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off the back of Flash. Her armor
“clanged” loudly as she landed on the ground, other than that her descent was
graceful.
    “Raise
men.” Vivian spoke softly. The men in the room rose but continued staring at
her with confused looks, not knowing what to think or what was happening. I
wondered why they bowed to her. I was getting even more uncomfortable with this
situation but stayed alertly patient.
    “M’lady,
yourn safe!” A young ruddy-faced squire I recognized from earlier in the day
approached with wide open arms. Vivian happily returned the gesture as the two
embraced.
    “I’m
just fine. But I’m going to stay here for a few more days. I want ye all to go
home. I needed to give ye a message to deliver to Mr. Hat. Tell him that I need
a little more time, but when I return he shall have what he seeks.” Vivian
peeled off her armor and stood in the room wearing only a light brown tunic
with tan britches and the beautiful scarf I had seen her wearing in the church.
Her outfit seemed inappropriate for a lady, but her men didn’t seem the least
bothered, or interested in her, except one black-haired man who had remained
silent.
    “Lugina,
I need a private word with thee.” The muscular and impressively tall man was
wearing a sleeveless black tunic with black britches. His hair was long and he
wore it slicked down, braided with a thick cord tied at the back. He walked
toward her and she put her hand out to stop him.
    “Trave,
I bid thee to trust me. Please just deliver the message I’ve asked.” Vivian or
perhaps Lugina was her real name, reached into a dark-colored wooden clothing
chest and pulled out a boring brown dress. She covered the “man” clothes with
the dress, tied her scarf around her tiny middle and actually made the ugly
dress look gorgeous.
    “Art
thou a hostage?” Trave demanded, glowering at my direction.
    “No,
Trave. I’m not. I’m dead.” Vivian’s delicious smile lit up the dim room as she
handed her armor to her squire. “Put this on, Sirus.”
    “Um,
what dost thou mean, ‘I’m dead’?” Trave’s authoritatively deep voice rumbled as
he shoved the cuisses from Vivian’s hands onto ground. “What is going on here?”
    “Sirus,
keep dressing. Trave,” Vivian glared at the large man, “Calm down. This is
under control but I need to be dead so Sirus needs to be ‘me’ and ye all must
leave here as quickly as thou can. Please  argue not, I will explain everything
when I get home.” Trave seemed appeased.
    Vivian’s
crew scurried to clean up their items and I told Vivian it was time to go. She
donned a black cloak and appeared determined to hide a strange looking,
leather-bound book beneath it. I almost said something; instead I lifted my
boot to the stirrup of Flash’s saddle and pulled myself atop the massive horse
then reached my hand toward Vivian. She put her tiny hand onto my large hand. I
tried to fathom how she had the strength to not only best my brother, but to
single-handedly injure me with the brute force of a giant. The red-headed man
helped hoist Vivian onto the back of Flash and she thanked “Sherman”.
    The
instructions for her crew were that they were to display Sirus in Lugina’s
armor as being deceased. Trave told Vivian that he would make sure all believed
that Lugina was in fact slain.
    I
didn’t really know what the plan was, but I knew I had to get Vivian away from
her entourage as quickly as I could. Oddly, nobody tried to stop us; they
simply let her go with me. Odder still, upon our exiting the tent no watchmen
even paid us any attention. I supposed it was because they were watching a
“parade” go down the road with a fallen knight hanging off the side of a wagon.
    #
# #
    After
a scenic but short ride around the south side of the mountain where the castle
was nestled, Flash carried us to the stone fence of my humble cottage. Thin
streams of gray smoke wisped from the chimney. I was proud Jadorion had done
his job.
    “Welcome
home!”