Summer Rainault shaded her eyes, glancing up at the sun. She’d stay out another hour before heading back to Camelot. She’d found a good harvest of the herbs that were wanted by the physician, but the day was more than nice enough to linger. Early autumn wasn’t often so.

Absorbed in her task, she didn’t pay much attention to the sounds around her until the several roughly dressed men had surrounded her.

“Well hey, what’s this?” one of them growled, brandishing a knife at her. “Pretty girl, all alone, not a good thing.” Another one chuckled, a cruel sound.

“All your money, and quickly,” the one with the knife said, beckoning.

Summer twisted her mouth sideways. “Do I look to have money on me, you fool?”