“I wish you would.”
“I think you take the lead rather well.”
He started to laugh, his big body shaking with mirth as he shifted his weight so he wasn’t on top of her. She was a little thing and he could only imagine how uncomfortable his full weight must have been, but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, her arms were around his neck, still clinging to him, as he pulled her into a snug embrace.
“Thank you,” he said, kissing her forehead. “It was rather marvelous.”
Annalyla had nothing to compare it to, but she knew she liked it. Nay, more than that. She knew she could come to crave it. The warmth and the intimacy were things she could have never expected, but they were things she realized she needed – from a cold father, to a colder nurse, and from a life where she never truly belonged anywhere, to anyone, now, she finally had that sense of belonging.
To the husband she’d been dreading.
He was dreaded no more.
CHAPTER SEVEN
They could see it in the distance.
Outlined against the sun setting in the western sky, it was a great and dark beast of a structure. With the sky streaked with gray and orange behind it, and the great ball of golden sun half-buried on the horizon, there was nothing warm or welcoming about Baiadepaura Castle.
Even the sight of it filled the air with dread.
As Annalyla looked at the castle on the cliff, she could believe all of the tales that Graham had told her, and more. She could see the wicked lord as he did his evil deeds, and she could see the villagers with torches who had broken into his castle and burned him to death. With the great rib bones of the derelict fortress stamped against the sky, she could believe absolutely everything terrible about the place.
It was a corpse of evils past.
Around her, the five hundred Tiverton men seemed to have grown oddly silent. It had been three long days of travel from Seven Crosses because of the weather, with tempest after tempest blowing in from the west, soaking the land and then blowing away. There had been intermittent spots of clear sky, but not enough to dry out man or beast before another storm blew in and pummeled the land once more.
By the time they reached their destination, everyone was exhausted from having done battle with the elements. They were all soaked to the skin, including Annalyla. Her green woolen cloak was saturated, but the rain hadn’t come through to her garments beneath because of the fur lining. She was still dry for the most part, which is more than could be said for the knights who were working the men, driving them down the muddy road as they headed for their destination. They were soaked all the way through and, in spite of the attention given by the squires who had come with the troops, their mail was starting to rust. It was leaving red marks on their necks, making it look like someone had tried to cut their throats.
“I swear to you that the men are moving more slowly,” Tenner said as he reined his foaming steed next to Annalyla’s little horse. “The closer we get, the slower they move.”
Annalyla was getting that sense, also. She glanced at Maude next to her, seeing the woman’s somewhat concerned expression.
“Graham has not been telling them any stories,” she said, thinking to defend the former St. Lo knight. “I am sure he would not do that.”
Tenner grunted. “He does not need to. The men know the tales. They know the rumors.”
“Do you think they are afraid?”
Tenner lifted a dark eyebrow, looking over the men who were slugging through the red mud. “Let us say that they do not relish reaching our final destination,” he said. “Most men are superstitious, and especially soldiers. They are like sailors in that regard – everything is an omen, and they take curses very seriously.”
“They’ll like it worse if we all catch our deaths out here in the dampness,” Annalyla said. “We really should find decent shelter, and soon.”
Tenner pursed his lips unhappily and suddenly swung his big horse about. He charged back along the line of men, shouting.
“My wife is cold and wet!” he bellowed. “If she becomes ill because you are a bunch of old women dragging your feet, then I will take it out on each and every one of you! Move!”
With that, the line suddenly started to pick up pace, leaving Annalyla and Maude to hide their grins as the horses began to move faster. Mud was splashing up on the horses’ legs, mottling the hems of their dresses that hung down by their stirrups. Looking down at her traveling garment, Annalyla knew that it would take some cleaning to get it all out. But she was eager to reach the hulking structure of Baiadepaura Castle regardless of the fact that the men didn’t seem to be, except when threatened.
In truth, she was sick of traveling. Not just from Seven Crosses, but all the way from Roseden. Annalyla hadn’t stopped traveling for almost three weeks, but the leg from Seven Crosses to Baiadepaura had been different – she was traveling with Tenner now, who had been kind and attentive the entire time, and she felt as if they were embarking on a grand new adventure as husband and wife.
It was all so new and exciting, in spite of the stormy skies and endless rain. The smiles Tenner gave her along their journey kept her warm, and during the nights when they’d stopped to rest, she’d fallen asleep, safe and comfortable, in his arms. It was a joy she never knew existed, and the memories of the lies and deceit she’d brought with her had all but vanished. Those things didn’t exist any longer.
Now, it was just her and Tenner.
With the quickened pace, the army from Seven Crosses reached the bulk of Baiadepaura Castle and as they drew closer, the reality of what Baiadepaura was settled deep. Viewing it from a distance was only part of it. Seeing it up close told a far more detailed tale – the place was a shell of a castle, a massive complex that stretched along the cliff, but it looked as if it had been partially dismantled.
Tenner, who was up at point along with Arlo, put out a hand to halt the column, and everyone came to a stop as Tenner and Arlo charged off through a gatehouse that was wide open. Annalyla found herself looking up at the twin cylindrical towers as they stretched to the sky.
“Look at it,” she said, absorbing the sight. “I did not know it would be so…”
“Broken?” Graham had come up behind her, filling in the word she was looking for. He, too, was looking at the derelict structure. “Broken and ruined. I am not entirely sure it could be any other way.”
Annalyla turned to him. “It hasn’t been abandoned since the wicked lord was killed, has it?”
Graham shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “I have heard that it has belonged to various Cornwall lords since that time. I think it was the Lords of Truro who built the stone walls, but you can still see the big mounds of earth around it. In ancient times, those were the original walls.”
Annalyla could, indeed, see great mounds of grass-covered earth that embraced the stone walls of the castle. There was about a ten-foot gap between the berms and the walls, and there were actually two gatehouses that she could see – the big one looming before them and then a smaller one to the south. The entire shape of the castle was odd, an awkward shape due to the line of the cliff that the castle was huddled against. It was all rather fascinating but no less intimidating.
In fact, the more she looked at it, the more gloom she felt.
“It feels as if this place is a beast waiting to spring to life,” Annalyla muttered, feeling a distinct sense of foreboding as the wind whistled around them. “I feel as if… as if it is watching us.”
Graham grunted. “It probably is,” he said. “I know I told you stories of this place, but they are just that – stories. What I see before me is a sad place that needs its dignity returned. Mayhap, that is a better way to look at it.”
Annalyla wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t shake the sense of doom. She’d told Tenner she didn’t believe any of Graham’s stories. But now that she was looking at the place, she could easily believe what she’d been told.
The entire place had a dark feel to
it.
As she pondered the darkness at hand, Tenner and Arlo came charging back through the gatehouse, heading straight for them. The men in the front moved aside as the knights headed for the women.
“I will have you women wait out here with a contingent of men while the rest of us clear out the place,” Tenner said grimly. “It looks as if someone has been inhabiting the castle, although we didn’t see anyone in a cursory check. If someone is there, then we shall flush him – or them – out.”
Annalyla glanced overhead; storm clouds were starting to gather again. “Will it take long?”
Tenner shook his head. “Nay,” he said, glancing up at the sky also. “Hopefully, before the rain comes again. Stay here with Graham. We shall clear the place out and make it safe for you and Maude.”
Annalyla nodded, watching as Tenner and Arlo took about four hundred men with them, back through the ruined gatehouse and into what seemed to be a vast bailey. Graham gathered the remaining hundred men around the women, who ended up dismounting their horses because their backsides were aching. The ground was wet, but it was better than an aching arse. As they stretched their legs a bit, thunder rolled overhead and a swift sea breeze kicked up. Salt sprayed up the cliffs, creating clouds of mist that rose into the sky.
“My grandmother was from Kent,” Maude said, moving to stand next to Annalyla and looping her arm companionably through her new friend’s. “She lived in St. Margaret’s, near Dover Castle. I spent time with her as a child and the smell of the sea always reminds me of her.”
Annalyla turned to her. “I have spent my life in places where there was no sea,” she said. “This is new to me, but there is something clean and cold and crisp about it.”
Maude smiled at her. “You shall like living near the sea,” she said. “This is your home now, even though it looks as if giants have kicked it over like a great sand pile. I am looking forward to walking the beaches with you and collecting shells.”
That sounded rather pleasant, in distinct contrast to the gloom Annalyla felt about the place. Was it possible that there was actually some light to this dark and unholy place? She opened her mouth to reply, but the sounds of distant shouting shook them from their conversation. Soon, they heard the thunder of horses. They turned to see men coming from the smaller gatehouse to the south, as well as from the main gatehouse, in an action suggesting that at least some of the castle had been secured.
Above, more thunder rolled and Graham dismounted his horse to help the ladies back onto their palfreys. By the time Maude was mounted and gathering her reins, Tenner was coming from the main gatehouse, bringing up the rear of his men. His charger was kicking up mud and clumps of earth as he once again headed towards the women. Only this time, he lifted an arm and began to wave it towards the castle.
“Move the men,” he called to Graham. Then, he turned to the women. “Come along, ladies. Let us get into shelter before this storm lets loose.”
“Is it safe?” Annalyla called to him.
He nodded, struggling with his excitable steed. “Safe enough,” he told her. “Come along, Lady de Velt.”
Everyone began rushing towards the main gatehouse as the first big drops of rain began to fall. The thunder was deafening as lightning streaked across the sky. Annalyla didn’t see much of the gatehouse as they quickly passed through it, but she could certainly smell it – it smelled of puddles of rancid water. But once they were into the vast bailey, she could finally see the castle for what it was –
A skeleton.
Lightning lit up the sky again and she could see the keep directly in front of her. It was a keep unlike anything she’d ever seen before – there was a big, square box of a building in the center with two wings on either side. Part of the north wing was collapsed on the top floor, but the south wing seemed intact, and the central part of the keep also seemed relatively undamaged.
The rain began to fall harder as Tenner pulled her off the palfrey and guided her towards a large building that was built against the outer wall. At one time, it had a double-door entry, but one door was missing while the other was warped. As he pulled her into the structure, she could see that it was the great hall.
It was a vast, decomposing chamber, partially filling with smoke as men went about building a fire in the center of the hall, in a fire pit like the old Saxon halls had. Smoke would rise to the ceiling and find outlets through holes in the roof. But in this case, a corner of the roof was missing and rain was coming through, mixing with the smoke to drive it back inward. Tenner had a grip on her as they walked towards the fire pit.
“Unfortunately, the entire place is like this,” he grumbled. “Crumbling and derelict. From what I have seen, the hall is the best place for you and Maude at the moment, so remain here while we secure the place.”
He let her go and turned away, but Annalyla grasped his arm. “Did you find anyone living here?”
Tenner shook his head, his cheeks marked red by the mail that was rusting around his head. “Nay,” he replied, “but there are signs that someone has been living here recently. There are animal carcasses, fish bones, that kind of thing. There is rubbish all around, just like the rest of this place. Purely rubbish.”
Annalyla sensed that he was greatly annoyed by the situation and she suspected why. He’d spoken proudly of his new garrison but to see the reality of it had somewhat damaged his pride. He’d been given a pile of old stones to govern. Rubbish, as he called it. Taking his hand, Annalyla smiled encouragingly at him.
“Do not fret,” she said. “It has been unattended for quite some time, but now that you are here, it will shine again. You will see to it. With a de Velt in command, perfection is assured.”
He stared at her a moment before breaking down into a weak smile. “And how would you know that?”
She laughed softly. “I grew up in the north, where de Velt reigns,” she said. “I know what men say about the battle lords of de Velt. And I know that you will make this a mighty outpost, so do not be discouraged by what you see. Tomorrow, you will assess the situation and make plans accordingly. You will turn this place into a great fortress.”
Tenner was softened by her words. It was true that he was discouraged by what he saw; it was difficult not to be. He’d come into possession of a rotting pile of stones rather than the mighty castle he’d hoped for. It was true that it was a place with a dark reputation, but he had hoped it had at least been kept up and maintained over the years by the string of owners it had belonged to.
Yet it was clear that was not the case; Baiadepaura was in ruins. He had quite a task on his hands, on top of the fact that he’d never wanted to bring women here in the first place. He had no way to protect them without gates and doors, or even the slightest measure of security, and that greatly disturbed him. Looking into Annalyla’s lovely face, the sense of protection he felt towards her was almost more than he could bear.
His wife…
The woman he never wanted, yet the woman that, in two days, had somehow embedded herself under his skin. They hadn’t spent much time together, except to sleep and the occasional meal, but in those brief moments he’d come to see a woman of wit and humor. Bit by bit, he was coming to know her and liking what he saw. He was coming to understand her a little and she, in turn, was coming to understand him. This was a perfect example. She knew their arrival had disappointed him and she was trying to give him some comfort. Even in the short time they’d known one another, already, she was sensing his moods.
He’d never had anyone care enough to do that.
“Your confidence in me is appreciated,” he said, reaching up to touch her cheek with a gloved finger in a gesture of genuine affection. “To be honest, the state of the castle does not upset me as much as the lack of security for you and Maude does. It is safer if you remain here in the hall with soldiers to protect you. I intend to inspect the keep from top to bottom and see if it will be suitable for us to sleep in tonight. Given the state of the entire place, I am not
holding out hope.”
She grinned. “You could be surprised.”
“I doubt it.”
With a wink, he left her, heading out into the storm that was now beginning to rage. Annalyla stood there, her heart fluttering as she watched him go, before turning to look around the hall, watching the rain come in through the leaking roof.
“It’s quite a mess,” Maude said.
She turned to the woman, who was standing near the fire trying to dry out her clothing. Steam was rising as it heated the wet fabric.
“Aye,” Annalyla agreed, taking a few steps towards the fire and lifting her wet hands. “I feel terrible for Tenner. He seems so disappointed.”
Maude peeled off her gloves, wringing them out. “He will forget about it,” she said. “The thrill of his first command will have him forgetting any disappointment. Now, it seems as if we must get a few things in order while the men complete their tasks. What would you have me do, Lady de Velt?”
As she said it, Annalyla realized that she was now the chatelaine of this place, broken down as it was. Still, it was hers, and the thrill of that realization filled her with excitement. Looking around the dilapidated hall, it suddenly didn’t look so terrible to her. It was still dark and the gloom she felt hadn’t lifted, but that was of little matter. As she had told Tenner, it was a place he could make shine again, and so could she. They would do it together. When she thought of it that way, it was the most beautiful place she’d ever seen.
It was time to roll up her sleeves and get busy.
“Indeed,” she said after a moment. “I would say that the first order of business is feeding the men, wouldn’t you? Where is the quartermaster? We need his supplies.”
Maude cast her an approving smile before heading back towards the entry where soldiers were coming in out of the rain. Annalyla could hear Maude speaking to them, asking about the quartermaster, but she didn’t hear much of the ensuing conversation. At that point, she was on her own quest. If they were going to cook a meal, then they would need something to cook it with. Seeing Graham as he organized men near the smaller servant door, she called out to the man.
Bay of Fear (Battle Lords of de Velt Book 3) Page 9
