Valley of Valor (Noble Heart Book 6)

by Cynthia Griffith

  It seemed to take an eternity but at last Noble gave a hushed, triumphant cry. “It is coming, William! Only a minute more now…” Finally, he whipped the ends of the rope in and out of its loops until it fell from the boy’s wrists altogether. William sighed in relief and rubbed the sore tissue gingerly, blowing softly on the rope burns that stood out angry and red upon his skin.

  “Hurry now…” Noble said as he held out his own wrists. It did not take William nearly as long to untie Noble since he now had a longer reach and greater flexibility. A few minutes later and Noble’s hands were free as well. They both began to work at the rope that bound them to the support beam.

  William’s face was flushed and he was breathing hard. Freedom! He could taste it already! He was more than ready to leave this stuffy cottage and feel the sunshine and breezes—or even the rain—upon his face! Eager to climb on Valiant’s back and ride swiftly for home! Longing for a good meal and the feel of his mother’s arms around him again! The thought flashed through his mind, But what about the children?

  The children whose only home was a dark hidey-hole in the loft or some hidden spot out in the woods and who had never had a decent meal to fill their empty bellies. The poor, precious little jewels who had no hope of escape from their cruel life; no mother’s loving arms to run to. What about them?

  At last! That rope, too, fell to their persistence! Now for their ankles! “Wait!” he heard Noble hiss. “Loop the rope around you like I told you, William. It must not appear that we are free just yet!”

  William followed the young knight’s instructions but as he did so, he whispered, “We cannot leave them, Noble.” No matter how desperately he wanted to escape this place and those evil men, he could not simply walk away from the children.

  Noble looked up at him and held his gaze steady in his own. “I promise you, William, we will rescue them. I cannot say how or when, but with God’s help, somehow we will find a way.”

  William believed him. Sir Noble Heart had been his hero for many years and he was not about to start doubting him now!

  They had just begun prying at the knots at their feet when suddenly they heard the sound of a horse’s hooves thudding past the cottage. “Rhain! It cannot be! Surely he is not back so soon!” Noble groaned. “Hurry, William—move back where you were. Make sure the ropes are looped tightly so that they appear to be tied!” They scrambled to get back in place and look as if all was as it had been before.

  The door flew open a moment later. Rhain stood there, a sodden, wet mess, and glared at them. “Well, I know who ye are not! I would have asked ye who the devil ye are, but now I know the truth about that, too! I know who ye are!” Suddenly he was given a shove from behind and he came flying into the room and landed sprawling on the floor.

  Caddock had suddenly appeared behind him and now he stood framed in the doorway. “And who might that be, I wonder?” he snarled.

  _________

  CHAPTER SIX

  _________

  Rhain and Rain

  Caddock sauntered into the room and flopped down at the table. He stared at the prisoners, his eyes narrowing as if he expected to see the truth written all over them. Finally he sneered at Rhain, “Well? Get up off the floor, fool, and tell me your tale. And there had better be a good reason why there are no money bags on you or the horse! Get on with it!”

  Rhain scrambled to his feet and stood there clutching his cap and dripping all over the floor. He looked exhausted and angry still, but he was not quite so sure of himself now that the chief was there. He cast accusing looks at Noble and William and spat out, “Liars! They’re nothin’ but liars, Caddock! They ain’t who they said they was!”

  To their surprise Caddock threw back his head and laughed. “And what did you expect, Rhain? All men are liars! I thought you knew that by now! You certainly live amongst a pack of liars! Why, you yourself are one, and so am I! Did you expect that these boys, as wholesome and good as they pretend to be, are anything but liars as well? Never trust anyone, Rhain! Trust no one! It is the only rule to live by!”

  Noble winced at the words. He had done what he thought was right in protecting the prince, but even he was unsure if it had been the right thing in God’s eyes. What would Jesus have done—He who was the Truth? Noble sighed. He would not have lied, that was certain. Now there was a young boy in the loft above hearing his father spew his twisted viewpoint and his distrust of the whole world, and he, Noble, had only served to reinforce it.

  The words began to tumble from Rhain. “I rode for hours through the dark and rain to Caernarfon. It was midnight when I arrived, but I did not stop—oh no! I rode on due south and at first light began asking all I could find for directions to the estate of Henry Talbot. Oh, I finally found those who remembered the late Henry Talbot—the Henry Talbot who has been dead for many a long year! And as for his estate—those I asked laughed in me face! Henry Talbot was no rich man! And these are not his sons!”

  Caddock turned his eyes upon Noble and William and raised a brow. “Then whose sons are they? Their horses, their clothes—they are not poor farm lads, that is certain. Is their father a merchant, a squire—perhaps even a nobleman?”

  Rhain cackled and rubbed his hands together. “Think higher, Chief. I was in a tavern, quenchin’ my thirst, so to speak, for the long ride back when a couple o’ knights came in. Good thing I’d left the horse in the woods! They paid no attention to the likes o’ me but was askin’ folks if they had seen the prince, and a young knight with ‘im. It seems Prince William and one of the king’s men, Sir Noble Heart, are missin’!” He took a step toward Noble and William. “What say ye to that, young liars?”

  Caddock bellowed, “Stay away from them! I’ll ask the questions here, Rhain!” He turned to his captives and asked, “Well?”

  “Henry Talbot was my grandfather, and Rhain is correct—he was a poor man—the king’s falconer, in fact,” Noble admitted. “My name is Noble, and it is also correct that I am a knight of the King’s Guard.”

  “And your young—brother—John?”

  William spoke for himself. “I am William, crown prince and heir to the throne of King Stephen,” he said proudly.

  “So you do have a rich father! A very rich father! One who would be willing to pay a king’s ransom for the safe return of his young son, I wager!” Rhain said eagerly.

  “Hold on, Rhain! I have not yet decided what we shall do,” Caddock growled.

  “What is there to decide?” Rhain snapped. “It is a treasure we have in our hands, Caddock!”

  Caddock jumped to his feet and loomed over Rhain. “I am the chief here, Rhain, and don’t forget it! Perhaps it is a treasure—or perhaps it is a danger! Do you think the king will take it lightly that someone has kidnapped his son and is holding him for ransom? Do you think he will simply let it go, even if his son is returned to him? We would be better off getting rid of them and then disappearing ourselves, perhaps.”

  “No,” Noble said quietly. “The king will never cease to search for his son, and you could never disappear far enough to escape him as long as his child is missing. On the other hand, if he were to be returned to his father unharmed, perhaps the king could be persuaded to forget about the men who simply made a grave—error—one day.”

  “Hmm—but is good King Stephen that kind of man, I wonder? You see, Rhain? It is a dilemma—and I will be the one who solves it! And for now, do not tell the others what you have told me. They do not need to know the true identity of our guests.”

  Nothing more was said for the moment and Rhain went back out into the rain. Caddock sat at the table, not looking at them, but surely they never left his thoughts, for his hands twitched as if he was already counting the treasure he could ask for the son of the king.

  One by one, the men traipsed back to the cottage. The rain had not let up all day. Finn was the first to return and he hurried now to make a pot of stew with some of the leftover venison. The others threw their ill-gotten gain for the da
y onto the table in front of Caddock—a few small coins, a hunting knife, a gold piece, a pair of boots. Brych dug into a bag and pulled out a half dozen scones and a small fruit tart. He grinned. “Saw ‘em through Dame Winter’s door just sittin’ on her table all alone—so I snitched ‘em!”

  Rhain was the last to come in. “Stream’s risin’ pretty good. I moved the horses ‘round to the other side. We’re goin’ to have a flood here if it don’t stop raining pretty soon! Water’s nearly to the oak tree and that little patch o’ cabbages an’ such ye got out there, Finn, is under water already. Don’t look like they’re gonna make it!” He seemed to gain some satisfaction in delivering the bad news.

  As usual, Caddock and the men ate their fill of stew before offering a meager portion to William and Noble. Finn brought them a bowl to share, but no spoons, so they were forced to dip in with their fingers. There was not a crumb of the scones or tart left, to their sorrow.

  William glanced up at the loft. He felt guilty. The children were there, hungry and hoping there would be a bit of stew left for them, and here he was feeling badly about a bite of scone? It did not appear that the men would be going out in the rain again tonight. When and how would the children eat?

  In the end, the men left after all. They had sat around bickering and sniping at one another until finally Caddock announced, “I’m going for a drink!” and stomped out of the room. The others had quickly followed and soon the cottage was empty and quiet once more. The children wasted no time in coming down the ladder.

  “Do you suppose there is any stew left in the pot?” Beryl asked. “I am very hungry!”

  Ruby ran to the hearth. “Yes! Enough for all of us tonight! Come, little Pearl! Sissy will help you!” She grabbed a dirty dish off the floor where one of the men had left it and scooped some stew into the bowl. She sat down on the hearth, near the warmth of the waning fire, and settled her baby sister next to her. “Beryl, get a bowl and eat!” she urged.

  Jasper had stopped in front of Noble and William. “Did they feed you?” he asked.

  “Yes,” William said. “Go ahead and eat, Jasper!”

  “I will. I wanted to say first, though, that I heard what Rhain and my da said to you earlier. I am sorry. I know you are not like the others—that you are not liars or untrustworthy. I have had time to think about it today. Hiding your true identity was something that you did not for evil, but for good. In fact it was done to fight the evil intentions of my da and his men. I do not believe what my father said, either. I know there are good, true, honest men in this world. I hope to be one of them someday, despite my father.”

  “Thank you, Jasper. All is forgiven, then?”

  “Of course!”

  “You will be a good man, Jasper, for you had the best start a boy could have—a mother who loves God and teaches her children about Him. It is up to you now to trust Him as your Savior and live for Him, Jasper, regardless of what others around you are doing.”

  “I will, Noble.” He settled down near his brother and sisters and began to eat. As they had the night before, as soon as they were finished eating the children got up to begin their chores.

  Jasper began piling dirty dishes into the now-empty pot while Beryl and Ruby scurried around trying to erase all signs that the men had ever been there. They glanced at Noble and William who were struggling once again with the ropes that bound their ankles together. For the first time they noticed that the two older boys had shed their other bonds and were nearly free. There was a look of fright in the children’s eyes—but a look of relief, as well. Da would be furious if he returned and found his prisoners gone, and who knew what would happen then? But if they really could escape—well, God speed! Perhaps someday they would escape this miserable life, as well.

  Jasper went to the door to take the dirty dishes to the stream and wash them. “Whoa!” he exclaimed as he peered out into the night. The rain was still falling harder than ever. Water had crept up nearly to the cottage. The stream that had once seemed more like a babbling brook had become a rushing river. “The stream has overflowed its banks and is nearly to the door!” he reported now to the others in the house. “It is swirling swiftly right at my feet!”

  Noble looked up from his task. “Careful, Jasper! If you must go out there, do not get caught in its current! Even in shallow water, it could be very strong.”

  “I—I am not sure…” Jasper looked at the water uncertainly. He did not know how to swim. The stream was normally shallow, barely up to his knees at its deepest, skipping over boulders and rocks as it wound its way down from the mountains. This was something else again. He stood in the open door, hesitating to step out into the storm.

  Suddenly, above the wind and rain and the noise of the rushing water, they heard the frightened whinnying of the horses. Noble and William looked up in alarm. “Where are they, Jasper?” Noble asked as he frantically tried to tear at the knots that held him prisoner still.

  “I-I don’t know! I heard Rhain say he brought them away from the stream and tied them—there! There they are! They are tied to some trees a short way from the house, but they are down in a hollow. The water is pouring down on them and is nearly halfway to their bridles!”

  “We have to get to them!” William exclaimed. “They could drown if they remain tied to those trees! Are you freed yet, Noble?”

  “No,” Noble grunted through clenched jaws. “I have not untied the first knot yet! Rhain and Parry seemed to delight in tying as many knots as they could, as tightly as they could! Jasper, have you a knife or something sharp with which we can cut these ropes?” He did not like to ask the lad to involve himself in their escape, but if they did not do something quickly, Valiant and Warrior and the other horse, as well, would drown.

  “No,” Jasper shook his head. “No, there is nothing.”

  Another panicked whinny filled the air, and then another. Noble and William stared at the door in frustration and fear. Their beloved animals were in jeopardy and they were helpless to save them.

  “I’ll get them!” Jasper suddenly said.

  “No!” Beryl and Ruby cried. “Don’t go!”

  “Wait!” Noble exclaimed.

  But it was too late. With no further thought for his own safety, the boy plunged out into the night and the rushing waters.

  ___________

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  ___________

  Trail to the Edge of Nowhere

  King Stephen stared out the window of the inn in Snowdon. They had planned to get up at first light and resume the hunt with the dawn, but there was no dawn, and first light had not come. The sky was the dark gray of blackened metal when it had cooled on the blacksmith’s forge. An eerie twilight hung over the early morning as rain poured from the skies as if all the windows of heaven had opened at once. Thunder rumbled overhead and he could see the trees near the road swaying in the wind.

  “Come,” he sighed. “We will begin our search again despite the weather. We must not waste any time. We will be slowed down enough as it is, so let us make whatever speed we can before we leave the road again.” He looked at his men who had gathered in the common room. “I hate to think that my son might have spent the night out in this downpour.”

  The knights eagerly followed him out to the courtyard where several local boys had brought their horses from the stables. A little rain would not deter them from this mission! The young prince was beloved of them all, and Sir Noble, of course, was their good friend and companion. The quicker they found them, the better, and if it meant they must get a little wet and uncomfortable—well, so what? They were hardy men, strong and true! They were the King’s Guard!

  The other two groups had met them out on the road the night before, so there were more than a dozen who would search together today. Sir Michael led the way, with the king at his side. It did not take them long to reach the spot where they had turned into the forest the day before.

  They rode single file as they moved in under the trees. The rain
was not slowed down much by the leafy branches overhead, but poured in cold, heavy streamlets now, rather than drops, on their heads and down their necks. It was much cooler in the woods, as well, and they were soon wet and chilled to the bone. Some of their former zeal was gone, but none of their determination, so they gritted their teeth and pressed on.

  They had marked the trail yesterday, so they had no problem finding the way back to where they had left off. The two knights who had remained behind through the rainy night looked up in relief as they came through the trees. They were soaking wet and looked half-frozen. Their small campfire had gone out long ago, for it had proven impossible to shelter it from the rain.

  “Go to the inn in Snowdon, warm up and get some rest,” the king said kindly. “Then ride back to Caernarfon. If there has been a demand for ransom, then send word to Sir Robert. He may be easier to find than I, once we have followed this trail to whatever forsaken ill end it may lead. Tell him he has my full authority to pay whatever the ransom might be and to see that my son is returned unharmed—if we have not returned with him ourselves by then. He will know what to do.” The men agreed and stiffly climbed onto their horses. They rode off, eager for a warm fire, dry clothes and some hot food in their bellies.

  Little remained of the boot prints and hoof marks they had seen the day before. The ground was sodden and muddy and most of the evidence left behind by the criminals and Noble and William had been washed away. They scoured the ground, sinking into the wet, soft earth and rotting leaves, desperately seeking any clue as to which way they had gone. At last one of the men called out, “Here! What do you think? They are nearly gone, but do not these look like footprints to you?”

  Sir Michael and the king hurried to his side and knelt down to get a closer look. They did not speak, but looked around, seeking for more evidence that this truly was the trail. Finally Sir Michael said, “It appears that a path may have been scuffed through the leaves over here, Sire. Do you see how they make a trough where the leaves are deeper on either side? You see—it goes through the trees, if you follow it with your eyes.”