Giving a sharp cry, the hawk rode the thermals higher into the sky. Her outspread wings barely moved as she glided far above the village. The land was barren, the result of lying untended while the men were off valiantly defending the Saxon cause a scant year earlier. Only the hawk’s keen vision allowed her to see the flags flying from a large keep several days’ journey away.

She circled above the ground once, barely noticed by the villagers who sought safety within the stone walls of that same distant holding. They had piled all of their earthly belongings into wooden carts that morning, hoping that they could make the journey to the safety of Lord Barrett's holding. Lord Harlan Barrett had made it known that he would never willingly surrender his holdings to a Norman, even if he had had himself crowned King of England, and his people were welcome to take shelter there.

The hawk reversed her direction and sailed back towards the woods beyond the village. Her keen eye spotted small prey in the forest, but she knew her master was expecting her. Even with her speed and agility, she knew 30 minutes’ flight separated them. Eventually banking to the right, she let out a piercing cry that announced her imminent arrival.

Her master’s eyes narrowed as he searched the sky. He effortlessly pushed the chain mail coif back off his head, revealing wavy blond locks of spun gold. The coif fell in gentle folds on the knight’s broad shoulders. His tunic proudly bore the colors of William of Normandy. The kite-shaped shield slung over his back had been burned with his own heraldic crest of a soaring hawk clutching a battle sword in its sharp talons. The blue of his eyes rivaled the color in the sky that late afternoon.

When he spotted the hawk, a smile softened the knight’s normally fierce countenance. He removed one gauntlet and then extended the other still protected arm high above his head. With just the whisper of a breeze, the hawk dove down and landed on the knight’s wrist. The sharp talons clung to the knight’s arm but failed to pierce the chain mail glove.

The knight made a whistling sound in the back of his throat, a call unique to knight and hawk, which caused the bird to lift its head alertly. "Ahhhh, my predatory friend," he crooned. "If you could only tell me what you saw ahead of us." He stroked the hawk’s breast with the forefinger of his ungloved hand, all of his movements slow and deliberate. The bird purred softly and then suddenly let out a loud squawk as a swarthy man rode up next to the knight on a coal black horse.

"Any news yet?" Jax asked, never taking his gaze from the distant horizon.

"Our scouts report a small village ahead, milord, and then the Barrett land several day’s travel beyond," Thomas replied. He didn’t look at Jax, concentrating instead on the agitated hawk. "I have dispatched Stefan and Jerald with orders to mingle with the locals and bring us news of their reaction to their new Norman lord."

As he continued to stroke the hawk’s feathers, the blond knight sighed. His shoulders slumped with weariness of battles past and knowledge of battles to come. "I’ve seen enough bloodshed to last me the rest of my life, Thomas. Hopefully these Saxons will not be as stiff-necked as rumors have them. Perhaps Lord Barrett will realize the futility of refusing to accept William as his new king and turn over the lands that are now rightfully mine."

A significant number of knights had followed William into battle once the duke had gained papal blessing for his invasion. They fought not only a crusade for God's greater good but for their own betterment as well. It was a well-known fact that upon his victory William would grant land and title to those who served him well. Jax had committed the men under his command to William and William only, preferring not to fight under the leadership of Eustace of Boulogne and William fitzOsbern or Alan Fergant. He fought bravely and superbly at the side of his liege lord. He was now on his way to lay claim to his just reward.

"Only time will tell, my friend." Thomas finally looked at Jax and inched his horse closer. "Our camp is nearly habitable. Why don’t you join me for some nourishment while we await your brother’s return?"

Jax nodded slowly. He clucked at the hawk and then flung his arm skyward, sending her aloft again. "Lead the way, Thomas," he smiled. "It seems that *I* am not the only one with an empty stomach this afternoon!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"SISTER BRENDA!!!!"

At the sound of the Mother Superior’s voice, a dark-haired woman rose from behind a well in the main square of the small village. The heads of several children popped up too as a petite vixen revealed herself. "Reverend Mother!!" Brenda looked down at the children, who were struggling to stifle their giggles. "I thought that you were busy at the abbey preparing for our……visitors."

Abbess Lila rustled forward, her long skirts swishing as she walked. The rosary beads that hung at her waist danced with the swiftness of her movement. "As YOU should be also, Sister Brenda!" She folded her hands inside her voluminous sleeves and looked sternly at the brunette imp. "You know that there is much to be done before……before……"

"Before The Hawk comes and chops off all our heads!" Despite the fact that the statement came from a cherubic, tow-headed, six-year-old girl, it still drew gasps of horror from the other children.

"I heard my father say that The Hawk has talons instead of hands," another boy echoed, his eyes wide with fear. "And he claws out the eyes of his victims just before he kills them!!"

The clamor rose in the square, causing Brenda to give Abbess Lila a sharp look. "Children, children!!" Brenda gathered them all around her in a small circle as Lila stood back and stared her disapproval. "Those are all just tall tales! The knight known as The Hawk is just a man like any other that God created."

"A NORMAN knight," another boy sneered. "Filthy rotten bast……"

"William Wilson!" Brenda gasped. "I should take you over to the well and wash your mouth with soap for using such language!" The boy dropped his head in shame as she stood with her hands on her hips. "And besides – my father has sworn to defend his land, and I know he will never let a Norman rule these lands in his stead……"

Abbess Lila raised an eyebrow at Brenda to silence her. "Children, it’s time that all of you return to your homes," Lila crooned. "Sister Brenda and I must return to the abbey to prepare a proper welcome for our new lord." She glanced skyward to the approaching sunset. "And your mothers will probably be wondering where you are by now."

There was widespread grumbling among the children but one by one, they came and kissed Brenda on the cheek and bade her farewell. When they had all left for their homes at the edges of the village, Brenda turned and found herself alone. Abbess Lila had already begun walking back in the direction of the abbey.

"Mother Lila!" Brenda picked up her skirts and ran in a most undignified manner to catch up to the abbess. She was panting for breath and red-cheeked when she was able to keep pace with the older woman. "I apologize again for my behavior this afternoon with the children. I just thought that perhaps they could use some diversion in such uncertain times……"

"And perhaps you also thought that such uncertain times allowed for dispensing with the wearing of your wimple, Sister Brenda?" Lila’s voice was definitely frosty. A proper woman's hair was to be covered at all times for the sake of modesty and propriety.

"I……it’s just that……" Brenda dug her hands into the deep pockets of her gray wool skirt and pulled out a matching short veil and wimple. "Well, it’s not as though I’m a real nun, Reverend Mother!" she cried finally in desperation. "And when I began playing with the children, it was in danger of falling off anyway, so I just cut short the process!"

Abbess Lila stopped short and grimaced at the beautiful, spirited young woman standing in front of her. "Sister Brenda, your father sent you to live with us two years ago in the hopes that your behavior and demeanor would become more……appropriate," she concluded with diplomacy. "If you wish to become a fitting wife someday to the lord of a manor, you must learn to curb your whims!"

"And I HAVE learned that, Reverend Mother!" Brenda protested. When Abbess Lila raised one eyebrow in skepticism, Brenda shrank back a few paces. "Well……I’ve TRIED to learn it, at any rate!"

The abbess sighed loudly and closed her eyes. "A sennight prior, you twice fell asleep during Vespers. Just two days ago, we *all* heard you burst into very unladylike laughter when breaking the morning fast with your fellow novices." Lila looked around nervously and then leaned towards Brenda with a glare. "And I’m certain that you recall an incident not that long ago with the amount of blessed wine you consumed during the Sacraments!"

"’Twas the last in the chalice and Father Henry asked me to finish it!" Brenda replied defensively. When Lila’s glare grew more intense, Brenda lost her bluster and folded her hands primly at her waist. "How was I to know that it would make me so dizzy on an empty stomach?" she finished in a small voice.

Lila pursed her lips in a disapproving pout and then drew herself up in a stately manner. "I received a message from Lord Barrett this morning……"

"My father!!??" Brenda bubbled with happiness and her feet tapped in an impromptu dance. "Has he returned from Tadcaster? Is he finally coming to visit us?"

Although she had been vexed with Brenda just moments earlier, Lila’s heart nearly broke when she saw the raw devotion and love in the young girl’s eyes. "Lord Barrett arrived late this morning, Brenda," Lila murmured gently. "He……he went riding with your sister since you were absent from the abbey at the time."

"Of course……" Brenda's face fell and her speech became halting. "He always *did* prefer to spend his time with Julia….."

Lila suddenly took Brenda’s hand and pressed it between hers warmly. "I’m certain that if we hurry, you’ll be able to speak with him before he leaves for Barrett Keep, my child." The abbess could have sworn wings sprouted from Brenda’s feet at her words. Brenda spun in the direction of the abbey and began walking as fast as was seemly for a young woman. Lila watched for a few moments, shaking her head and wondering how such a lovely girl had been dealt such a cruel hand by fate.

Brenda had been sent to live at the abbey two years prior when Lord Harlan deemed her incorrigible. Her older sister, Lady Julia, had been sent to the abbey for safety’s sake just prior to the Battle of Hastings. Lord Barrett’s wife, Lady Veronica, had died when both Julia and Brenda were very young. At first, even though overwhelmed with grief, Lord Barrett had managed to raise the young girls alone. But soon, the loneliness and the strain began to wear on him and he took a second wife. Lady Tracy had three sons of her own.

Even though she was the younger of Lord Barrett’s two daughters, Brenda had always thought of herself as the heir to his lands and position as Lord of Barrett Keep. Julia seemed more drawn to playing the madore and the rote and taking delight in the writings of the ancient Greeks than worrying about the practical needs of the keep and its tenants. Brenda, on the other hand, delighted in the details of running the keep and watching her father deal with its many problems. However, all of that changed when Lady Tracy’s three sons came into Brenda’s life.

The middle son, Edward Lawrence, was a tall, handsome, ruddy youth with coloring and temperament similar to Brenda’s. She and Ned, as he preferred to be called, spent many hours walking the grounds of Barrett Keep and discussing everything from courtly intrigues to the threat of Norman rule to the best way to pasture the animals when a draught plagued the land. On the other hand, Lady Tracy’s eldest and youngest sons, Nathaniel and Harold respectively, had inherited their mother’s temperament. Brenda found Nathaniel particularly hateful. He seemed to despise Brenda from the moment he set eyes on her, and she was mortified to learn soon after that he was spreading rumors among the tenants of Barrett Keep to discredit her reputation.

Brenda’s spirited temperament only proved to add fuel to those rumors, which delighted Nathaniel to no end. Soon Brenda found herself the object of scorn among her father’s knights, retainers, and even villeins. When Lord Barrett decided to send her away to the abbey in the hopes that the good sisters would tame her wild spirits, it was the last blow to Brenda’s self-esteem. Nathaniel himself watched her depart Barrett Keep with a smug smile. Since Julia had no interest in the Barrett holdings and he was now legally Lord Barrett’s eldest child by marriage, the vast holdings were nearly within his grasp.

Julia’s arrival a year after Brenda’s confinement lifted the spitfire’s spirits somewhat. Julia’s even disposition and cool head often saved Brenda from a tongue-lashing from Mother Lila. But Brenda still carried the inward pain of Nathaniel’s betrayal and her father’s disinterest.

Dusk was settling over the land as Brenda arrived at the steep hill leading towards the abbey. She did another little dance for joy at the sight of a large contingent of horses. Ignoring decorum, Brenda broke into a run and was barely able to avoid a collision with the dapple mare that Julia was riding.

"Father!" Brenda grabbed for the reins of his large destrier and flashed him a dazzling smile. "You’ve finally come to visit us!"

Obvious embarrassment flitted across Harlan’s face. He chewed on his lower lip and cleared his throat until Julia spoke out. "Father needs to return to Barrett Keep as quickly as possible, Brenda. He……" Julia's breath caught in her chest and Brenda finally noticed that her face was ashen. "……he didn’t want a stranger to tell us the news……"

"News?" Brenda felt her pulse race and she looked wildly from Julia to Harlan. "What news?" She let go of the reins on her father’s war horse and drew closer to him, placing her hands on his leg tenderly. "Were you injured in the battle, father?" Her voice became shaky. "What news??"

Harlan took a deep breath and glanced at the men behind him. Brenda recognized some of her father’s knights and retainers in their number, but they all just cast their eyes downward and refused to meet her panicked gaze. Finally, he dismounted and took Brenda’s hands in his. "Brenda, we were not able to turn back The Hawk and his men at Kent. It seems inevitable now that this Norman infidel will become lord of Barrett Keep."

"And……" Brenda swallowed hard. "And is that your distressing news, father?"

"No." Harlan sighed deeply. "Your brothers fought at my side at Hastings, Brenda." He pulled himself up straighter. "Nathaniel was slain in battle."

Brenda caught her breath – not so much at her father’s news, but at her own lack of pain in hearing of her eldest step-brother’s death. She was certain she had probably just sentenced her immortal soul to eternal damnation, but after all that Nathaniel had put her through, she just could not bring herself to shed tears at the news of his demise.

"And Ned?" Brenda whispered.

"Edward Lawrence and Matthew have gone ahead of us back to Barrett Keep to build up the fortifications." Harlan glanced back at his men grimly. "After our encounter at Kent, I now know that it will take all of our might to turn The Hawk back from Barrett Keep."

"But……" Brenda's unbound raven curls bounced as she looked from her father to his men in confusion. "But I thought that you said it was inevitable. Barrett Keep was awarded to This Hawk person as a reward by our new king, William."

"I will NEVER acknowledge any king but Harold!" Harlan shouted. A resounding cheer went up from the men around them. His eyes narrowed fiendishly. "We MUST maintain control of Barrett Keep!"

"Father," Brenda said gently, "I understand your reluctance to lose the lands you have held since your childhood and your ancestors before you, but if all of England has surrendered to this new king, we must follow suit……"

"All of England has NOT surrendered, Brenda!" Harlan whispered feverishly. He gripped Brenda’s hands tightly. "If we can thwart The Hawk at Barrett Keep, other small pockets of resistance will grow. And soon, we will return the *rightful* king to the throne of England!"

Harold and his brothers Gyrth and Leofwin had perished on the battlefield along with most of the housecarls assigned to protect the King. After his death, Harold’s face was so badly mutilated by the Norman soldiers as to render him unrecognizable. That fact, coupled with the lack of a proper burial for the slain King, led many Saxons to believe their King lived on and would reclaim his throne when presented the opportunity.

There was another loud cheer but Brenda’s eyes grew wide with distress. "Father, how can you hope to fight a warrior like The Hawk?" Tears finally clouded her eyes – but only at the thought of Ned’s possible death. "You have already lost one son……how could you risk the lives of the other two?"

Harlan grinned and pulled Brenda aside. "That’s why I needed to speak with you, my child." He looked around as though he was checking for Norman spies behind the trees. "We CAN turn back The Hawk, with YOUR help!"

"My help?" Brenda almost laughed aloud at the preposterous suggestions. "How can *I* help you defend Barrett Keep?"

Harlan put his hands on Brenda’s shoulders tenderly. "Brenda, you know that Lord Michael of Corinthos Keep has raised a significant army of his own."

Brenda’s blood chilled when her father breathed their neighbor’s name. Lord Michael of Corinthos was rumored to be unscrupulous, cruel, and autocratic. He did not hesitate to use brutal force to bring any noble who dared to question his authority into line. More than once, Brenda had privately offered sanctuary to families seeking a new home and refuge from the daily hell of living life as one of Lord Corinthos’ villeins.

Harlan tightened his grip on Brenda’s shoulders to draw her attention. "If Lord Corinthos were to join with us in the endeavor, I am *certain* that together we could defeat The Hawk and maintain control of Barrett Keep."

"But what payment would Lord Corinthos demand for such assistance, father?" Brenda’s voice was coldly demanding. "From what I have heard of him, he would not become your ally without a very high price."

Embarrassment colored Harlan’s countenance. "You are correct, my dear," he murmured. "I will most certainly need to surrender part of my holdings to Lord Corinthos in return for his aid. And……" Harlan looked down, breathed deeply, and then stared up into Brenda’s confused eyes. "……he wishes to take you to wife."

"ME??!!" Brenda’s screech drew the attention of Harlan’s men but they tried to look elsewhere and appear disinterested. "Why ……but……I……" Brenda sputtered and gestured wildly. "That’s just absurd!!" She glanced over towards Julia, who remained seated on her horse. "I cannot *possibly* marry before my sister!"

"Lord Malcolm of Scorpio has expressed an interest in your older sister on more than one occasion, Brenda," Harlan replied. "If they were to become betrothed, nobody would look askance at your marriage to Lord Corinthos." Suddenly, Harlan’s face softened. "But I would not *force* you into this marriage, Brenda. If it is not your will, I will find some other way to defend Barrett Keep against these Norman vermin……" His voice trailed off and desperation shown in his eyes.

"But you cannot possibly hope to defend the keep without an ally," Brenda said quietly.

"AND were you to agree to the terms of the alliance, you would have the undying gratitude of every one of our knights, retainers, and villeins Brenda," Harlan added strategically. He knew that her tarnished reputation was a great dagger in Brenda’s heart and that she would jump at any chance to redeem it. "You would be defending Barrett Keep as much as any warrior who spills his blood fighting The Hawk……perhaps even MORE!"

Brenda thought silently for a few minutes and then sighed deeply. "Then how can I refuse?" Her smile was not nearly as bright as she hoped it was. "If Lord Corinthos will send his army to help fight The Hawk, I will take him to husband."

Harlan gave a jubilant shout and embraced Brenda. At the sight, his men broke into more exultant cheers. Even Julia smiled benignly at her younger sister. "You have made me very proud this day, Brenda," Harlan whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. He pulled back but still held her in a loose embrace. "I have not seen you in a long time, child." Tears misted his eyes. "You remind me more and more of your late mother."

"I do? We have no mirrors at the abbey ……." Brenda’s voice shook with joy. "I have always heard that mother was quite a beauty……" She blushed self-consciously.

Harlan tenderly cupped the side of her face. "You have her dark eyes and hair, Brenda." He glanced down at her rounded bosom and tiny waist, which was apparent even in the shapeless gray wool dress. "As well as her pleasing form." Brenda saw him fight the melancholy and become the stern father she was accustomed to. "Lord Corinthos will receive MORE than ample remuneration for his alliance."

Brenda wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. Her heart sank when Harlan turned back to his men and strode towards his horse. "We must return posthaste to Barrett Keep!" Harlan shouted. He pointed towards two riders on the fringe of the group. "Ride to Corinthos Keep immediately and inform the Lord that we are in agreement with his terms." No sooner were the words out of Lord Barrett’s mouth than the men swiveled their horses and took off in a northerly direction. He helped Julia dismount her horse, pointed to a man on foot who immediately took her place, and then mounted his own horse again.

"May God smile upon your campaign against The Hawk, father," Julia crooned. "We will pray every night for your safety."

"And I for yours," Harlan replied. He waved his hand in the air and most of the men rode off towards the south. "You had best get back to the abbey before dark, daughters," he added, lingering behind. "Since the Normans set foot on English soil, dangers lurk behind every bush."

Julia walked to where Brenda stood and put her arm around her. "We needs must be returning to the abbey, father," she said brightly. "’Tis nearly time for Vespers."

"Go with God, father," Brenda called as Harlan rode into the distance. "I love you," she added, but her sentiment was lost in the thunder of pounding hoofs.

Their arms wound around each other’s waist for support, both daughters watched until their father’s form was merely a spot on the horizon. As soon as Brenda let go of Julia, the elder girl started walking back in the direction of the abbey. She had gone a few steps before she realized that Brenda remained rooted to the spot where she had left her. "Brenda?" she called. "Are you coming? Reverend Mother will be most displeased with us if we are not at Vespers……"

"Yes, Julia. I know," Brenda replied with a sigh. But then, to Julia’s dismay, Brenda started walking in the *opposite* direction towards a hill that overlooked the village.

"Brenda!" Julia put her hands on her hips as Brenda ignored her. "That’s NOT the way back to the abbey!"

Finally Brenda turned back to her sister with a harried expression on her face. "I can’t go back just now, Julia. I need to spend some time alone first." She took a shaky breath. "I need to think……"

Brenda turned again and started walking towards an area that was thick with bushes and ancient trees. Julia chewed on her lip for a few seconds and then followed her sister up the hill and into the woods. When she came upon Brenda, the brunette was sitting on a tree stump, her elbows on her knees and her chin in her cupped hands.

Julia crouched down next to Brenda. "Are you afraid, Brenda?"

"I fear no man, Julia," Brenda retorted bravely. "If nothing else, life at the convent has taught me that God is to be feared, not some Norman who fancies himself to England’s true king. Or some knight who thinks himself so grand that he must use an animal’s name in place of his own."

Julia sat down next to Brenda on the stump. "I did not mean The Hawk, Brenda," she said gently. "I meant Lord Corinthos, your……"

Brenda pulled herself up straighter and stuck her chin out defiantly. "My future husband, you mean." She gave a little snort. "No, I don’t fear him, either."

"Then father was wise to place his trust in you, Brenda," Julia admitted sheepishly. She shook her head and stared down at her hands, which were folded demurely in her lap. "Were I in your place, I do not think I could agree to go through with a marriage to a man like Lord Corinthos."

"I have never met the man," Brenda observed thoughtfully, staring off into the distance. "But rumor has it that he is a comely man, albeit short of stature." She shrugged her shoulders. "I have heard no tales that warts mar his countenance or a monstrous hump sprouts between his shoulders."

"But the marriage bed, Brenda!" Julia hissed. She quickly looked around her with pink cheeks to make sure none had overheard her. "How will you bring yourself to……to allow Lord Corinthos ……to let him……"

"How does *any* woman bring herself to consummate the marriage bond, Julia?" Brenda shook her head, visibly vexed at the conundrum. "But if I do not wed Lord Corinthos, then I will certainly wed some *other* suitable young man of father’s choice." She laughed bitterly. "The convent has definitely taught me that I was *not* destined to become a nun, so therefore I will have to face the agonies of the marriage bed *sometime* -- with *someone*." She sighed. "It might as well be Lord Corinthos."

Julia’s face brightened. "Perhaps you *do* have a sacred destiny, Brenda!" She clasped her younger sister’s hands, her own trembling with excitement. "Perhaps you will become a martyr, sacrificing yourself as you are split asunder by Lord Corinthos on your wedding night!" As the color drained from Brenda’s face, Julia stared off into the distance in a reverie of her own making. "Just think, Brenda – you will have given your life to save Barrett Keep!" She turned back to her ashen-faced sister. "Surely *then* all of the tenants will forget those ridiculous stories that Nathaniel spread about you!" Julia’s face suddenly fell. "May he rest in peace," she quickly added.

"Amen," Brenda mumbled absently. She rose from the stump, anxious to banish the thoughts of being disemboweled by Lord Corinthos on their wedding night from her mind. Truth be told, the only tales Brenda had heard about the physical joining of man and wife came from the nuns at the convent. She had been just a tot when her mother died and never felt comfortable discussing it with her stepmother, Lady Tracy. She had found herself strangely attracted to some of the men in Barrett Keep as she matured into womanhood, but then Lord Barrett had sent her to the convent.

Brenda stretched her arms and then wrapped them around her waist. She was about to suggest that they go back to the convent when suddenly froze. "Julia -- did you just hear something?

Julia popped up off the stump to clutch her sister’s arm and cower next to her. "No – did you?" She looked around worriedly. "Do you think it’s The Hawk himself?" She glanced up through the trees at the darkening sky. "Christ’s toes, Brenda! We’ve stayed out too late and now The Hawk is going to capture and kill us!"

"Foolish nonsense!!" Brenda spat back, yanking her arm out of Julia’s grasp. "I refuse to believe that The Hawk is anything more than a wizened old Norman noble who is probably too weak to even wield his own sword!"

Julia looked around nervously but the hint of a smile played at her lips. "Brenda, you shouldn’t say such things……"

"Why?" Brenda stepped even father away from Julia, her arms outstretched boldly. "I’ll vent my spleen if I have a mind to, and I don’t care WHO hears me!" She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head back with a haughty laugh. "I’d wager that The Hawk has many pocks all over his face, and the scent of that cheap French wine the Normans are so fond of drinking makes his troops want to wretch every time they come close to him!"

Julia began to laugh in spite of herself at the picture Brenda was painting. "Oh, Brenda……what would I ever do without you?"

Brenda’s face softened with love for her sister momentarily, but then she grinned again and strutted around like a peacock. "And I’ll bet he’s *really* called The Hawk because he has spindly legs and knobby knees, like a whooping crane!" Both sisters dissolved into fits of giggles when Brenda began to strut around, her hands tucked in her armpits and her elbows flapping loudly against her sides. "I’m The Hawk!" she squawked loudly. "Everybody run away – I’m The Ha……"

Brenda’s taunts were cut short when an arm went around her waist from behind and lifted her off the ground like a grappling hook. She kicked her legs vehemently and screeched like a banshee, but Julia just stood rooted to the spot, frozen in fear. When Brenda felt her feet touch solid earth again, she managed to scream out a warning. "JULIA!!! RUN -- QUICKLY!!!!!"

The words were no sooner out of Brenda’s mouth than a hand closed over her lips, silencing any further cajoling. She continued to struggle and heard a low voice rumble behind her. "Mon Dieu!! This one is a handful!!"

Much of the wind in Brenda’s lungs left on a long whoosh as she watched another man appear behind Julia. The elder Barrett looked up into the blond giant’s fierce eyes, gave a little yelp of terror, and then fell into his arms in a dead faint.

Meanwhile, the man who was holding Brenda managed to throw a burlap sack over her head. He wound a rope around her waist, binding her arms against her sides, her hands outside the sack. She screamed again when she felt him hoist her over his shoulder.

"For once I do not envy you, Jerald," Stefan growled. He had shifted Julia’s weight so that now he, too, carried her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "But I still cannot fathom why you think Jax will be pleased with our……prizes."

Brenda’s indignant shriek could be heard from inside the sack. "Why would he not be pleased, Stefan?" Jerald grinned. He began walking towards the spot deep within the trees where they had tethered their horses. "We’ve managed to find what Jax has been searching for!"

Stefan frowned as he cleared the brush in order to keep hold of his own female burden. He gave silent thanks that she was not wiggling frantically like the one Jerald carried. "What Jax has been searching for? What’s that?"

As soon as he reached his own horse, Jerald threw Brenda over the saddle crossways. He gave Stefan a self-satisfied grin. "Don’t you realize what we’ve got here, man? We’ve got the keys to Barrett Keep!!"

To be continued…….