Calibex brought his hands together in front of him and the snarls ceased, but the terrified soldiers could still hear the hungry panting of many open mouths. The wizard pictured Isabelle in his mind and sent that thought out into the darkness beyond the firelight.

“Seek,” he said softly and then clapped his hands together. The wolves turned as one and raced away into the night; their howls of anger and hunger shattered the still air.

With a satisfied smile Calibex turned back to the fire and discovered that all of his brave soldiers had apparently run away. He threw his head back and laughed long and hard.

Barker woke everyone when the small moon crested the tree tops, its golden glow giving the surrounding woods a feeling of faint warmth. “It be just past middle-night,” the Innkeeper told Humphrey, “and we should be able to see well enough to travel.”

“Good,” he said as he tied his blankets behind Bastion’s saddle. He went to take the horse’s reins when Bastion jerked his head up and snorted. The horse shook his big head, snorted again and pawed at the ground with one huge hoof. Humphrey did not know what it was that alerted Bastion, but realized immediately that it was something serious.

Bruce also knew Bastion’s moods and moved over close to Humphrey. “What is it, sir?” he asked quietly.

“Hsst!” Humphrey said and held up a hand to forestall any other questions as he listened carefully to the night. From far away he finally heard a sharp bark and then a long howl from another part of the forest. “Wolves,” he snapped, then turned to face his small group.

“Mayhap they but hunt a doe or stag,” Barker offered.

“Aye,” Humphrey said, “and mayhap naught. If they hunt larger prey we can nae outrun them, nor can we cross the Welling while it be so fast and high.” He looked quickly around their narrow shelter. “We must make our stand here. At least our backs will be protected and they will need be come at us from the front.”

He pulled the long, oilskin wrapped package from beneath his saddle straps which he placed there on the night they left the castle behind them and tossed it to Bruce. “Prepare this,” he said to the squire. “Master Barker, take the horses as far back beneath the shelter as can be. All save Bastion—he will fight along side us,” Humphrey told him.

“Aye, Sir Knight,” he said and pulled the horses back within the shelter. All three of them were now becoming skittish as the wolf howls became louder and closer.

Bruce knelt and removed the oilskin from the package Humphrey gave him and was surprised to find Isabelle’s long bow inside, along with a flat quiver of arrows and several strings of sinew. He looked over to the young queen and saw her smile as she realized what it was and he quickly stood to string the bow.

Once strung, he took the bow and quiver over to Isabelle. “Me lady,” he said and offered the weapon to her. She took the quiver and slipped the strap over her left shoulder and then took the bow, placed three fingers on the string and pulled it back to her right ear to test the bend of the wood. Satisfied, she slowly brought the string back to its resting point, then smiled at Bruce.

“My thanks, squire,” she said. Bruce bobbed his head and mayhap would have said something in return, but Humphrey appeared next to him.

“Bruce, take a position in the middle of the shelter near the horses. If any of the beasts get past us, it will up to you to stop them.”

“Aye, Sir Humphrey,” he said, all business now that danger threatened. He drew his sword and moved over close to the horses.