An action-packed excerpt from Woman of Honor

Since Woman of Honor is fantasy romance about knights, it is jam-packed full of action and adventure. Here's a piece from one such scene where Duke Harold, Aislinn, and several pages are searching for some bandits. The duke had sent some pages ahead to scout when:


Suddenly, horrifying screams filled the air. The noise stopped almost immediately. “Onward, soldiers, into battle!” Harold cried, triumphantly raising his sword.

The other pages responded and followed the duke to the right. Aislinn rushed her horse but he panicked from the commotion and required precious seconds to calm down. Finally, Dream Rider galloped and they rushed into a clearing.

The two pages were bloodied, lying in a hapless mass in the center. Twenty or so bandits surrounded the bodies, each with a weapon tightly gripped in their hands. Some had weapons in each hand. Hideous looking, with little or no teeth, greasy hair, dyed skin, and wild eyes full of rage and hatred, the bandits made serious foes.

“If you want ‘em,” one stated, nodding to the pages, “come and git ‘em. But ye’ll be needing to git through us first.”

One look and the Arnhemians realized that the pages were dead. Aislinn grew sick and her stomach heaved. The duke had sent them to their deaths at her vision. But if I had not seen the movement, they could have ambushed all of us and we all could be dead now. She slowed her breathing and tried not to let her sense of guilt overwhelm her.

Before the duke responded, a toothless, bald man with eight fingers, threw a spear. It nearly hit Harold, only his shield saved him.
All pandemonium broke loose. Following the duke’s lead, the pages fought valiantly but many fell wounded as the rouges fought as if possessed, as if they did not fear death.

A bandit came up to her, his mouth leering, showing his two teeth. “A girl, eh? I be claiming ya as me own.”

“I think not.” Aislinn, still on Dream Rider, used her added height to her advantage as she kicked his dagger. The weapon stayed in his hand but it served as the diversion necessary for Aislinn to take her own dagger and slice his throat, blooding rushing everywhere.

She felt lightheaded. Although killing another living thing was a reality they had been taught to expect, actually feeling his warm blood on her hands was a feeling she never imagined. She had to look away from the fallen bandit and glanced around. Three men surrounded Adamina. The other girl was on the ground. Where was her horse? They circled her, most likely spewing comments similar to the bandit Aislinn had killed.