Trail of Fate

by Michael P. Spradlin

  “True enough. But the High Counsel rode with just fifty men. We also know Philippe narrowed their numbers by four and we took care of one more. Forty-odd men against those walls doesn’t sound like much either. Celia said most of the time they hole up inside waiting until their attackers grow tired and leave.”

  “Hmm. Do you intend to wait here until that happens? It could take days. Even weeks. By all we’ve seen, the High Counsel is a very determined fellow,” he said.

  “No. The longer we wait, the more time Sir Hugh has to catch up. I would prefer to get inside and help Celia drive off this villain, so I know she’s safe and we can be on our way.” I put my hand on the satchel. “I need to complete my mission. But I did give a dying man my promise.”

  Robard nodded.

  “So we need a way in,” he repeated.

  “Yes.”

  Just then, a small squad of about twelve riders broke from the tree line near the summit and galloped toward the castle gate. We recognized the High Counsel’s men immediately. From this distance it was impossible to tell if anyone manned the battlements of the castle, but the riders took no fire from the walls. They looked to be talking with someone inside. A short while later they turned their mounts and retreated from sight into the trees.

  “So his eminence is definitely here,” observed Robard.

  I sat down on a fallen log, tired and dejected. The situation was impossible. What good was it to endure so much to reach Celia, when she was now further away than ever?

  Robard sat next to me while Maryam lounged a few yards away. Angel had curled up in her lap and fallen fast asleep. There appeared to be no way for us to sneak into the castle, something like a hidden passage or some other minor miracle. I even toyed with the idea of making a run for the castle gate across the open ground. If we were seen, the High Counsel’s men would ride us down long before we reached safety. There had to be a better plan, a way to get word to Celia we were here and to open the gate when the time was right, just long enough for the three of us to slip in ahead of the High Counsel and his men.

  The barest flicker of an idea took hold.

  “Robard, were we to get close enough, could you shoot an arrow over the walls and into the bailey?” I asked.

  Robard looked up at Montségur again and studied it before answering.

  “Of course, if it’s only distance you’re concerned with and not accuracy. However, I’ve a notion there’ll be swirling winds atop the mountain, which could sway the shaft,” he said.

  “But you could do it?”

  “I think so.”

  “Good. Then the only thing we need now is to relieve three of the High Counsel’s men from their horses,” I said.

  “What?” Robard asked. Maryam moved Angel off her lap.

  “Did I just hear you correctly?” she asked. “Horses? Are you mad?”

  “No, but I am running out of time and options,” I argued.

  I filled them in on my plan.

  “This might be the worst plan in the entire history of plans,” Robard announced upon hearing my explanation.

  “Agreed!” said Maryam.

  “All right,” I said. “If it’s such a bad idea and you don’t wish to participate, I understand.”

  I left them there and moved forward through the trees. Angel growled.

  Robard shushed her. “Tristan, wait,” he pleaded.

  “No time to wait. I need to help Celia get rid of the High Counsel like I promised, and then we need to get moving before Sir Hugh sends every remaining Templar regimento in the Kingdom of France after us. So unless the two of you have a better idea, we have no time to waste.”

  I kept walking forward and could hear some whispered conversation between them, but shortly they followed behind me.

  “So how are we going to do this?” Robard asked.

  “Do what? You mean execute the worst plan in the history of plans?” I said.

  “Yes. The very one.”

  “First we need to get a message to Celia. I thought about trying to write her a note and attaching it to the arrow, but I have no quill. Besides, if I were in her position, I might think such a note from me is a trick. She may think the High Counsel followed us, captured me and is torturing me so he can deceive her.”

  We kept climbing ever upward toward the mountaintop, now moving more carefully in case the High Counsel had pickets posted in the area. We needed to remain silent, but now and then Robard and Maryam took the opportunity to whisper numerous reasons why my plan was full of holes. As if I didn’t know it already. I ignored them and concentrated on getting us within an arrow’s distance of the fortress without being seen. Caution slowed us down, and the steep incline of the mountain made it even more difficult.

  After about an hour of deliberate movement, we reached a spot where the tree line faded and the ground cleared to rock. We looked about for any sign of the High Counsel and his men but saw none. Surely they had the castle under watch, but my guess was they stayed to the woods to keep out of the wind and remaining light.

  I took a closer look at the castle. There was a large wooden gate facing southwest. It was the only way in. On the one hand, we were lucky there was no moat or drawbridge to cross. On the other hand, I was concerned my plan may not work at all. For Robard to send an arrow into the castle from here would require a miraculous shot. He would not only have to factor in the distance of at least three hundred yards, but he would also have to shoot up at an odd angle. It looked unlikely, if not impossible.

  “It’s not going to work,” Maryam said. “If we leave the safety of the trees, we’ll be spotted for sure. And there’s no way Robard can make the shot from here. We’re going to have . . .”

  “What makes you think I can’t make the shot, Assassin?” Robard cut in.

  Maryam winked at me.

  “Robard, I know you have great skill as an archer, but look at the angle. It’s not your fault. It is just impossible. There is nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “Robard, Maryam might be right,” I said.

  “What? You too?” Robard looked at us both. “I could make this shot in my sleep. In fact, Assassin, I’ll make a friendly wager. I make the shot and you hand over one of those fancy daggers of yours. If I miss, you can keep my longbow.”

  I gasped. Maryam was trying to goad Robard into doing what I wanted him to do, but as always, Robard took things a step too far. I had no wish for his foolish pride to get in the way.

  “Robard . . . really, it’s not necessary. I’ll think of some other—” I stumbled over the words.

  “Done,” said Maryam.

  I looked at her with eyes wide.

  “No. Absolutely not. Maryam, I won’t let you sacrifice your most prized possessions. And Robard, you told me your bow belonged to your father! Both of you stop this foolishness,” I demanded.

  “It did belong to my father. And his father before him. But I don’t intend to miss.”

  “I’ve always wanted my own bow,” Maryam said mischievously.

  Robard pulled an arrow from the wallet at his back. He looked at it, sighting along its length to make sure it was straight and true.

  “Tristan, what do you think, will she recognize my arrow?” he asked. I shrugged and stared up at the castle again, thinking hard. What would Celia think? If I sent her some type of message, would she know it was from me? Or would she expect a trick? Then I decided. If we could get close enough to the walls without being captured by the High Counsel, maybe she would be able to hear or recognize us. It was not a perfect plan, but it would have to do. The rest depended on Robard.

  With a sigh, I removed Sir Thomas’Templar ring from my satchel. Robard nodded, and slid the ring over the point of the arrow along the shaft until it reached the feathers. I found a loose black thread on the edge of Maryam’s tunic and pulled it from the cloth, and with it Robard wrapped the ring tightly to the arrow. He tested the weight and balance of the arrow in his hand until he was satisfied.

 
; “I’m going to move out of the trees. I want to get a feel for the wind. Let’s just hope no one spots me.”

  Robard trotted forward, bent at the waist. Within a few yards he had cleared the forest. He moved stealthily along, keeping his eyes on the fortress. There were no shouts of warning from the woods or calls of alarm. So far, so good.

  A Templar ring, an English arrow and a thread from an Assassin’s tunic. I offered up a silent prayer, begging God to guide the arrow. For good measure, I rubbed the satchel on the spot where the Grail lay in its secret compartment. I strained to hear the humming sound I’d heard before whenever I needed a miracle. If ever I needed one, it was now. But the Grail remained silent.

  First, Robard needed to make the shot. Then someone needed to find the arrow and take it to Celia. Then she would need to discern its meaning. I had to trust she would know what to do when the time was right. That was the plan. Flimsy, with a great deal of luck needed for it to even have the remotest chance of working. But it was all I had.

  Robard found a spot that suited him and squatted behind a large boulder, still intently studying the fortress above. He reached down and grasped a small handful of dirt, tossing it in the air, watching to see how the breeze moved it.

  He waited, thirty yards away from us, and I silently bade him to hurry. We could be seen at any time. Finally, he stood and tested the pull of the bow a few times. Then he took his stance, feet slightly more than shoulder width apart, left arm straight and still, with the guard of the bow clutched firmly in his left hand. His right hand held the nock of the arrow gently between his fingers, and then he pulled back and I heard the familiar creak of wood and sinew.

  “Maryam, no offense, but I hope you lose your bet,” I murmured to her quietly.

  And we watched in silent wonder as the arrow moved upward toward the heavens, flying at first as if it would not stop until it hit the sun. Then it arched over ever so gently and began its return to earth. I worried the arrow might hit someone inside the fortress and hurt, or even kill them. But then I thought the odds of a single random arrow finding flesh inside a mountain fortress were slim.

  So I prayed harder and held my breath as the arrow picked up speed on its downward descent.

  And it vanished behind the walls of Montségur.

  15

  Robard threw his arms up in the air and Maryam brought her hands together in a silent clap. I stood awestruck. Robard ducked down and trot ted back to us.

  “Ha ha!” he said exuberantly when he reached us. “I knew I could make it!”

  “Magnificent, Robard, truly a fantastic shot,” I said.

  We both looked at Maryam, and I expected to see glumness or chagrin on her face, but there was none. In fact she was smiling ear to ear. She made a quick and fluid movement of her arms, and her daggers materialized in her hands.

  “Well done, archer. I did not believe you had it in you!” She flipped the daggers in the air, taking each by the blade, and held them out to Robard hilt first. “A wager is a wager. Your choice.”

  Robard looked at her and smiled. He unstrung his bow, rested the stave on the ground and leaned against it, studying her intently.

  “I’m going to need a while to choose. For the time being, you keep them. When I’ve decided which one I want, I’ll let you know. Fair enough?” He looked at her with his head tilted at a jaunty angle.

  “As you wish,” Maryam said. She spun them in the air again, and they vanished within the folds of her sleeves.

  Robard’s success gave me a sense of hope. Maybe we could make this work after all.

  “What now?” asked Robard.

  “I think it’s best to wait until dark to attempt the next phase of the plan,” I said. “We’ll have a better chance of moving about undetected.”

  Maryam and Robard agreed, and we crept deeper into the woods. We found a dense copse of evergreens where we secreted ourselves. Robard offered to keep the first watch while the rest of us napped. Before we closed our eyes, we shared the remaining bit of food we had left. Ideally we would be inside the castle before it was time for our next meal.

  The mountain air was much cooler now. I pulled my tunic tight up around my neck and leaned back against a tree. Before I knew it, Robard was shaking me awake. Darkness had fallen.

  I looked up at Robard, confused and still in the twilight of sleep. It had been near dusk when I lay down. He had let me doze much longer than I had intended.

  “I thought you needed the rest. Might help you come up with better plans,” he said, smiling.

  Apparently Robard considered himself a court jester. Still, I was grateful.

  “Have you seen anything?” I asked.

  “A group of riders came by about two hours ago, but since then, nothing. There is firelight through those trees though. No more than half a league from here, at the base of the trail leading to the southwest wall of the fortress. It’s where I’d station my men if I were him.”

  “We better wake Maryam and get started,” I said.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider? It’s not too late.”

  “No . . . I made a promise. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t try to help. Sir Thomas always taught me that a Templar keeps his word. The order is sworn to protect the weak.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call Celia weak, and I’m curious as to what you think you can do from inside that the people already there can’t. Think this through, squire. If you go any farther, if you get inside, you are committed. If you show yourself to the High Counsel now, your deception is revealed. Just be sure.”

  Robard was right. I would add to my ever growing list of enemies: Sir Hugh, the King’s Guards and King Richard, and, if I helped Celia, the High Counsel. And if he truly was the High Counsel to an archbishop, then he was highly connected to the church and would make a powerful foe. And it also meant he probably knew all the local regimentos of the Templars. He could probably send Sir Hugh straight to me if he so desired.

  And there was another thing. Something I hadn’t mentioned to either Maryam or Robard. I feared Sir Hugh was closing in on us. There was nothing to base my fear on other than a tickle along the back of my neck. But there were times when I thought that at any moment I would turn my head and he would appear. I was sure of it.

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  Robard roused Maryam, and we moved slowly toward the enemy campfire. It was pitch black out with no moon, and the going was slow. The terrain was steep and rough, and more than once we stumbled over the uneven ground and tree roots that fought for purchase in the rocky soil.

  It took us the better part of an hour to draw close enough to the fire to get a sense of what we were facing. Their camp was pitched just inside the tree line. The fire was large and sat in a small clearing. We crept closer until we could see the outlines of several men seated and standing about it. I counted twenty, which was about half of the original force. There was no sign of their horses, so they must have had them picketed beyond the fire. We would need to circle around.

  We pulled back deeper into the woods and considered our options.

  “Where do you suppose the rest of the men are?” Maryam wondered.

  “Probably gone with the High Counsel to gather reinforcements,” I said. “These few remain here to keep anyone from leaving or entering the castle, until more troops arrive.”

  We crept back into the trees and circled, always keeping the fire to our left.

  “They aren’t going to expect anyone, so I’m betting they have a single guard on the horses,” Robard whispered.

  This turned out to be true. When our eyes readjusted to the darkness, we saw the dim shapes of the horses tethered to a length of rope running between several trees on the far side of their camp. It was a good fifty yards from the fire, so I hoped we could make it away silently.

  “How are we going to get rid of the guard?” Robard asked.

  “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet,” I replied. “Give me a minute.”r />
  Maryam sighed dramatically, dropping her head, and muttered under her breath, “Only by the grace of Allah have we made it this far.” This stung, true as it might be.

  “Wait here,” she said, and she melted into the night.

  “Maryam, hold on!” I whispered. But she was gone.

  It was so dark that I could barely see Robard, though he stood only inches away.

  “Some girl,” he said quietly.

  “She is indeed.”

  We waited in silence, having no idea what to do or if we even had a role in Maryam’s plan.

  Then very faintly I heard the guard speak.

  “Louis? C’est toi?” Louis, is that you?

  Next came a clunking sound and a groan, followed by the snorts of nervous horses, pawing away. Then in the dim light there was Maryam, frantically untying the animals one by one and turning them loose. I held my breath until she reached the last three in line.

  “Come on,” I whispered to Robard.

  We picked our way through the darkness until we reached the horses.

  “Quickly,” I said.

  We each mounted up. Luckily the High Counsel’s knights had not unsaddled.

  We guided the horses through the woods and, using the distant fire, tried to steer them through the trees until we could reach the trail. Unfortunately the underbrush grew thickly in this area and in order to reach the castle we would need to pass very near the fire. I found it hard to believe we would escape unseen, and indeed, an instant later, someone saw us trying to quietly pick our way through the darkened forest.

  “Arrêtez! Arrêtez!” he shouted.

  The fire became a clamor of chaos as the soldiers began to shout and jump to their feet, scrambling for their weapons.

  “Let’s go!” I shouted and kicked at the sides of the horse. The horse bounded forward and Maryam and Robard spurred along right behind. Angel barked, but I concentrated on holding the reins. Bending low in the saddle, I trusted the horse to pick its way through the trees and not run me into a low-hanging branch.