A Knight to Remember

He doesn't like what she did

Note: This part introduces someone new, Reynold. He is the son of Duke Odo, and is the highest military authority in the kingdom in his father's absence. But let's get back to the story.

Morning finally came, and at last the flaming arrows had stopped. Though tired, Kara looked at Lukas with new respect. He was the one who went right up on top and one at a time removed the flaming arrows and doused the roof with buckets of water. Kara knew that no one had slept that night at her house, and she doubted if anyone in the whole town had. Almost all the fires had been put out but great heaps of what had been houses continued to smolder.

She stepped outside their home and saw that many others were already up and about. Surveying the scene from the street in front of their bakery, she saw that thankfully only a few dwellings had been destroyed. The buildings and shops along her own street had largely survived the attack.

She turned to enter the deep back yard that led to the wall and began walking up the steps to the rampart, hoping to find Derek. He was gone.

* * *

Back at the fortress, Reynold received the reports from the knights stationed at the different posts along the walls. Derek saw that he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when he learned that though there had been some fire damage, the town as a whole remained secure from the enemy.

Raising his voice, Reynold spoke to the twenty-two assembled knights gathered in the rustically furnished large room. "Knights, this is only the first foray of the enemy, meant to frighten the townspeople and weaken our resolve. Next they will post an official delegation to meet with us regarding terms of peace. You know what they will offer. Nothing less than surrender of our arms. Then, they will take command of our city and build mosques and prayer towers to their god, Allah, while our people cower in fear and Christianity becomes at best a second class religion." Pausing, he spoke in a low, almost menacing voice to the men gathered around him, "Knights, we will not let this happen!"

Derek joined the others in a clamorous cheer which soon became a loud chant. "Toulouse and victory, Toulouse and victory, Toulouse victorious!"

* * *

Though few in the city had slept the night before, they still needed their fresh bread. Kara didn't let her sleepiness affect the necessary work of preparing bread for the day. She herself was not usually one of the bakers, but working with her youthful sister, Anna, she trimmed the loaves, sliced some of them, and on others added swirls of color and confection to increase their value and tastiness. Then, when they were ready, She and Anna took them to the front and put them in the cases so that customers could see and order what they liked.

But when they were done, both girls went back upstairs to lay down to rest for awhile. Kara was concerned for Derek, especially knowing that he had been at the wall at night while the enemy was firing their flaming arrows. She hoped he had not been hurt. Since he had been up through the night, she thought that he, like herself, was taking a rest during the day. Her hope was that she would see him that evening. That is if the Saracens were not again firing their flaming arrows.

Rising quietly from her bed in the late afternoon, her thought was to go immediately to the wall behind their house and yard where she might be able to see Derek. Anna heard her get up, and rubbing her eyes, asked, "Where are you going, Kara?"

"To the wall."

"Let me go with you."

"Oh, Anna, it's rather dangerous."

"But you're going. Why can't I go?"

"OK, come on. We can take a look and see what's happening. But if there's trouble, we need to come right back."

Kara saw that Anna gave her a big smile. She smiled back at her. Her own reason for going to the wall was to try to see Derek. But Anna wanted only to accompany her. Younger sister on an adventure with older sister.

They went up the big steps together and soon arrived at the top, both taking deep breaths after the steep climb. There were some soldiers there, but Kara could see only one or two knights. One thing she hadn't noticed before were large cauldrons filled with some liquid and smaller buckets next to them. The cauldrons were spaced about ten meters apart along the parapet. She went to the wall and looked over it.

"What can you see?" asked Anna, who was too short to see above the parapet.

"I see hundreds, maybe thousands of Saracens, Anna. They have pitched their tents but many of them seem to be milling around."

Together they walked further along the rampart seeing more soldiers and also Pietro's brother. Kara didn't remember his name, but they both greeted each other in passing. Not having seen Derek, she was soon ready to go back.

On their return, Kara saw her stepbrother Lukas in the backyard. Even from a distance, there was something about his appearance that made her apprehensive.

"What do you mean taking Annie up to the wall with you? Don't you know it might be dangerous?"

Kara hated that Lukas always called Anna Annie instead of her given name but she ignored it this time. "She wanted to go with me, Lukas."

"You don't even realize, do you, that you're putting her life in danger?"

"Lukas, it's calm there now. Besides, Anna's too short to see over the parapet. No chance that they could shoot an arrow at her."

"You shouldn't be there either, Kara. But I know why you go. Gabriela told me about you and Derek."

Kara thought about what he said. Gabriela could only know that she had danced with Derek at the town square, and maybe she also knew she met him once. "That's my business, Lukas. You have no part in it."

"Are you unaware, Kara, that he's practically engaged to Julia who happens to be the daughter of one of the highest placed royal families in Toulouse?"

"Yes, I know something of it, Lukas. What of it?"

"Kara, you're only a plaything to him. He may only want to have some fun with you, if you know what I mean. He's not going to leave that girl for a baker's daughter."

Kara was hurt by what Lukas said. Particularly because she could see that there could be some truth to his words. She lowered her head, and walking past him she took Anna's hand, saying to her, "Come on, Anna. Let's go inside."

Then, before entering she turned back to Lukas, telling him in a loud voice, "Her name is Anna, not Annie!"

Note: You know Kara is angry at her stepbrother. She has a right to be. Hopefully he is not right about Derek though stranger things happen. Surely Kara will soon see Derek. But what will the enemy do next?