The Robber Knight's Love

57. The most Fearsome of Foes

The stick wielded by the shadowy figure caught Sir Luca on his hindquarters with full force. Yelling some Italian curse, he stumbled forward, loosing hold of both his sword and Ayla in the unexpected attack. Faster than the eye could see, Reuben swept Ayla behind him and caught the Italian's sword. He kicked the man in the stomach, and he was thrown back against the crenels.

“Bastardo! Who dares to…”

Spitting another curse, Luca sprang to his feet again, drawing a dagger and spinning to face the enemy who had attacked him from behind—but there was nobody there. Confused, he stared into empty air, until another whack caught him in the stomach. With a clang, it rebounded off his metal stomach plate. He looked down, in the direction from which the blows had come.

“Eh?”

Large, stubborn dark eyes under a tangle of black hair looked back at him, from behind a defensively raised stick. Sir Luca stared at the little girl in front of him, stupefied.

“Una bambina? En che modo...?”

His concentration was fully focused on her. That was the moment Reuben had been waiting for.

His arm came around Luca's throat from behind, yanking him away from the little girl and holding him as tightly as a metal vice. The sword in his hand came up at the same time, and struck true.

With a wet noise, Sir Luca DeLombardi's head was severed from his body. It flew to the side, smashing against the crenels, and, still encased in its helmet, landed rattling on the walkway. The rest of the body slipped from Reuben's grasp and crashed onto the stones, gushing blood.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody made a sound.

With an interested expression on her face, the little girl walked over to stuffed helmet of Sir Luca, and prodded it with her stick. It rolled to and fro a bit, creaking.

“Was that the evil man who wanted to lock Agnes up in a tower?” she demanded.

“I don't know”, admitted Reuben, watching the child with interest. “Who’s Agnes?”

“She's my dolly.”

“Oh, I see.” Reuben unstrapped his helmet. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Still can't help you, I'm afraid. I have no idea whether he was the particular evil man who was after your doll He was certainly an evil man, though, that much I do know.”

“I see.” The little girl nodded, content. “Well, in that case I guess its good he got his head chopped off.”

“Indeed, it is.”

“Though you might have chopped off other parts of him first.”

Reuben grinned. He was starting to like this little girl's philosophy.

“Haven't we met before?” he enquired, scrutinizing the scruffy little creature in front of him more closely.

“Aye. I heard your speech.”

“Of course! My first volunteer! How could I forget?”

She turned toward him, grinning up at him and doing a cross between a crouch and a curtsy. “My name is Fye.”

He returned the greeting by executing a perfect courtly bow, as deep as any queen would receive from him.

“Charmed to meet you, Lady Fye. Now, if you will excuse me—I have some matters left over I had to take care off.”

“Certainly.”

Reuben turned, fixing his glare upon the remaining enemy soldiers, who still stood as unmoving as pillars of salt, some on the walkway, some still down in the courtyard, some even frozen in the act of climbing up the wall. Now, as Reuben's ferocious raptor's gaze focused upon them, they seemed for the first time to notice that the outcome of the duel hadn’t improved their situation a great deal. Quite the contrary, in fact.