Exile's Return (Book 1) (50 page)

‘I … tell you,’ Finnlay gasped, trying to stand up straight again, ‘I’m not a sorcerer.’

The sergeant grabbed Finnlay’s hair, pulled his head back until his neck was stretched tight. ‘Say that once more, sorcerer, and I’ll cut your throat here and now! I don’t really care about waiting for the judges. I know how those Guilde fanatics feel about you people – but me? I’d rather rid the world of you personally. We don’t want your lying, evil ways
here. Do you understand? Dark Angel you may be, but I’m not going to let you out of here unless you’re either already dead or going to the stake.’

With a jerk, the sergeant shoved Finnlay’s head back against the wall and moved away. ‘Chain him to the wall. We don’t want him to get any ideas about escaping, do we?’

The guards grabbed him then, pushing him back against the wall. He could feel the blood trickling down his throat, making his muddy shirt wet. As they pulled up his right hand however, the sergeant lunged forward. ‘What’s that?’ he said as he grabbed the ring from Finnlay’s finger.

‘Where did you get this? A black eagle on a silver mount. I’m sure I’ve seen that before somewhere.’

‘I found it,’ Finnlay replied quickly.

‘Oh, really,’ the sergeant sneered, ‘then you won’t mind if I take it and find out who it really belongs to. It’s a valuable ring, like your clothes. Rich. Perhaps you didn’t find it. Perhaps you stole it – from a dead man.’

The sergeant laughed then, and together with the guards, moved back out of the cell. The door clanged shut, but it was only as the echo died away that Finnlay noticed the other feeling, the one that crept up on his senses like a shadow in the night. Blind without his
ayarn
he might be, but this sensation required no special talent. Not since he and Robert had worked on it a few weeks ago. There was a Malachi nearby, no doubt about it.

His chains clanging around him, Finnlay settled back down to the floor. His hands began to shake again – and this time it
was
with fear.

*

It was almost sunset by the time Jenn took the doctor up. Robert was still asleep when they went in, but woke immediately. Jenn helped him sit up and for a moment ignored the nagging doubt in her heart. There would be time to explore that later.

‘This is Doctor Wishart,’ she began. ‘He’s come up from the hospice to see you.’

Robert glanced at her, then nodded to the old man. ‘We’ve met before, Doctor, have we not?

‘Your Grace is kind to remember,’ Wishart murmured, his rheumy eyes giving away nothing. ‘And how does Your Grace feel this evening?’

‘Evening already? Well, I feel a little stiff, but I think I could get up.’

Wishart nodded, reaching out to touch the bruise on Robert’s forehead. ‘I think perhaps Your Grace’s wounds are a little more serious than they seem at the moment. You will have trouble walking, and that knock to your head will make you dizzy if you try. I recommend two weeks’ bed rest, Your Grace. No less. Do you remember how it happened?’

Jenn quickly moved to the end of the bed and threw Robert a warning glance.
Tell him you fell from your horse. Nothing more.

‘My horse stumbled, Doctor. I must have fallen and hit my head.’

‘I see,’ Wishart murmured, probing his shoulder. He straightened up and turned to Jenn. ‘The herbs you are giving him will do for the moment, and I suggest a poultice for the shoulder, my lady. Other than that, he just needs to stay in bed. I’ll call back in three days, but do let me know if there are any further problems.’

Jenn nodded and showed him to the door. When she came back, Robert was watching her with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. She had to smile.

‘You’re enjoying this.’

‘How ungenerous!’ she laughed and sat beside him. ‘After everything I’ve done for you.’

‘Look, I can’t stay in bed for two weeks. I feel fine.’

‘I know. Actually, I’m afraid the old doctor was being a little over-cautious. Your injuries aren’t that bad at all. You’ve not broken anything, although riding is going to be painful for a while. Nevertheless, you do need some rest, at least for a couple of days. How do you know Doctor Wishart?’

Robert flexed his wrist and his expression immediately became shuttered. ‘He tended my wife once.’

‘Oh.’ So that was how Bella had known. By the gods – it couldn’t be true!

Abruptly she got up and brought back his supper tray. She sat it on the bed in front of him. As he began eating, she continued watching him. He was still very pale and the normal lustre in his eyes was gone. That just made it worse. But he didn’t seem to feel anything. He behaved normally, as though nothing was wrong. Had he forgotten about his uncle, or did Robert really have that much control? If so, why could she see the pain – there, inside him, like a disease?

Jenn sighed. ‘Perhaps we’d better concentrate on what happened to you yesterday. Do you remember the forest at all? Do you know why you were there?’

‘I don’t remember any forest,’ Robert frowned, ‘nor a river.’

‘Well, do you know what this is?’ She reached under the bed and brought forth the item wrapped in scarlet cloth. ‘I found this inside your doublet. I couldn’t recognize it so I hid it along with your
ayarn.
I didn’t want to take any more chances.’

She unwrapped the silver object and held it up for Robert to see. He frowned again and the wound on his forehead grew dark red. He closed his eyes for a second, then hissed in a breath.

‘Finnlay!’ He struggled to sit up but she held him back.

‘What about him? Was he with you?’

‘Yes. We were up on the mountain, investigating the caves. I fell, must have gone down the cliff. He must be looking for me even now. By the gods, he’ll be frantic. I’ve got to—’

‘No. I’ll send some people out to look for him. If he saw you fall, he’d be combing the river. Just wait here.’ Before she could move however, the door burst open and Fiona stood there, her face white with shock.

‘Jenn, I’ve been looking for you! I’ve just heard the most disturbing news.’

‘What? What’s happened?’

Fiona darted a glance at Robert, then closed the door quickly, waving her hand to set the warning. ‘It’s Finnlay. He’s been arrested on charges of sorcery.’

Now Robert did get out of bed, and Jenn did nothing to stop him. Instead she pressed Fiona for more details. ‘How did it happen?’

‘He was in the forest. Two woodsmen saw some bright light coming from his hand. Going from the description, it sounds like Finnlay. Was he with you, Robert?’

‘Aye, he was. Jenn, I need the rest of my clothes. I have to get Finn out of there.’

Her heart racing, Jenn nodded slowly. ‘Yes, of course.’

‘But you can’t go anywhere like this,’ Fiona cried. ‘You’re not fit even to ride!’

Robert ignored her protest and reached for the doublet Jenn handed him. ‘Where are they keeping Finnlay?’

Fiona hesitated, looking from Robert to Jenn and back.

‘Tell him,’ Jenn murmured, ‘you can’t stop him and you know it.’ With that, she turned and pulled open a chest sitting by the opposite wall. Quickly she rummaged through the old clothes, coming up with something in dark colours.

‘Finnlay’s in a village called Kilphedir, in the heart of the forest. You’ll never find it on your own.’

‘Robert’s not going alone,’ Jenn added. ‘I’m going with him. Fiona, you’ll have to help us. I can get horses saddled and waiting outside the garden wall, but I need you to do a mask. The guard will see us leaving otherwise. Robert can’t manage one and I’ve yet to learn.’

‘You have no idea what you’re doing!’ Fiona insisted. ‘You’ve never done anything like this before. What if you’re missed. What will your father say?’

‘We don’t have time for this,’ Robert said, pulling on his boots.

No, they didn’t. Jenn tossed the old clothes over her shoulder and turned to face Fiona. ‘It will be much worse if you’re missed. You’re the stranger here – they will assume you had something to do with it. If you stay here, you can
provide an excuse for me. I’ve gone to bed with a headache. I stayed up too many hours looking after this renegade. My father will believe you. Trust me. Please, Fiona, Finnlay’s in danger. We must help.’

Slowly the resistance died in Fiona’s eyes. ‘Very well,’ she said.

*

The night was clear and a thousand stars glittered above like diamonds in the sky. A cool breathless breeze floated across the lake and up to the ridge where Robert paused long enough to make sure they weren’t being followed. But the valley was empty and he turned his horse for the downward slope. Jenn rode behind him, dressed like a stable boy, her hair bound up beneath a cloth cap. On the surface she looked tiny, young and vulnerable, but the way her eyes shimmered determination, he wasn’t fooled.

Robert gave the horse its head as it clambered down the rocky incline. The pain in his hip was bad and likely to get worse. How could he help Finnlay like this? If only he hadn’t slipped and fallen down that damned cliff. If only he hadn’t gone on that stupid venture in the first place. If only Oliver hadn’t been such a fool!

Yes, he remembered now. Everything, right down to the last agonizing, blistering detail. But he couldn’t worry about it now. Now he had to concentrate on rescuing Finnlay and find a way out of this awful mess.

‘Are you all right?’ Jenn asked, bringing her horse alongside his.

‘Why do you keep asking me that?’ Robert snapped.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘And don’t apologize!’ Robert kicked his horse and cantered off. He assumed she followed. For more than an hour they rode in silence, keeping mainly to the trees where they lined the contours of the gentle hills. After that however, Robert had to call a halt, to walk the horses for a bit. He tried shifting in his saddle to ease the pain, but stopped when he realized Jenn was watching him. She said nothing, only rode behind him, the spare horse beside her.

He gave up trying to stop the pain, instead focusing his mind on the real problem at hand. ‘How well do you know Kilphedir?’

‘I don’t,’ Jenn replied quietly, as though she’d rather not talk at all. ‘I haven’t been allowed to stray far from Elita – at least, not until we went to Marsay.’

‘Then why did you insist on coming along?’ Robert demanded without pausing. ‘Do you even know where it is?’

There was no reply at first. Then Jenn drew her horse alongside his, reached out and caught his bridle. She brought both of them to a halt and fixed him with a steady gaze. She paused as though trying to find the right words, but he had no time for this. ‘We have to keep moving.’

‘Robert,’ Jenn began without anger, ‘If you don’t stop fighting me, I’m going to hit you.’

‘You? Hit me?’ It was absurd, and without meaning to, Robert burst out laughing. Jenn watched him gravely, saying nothing. ‘You don’t need to. Come, let’s move on. You can tell me about your trip to Marsay.’

They continued on, but Jenn was unusually silent. Was she still angry with him? ‘Well? Did you enjoy yourself in our lovely capital?’

‘Not really,’ Jenn murmured. ‘There’s nothing much to tell. I met a lot of people who stared at me like I was some monster. Some people were very kind, others not. I met the Queen.’

Robert shot a glance at her, half-afraid to ask. ‘And the King?’

‘Yes. But he was more interested in what you were doing – and in finding me a suitable husband.’

Of course he would. There’s no way Selar would ignore a potential threat like Jenn. Not when his own son was still a small child. ‘Did you meet anyone else I know?’

At this she turned a flinty gaze on him, clearly visible in the starlight. ‘I met your dear friend Vaughn. He was most insistent that I tell him your future plans.’

Robert frowned. There was something very brittle in her voice, something she wasn’t telling him. ‘What did you say?’

I told him you were determined to stay at Dunlorn. Liar!

With a chuckle, Robert shook his head. ‘Well, it’s nice to know some things haven’t changed. Is that all? Nothing else?’

‘No. Nothing. Listen, have you any idea what we’re going to do when we get to Kilphedir? We can’t exactly just walk in and take Finnlay home, can we?’

‘No. However, I can’t make any real plans until I see the place, find out where they’re holding him. What bothers me more is whether Finnlay is trying to escape. Without a horse he won’t get very far. They’ll just pick him up again and assume his guilt – if they haven’t already. Damn, I should have been watching where I was putting my feet. If I hadn’t fallen, none of this would have happened!’

Robert paused long enough to shoot a grin at Jenn, ‘But no, you’re right, I don’t have time for self-recrimination. We need to keep to the point. What else can you tell me about this village?’

Jenn gazed heavenwards in silent appeal. Eventually she replied, ‘About five hundred inhabitants. Surrounded on all sides by the forest. The road goes through east to west. Actually, you might have seen it from the cliffs.’

‘I think I did,’ Robert said. But what was Finnlay doing now? Would he try to escape? ‘Jenn, tell me, do you think you could try talking to Finn? Warn him to stay where he is?’

‘I don’t know. It’s worth a go.’ Jenn stopped her horse and in the dim light he could just make out the pale oval of her face with her eyes nothing more than dark shadows. She frowned. ‘What should I say? The shorter the message, the better chance I have of getting through to him.’

‘How about: “idiot”?’

She smiled.
All right, idiot.

‘Not me,’ he growled in mock anger, ‘Finnlay!’

Sorry, sometimes I get you confused.

She was silent for a moment, then, on the very edges of his awareness, he heard a whisper. He couldn’t make out the words, but he knew it was her voice. As it melted away she glanced up. ‘I don’t know if it worked. I just told him to
wait because we were on our way. However, unless you’ve told him about my little trick, he’ll probably just think he’s going mad.’

Robert nodded and turned his horse back to the path. ‘He won’t be the first one.’

‘Do you think they know who he is?’ Jenn asked out of the darkness.

‘He won’t tell them.’