Early the following morn, ten fully armed Templar Knights and accompanying sergeants departed Combe Templariorum. With them rode Jagger, Odo and Charlotte atop Noor. She was excited at the thought of riding her new horse and the three of them set out, along with the Templars, in high spirits.

Preceptor Lucius insisted his knights accompany them for part of their journey. Their presence, he maintained, would provide a powerful deterrent to any ...