“What happened, Hero?” Noble asked once more. “Where’s Granny?” How he wished the little dog could speak!
Hero did the best he could. He lowered his head and stared at the door, growling deep within his throat. His tail was tucked between his legs and he looked frightened and determined at the same time. That bad man had hurt him and taken Granny, but he wouldn’t get away with it! Not if he, Hero, had anything to do with it!
“He was here, wasn’t he, boy?” Noble said. “The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight took Granny, didn’t he?”
Hero gave a sharp bark and started toward the door. Now that his master was by his side, he forgot about his pain and was ready to go. Ready to go and find Granny. Ready to catch that bad man. Hero barked once more and turned back to look at Noble. Let’s go! he barked. I’m ready—let’s go!
Noble followed Hero out to the gate and untied Valiant. As much as he wanted to carry the injured pup in his saddlebag, they needed the benefit of Hero’s nose to follow the Dark Knight’s trail. Hero was already snuffling at the ground, eager to follow the bad man’s scent. Noble mounted Valiant and said, “Find Granny, Hero! Find Granny!”
The small dog limped along, never hesitating as he searched for the smell that would lead them to Granny. It was slow-going, and ordinarily Valiant would have been impatient, but the great warhorse seemed to sense that Hero was doing the best he could, and he followed behind, taking care not to step on his little friend. They entered the forest that stood just on the other side of the road and disappeared into the trees.
Noble was trying to be patient, also, but on the inside he was aware that time was slipping away—and perhaps the Dark Knight was, as well. Granny was in danger and he needed to get to her as quickly as possible. “My Father,” he prayed aloud as he rode, “please show us the way to Granny! Keep her safe from harm, dear Lord. Give me wisdom in finding her, and strength and courage in facing the Dark Knight. In your name I trust and pray, Amen.”
Noble searched his brain. He knew every inch of these woods. He had hiked them every day of his life with Grandfather. He knew every brook and stream, every grove and valley, every cave—
Every cave. The Dark Knight could not get far very quickly carrying Granny with him. He would have to hide her somewhere, and what better place than a cave? There were only two or three caves in this forest, Noble knew, and the closest was not far from Granny’s cottage—and in the direction Hero was leading them.
A few more minutes and they were there, just as Noble suspected. Hero sniffed excitedly at the entrance to the cave and suddenly started barking. He looked at Noble and then dashed inside, forgetting all about his injuries. Noble leaped from Valiant’s back and followed the dog into the darkness.
“Granny!” he called. “Granny, are you in here?” There was not a sound in the cave. He had no torch, and the bit of sunshine that came through the doorway fell far short of lighting his way.
He was not ready to give up, though. He could not see Hero, but he heard him snuffling in the dark. Suddenly the little dog began to bark and whine in excitement. Noble rushed forward, stumbling over the uneven stone floor and almost slamming his head into a low overhang. Just as he reached the barking dog his foot touched something soft and he fell to his knees.
“Granny!” he cried as he lifted her in his arms. He felt the cloth binding her face and pulled it off. She gasped for air and then whispered, “Noble! You’ve come! The Lord answered my prayers! But hurry, we must leave this place! The Dark Knight will return and he wants to hurt you, Noble! Oh, and he has gone after the prince and Dominique, as well!”
“What!” Noble was untying Granny as quickly as he could. “How can he get to William and Dominique with all the men around them? They are well-protected. He is only one man—he cannot take on all those men alone.”
“I don’t know what he plans to do, Noble, but he said he will lure the men away and then go after the children. You must hurry and save them, Noble!”
“Can you stand?” he asked as he cut the last rope.
“Don’t worry about me, my boy! Leave me here and go after the children! Hurry!”
“No, I’ll not leave you here all alone, Granny! What if he comes back? If you can walk, let’s go. Hero will lead us out.”
Granny was stiff and sore from being tied up and left on the cold stone floor, but she gritted her teeth and followed Noble without complaint. Getting out of the cave was not as difficult as going in had been. The little bit of light was before them now, and soon they found themselves back at the entrance.
Valiant was waiting right where they had left him. Noble lifted Granny onto his back and carefully tucked Hero into his saddlebag. “Good boy, Hero!” he praised the pup. “You found Granny! Good boy!” He quickly climbed into the saddle behind Granny and they took off through the forest as swiftly as they could.
Noble’s mind was racing. Where was the Dark Knight now? He wondered. Had he already reached William and Dominique? And where were the king and his men? How could the Dark Knight hope to lure them away? What should he do now? Where should he go? Was he too late?
“Lord, help us!” he pleaded as Valiant sped through the trees.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
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The Dark Knight
After Noble left for his granny’s cottage, Dominique sat with her mother and the queen on a blanket, idly weaving a daisy wreath as she listened to them chat. William was following Jamie around, asking questions about the horses and about Fly, who was still in Jamie’s keeping.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” the stable boy said to William. “I can tell you all you want to know about horses, but I don’t know much at all about falconry. I have had only one or two lessons with Sir Noble—enough so that I can handle Fly, but that is about all.”
‘Well then, perhaps you can take me riding again. There is no horse here as great as Valiant, but I would like to practice anyhow. If Father says I may, will you take me, Jamie?” Jamie agreed and William ran off to ask for permission. Soon the little prince’s laughter was ringing over the open field as he bounced along on his father’s own horse.
At last King Stephen called them back. “It is time we go back to the cottage. Noble’s grandmother will be waiting for us.” They packed up the picnic supplies and left the field. They reached the carriage where they had left it and the ladies climbed in. William begged to stay with his father on his horse and rode proudly at the head of the group.
No one met them at the gate this time when they arrived at Granny’s cottage. It was quiet and still in the garden. “Where is Valiant, Father?” William asked. “I thought Noble rode back to help his granny?”
“So did I, William. Something strange is going on here. Noble and his grandmother should be here. They would never leave when they were expecting us.” The king ordered two of his men to go inside and take a look.
“Sire!” one of them called when they came back out. “No one is here, and it looks as if there was a struggle inside. Things are knocked over and broken.”
King Stephen, the duke, and several others went inside then to see for themselves. “This is the work of my cousin Andras. I am sure of it,” Richard the Duke said.
“The Dark Knight. I fear you are right,” the king replied. “The question is—where is Noble? And his grandmother, of course.”
“If I know my cousin, I think he would be afraid to battle Sir Noble face to face. People speak far and wide of the young knight and how he defeated Sir Charleton. Andras would try trickery, I am sure. I have a feeling Andras took Noble’s grandmother, and Noble discovered her missing when he arrived back here this afternoon. Valiant is gone, so Sir Noble probably went after her—just what the Dark Knight wanted. He is probably lying in wait for Noble, hoping to ambush him.”
The king looked grave. “We must send help for Noble. I will—”
Suddenly they heard shouting from outside. A knight ran into the cottage cryi
ng, “Your Majesty, fire! Fire! There is a forest fire—a big one by the looks of it! It is headed this way!”
The men rushed back outside and looked at the forest across the way. Down the road to the west smoke and flames rose above the trees. They could hear the crackling of the blaze as it moved from tree to tree. And then to their horror, they heard from far away a voice calling, “Help! Help!”
“Noble!” the king said with dread. “He is caught in it! We must help him!” He began shouting orders to his men, and then turned to his wife. “My dear, I want you and Bronwen to stay here in the cottage with the children. Jamie will stay with you. We will be back as soon as we can, but if the fire begins to get too close, get in the carriage and have Jamie drive you away.”
Before Queen Gwyneth could say a word the men were gone. She and the duchess hustled William and Dominique into the cottage. They watched at the small window, fearful but praying for God’s protection for all. Jamie stood outside the door, watching the blaze above the treetops.
Just across the road, in the shadow of the trees the Dark Knight crouched, quietly laughing. So far his plan was working splendidly! The fire he had set had drawn the king and his men away, just as he had known it would. And how clever of him to think of imitating the young knight’s voice and calling for help! Just the thing to insure the king and duke themselves went with their men! Now to carry out the rest of his scheme!
Jamie was pacing back and forth in front of the cottage. He knew what he was doing was important, and yet he wished he could be out there with the other men fighting that fire—especially when his best friend was in danger! The stable boy sent up a quick prayer for Noble and stopped by the corner of the cottage to watch the fire once more. Was it his imagination, or were the flames creeping closer? Ash was falling into the garden now and smoke was beginning to drift across the road. If the men didn’t come back soon, he would have to take the women and children and flee the fire in the carriage. He walked once more to the other side of the little house and turned to pace back again. Out of the corner of his eye Jamie saw a movement, but before he could react, something hit him in the head and he fell to the ground without a sound.
The Dark Knight came from around the corner and stepped over Jamie’s still body. He pulled out a rope and tied up the boy, and then dragged him around to the back of the cottage and threw him in the bushes. By the looks of it, he would be long gone before the stable boy woke up—if he ever did.
The women and children were standing at the window, but they were looking in the other direction, their eyes upon the fire. The Dark Knight crept to the cottage door and drew his sword. With a mighty kick, he broke the door in!
The people at the window whipped around as the door burst open with a crash. “Andras!” Dominique cried out, her eyes wide in fear.
“The Dark Knight!” Prince William whispered.
“Yes, Cousin, it is I!” Andras said with a sneer. “What? Not happy to see me?”
The two mothers stepped in front of their children protectively. “Get out of here!” the queen ordered. “Get out while you can! My husband and the men will be back any minute now, and if they catch you—”
The Dark Knight laughed. “Oh, I think not! They will be busy for quite some time fighting the fire that I started!”
“You started that fire? Oh, Andras, how could you? Why are you here? What do you want?” the duchess asked.
“Oh, I’m sure you know what I want, my dear Duchess! I want back what your husband, and the king, and that boy took from me! I want my father back, for one thing! And all our hopes of being Duke someday, or even King! But if I cannot have those things back, then I shall take from them what they most treasure—you!”
“Granny! Did you hurt Noble’s granny, Andras?” Dominique demanded.
“I would not worry about the old woman if I were you, Cousin! Worry about yourself! Now, all of you—if you don’t want to be hurt, sit down right where you are. Quickly!” he snarled. The Dark Knight waved his sword at them and they had no choice but to obey his orders.
Dominique’s mind was racing, searching for a way to outsmart and defeat her cousin. She watched helplessly, though, as he tied up first the women, and then William and herself. There was nothing she could do without putting her mother and the others at great risk. Her cousin was a madman. There was no telling what he would do if she made him even angrier than he already was.
She glanced out the window. What had happened to Jamie? And where was Noble? Would someone come in time to rescue them from the Dark Knight? She could only pray. And so that is what she did.
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CHAPTER TWELVE
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Into the Fire
Valiant wound his way skillfully through the trees at top speed. Granny held on tightly but she need not have worried—Noble’s arms were around her, and Valiant was surefooted and steady. She would not fall.
They reached the edge of the forest just across from her cottage quickly. Before they got there, though, they began to smell smoke, and to the west they could see flames through the trees.
“What is this?” Noble exclaimed in dismay. “A forest fire? How could this be?” Suddenly he knew. The Dark Knight! This was his doing—his plan to draw the king and his men away from the prince and Dominique. The knave! The wicked, evil knave!
Noble slid down from Valiant’s back at the edge of the forest and reached up to help his grandmother down. “Granny, I want you to go back to your cottage and hide. I doubt if the Dark Knight will return—he has business elsewhere. I must go find the king and his men. I am sure they are fighting the fire, but I will need their help to find the prince and Dominique. Go carefully now—and if the fire gets too close, hurry as fast as you can to the village for help.”
He had just mounted Valiant again, and Granny was starting across the road when suddenly they heard loud voices coming from the cottage. “No!” they heard a woman cry out, and then the sound of weeping.
“Wait!” Noble hissed. “Come back, Granny!” His grandmother slipped back into the trees and Noble hid her among some dense bushes. “Someone is in the house. Stay here, out of sight, Granny. I will leave Valiant with you for the moment. Hero, you shall come with me.” He lifted the little dog out of the saddlebag and set him on the ground. “Remember,” he warned once more, “stay out of sight!” Granny nodded and Noble slipped quietly across the way to the garden gate.
The gate opened noiselessly and Noble crept up to the window. He looked inside Granny’s cottage and what he saw shocked him! There on the floor were the queen and Prince William, Dominique and her mother! And standing over them with his sword in his hand was the Dark Knight!
The duchess was weeping, but Dominique looked proud and unafraid. William was huddled over his mother’s lap, trying his best to be a man and protect his mother, although Noble could see it was she who was protecting her child.
The Dark Knight had just lifted his sword and was threatening, “Stop that crying or I’ll—” when Noble rushed through the door.
“You’ll what, you knave!” he shouted. “Why don’t you take on a man, rather than threaten women and children?”
“A man? What man? All I see is a sniveling boy who wants to play knight! I have come for you, Sir Noble—come to make you pay for what you did to my father!”
“Your father got what he deserved, Andras! He will be in the dungeon for the rest of his life, and if you are lucky, you will join him there!” The two knights were circling one another, both with their swords drawn. Noble knew he had to take the battle outside, away from the innocent people lying tied up on the floor. They could not quickly move out of the way of swinging swords.
Hero rushed across the room and jumped into William’s lap, showering him, and then Dominique, with kisses as if to reassure them. His master would take care of that bad man, they would see!
The Dark Knight lunged at him and Noble took several steps backwards, warding off his blows with
his own sword, and making several quick stabs at Sir Andras at the same time. He slowly drew the Dark Knight out of the cottage and into the garden. Now that he did not have to worry so much about the others he could concentrate on the swordplay.
Noble knew he was the better swordsman, but rage and the thirst for revenge made the Dark Knight very dangerous. Noble was on guard and carefully plotted his battle, hoping to wear his enemy down quickly and then put a swift end to the fight. Up and down the garden they fought. Noble received a nick or two from the tip of Sir Andras’ sword, but the Dark Knight received far worse—a slash across his shoulder and several deep cuts upon his arms. Still he fought on, cursing Noble and the king and duke, as well.
The battle raged around the side and to the back of the cottage. Finally Noble pressed the Dark Knight into some bushes and the enraged man stumbled. Andras fell backwards over something, thrashing his arms to regain his balance. Noble saw to his horror that it was a body. The body of Jamie, his friend!
For a moment Noble stopped, and his heart nearly stopped, as well. He lowered his sword and took his eyes off his foe, grief filling his vision. The Dark Knight saw his opportunity. He recovered from his stumble and took one final lunge at Sir Noble.
In a heartbeat Noble’s sword was up again and he stepped aside, away from the Dark Knight’s sword. With a heavy stroke of his own he sent the knight’s sword flying out of his hand and out into the road. Andras fell on his face and Noble quickly pinned him to the ground. “Enough!” he ordered the Dark Knight, his voice heavy with anger and sorrow for his friend. “If you want to live do not resist!” The Dark Knight struggled for a moment but finally lay still.
“Here, let me help you,” a voice behind Noble said. He turned his head and to his amazement he saw Jamie staggering to his feet. The stable boy was white as a sheet, and blood still oozed from a nasty cut on his head, but he took off his belt and handed it to Noble. Noble bound the hands of the Dark Knight behind him and left him lying face down in the dirt while he turned to his friend.
Shadow of the Dark Knight (Noble Heart Book 3) Page 6
