He pulled his horse to a stop about twenty yards from the approaching men. "Where is the tall one, the man with the sword?" he yelled across the narrow gap separating them.

One man took a step forward. "We have come for the herdsman and the other man, the fighter," he answered with a sneer, ignoring Jagger's question.

The Frisians looked grateful for the respite from their walk; many leaned on an assortment of unconventional weapons and ...