“Sir Lamerok,” Henri said. “I deem that you have plans, or schemes, of your own.”
The big knight chuckled in a wheezing, old man’s way, nodding at last.
“Well,” Cord said, “the important thing is that we’re all free. Now we can all help each other.”
Lamerok began to cough, a wet hacking cough that put him on his back. When he finally brought the coughing under control, he wheezed, “I still don’t understand how this Sergeant Reynard was overcome. He sounded like a fierce fighter.”
“He was,” Henri said.
“Didn’t he guard Alice?”
“Yes, of course he did,” Henri said. “That’s why Cord had to kill him.” Henri gave the big knight a run down of the fight.
“Ah,” Lamerok said. He turned his head. “Then it seems that you do indeed have the makings of a knight. Who taught you how to fight?”
“Sergeant Hob,” said Cord. “And Richard,” he added thoughtfully.
“I find this intriguing,” Lamerok whispered. “You’ll have to tell me more about this Hob and more about Richard’s instructions.” His voice trailed off as he spoke. “Not now, however. I find it hard to keep my eyes open.”
“You should rest,” Cord agreed. “Your ordeal in the dungeon took much from you.”
“Wake me when it’s time to eat,” Lamerok whispered. He gave them a bitter grin. “I’ve been bashed before, lads. Usually in tournaments, though. In any regard, I’ve a strong constitution. Give me a few days and lots of good venison and I’ll fight with the best of them.”
After Lamerok began to snore, Cord propped himself against a mossy rock. He was tired. He watched a pair of robins fly to their nest and shove grasshoppers and worms into the gaping mouths of their chicks. His eyes drooped. Soon he was fast asleep. He awoke to the sound of a crackling fire and the wonderful smell of cooking rabbit.
Painfully, Cord rose and stretched, his joints popping. His stomach grumbled and his head felt as if it was filled with rocks. He’d hardly slept enough, he knew. But the sound of fire and the smell of food had made sleep impossible.
Rhys turned the spits upon which three skinned rabbits hung. Greasy gobs plopped from the carcasses like raindrops and sizzled nicely in the flames. Rhys had made his small fire inside a circle of rolled together stones. Alice crouched nearby, her arms wrapped around her knees as she watched the flames. She held onto her javelin and her face was unreadable, her emotions masked.
“‘Morning,” said Cord. The sun had risen to somewhere around midmorning. Sunshine bathed the center of the glade and it had dried up all the dew.
Alice gave him a nod.
He sat down beside her. “We really did it,” he said, grinning.
“So it seems,” she agreed, her features never altering from her mask.
He looked at her in surprise. “Why are you so glum? You were trapped in Pellinore Castle for over three years, now you’re free.”
“Yes, I suppose I am free. I’m glum because now I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s simple. We ride to Gareth Castle, take over and ready ourselves for Sir Guy’s arrival.”
“Maybe two years ago I could have done that. Now….” She shrugged. “I have no money, other than the few coins I purloined from Philip’s treasure chest.”
“You don’t need money,” Cord said. “All you must do is show yourself to your people.”
“What about Sir Thomas?” Alice asked bitterly. “He’s Gareth’s new castellan, and he’s thrown in his lot in with
Baron
Guy. Worse, most of the fighting peasants and half of Gareth’s retainers are still in Pellinore. I hadn’t counted on that the first time I tried to escape.”
“Maybe Sir Thomas isn’t with Guy anymore,” Cord said. “Now that you’re free—”
“No! Sir Thomas has thrown in his lot with Guy. I understand that now. If I go penniless to Gareth Castle I stand a good chance of being recaptured and given to Philip. He’ll wed me on the spot and gain legal control of my fief. Then I’m no longer of use to any of them. Then I might as well be dead.”
“So why did you ever ask us to help you?” Cord said.
“I’d thought that my knights had stayed faithful to my father’s memory and thus to me. Now I no longer believe that.”
“Because of Sir Thomas?” asked Cord.
“And because none of the Gareth folk raised a finger to help me these past few days.” Alice gave Cord a stern look. “I will win back Gareth Castle, never fear. To do so I need men-at-arms. In order to control the men-at-arms I need knights and money.”
“How much did you take from Philip’s treasure chest?” Cord asked.
“Not enough. Not nearly enough,” Alice said.
“Was it enough to buy a good suit of armor and a lance?”
Alice studied him. “Sir Lamerok is sorely hurt,” she said at last. “I’d hoped he would have been stronger.” She shrugged.
Cord frowned.
“That’s why you asked about armor, isn’t it?”
“No,” he said.
She seemed puzzled. “Why worry about armor and lances then?”
Cord’s face turned red. He didn’t know how to broach the topic. A lifetime of habits and thoughts were difficult to overcome.
Alice’s mouth dropped open. “You?” she asked in surprise. “The armor is for you?”
“My father was a knight.”
She snorted softly and shook her head. “Cord. Cord. You can’t believe you can simply become a knight by wearing armor and holding a lance.”
“I will be a knight,” Cord said stubbornly. “Come what may, I
will
be a knight.”
“No, Cord. We must think rationally.”
“I slew Sergeant Reynard.”
“Yes, with our help.”
Cord’s face turned red again, with anger this time. “Help?” he asked.
“I sliced Reynard’s neck and Henri stunned him with his throwing dagger.”
“Bah! I would have slain him anyway. I alone defeated Sergeant Reynard.”
“Do you really believe that?” Alice asked in disbelief.
Cord stood up. He knew he shouldn’t be this angry. “I’ll be a knight, Alice de Mowbray. I’ve already rescued you from bondage, a knight-errant deed. Normally a maiden would be grateful for such a rescue.”
“I am.”
“Maidens, I’ve heard, know how to show such gratitude.”
“What are you saying?”
Cord made an angry sound as he gestured sharply.
“No, speak your mind, Cord. Tell me what you’re saying.”
“This is ridiculous,” Rhys said from the fire. His wife Gwen made an urgent coughing sound and tried to signal him to remain silent. Rhys ignored her as he said, “Cord obviously rescued you, milady, so he could marry you. Are you too blind to understand?”
Alice’s eyes widened. “Is this true?” she asked Cord.
Cord shrugged.
“But you’re a dog boy,” she said.
“No longer,” Cord said tightly, his anger surging anew. “After last night I’ve become a squire.”
“A squire?” Alice asked. “Whose squire? You can’t just be a squire by saying so. You have to be the squire of a knight.”
“He is.”
Cord, Alice, Rhys and Gwen glanced at Lamerok. The big knight sat up. A soft smile was upon his face, which seemed strange because of the wreck of his features.
“Cord is my squire,” Lamerok whispered.
Alice’s mouth dropped open for the second time this morning.
“He is the son of Sir Tostig, one of the finest knights I’ve ever known,” Lamerok said. “Yes. Cord is my squire. So of course you can marry him.”
“I-I just can’t get married!” Alice said, leaping to her feet.
“Of course you can,” Lamerok whispered. “Who is better than the squire who saved you? Who is better than the man who slew your guard in the tower?”
Gwen and Rhys nodded.
“But then that isn’t really my concern,” Lamerok said loftily. “Why you wanted me rescued is.”
It was her turn to blush. “I’ll explain after breakfast.”
“Good enough,” Lamerok said. “I’m famished, and the aroma of those rabbits is driving me mad.”
Alice glanced at the spits. “They won’t be done right away,” she said.
“Soon enough, though,” Rhys said.
“Yes, soon,” Alice agreed. “But there’s time enough so I can speak with Cord.”
Cord eyed her warily.
“Would you step over here?” Alice asked, motioning toward the wolf run.
“Now?” asked Cord, who belatedly remembered Sir Lamerok’s advice.
“Yes, now,” Alice demanded, moving toward the run.
Cord took Reynard’s scabbard and sword and belted it on. The sergeant hadn’t had a knightly waist belt, but a baldric: a broad leather strap that hung over Cord’s right shoulder and under his left. A big brass baldric buckle shone from Cord’s chest like a medal, while at his hip swung the wooden scabbard and sword. The sword was two edged and heavy, a true battlefield weapon, meant to crush and bash chainmail clad opponents. The long hilt had been wrapped with leather and was held in place by wire. As he walked, the scabbard banged uncomfortably against his thigh. This was going to take getting used too. The clatter of it sounded good, however. It sounded manly, knightly. As soon as he had a chance, he’d file the nicks out of the blade, the ones put there by his Toledo steel dagger.
He followed Alice down the wolf run. He admired the womanly sway of her hips and the precise manner of her steps. Yes, this tall, statuesque Norman lady was somebody he could love. Could she ever possibly love him in return?
She turned suddenly. “How dare you!”
“Huh?”
“To presume I’d marry you simply because you helped me escape.”
“It was Henri’s idea.”
Her fine blonde eyebrows arched high indeed. Her blush deepened and penetrated down to her throat and maybe even farther beyond. Cord was entranced. She was stunning and he desired her.
“Henri’s idea?” she asked tightly, as if under great control.
Cord made a vague gesture, worried now that he’d made a mistake.
“You mean you didn’t want to marry me until Henri thought of it? Is that right?”
Cord, knowing he’d said the wrong thing, now said nothing.
“Or was it simply the idea of becoming a knight that drove you?” she asked.
“I will be knight, Alice. I won’t let Philip, Hugh or Earl Roger Mortimer steal what’s mine.”
“They
did
steal it.”
“Then I’m taking it back.”
“By marrying me?”
Cord licked his lips and took a step closer. “Why are you angry with me? I faced Reynard for you. Maybe you and Henri helped, but neither of you stood toe-to-toe with him.”
“You did it so you could become a knight. You did it because Philip blocked your marriage with Bess Miller. You’ve done all these things in order to beat Philip.”
“Very well,” he said. “I did those things so I could become a knight and thereby someday defeat Philip. Who plans on killing me, by the way.”
“Then why lie to me?” she snapped.
“I haven’t lied.”
“Then why did you say you did those things for me?”
“…You’re free, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
“So didn’t I do it for you?”
“NO! You freed me to use my money! You’re just like all the others, Dog Boy.”
“I’m a squire!”
She laughed. “What a joke. You hardly know how to sit a horse.”
Cord advanced upon her, almost uncontrollably angry. Then, before he knew what he was doing, he crushed her against him, against the big brass buckle of his baldric. He took a fistful of her beautiful hair and tilted up her head. He kissed her fiercely, mercilessly. She pounded his back with her fists.
“Proud Alice de Mowbray, you’re mine.”
Suddenly she melted against him and returned his kisses with a fierce passion of her own. She hugged his hard body. “Cord,” she whispered.
His head swam with passion, with the wonder of what he was doing. Being a knight meant being bold, he told himself.
After a time he pulled away. “Marry me,” he said.
“I-I don’t know. It’s too sudden,” Alice said. “You might still love Bess Miller.”
“I’ve feelings for her,” he admitted. “I would be a cad if I didn’t. But it’s you I love, Alice de Mowbray. Ever since the day in the forest, I’ve felt that. And you must love me, too. Why else did you ride between Philip and me the day I slew Old Sloat?”
“You truly don’t want to marry me for money?”
He laughed and crushed her against him.
“You reach high for a dog boy.”
His face clouded.
“I jest, Cord. I’ve known for a long time who your father was. Sergeant Hob told me about him.”
Elated, he kissed her again.
“I cannot marry you, however. Until I’m Alice de Mowbray of Gareth Fief I will marry no one.”
“How will you gain control of your fief if you won’t go back?”
“Who said I’m not going back?”
“You did.”
“No,” she said. “I told you that I’m not going back now. First I need knights and money and men-at-arms to take what is mine.”
“How will you do that?”
“Through Sir Lamerok.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Guy thought Sir Lamerok could gain him much gold,” she explained, “but not through ransom. Logically then it would have to be because of something Sir Lamerok knows. We must simply get him to tell us that thing.”
Cord’s eyes widened. “Is this why you told me to free him?”
“Of course.”
A heavy weight filled his heart. “I’m Sir Lamerok’s squire,” he said.
“So he’s said.”
“Is that why you’ve suddenly agreed to marry me?”
She laughed as a fierce, malicious grin spread across her face. “So how does it feel?”
“You plan on using me?
“As you planned on using me,” she said.
Cord blinked in confusion. He turned and made ready to stride away.
Alice grabbed his arm. He paused but he wouldn’t look at her.
“You help me and I’ll help you,” she said. “Do we have an understanding, a pact?”
“None of this is for love?” he asked.
“What is love?” she asked bitterly. If he would have turned to look at her, he might have seen the sorrow on her face, the watery glistening of her eyes. Maybe Alice de Mowbray wasn’t as calculating as she sounded. Maybe conflicting emotion raged in her.
Cord stared at his feet. His chest felt stuffed, heavy, filled with lead. It made it difficult to speak. “I’ll help you. What you do in return is your own affair.”
“So speaks the
Saxon
who hopes to marry a Norman lady.”
He winced. “Yes,” he said. “So speaks the Saxon.”
“Are you certain about what you’ve said? Or is this merely another hidden ploy?”
Cord walked away and thus never saw how Alice de Mowbray watched him. It might have changed much.
***
“Ah,” Lamerok sighed. “Now that was food. Thank you, Rhys, and thank you, milady, for your hunting skills.”
“You seem invigorated,” Henri said.
“I am, I am,” Lamerok assured him. Even so, the big knight was propped up against a mossy rock. The redness in his eyes had diminished a little, but they were still bloodshot and surrounded by badly bruised flesh.
“Guy’s fare was bad?” Alice asked.
“Terrible,” Lamerok said. “So terrible that I often saved a crumb for bait. Using the edge of my hand I slew the bold rats that tried to take the crumbs.”
“You ate dungeon rats?” Alice asked in amazement.
“Milady,” Lamerok said, “I’ve eaten much worse on a winter campaign in Prussia.”
“Where?” Rhys asked.
“Prussia,” Lamerok said. “I joined the Teutonic Knights on one of their crusades against the pagan Prussians. Aye, they were a vile people and it was a stark and unlovely land.” He shrugged. “The eating of dungeon rats was a small price for strength. Without strength the will rapidly drains away.”
“And why did you need will?” Alice asked.
Lamerok grinned. It was the tough mean grin of a knight who planned to fight to the death.
“Guy refused the Earl of Derby’s offered ransom for you,” Alice said.
“Aye, milady, I know. I was there.”
Alice nodded thoughtfully.
“Should we saddle the horses?” asked Cord.
Alice shot him a frown. Henri rolled his eyes up at the clouds. Rhys and Gwen exchanged surprised glances. Lamerok settled further back against his rock as a soft smile tugged the corners of his lips.
“Where would we head?” Henri asked Cord.
“Away,” said Cord.
“Yes,” Henri agreed. “But away to where?”
“Where do you plan to go?” Cord asked Alice.
“Indeed,” Lamerok asked. “I too am intrigued. For I’ve heard you say, milady, that you don’t wish to go straight to Gareth Castle. You plan to go somewhere else, to a place where you can gather coins and men-at-arms.”
Alice nodded frostily.
“Where is such a place?” Lamerok asked in a guileless tone. “Perhaps it is in a castle where your uncle lives.”
“I have no uncles,” Alice said.
“Ah, but of course you have no uncles,” Lamerok said. “Why otherwise did your liege have the right to marry you off to whomever he chose?”
“May I ask you a question?” Alice asked Lamerok.
“Of course, my dear.”
“Why did Guy imprison you?”
Henri leaned forward, as did Gwen and Rhys. Cord found himself holding his breath. Pellinore Castle had been a-buzz with the mystery.
“We come to the heart of the matter, is that it?” Lamerok asked in his half-mocking tone.
“It is,” Alice said.
“In other words, I should be so grateful for what you’ve done,” Lamerok said, “that I will bare my soul to you five strangers.”
“Hardly strangers,” Alice said. “We are the five who risked our lives to free you.”
“And free yourselves in the process,” Lamerok pointed out.
“Yes,” Alice admitted. “There is that.”
“The reason for my imprisonment is a long tale,” Lamerok said. He grinned at Henri. “And it is an interesting and intriguing tale.”
“You have a minstrel’s attention, sir,”
“Of course I do,” Lamerok said. “For at the end of my tale lies a leprechaun’s pot of gold. Who wouldn’t be interested in that?”
“A what?” asked Cord.
“A leprechaun,” Lamerok said with a laugh. “I’m told he’s a creature of Faire who inhabits Ireland, the bountiful land of shamrocks. If you ever manage to see a leprechaun, you must expend all the effort it takes to capture him. For I’m also told that in order to free himself the leprechaun will take you to his pot of golden treasure and trade it to you for his freedom. He will ransom himself, in other words.”
“And you know the whereabouts of such a pot of gold?” Alice asked softly.
Lamerok asked back, “Why else would Sir Guy refuse the Earl of Derby’s generous ransom if there wasn’t an even greater amount of monies involved?”
Alice smiled at Cord. Cord’s hopes flared. Alice blinked rapidly, as if she’d just discovered herself doing something silly. Her gaze slid from Cord’s as her smile lessened.
“I will admit several things,” Lamerok said. “Then you must make a decision.”
“Very well,” Cord said, when no one else spoke.
“I am a suspicious man,” Lamerok said. “I’ve been through much these past few weeks. I’ve seen my former squire, a man I’ve been with for over twenty years, butchered before my eyes. Aye, they thought they would break me through a heartless deed.” His eyes seemed to glitter. He finally blinked and peered around. “I also lost my cherished freedom, and through their tortures I almost lost the use of my limbs. Those wicked people tried to break my spirit. They almost succeeded, more than I truly care to say.”
Lamerok’s jaws clenched. “I am admitting several things so you may understand me. These people were and are terribly sly, and here I most mean Sir Guy and his horrible witch Aldora. I therefore have asked myself: Could this sly witch have sent good folk into the dungeon to pretend to rescue me?”
“No!” said Cord.
“We are not so base,” Rhys said.
Lamerok held up his scarred hands. “I did not say you were impostors. Perhaps, though, you are dupes. I know not. Nor can you yourselves know, for some time at least. I think that whatever happens, that Guy will track us to the ends of the earth. Maybe his foresters even now watch us.”
Cord glanced about. No, no, he told himself. If any watched them, they would have used hounds to find them this quickly—
his
hounds. If his hounds tracked him, he would have heard them.
“What decision are you asking us to make?” Alice said.
“Here is my pact,” Lamerok said softly. “You must either take it or reject it. Each day I will tell you part of my story. During those days, we will journey to where I desire, and by feeding me well you will help me recover my strength. If in that time we still remain free and I learn to trust you, then I will share my secret with you. For if you were and are truly brave and did have the luck of Saint George last night, then I will gladly split with each of you….”
Lamerok searched their faces. “I will then share with you the Golden Treasure of Gaius.”
Cord felt a thrill sweep through him.
The Golden
Treasure of Gaius
. That sounded grand, ancient, almost mythical.