"As a matter of fact, there is. The Saxons have approached me with a couple of complaints against your Normans. Since you instructed me to inform you when things were not going smoothly, I promised them I would speak to you about them."
"I see." He frowned slightly for a minute, then said, "Tell them we will hold a court tomorrow morning if this infernal rain ceases. I will give them a hearing if you will tell them to assemble, and I will get my knights together and we will thrash out any problems."
"Thank you, my lord," said Aedward, turning to leave.
"Aedward," Guy recalled him, "what is your sister Lillyth's connection with Oxstead?"
Aedward started slightly at the mention of his home, and he searched Guy's face to see if there was hidden meaning behind the question.
"Why, that was Wulfric's hall," he answered carefully.
"Wulfric?" questioned Guy.
Aedward hesitated, then answered, "Wulfric was Lillyth's husband."
"I see," answered Guy. "Thank you."
Jealous anger flared in him for a few moments, and as Guy watched Lillyth ascend the stairs, his imagination was tortured by visions of her lithe form in the arms of his predecessor. He could see her trembling at Oxstead and his brain suddenly cleared as he realized there had been trouble between them. She seemed to be afraid of a man's touch. She probably refused him his rights and he forced her a few times, thought Guy. I'd better leave her alone for a while before I do the same thing. I've almost forced her a hundred times, and will one of these nights, yet I want her willing, he thought quietly.
"Who rides patrol this foul night? I vow he will gladly trade with me, eh?" Guy ran upstairs to fetch a heavy cloak and as he opened the chamber door Lillyth was seated, brushing out her hair. It fell in gold-red waves to the floor and presented a very seductive picture, as she had fully intended to do. The wistfulness of her beauty took his breath away. He thought, There is no greater torment than hope eternally deferred. He picked up his cloak and said, "You may rest easy tonight, I ride patrol."
A look of disappointment crossed her face and she tempted him with a sideways glance. "I hoped you would join me in some wine, my lord."
"Stay me with flagons," he quoted from the Song of Solomon, and realized that he had fallen into a trap of his own making. He could not possibly tell young Gilbert he had changed his mind about riding patrol. "Golden bitch!" he cursed, and left the chamber, slamming the door after him.
The only invaders he encountered were a wolf pack in the sheep pens and he killed three, thinking they would line a cloak for Lillyth before the bitter winter set in. He chuckled to himself, thinking, Now I will woo her with gifts, I've tried everything else. At six o'clock when the men finished their night patrol, the rain stopped falling. Guy was soaked to the skin as he went up to his chamber. He thought he would have the pleasure of awakening Lillyth, but she was already up and dressed, waiting for him. She worried about him when he went thirty-six hours without rest and knew he drove himself by willpower alone.
"I have a hot bath ready for you, my lord, and dry clothes laid out." She smiled.
His eyes widened in surprised pleasure. "Playing the wife, cherie?" he laughed.
She blushed at the remark and retreated quickly, as he was already stripping his clothes off. She thought, I'd like to see him naked, why do I run away? And then she was immediately ashamed of her brazen thoughts.
"I want you to be beside me this morning. I'm hearing complaints from your Saxons against my Normans. I don't want them to be afraid to speak up, so I think your presence will help."
She heard him splashing about, and finally he got out of the water. "What chance do my people stand against your Normans?" she shouted through to him. "You will punish any who dare to speak up."
"Lillyth, are you daring to suggest I won't be impartial?" he demanded.
She rushed to the archway, crying, "Don't forget your whip!" and found him standing naked before her. She gasped, but found her feet rooted to the floor. Her eyes took in the splendor of him. His skin was dark and tanned above the waist and white below. The corded muscles of his thighs and sinewy torso gave the impression of powerful strength. A thatch of black hair covered his chest and another his groin.
"I— I'm sorry," she stammered.
"I'm not." He grinned slowly.
"Has the rain stopped?" She quickly sought for something to say, and clung to the subject of the weather. "I'd better get a warm cloak," and she retreated quickly.
Guy and Lillyth were seated on wooden stools with the knights to one side and the assembled peasants in front. As Guy looked over the people in front of him he realized that he could put a name to many of the faces in the crowd. He could see young Edgarson had pushed his way to the front in case he missed something, and yes, there Morag stood listening at the back, hoping she wouldn't be recognized. Guy asked Aedward to bring the first complainant forward.
A man approached hesitantly and said, "My lord, one of your Normans stole my wife."
Guy raised his eyebrows and asked Aedward to explain. Aedward cleared his throat and said, "This man's wife, Elfrida, has taken up with Giles St. Aubyn, I believe he is called. She has moved out of her husband's hut."
Guy sighed inwardly as he remembered this was the second time Giles had antagonized a Saxon. He looked toward his knights and called out to Giles. "Is this allegation true?"
Giles hesitated for a moment, then spoke quietly. "Yes, my lord, it is true."
Guy looked at the aggrieved husband. "Did he take her against her will, or did she go freely?"
Aedward interpreted, and turning to Guy said, "It was of her own free will."
Guy swiftly looked at Lillyth, then said to the peasant, "You can have no cause for complaint. A man who cannot hold his own woman does not deserve her!"
A great murmur went up among the villagers. They had known they would never get fair treatment from a Norman. Lillyth almost scathingly asked if this was an example of his impartiality, but bit back the words for when they would be more private.
"There was another man with a complaint, was there not?" asked Guy.
"Yes, my lord," said Aedward, and beckoned to the Saxon in question. For a few moments no one moved, and then resolutely a man stepped forward. He spoke to Aedward who explained to Guy, "This man traps furs and cures them. Two knights rode over his furs stretched out on racks he had constructed himself and ruined both the furs and the racks."
"Who were the two knights?" Guy asked.
The Saxon hesitated again, then pointed out two men. They were two of Guy's youngest knights who were always in one scrape or other.
"Fitzroy, Gilbert, is this true?" Guy's countenance was dreadful to behold.
"Aye, my lord, but we meant no harm. It was a race, that's all!" protested Gilbert.
"Splendor of God, you are Norman knights, not children playing destructive games. This day you will reconstruct this man's racks for him to his satisfaction. I myself will help him replace the furs."
He looked at Aedward, who was now smiling. "No, my lord, that's all for the present."
As the assembly dispersed Guy left Lillyth and spoke to the Saxon who had lodged the complaint.
"What is your name?" he asked in fairly good Saxon.
"Alfred, my lord."
"I killed three wolves last night. Could you cure and soften the skins for me so that they could be fashioned into a cloak, think you?"
"Aye, I could make them as soft as doeskin, my lord."
"Good. Do you always trap your furs or do you hunt them with a weapon?"
"Nay, I am allowed no weapon, but I could increase the number of furs greatly if I were taught to hunt," said Alfred.
"Have you never shot a bow?" asked Guy.
"When I was a boy I fashioned a crude bow and arrows, but that was many years ago."
"We will have a hunt soon, and you will join us, Alfred. I will soon teach you to shoot." Guy held out his hand and smiled.
The Saxon
took it wonderingly, asking himself what manner of man this new master was.
After the first two days and nights in the forest, Morgan and Faith did not fare too well. They thought they would be able to supplement their diet with nuts and berries, but it was so late in the autumn that the squirrels had stripped the trees of anything edible and then stayed safely in the high treetops.
Rabbits were scarce this deep in the forest. They liked to stay at the edge where they could hop into the sunny green meadows.
Morgan had had a close miss with a wild boar. They had startled it while it was rooting for pannage and it had charged without hesitation, its little red eyes wild with rage. Faith knew if Morgan were wounded she could not survive alone. The days were turning quite chilly, but the nights were extremely cold. They were not adequately clothed to spend the winter outdoors. After three days, Faith was considerably weakened from lack of food and shelter. They could not travel many miles with her in this state, so they decided to go back toward Godstone, if they could find their way. On the fourth day, while they were resting, close to exhaustion, they were quietly surrounded.
Morgan could tell they were Saxons, though by their weapons he knew they were not serfs.
He asked, "Are you hiding out from the Normans?"
"We are outlaws, who have banded together to survive in the forest. As you must have learned by now, it is impossible to survive alone," one of the men said.
"We need food," said Morgan, "can we join you?"
"That is up to our leader, Red Wolf. We chose different names now to mask our identity. If he will take you in, we share everything," he said, looking at Faith.
Inside, Morgan railed against the fate that thrust such a decision as this upon him. He knew Faith wouldn't last another day without warm sustenance, therefore he knew he had no choice.
"Take me to Red Wolf. We will work in return for food."
The tall man helped Morgan get Faith on her feet, and they supported her through a pathway that had been worn in the woods. They soon emerged into a clearing that had been made into a camp. There was a welcome fire with a black iron kettle of food cooking over it, and three roughhewn huts had been built from cut logs and thick tree branches. Morgan heard a gurgling brook nearby and saw two horses tethered to trees. Tall John presented them to Red Wolf.
"There was no point in killing them, they had naught to steal. Besides, they were Saxon peasants, runaways. If you have use for them, they want to join us."
The leader looked over the woman first, then said to Morgan, "Can you obey orders?"
"Yes, sir," he answered promptly. He was almost certain he recognized Red Wolf's true identity, and he was not about to anger him.
"Do not be too quick, boy. Consider before you answer. Can you kill?"
"If I have to," answered Morgan slowly, "I could certainly kill a Norman."
"We rob and kill anyone who ventures into this forest, except someone who looks wealthy. Those we hold for ransom Also, we share the woman," he stated flatly.
Morgan hesitated.
"Quickly boy! Food or starvation, the choice is yours."
"Food!" Morgan replied, and a great wave of relief swept over him.
They were free to go close to the fire to warm themselves and were given a wooden bowl of stew. Morgan knew he had made the right decision when Faith began to revive with the hot food inside her. They provided her with a fur pelt covering and she sank into an exhausted sleep beside the camp fire.
Red Wolf said to Morgan, "Tomorrow I will map out where we are in relation to Godstone, Seven-oaks, Oxstead and other towns not too distant. Learn the locations well. We need many things; weapons, food, winter clothing, horses. We have a plan to make concerted raids for the supplies we need to survive. The one law that must never be broken is never, under any circumstances, lead anyone back here. It means certain death for all."
"You have knives and long bows," said Morgan.
"You must steal yourself a knife, but we will help you fashion a bow and arrows. However, if you are smart enough to steal a horse, I will make you a gift of a knife, gladly. When the woman is recovered she will gather fuel and do the cooking, to free one of my men for other activities," ordered Red Wolf.
Chapter 10
Simon Fitzroy and Gilbert de Clare came crashing into the communal sleeping quarters in the middle of the night. They awoke Nicholas and André de Montgomery for extra support before they faced their lord with their bad news. Already fallen from grace because of the business with the Saxon Alfred, they quaked at the thought of Guy de Montgomery's reaction to the report they must give him. Andre, believing Guy and Lillyth shared a bed, offered to go to their chamber and break the news to his brother. For this the two knights were duly thankful.
Andre entered his brother's chamber softly, but before he could close the door, Guy was on his feet with his broadsword in his hands. Andre raised his brows at not finding Lillyth with him, but made no mention of her.
"What is wrong?" snapped Guy.
"Fitzroy and Gilbert are below. We have been raided and they fear what you will do when you learn they did not catch the bastards."
"Splendor of Christ, I govern a motley crew!" he spat as he reached for his chausses. "Did they say what happened?"
"Yes, they saw one of the peasant's houses on fire and all those on patrol rode over and helped put it out. In the meantime two horses were stolen and food supplies taken from the storehouse. They never even saw a sign of them." He shrugged.
Guy ran his fingers through his hair, thinking rapidly. "It's got to be someone who knows this place well. Was anyone hurt?"
"No, the peasants got out safely, but the hut was destroyed before they could save it," said Andre.
Guy put his head through the archway to see if their voices had aroused Lillyth, and to his utter amazement, he found she was not there. He swore under his breath, then an idea sprang into his mind.
"Aedward! Find him. If he is not in bed, it is possible he has got a band of men together and is provisioning them from our stores. Who would know this place better than Aedward?"
Aedward was not in the communal sleeping quarters behind the armory where most of the knights slept. He was not in the servants' sleeping quarters where the men spent many of their nights with the serving wenches. Guy sent Andre to search the stables and he himself went back upstairs to look through the many bed chambers. He opened the door to the last one on the right and found Lillyth standing beside the bed in a dark velvet robe and Aedward rubbing the sleep from his eyes, still abed. Guy was relieved that he had found Aedward safely in bed, and thus he could remove the suspicions he had had from his mind. He wanted to ask Lillyth why she was with her brother in the middle of the night, but he was in a hurry to question Fitzroy and de Clare further. He did this privately, saving them from humiliation. His scathing words reduced them to errant boys, only playacting at being knights.
At breakfast Guy outlined a new plan for patrolling. Some knights were to set up permanent sleeping quarters in the stables and in the storerooms where food and provender were kept. There was to be a permanent guard on the hall door, lest those who had slipped in and out so easily should do so again and kill them all in their beds. The peasant family who had been burned out were brought to the hall until their home was rebuilt, and their children ran about laughing among the dogs. A wolfhound bitch that had taken to following Guy about lay at his feet, and he had another notion.
"These bloody dogs should be trained better too. We want watchdogs that will set up such a howl they will awaken the dead! At night some must be fastened in the stables and storehouses. Find out how many supplies are missing; that should give us an idea of how many there are to feed. Young Gilbert is supposed to know a deal about dogs," he told Rolf. "Get him to whip this lot into shape and train them to be fit for more than eating and shitting!" he said bluntly. "All except this one here," he added indulgently.
He thumped his fist into his palm and swore, "By the bon
es of Christ, I will know who has dared raid my demesne and lift my horses." He went outside and crashed the door of the hall so violently the pigeons rose in a flock from the watchtower. The day was taken up with plans and counterplans for the capture of the raiders and in the evening Guy took the wolf skins he had killed over to Alfred's hut. His purpose was twofold. He wanted him to cure and soften the skins, and he also wanted to find out if Alfred had seen anything, or if not, at least what his ideas on the subject were.
Guy looked at him directly. "You are absolutely sure you saw no one? I am almost sure it must be a Saxon and I know I am asking you to betray your own kind."
Alfred spat on the floor. "Saxon peasants are afraid of the dark. I am almost certain none here at Godstone is involved. As lords go, you suit us all well enough. A great deal better than our last one, or that Wulfric our Lady Lillyth married. We all feared him greatly, my lord."
"I must confess my first suspicions fell on Lillyth's brother," admitted Guy.
"Lady Lillyth's brother?" questioned Alfred.
"Aedward," said Guy absently.
"Aedward is not my lady's brother, my lord. He is Wulfric's brother." Alfred chuckled, "Brother indeed! They were more like sweethearts until along comes Wulfric and marries her from under Aedward's nose!"
Guy went rigid and his eyes turned to green ice.
Alfred immediately knew he had said too much.
An unbidden picture arose in Guy's mind of Lillyth and Aedward as he had surprised them in Aedward's bedchamber, Guy walked so swiftly back to the hall that small startled things scurried out of his path in the darkness. His step was loud and firm as he entered the hall, and all heads were turned in his direction.
He pointed a finger at Aedward, who was playing dice with Nicholas. "Seize him!" he commanded. "Chain him in a stall in the stables until I have time to deal with him." His voice carried such cold authority they did not dare disobey him, or question him while this mood was upon him.
Guy strode up the stairs so purposefully, the torches spluttered in their cressets. As soon as he entered their chamber he threw down the bar and fastened his eyes upon her. Lillyth was dressed in yellow and had never looked more beautiful, with her hair swirling about her thighs. She smiled at him, but found no answering smile in Guy's countenance. His eyes never left her as he pulled off his heavy cloak and leather tunic and stood before her in only his chausses and chainse. He poured wine and sipped it thoughtfully, rolling the horn between his palms. She began to feel uneasy with his steady gaze upon her and was about to retreat to her own side when he said very crisply and clearly, "Come here!"
Bold Conquest Page 10
