Page 9 of The Robber Knight's Love
“You idiot!” Ayla shouted, still trying tocalm her horse. “What did you mean by startling my horse like that?Do you have a screw loose somewhere, and I don't mean in yourarmor? You could have killed me.”
“Well, that would have simplified matters,”the stranger said in an off-hand tone.
At this, Ayla's eyes went wide. She quicklyscanned the armored man. He was wearing an impressive bulwark of anarmor in blood-red and gleaming steel-gray, which, strangelyenough, didn't bear any crest. His visor was down, so she couldn'tsee his face. Could he be one of the Margrave's men?
Carefully, she made her horse take a fewsteps back.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Now that's a simple enough question: allthat you have.”
She stared at the stranger, uncomprehending.Then, slowly, understanding came. A lone knight. A loneredknight.Thered knight that had plagued her lands forweeks now. This wasn't one of the Margrave's men. This wasworse.
“You!” she hissed.
“Aye,” the stranger said, jovially. “I.”
“Get out of my way,” Ayla said with morebravery than she felt. “Go now! Leave this land and I will forgetthat you ever came here.”
“What a generous offer, Milady. But alas, Ihave to rob you first. Even poor knights like myself have tolive.”
“Heel![14]Abominable villain! You daredefy me?”
The man scratched the side of his helmet, asif giving the matter serious thought. “Hmm... yes, I think I do.Dare defy you, I mean. Now can we please get on to the robberypart? I've got places to be.”
“But you're a knight,” she protested. “Howcan you do this? How can you rob a woman?”
He shrugged. “Oh, it's quite easy, if youknow how to. I'll let you in on my secret if you promise to keep itto yourself. You see, unlike men, women don't usually carryweapons. That makes them very easy to rob.”
Ayla just continued to sit on her horse,fuming. “And what about duty? Honor?”
“Ah, yes, those things. I think I had themonce. Lost them about five years ago, and can't say I miss themparticularly. Bothersome, they are.”
“But you're a knight,” she repeatedstubbornly.
“Arobberknight,” he corrected. “I rob from the rich to give to myself. It'sa very nice arrangement. So, if Milady could please hand me herpurse now, we can both go our separate ways.”
Ayla didn't say anything. Then, she suddenlyducked, pressed her heels into Eleanor's sides, and tried to makethe mare run past the stranger’s black stallion. Before she hadmoved three feet, however, a metallic ringing met her ears and ablade appeared at her neck, sweeping away the golden curtain of herhair.
“You are either very brave or very foolish,”the red knight said in a pleasant voice. “Considering that you'refemale, I would presume the latter. Perhaps I didn't make myselfclear, girl. Give me your money—now!” The last word he spoke was as steely as hisblade.
Ayla stared down the shiny length ofsharpened metal. Then her gaze wandered to the robber knight.Through his visor slit she could see his dark eyes. There was nohint of hesitation in them. The sword the man was holding was amonster of a weapon, broader than Ayla's slender neck.
Slowly,very slowly, she reached for her pocket and grabbed the purse shealways carried with her for emergencies. It held only a few silverThalers[15]—hopefully enough to satisfythis ravenous monster!
“Here,” she said, scathingly, throwing herpurse at the man in the hope he would lower his sword to catch itand she could escape. “May you choke on it!”
He caught the purse easily with his lefthand, without taking his eyes from her or moving the sword an inchaway from her throat.
“Thank you,” he said, with an effected littlebow. Ayla would have liked to slap him for that, but didn't dare.“And now get off your horse.”
“What?”
He sighed. “And we were doing so well. Girl,I'm robbing you. That means I take everything I want. Get off yourhorse.”
She stiffened, and her gaze hardened.
“If you think you can intimidate me, youvillain, you are very much mistaken! I may have given you my money,but the only way you'll get me off this horse is if you drag medown forcibly.”
