UNSHEATHED

Chapter Forty Six

"I can use a bow well enough, like my fore mother, and a knife. I have no sword, but I'm willing to learn," she had said. "I had six brothers, so I'm used to a rough lot and can handle myself in a fight. They all saw to that," she added.

Elena could feel the woman's eagerness. Was it foolish to take on a slight young thing and throw her into hard combat? Elena sighed. She had picked men with similar failings willingly enough. She almost asked if the woman was married or had any children, but thought better of it. That was her own business. As long as she wanted to fight, Elena would not stop her from joining to defend her home.

A glint of light caught in the woman's tight curly hair and she noticed red highlights. She didn't look as much like the others. Castellonians were most often dark haired and tanned. There was something of the Empire in this woman, though.

"Do you have ancestors from the Empire?" Elena asked.

The woman smiled. "Why yes, I do. The great great grandmother I mentioned. Her mother was a trader's daughter who settled in Castillon back then."

Elena smiled back and offered the woman her hand. They shook. "Welcome to the new Castellonian Army, Renata."

Finally the scout approached, and Elena moved away from the column of riders so she could speak with her.

"Report Scout."

The woman managed a salute, despite her mare's antics in the presence of Elena's majestic stallion. Elena backed her horse away several steps to make some space. The stallion appeared uninterested in the mare and pawed the ground, nibbling on the tall grass growing on the road side.

"All is quiet along the road, Field Marshall."

Elena could see that there was something more, but the woman was reluctant to speak.

"Scout, what more do you wish to say? Something troubles you?"

Renata looked away for a moment, struggling with something in her mind.

"There's nothing to report, but... it felt wrong. I have no reason to believe there is anything out there up ahead, but when I reached the hills, each with a copse of trees on its top, I felt as if I was being watched."

Elena smiled. Sometimes a soldier's worth was not in the strength of their sword arm, but in their instincts. She'd felt that same feeling before. The eyes saw nothing, but the skin prickled and the hair stood on end screaming out that something is not as it should be.

"Thank you Scout. I will announce extra caution as we pass through those hills. We may be looking at some kind of ambush. If there were watchers, they were smart enough not to raise our suspicions by attacking you, or we would have avoided the area and missed them." Elena saluted the woman and gave her mount a nudge to catch up with the Prince and her other companions in the column.

Liran was looking back for her as she approached. Maranus wasn't far ahead of him. Maranus had suggested that he be near the front to reassure the residents. A Legionnaire in the presence of this army might suggest some legitimacy for being there, at least, enough to keep arrows from flying at the first sight of them.

"What has your scout found, Field Marshall?" Liran asked as Elena pulled back into the column beside him.

"Up ahead the land turns to small hills with clusters of trees on top of each mound. The scout feels there may be some danger hidden there, but she has no proof of it."

"If she didn't see anything, what are we worrying about?"

"I trust my scout, My Lord, her instincts are excellent. I will pass an alert through the line so that everyone pays attention. I doubt we can avoid an ambush if one is planned in that area, but we can be ready for it."