Sunlight glinting off a blade spurred me to take a flying leap with a well-judged scissor kick to the side of the villain’s head. It sent him sprawling unconscious to the ground, his knife falling harmlessly beside him.
“Aella! Thank God! You saved my life; I couldn’t have held the blade off my throat much longer.”
“Who is he?” I jerked my thumb at the hulking figure prostrate among the chickweed.
Nerian straightened his tunic and said,
“He ploughs land over yonder, along the Corbridge road a mile or so away. I grind his barley.”
“And is that reason enough to want you dead?” I picked up the knife and tucked it in my belt.
My friend laughed mirthlessly,
“He accused me of cheating him.”
“And did you?”
“Aella! Of course not!”
I drew my seax since the fellow was stirring.
“I think y
