Page 80 of Wolf Alliance

Erik knew they had only enough time to take care of the last two men on this part of the wall, and then some of them would have to intercept the guard who would replace the one guarding Baldur’s bedchamber.

Two men had bypassed Erik while he and the other man had thrown the guard over the wall, and he heard a thud up ahead. When they caught up to them, they found they had tossed the second one to the ground, forty feet below. The third guard came into view, his eyes widening, and jaw dropping. Logan shot him with an arrow in the chest before he could call out a warning.

He crumpled to the wall walk floor. They disposed of him, lifting him over the protective stone wall and dropping him.

“Accalia has brought another dozen of our men,” Erik told the ones with him. “I need one man to go with me to take down the replacement guard at Baldur’s bedchamber. The rest of you help the others eliminate the remaining guards on the wall walk.”

Then he took one of the men with him and they headed back down the stairs, slipping behind walls, ensuring they weren’t seen, then reached the tower where they could make their way to Baldur’s bedchamber. They needed to hide the bodies they had thrown over the walls to the ground below also.

They reached Baldur’s floor but heard voices and paused. He hadn’t counted on two people being there.

“What are you doing here?” the black-haired guard asked.

“That haughty white wolf chief turned me down. Now, if your chief would ally with my da, I will wed Freigard,” Accalia said.

When Erik heard Accalia’s words, he nearly had a heart attack.

“But how did you…you were no’ here before. Freigard would have said something to us about it. You are armed. How come you are carrying a sword?” Freigard’s man asked.

“I always carry one on me. You never know when you’ll find danger in our troubled times.”

“None of you were to be armed.”

“I dinna recall your name,” Accalia said as Erik moved toward the guard at his back, to get close enough to kill him.

“Who…who is that?” the guard asked, hearing Erik advancing on him.

“Him? Oh, no one of consequence.” Accalia’s voice was calm and reassuring.

“He’s…he’s armed.” The guard pulled out his sword.

Erik didn’t wait for Accalia to say another word. He had to silence the guard before he alerted anyone else that they had breached the castle. Close enough now, he rushed forth and the man with Erik hurried after him. Just as Erik reached the guard, the man swung his sword at Erik. He hit the guard’s sword so hard and sent it flying. Erik didn’t hesitate and stabbed him in the heart.

The other men who had come with Accalia left Baldur’s chamber.

“Glad to see you reinforced our numbers. Carry the guard into the tunnel,” Erik told a couple of the men. Then he and the others moved into Accalia’s chamber and shut the door. “Is everyone all right at the camp?”

“Aye,” one of his men said. “Accalia and her aunt took down the men accompanying some of hers to Whitehaven. Her men are helping guard the camp, though Finlay and Hans are having them watched in case they are no’ on the right side. Accalia brought us here to back you up.”

Erik’s admiration for Accalia had no bounds. “We’ve been eliminating Freigard’s men little by little. We dinna have enough people to make a full assault on theirs yet.”

“Unless we can arm my people. No’ the civilians so much as the men at arms,” Accalia said.

“We would need to eliminate the guards at the barracks and the stables. Baldur believes your fighting men might be in the dungeon.” He prayed to every god there was that Freigard hadn’t killed them all.

“He will be housing his men in the barracks, I suspect,” Accalia said. “I think you’re right about da’s soldiers.”

“Can you show us where it is?” Erik asked.

Her cousin joined them, dressed and armed. “I’ll show you where it is.”

“Did Freigard kill your soldiers?” Erik asked Cameron.

“They are well-trained. Freigard hoped to convince them to bend their knee to him. If they didna, they would be killed. But he was waiting until Accalia was his,” Cameron said.

“All right.”

“I’ll stay in my da’s chamber in case anyone comes to check on him since he doesna have a guard any longer,” Accalia said.

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