word. She urged Lancelot in the direction of the plume of smoke. Delilah loved riding. The wind in her hair and the feel of being one with an animal. It made her feel as if she could do anything or be anyone.

Slowing Lancelot down, Delilah came across a fork in the path that ran along the forest's edge. To the right led her to coastal town of Froth and to the left, led her deeper into the woods. Delilah sniffed lightly and could smell the scent of the smoke becoming clearer as she moved her horse to the left, deeper into the woods. Delilah ignored the sounds of Lily's cries for her to stop.

Coming to a halt where the path led into the dark woods, Delilah slid off of Lancelot and tied him to a tree. Delilah crept into the woods and pushed aside branches and brush until she saw the cause of the smoke. Gasping at the sight before her, Delilah lept into a nearby bush, peeking out at the wooded clearing before her.

They were everywhere. Barbarians. Hulking men with rippling muscles and crude, sharp weapons strapped to their waists and backs. Some men wore ripped and torn kilts while others wore pants that were equally torn and ripped. These were hard men. They had no need for frilly clothing like the men Delilah had met in the King's court.

Where the court men's hair was cropped short or left curly, but never long, these barbarian men's hair were braided back tight against their skulls and fell down their backs. Only a few men had short hair. However, it was not short by Delilah's standards as they still fell to the men's burly shoulders.

One man was hauling the carcass of a dead deer on his back. Blood dripped down his back and he seemed to not have a care at the ghastly sight. Delilah tried to count them all, but estimated there were only twenty at the most, at least in sight.

A large fire had been built and there appeared to be a few trees cut and cleared to make room for this intruding horde. Delilah recalled a few of her father's soldiers talking about barbarian uprisings in the south, but her father had just laughed and said the barbarians would never venture north. He claimed they had no interest in the north.

Her father was wrong. They were here and they were every bit as menacing as foretold.

In the distance she heard the sounds of horses and hooves approaching from deeper in the forest as a group of ten more hulking men appeared on their large, wild looking steads. One man stood out among the rest. Delilah couldn't take her eyes off of this man. Perhaps it was his commanding presence that drew her gaze to him. His horse was by far the largest in the group, his hair, the longest and his face, while rugged with only a few days growth of beard, was handsome. His eyes were a light blue and seemed to glint in the setting sun.

His lips were formed in that of a knowing grin. He was a tad taller than the other men, but no more bulky or muscular. He wore a wolf skin cloak and no shirt. His pants were all that graced his legs.

While his men slid off their horses, many laughed and began to partake of food cooking over the fire, this man sat upon his horse and gazed around the clearing. Delilah wondered if he could see into the darkening trees. Finally his gaze seemed to land on her hiding spot and Delilah felt herself freeze. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, she was transfixed with his eyes. They seemed to be staring into her soul.

Can he see me? She thought, realizing he might be able to. These barbarians were often thought to be animals. Delilah backed away from her hiding spot and ran through the trees until she found Lancelot still tied, munching on berries from a nearby bush. Untying him quickly, Delilah gave a sigh of relief when she didn't hear the knowing sounds of a pursuit.

Not wishing stay any longer, Delilah climbed up onto Lancelot's back and kicked him harshly into a gallop. Leaning down between the horse's shoulder blades, Delilah only began to relax when her home, the castle, came into view.

She didn't even notice the icy blue eyes watching her from the forest shadows.