Creiton's Sword

Bryant joined the guard of Bren seeking a refuge from an abusive father and his own guilt about his brother's death. He wanted only to lose himself among the rough and experienced soldiers who upheld the law, and for a time he found a home there. But when the church bells rang out the news of war, Bryant found himself crossing the plains to meet an enemy he did not know. His first taste of battle took his only friend; his second taste took him far from home. For when you save the life of a great lord, you can't help but catch his eye. And when Bryant found himself taken in by Duke Creiton's legendary bodyguards, he knew he would never return to Bren as quite the same person. Cretion's Swords were very selective of whom they allowed to guard their lord's life, and they saw far more in Bryant than he saw within himself.But all of that was irrelevant unless he could survive the summer...