Message for the Duke ....

Colonel Steffen Hofler home on leave from the Zinzendorf province was given an urgent task to perform by Count Munster, with Mlle Givenchy he was to deliver urgent dispatches to to the Duke of Fenwick; going with them would be Hofler's batman, sergeant Johan Hagen.

They rode hard and evaded a couple of men who had been following them and crossed the border into the Duchy of Fenwick without incident.

---oXo---

As they neared the Ducal palace two men (with a few more in the distance behind them) blocked their way; "Ride on to the cross, I'll cover you" shouted Hofler....

after an exchange of fire, a bit of swordplay and dodging through the trees the Hofler made it to the old cross where Mlle Givenchy and Hagen were waiting.

with no-one obviously following them they headed round the back of the ducal palace estate to an old access gate....

they tied up their horses and forced the gate open and went inside.... it would take some time to get through the grounds to the palace to get the message to the Duke...

was anyone lying in wait for them  ?

to be continued