Candace C. Bowen - Knight Series 03 (20 page)

Strapping on his sword, Talan turned to a startled Mylla. “Do not look so frightened, mon coeur. If the situation were dire, I believe your brother would have said as much.”

“Shall I get dressed?”

“Mayhap you should.” Quickly dressing, he paused long enough to kiss her. “Bolt the door. I shan’t be long.”

Climbing naked from the bed, Mylla picked up her ruined chemise, only to toss it aside. Digging through her satchel, she pulled out an ivory chemise to wear beneath her blue kirtle. She had her hair brushed and braided by the time a soft knock sounded on the door. Her surprise was evident when she unbolted the door to find Edmund. “Where is Talan?”

“He sent me for you,” Edmund said clearly agitated. “Gather your belongings, we must leave here.”

Near panic, Mylla did as instructed. Passing Edmund Talan’s pack, she grabbed her cloak and satchel.

“Follow me, and say not a word,” Edmund said. 

The passageway was dark and silent when they carefully made their way down the creaking steps. Following Edmund through the empty common room, Mylla almost bumped into him when he stopped by the outer door. “The horses are tied in front of the blacksmiths. I shall help you mount but we must make haste.”

“Is Talan waiting with them?” she whispered.

“Two men bearing the justice’s insignia arrived at the inn last night. Talan rode ahead to scout the route we are travelling. Should he encounter more guards, he will lead them away to clear our path.” When Mylla looked like she would argue, he said, “We have arranged a meeting place. Now let us be gone from here afore you are captured.” The slow whisk of steel filled the silence when Edmund withdrew his sword. Silently opening the outer door, he led the way outside.

†

Talan woke with a splitting headache to the cock’s crow. Blinking awake in the dim light of dawn, it took him a moment to recognize his surroundings. Lying face down in the dirt behind the inn, he lightly probed the blood stiffened hair and massive lump on the back of his head. “Mylla,” he breathed. He staggered through the inn and up the steps. Before he kicked in the door to the chamber, he already knew what he would find. The ensuing battle cry filled with pain and rage startled awake the inn’s sleeping inhabitants. 

†

“Edmund, when are we to meet up with Talan?” Hours outside of Chertsey the pair had left the road to travel over difficult mountainous terrain.  

“We are not meeting him, I lied,” Edmund said. “I am escorting you to London. After which, you will wed the justice as planned.” Leading the way, he was forced to rein around when Mylla halted her horse.

“You betrayed us.” Tears of anguish pooled in Mylla’s eyes. 

“Did you really believe I would stand idle while you bring death and dishonor upon our family?”

“Where is Talan?” Fear had Mylla’s heart pounding. “What did you do to him?” When he refused to answer right away, she spurred her mare into the flank of his stallion. “What did you do to my husband?!”

“Calm yourself, Mylla.” Edmund fought to control his agitated horse. “I only gave him a sound thumping. The justice has plans for your husband afore he slays him. Guards should have already arrived in Chertsey to take him into custody.”

“You have no right.” Mylla shook her head. “Father and Mother have condoned my being with Talan.”

“I have every right as father’s successor,” Edmund sneered. “He gave his word to the justice. If he will not honor it, I shall.”

“I am married and no longer chaste,” Mylla said, “the justice will not want me.”

“Oh he still wants you,” Edmund said, “only not as his wife.”

“What does your betrayal get you in return?”

“In return for you, the justice will take no action against the family,” Edmund said. “And since father no longer thinks clearly, I am to be named sheriff in his stead. By now he has been summoned to London to hear the news directly from the justice.”

“How could you do this to Da?” Mylla shook her head in disbelief. “How could you do this at all?”

Edmund glanced away from her look of betrayal. “You gave me no choice, Mylla, none of you did.”

“Did you tell the justice the family aided my escape?”

“Of course not,” Edmund scoffed. “I am attempting to save them, not see them slain.”

“I still do not understand,” Mylla said. “If this was your plan all along, why did you allow us to wed? You arrived in time to put a stop to it.”

“I am no fool to take on an armed knight,” Edmund said. “Something you should thank me for. I doubt the justice will show you courtesy of any kind. Now get moving afore I set your horse free and force you to ride with me.”

†

Talan sat alone at the bar oblivious to everything going on around him. The only time he had moved in the hours since discovering Edmund’s betrayal was to pull on his Erlegh surcoat. Fortunately for him, someone had found his pack stashed in the bushes beside the inn and had turned it in.

When the door finally opened to admit six of the justice’s guards, he stood to face them. “What took you so bloody long?”

†

Frederick and Caine were on the outskirts of Chertsey when they spotted Talan on the road ahead surrounded by the justice’s guards.

“I do not see our sister,” Caine said.

“One calamity at a time, brother,” Frederick said, “What do we do?”

“Let us play at being villains.” Caine spurred his horse to close the distance between the two groups. Coming to a halt in the center of the road, he called, “I see you have located the man who absconded with our sister.” 

The captain of the guard drew to a halt several paces away. “Who are you?”

“I am Caine, son of Richard, Sheriff of Rochester. I ride with my brother, Frederick.” Caine jerked his head in Frederick’s direction. “On Justice de Glanville’s orders, we have been searching for our sister, Mylla, and Sir Talan these few days past.”  

“As you can see,” the captain said, “he has been found.”

“What of our sister?” Frederick asked.

“We know not what happened to her.” The captain glanced over at Talan. “We did not find her at the inn, and he refuses to tell us. Once we arrive in London, the justice will persuade him to reveal all that he knows.”

“If you give us leave, we shall ride along with you,” Caine said. “Our father would most like to see this man punished.”

“I give you leave,” the captain said spurring his horse. “Do try and keep up.”

Having followed the exchange, Talan glanced back in surprise when Frederick winked at him on his way past to take up the rear of the riding party. 

The sun was high overhead by the time the captain decided on a rest. Leading the horses to a lake, the guards gathered in the shade of an oak to share a quick meal of fruit and cheese.

Not finding an opportunity to speak to Talan alone, Caine created one. Approaching the captain, he said, “If Sir Talan left my sister somewhere between Rochester and Chertsey, we would be forced to backtrack. It seems to me a waste of the justice’s time.” 

“What will you have us do?” the captain replied. “I told you, he refuses to speak.”

“What say you to my brother and I having a private talk with him? We know him better than any man here,” Caine said. “Mayhap we can appeal to his virtuous side and convince him to surrender our sister’s location.”

The captain shrugged. “Have a go if it suits you.”

Seated on an outcropping of rock a short ways from the guards, Talan watched the two brothers’ approach with an unreadable expression.

Keeping his back to guards, Frederick was the first to speak. “We do not have much time, and have much to share. Where is Mylla?”

“Why should I trust you?” Talan sneered.

Taken aback by Talan’s manner Caine stiffened. “Why would you not?”

“Are you going to tell me that you had no hand in what Edmund has done?”

“Edmund?” Frederick was clearly confused. “He was to escort you and Mylla into Wales.”

“He betrayed us,” Talan said. “Had I been thinking more clearly, I would have recognized his final ploy for the betrayal it became. In the early morning hours, your brother knocked me unconscious, and abducted my wife. He plans on turning Mylla over to the justice. They are likely halfway to London by now.”

“I do not believe you,” Caine said. “Edmund witnessed the justice slay his clerk. He would never turn Mylla over to him.”

“Believe what you will,” Talan said. “When I find him, I am going to kill him.”

“I believe you,” Frederick said with a look of regret. “I saw Edmund speaking to the justice on several occasions. When I queried him about it, he brushed me off.”

“If what you say is true,” Caine said, “he has betrayed us all.”

“I am already keenly aware of that,” Talan said, “tis why I allowed myself to be captured.”

“The guards will soon grow suspicious.” Frederick glanced over his shoulder to find the captain looking in their direction. “Baron Erlegh has come up with a plan to assist you. He intends to petition the king on your behalf.”

“My liege is now involved?” Talan was visibly shaken. “Have you spoken to him?”

“We rode with the justice to Castell Maen.” Bringing Talan up to date on everything that had occurred since their parting with Edmund in Rochester, Caine looked over at Frederick. “Am I forgetting anything?”

“Baron Erlegh made particular note of the third wife’s remains,” Frederick said to Talan. “He may have a contingency plan should the king decide against you.”

“They are to stay at a place called The Silver Spur in the city,” Caine said. “Have you heard of it?”

“I have lodged there in the past,” Talan said thoughtfully. “Who rides with my liege?”

“Your fellow knights; Albin, Euric, Gervase, and Guy, along with his lordship’s friend, Euric. Leofrick was ordered to ride with the justice. We were also his escort until reaching Castell Maen. The justice was to have been misled into believing that Caine and I had suddenly fallen ill.”

“We departed soon after the justice retired for the night in order to reach you in time,” Frederick said. “We do not know how well the ruse worked.”

“If the justice demanded your presence upon waking, everyone at Castell Maen could now be in peril,” Talan said. “What else could go wrong?”

“We have no choice but to look on the positive side,” Caine said. “Baron Erlegh appeared confident, and regardless of what Edmund has done, we shall all be reunited in London to see the matter to its conclusion.”

†

Fulke halted beside the bank of the Thames on the outskirts of London. Dismounting, he led his steed to the water. “We need to finalize our plans prior to our arrival into the city.”

Following Fulke’s lead the rest of the men tended to their horses before gathering around him.

“Perhaps we should wait until after dark,” Leofrick said to Fulke. “You are sure to be recognized.”

“Every man wearing the Erlegh coat will be recognized,” Albin said, “there is naught that can be done about it.” 

“We hide from no one.” Fulke kept his gaze on Albin. “For that reason, I suggest we split into pairs. If Henry intends to detain us for defying his banishment order, we should at least make it difficult for his guards.”

“Makes sense to me.” Euric nodded. “Shall we rendezvous at the inn, or ride straight to the palace?”

“Since I alone will be requesting an audience with the king, I suggest you rendezvous at The Silver Spur. It is located off High Street, within sight of the palace. Turn down the lane alongside the cordwainer’s shop. You cannot miss it.”

“Say that again?” Albin moved closer to Fulke.

“I said to make a right turn after the shoemaker’s shop.”

“Not that part.” Albin held up his pointer finger. “I am speaking about the part where you intend to petition Henry on your own.”

“If you heard me well enough to repeat my words, why do you need me to do so?”

“I was merely giving you an opportunity to rephrase your intent lest I am forced to knock some sense into you.”

“Albin,” Gervase said. “You forget who you are addressing. Irrespective of how wrong he may be, he is still our liege.”

“I bloody well know who I am addressing.” Albin turned on Gervase. “He may be your liege, yet by the king’s own words, he is no longer mine. He is my oldest friend, and I can speak to him any damn way I please.”

“Calm down, Albin.” Fulke held his hand up. “I have thought through all conceivable probabilities. It is for the best that I petition Henry alone. The chances are far better he will meet with me. Beyond that, we both know what a proud man he is. If our meeting is before an audience, his actions will be dictated by our last parting.”

“It does make a slight amount of sense,” Leofrick said. “The king has not seen Fulke in some time. His curiosity about the visit is bound to get the better of him.”

“You know the king on a personal level, do you?” Albin would not be swayed.

“Personally, I have never met our sovereign,” Leofrick said. “Yet Fulke has, and I trust his judgment.”

“I still do not like it.” Albin shook his head. “Henry is too unpredictable at the best of times.”