Orbis

Chapter 11

Hardwin felt awkward when he saw Medwenna and the boy in the bailey. The mead had left him with a dull headache, and he realized that his confrontation with Dunmore may have created the wrong impression. Deidrick had allowed Medwenna and the boy to stay in the castle barbican, the guest house reserved for dignitaries, and had made many serfs available to her. Medwenna felt uncomfortable with servants tending to her, and had joined Wolf in the garden to escape the gossip of the wives of the noblemen. Three days had passed since their escape from Seepoort, and Medwenna could only imagine the terror her people faced at the hands of the Orcs. Wolf was playing with a wooden sword while she watched him deep in thought. She had rested her late husband's sword against a tree, which provided her with a sense of security, although she doubted she would have peace of mind until Seepoort had been taken and her father avenged.

"He will make a fine warrior one day," Hardwin said as he approached them.

"I fear he has no choice. For the blood of his ancestors demands it!" Medwenna said, smiling as she stood up to greet him. She felt a strange kinship with the giant knight, for some reason he reminded her of her father.

"Good afternoon Sir Hardwin."

"Good afternoon Lady Medwenna. I hope you have found your quarters satisfactory?" Hardwin asked, trying his utmost to still his nerves. He barely heard her reply. He was so engrossed by her beauty that he did not realize the fact that he had become Wolf's imaginary enemy. The wooden sword was thrust into Hardwin's groin hard, and he dropped to his knees in pain almost instantly. Medwenna scolded Wolf, while fighting the urge to laugh at the event that had just occurred. The urge was so strong that she fought the instinct to the point of tears, until Hardwin himself started laughing boisterously while still in huge pain. "Please accept my apologies, Sir Hardwin," she said before the two laughed together, and for a moment, Medwenna forgot the events of the previous few days.

"I should take him with me to the battlefield. He has a height advantage," Hardwin joked, close to tears.

"He surely does," Medwenna agreed, helping him up while Wolf watched them sulkily from a distance.

"My lady, we shall be leaving for Seepoort this evening," Hardwin said as he tried to compose himself.

'I'd like to join you. I want those monsters to pay for what they did to my father,' Medwenna replied, her anger flashing in her eyes.

'My lady, that is not appropriate for someone of your stature,' Hardwin replied firmly.

'Sir, I am not one of those castle-bound ladies! Those who spend their time sewing with the distaff or learning dances. My mother passed when I was young, and my father had me practicing with a wooden sword for as long as I can remember. I am a warrior first and foremost, not some homemaker that you can lock away in a cupboard. Draw your sword and test my proficiency,' Medwenna replied as she picked up her husband's sword and pulled it from its scabbard.

'Madam, I do not doubt your ability. I would see it as an honor to fight beside the daughter of Sir Eurwyn of Seepoort. Think of young Wolf, though. If you were to die on the battlefield, who would take care of the child? Does any of your husband's kin still live?' Hardwin asked sincerely as he rested his hand on Hildreth's pommel just in case he had to parry a strike – she was Euvaristus' daughter after all.

Her anger waned as her eyes glanced at Wolf. He was now rolling on the grass, her scolding a distant memory. 'No,' she replied sullenly. Hardwin took the sword from her gently and slid it back into its scabbard.

'There is a great honor in being a mother. Greater than any that can be found on any battlefield. I promise we shall liberate Seepoort shortly,' Hardwin said with a sincerity that calmed Medwenna.