Roderick nodded and looked at Anna. “Clearly you have a kind heart,” he said, “but men who have to scrape out a meager existence from the earth or with their hands have little to live for, anyway. At least they died in service to their country.”
“And men will fight to death to free themselves from the chains of tyranny,” Matilda added.
Anna excused herself as soon as the meal was done, leaving the cheerful party behind her and wandering into the trees. The sun had not yet completely set, and she found her path taking her up a small hillock. She could see the multitude of camp fires as the soldiers prepared their meals – each one a son, a husband, a father or a friend. In the distance, beyond the river, she could see Roderick and Matilda’s homeland. It didn’t look much different from the countryside they had traversed, and Anna wondered what it was that made men risk hundreds, or even thousands, of lives, so they could lay claim to a corner of the earth. She still did not have an answer when she returned to the tent later that evening and tried to get some rest.
Chapter 36
The broad rafts Anna had seen lying on the river banks were used to carry supplies and the officers, but the rest of the army had to swim across the swiftly flowing current. Anna stood watching from the small hillock overlooking the river as the men swam through the fast-moving water to the other side. She saw one young man, no older than Kathleen, standing on the closer shore, wildly shaking his head. An axe was strapped to his back, and it swayed precariously at his vigorous movements. Another man stood with him, pointing across the river, clearly trying to urge the young man in, but to no avail. Would they leave him behind, Anna wondered, or force him into the water, to be swept away by the current? There had already been a few men washed downstream, their lives sacrificed before they even reached enemy territory, but something about this man drew Anna. Perhaps it was his age. Or the sandy-colored hair which reminded her of a younger Garrick.
As she watched, someone approached the pair. With the sun in her eyes, she could not see at first who it was, but when he turned slightly, she recognized Max. He spoke to the young man, laying his hand on his shoulder, and after a few minutes of earnest conversation, the young man nodded. He followed Max into the water. When it reached his waist, he started to wave his arms wildly, but Max turned and said something to him, and he placed his hands on Max’s shoulders. With a kick, Max was in the middle of the river, the man clinging to his back. Max was a strong swimmer, which did not surprise Anna, and it did not take him long to reach the other bank.
As soon as the young man was on the far shore, Max turned and dived back into the current, swimming powerfully and with astonishing speed back to the closer bank where the men stood congregated, attempting their own crossings. He scanned the crowd, then approached someone else. Soon he was swimming once again across the river, with a second man clinging to him. When he came back to the bank the third time, Anna saw Garrick walk towards him. He said something to Max, then turning around, pointed at one of the men congregated on the bank. There was a brief conversation, and then Garrick, too, was in the water, helping a man across. He was not as fast as Max, and when he reached the other side, he paused for a moment, hands on knees, to catch his breath, before diving back into the current. Free of his burden, he moved much quicker, and was soon picking out another man to offer his aid to. As the crowd watched, more men stepped forward, strong and powerful, offering their help to the men who could not swim, until there was a small group of swimmers carting men on their backs through the water, back and forth. Anna smiled to herself when she saw Garrick push some of the larger, heavier men in Max’s direction, and when one of the men turned to look at Garrick in surprise, he just shrugged his shoulders as Max laughed. Garrick, of course, was well familiar with Max’s strength, but none of the other men knew what Max could do. One by one, twenty or so men were helped across the water, until only Garrick and Max were still swimming back and forth. A small crowd had formed on the far bank to cheer them on, but Anna could see that Garrick was tired, fighting for each stroke through the river. It was after his fourth crossing that he fell to his knees in the shallow water on the far bank, pushing the man he was helping ahead of him. He stayed there for a moment before staggering once more to his feet.
“Stay there,” Anna whispered to herself, sucking in her breath when he dived back into the water. She could see immediately that he was in trouble, too weary to lift his arms. She jumped to her feet. “No,” she shouted as she ran down the little hill towards the river. “Help him!”
Max was in the water, swimming back to shore, when he heard her voice. He lifted his head in her direction, then swung around to see Garrick floundering in the water. He dived beneath the water’s surface, shooting like an arrow through the murky depths. He reached Garrick before Anna could even draw in another breath, grasping him by the waist and towing him back to the far shore. She saw Garrick collapse onto the bank on his knees, Max leaning over him, speaking into his ear. Garrick nodded, and Max pulled away. He turned and looked over his shoulder at her for a brief moment, then rising to his feet, walked out of the shallow water and out of sight. Garrick crawled on his hands and knees onto the muddy grassland where someone grabbed him beneath the arms and hauled him to his feet, dragging him to a high log. A flask was shoved into his hand, and tipping his head back, he threw the contents down his throat before wiping his arm across his mouth.
The soldiers encountered the enemy for the first time that afternoon. A small company of a dozen enemy men put fire to a supply wagon that was left unattended in the chaos of the crossing. Alfred’s men had quickly turned on their attackers, but the resulting fight was little more than a skirmish. Three of Alfred’s men were taken prisoner, while another two were wounded before the enemy beat a hasty retreat with their prisoners.
“We chased them off!” Alfred said as Rupert finished recounting the events. “Our first battle was victorious.”
Rupert snorted. “Their mission was to observe our progress and report back to Terran,” he said. “They escaped unharmed, and made off with three of our men, so it seems to me that they are the victors today.” He narrowed his eyes. “They had better enjoy it, because it will be the last time.”
It took a full day for the entire army to cross the river, and another for the supplies, horses and camp followers. Matilda and her entourage crossed on a raft at the end of the first day, setting up camp along the riverbanks in Matilda’s homeland. As she stepped onto the muddy shore, she stretched out her arms and lifted her face to the sun. “At last I have come home,” she said. She turned to her brother, waiting nearby, with a smile. “Do you feel it, Roddy?” she said. “The sun shining down on us is a sign that we will be victorious. You will come to your throne, and all will be well.”
Roderick smiled. “Aye, my dear,” he said, “I feel it. And taste it. Terran will soon be fleeing like a dog with his tail between his legs while the people welcome their true king.”
As Anna turned away, she saw Max standing a little further down the bank, looking in her direction. Behind her the sun was setting and as she returned his gaze, she could see his skin shimmering slightly in the low light. “Thank you,” she whispered. He smiled, and for a moment she thought she saw the light flare in his eyes, but it might have been the sun shining on him. She turned away, and headed towards the tents.
As the army marched north, they were constantly harried by small groups of enemy men. More men were taken prisoner, and one of the men wounded in the first attack died from his injuries. There were losses on Terran’s side, too. One man was taken prisoner, while another was killed by an axe blow to the head. As the days passed, Rupert grew more tight-lipped. The men knew to obey his orders instantly, or face punishment for insurrection. Alfred pleaded for leniency, but his arguments did not sway Rupert. Instead, Rupert snapped out a rude reply that questioned the acumen of his brother before marching away.
Matilda’s mood was also affected by news of the skirmishes. “Do
they know I am here?” she said one evening, as yet another such report was brought by the guards. “Surely they must know their princess is here, and that their king marches with Alfred.”
“I believe they do,” Tobias answered cautiously. “The man we captured made, er, mention of your royal name.”
“He did?” Matilda leaned forward eagerly. “What did he say?”
Tobias looked at Frank, who shrugged and looked away. Tobias turned back to Matilda in resignation. “He said Your Majesty should return home.”
“Home? To the old palace where Roderick and I grew up?”
“No, Your Majesty. Home to Civitas. And to your children.”
“Oh.”
Tobias nodded his head and quickly walked away.
“It’s just the opinion of just one man,” Matilda said to Anna. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
“No, my lady,” Anna agreed, keeping her eyes averted as she examined a rip in her gown. “I’m sure the people love you.”
Alfred continued to march north, leaving the mountains in the distance as they traversed through wide open plains. They passed by a few isolated homesteads, but when Frank and Tobias approached them to ask for shelter for the queen, they found them locked and barred. They encountered an old woman at one, but she sent them on their way. They did not tell the queen, but Tobias related the incident to Anna in hushed tones.
“The old hag told us the queen is not welcome here, and that Roderick must go back to where he came from,” Tobias said, his eyes darting around anxiously as he spoke. “I thought the people here wanted Roderick back on the throne, but that does not seem to be so.”
“Perhaps when we reach the towns it will be different,” Anna said.
Tobias nodded. “Perhaps. We’ll reach the first town tomorrow, and will be on the outskirts of the city within a week. We will soon be engaging the enemy in a proper battle.”
“Well, depend upon it, the people in the city will be throwing their support behind Roderick,” Anna said. She glanced around the dry and dusty camp. “I’m going to go for a walk,” she said.
“You can’t!” Tobias was horrified. “It’s not safe for a lady.”
“I won’t go far,” Anna said.
“Hey, what’s going on there?” Anna had seen Frank watching her and Tobias’s whispered conversation. He strode towards them now as Tobias turned to face his fellow guard.
“Mistress Anna wishes to go for a walk.”
“A walk? Alone?” Frank’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why?”
“Do you think your company is so pleasant I cannot bear to leave it?” Anna said. “I wish for some peace and quiet away from the dust and smoke of the camp.” She saw Kathleen come out of the tent. “Besides, I won’t be alone. Lady Kathleen is coming with me.” She threw a pleading look Kathleen’s way.
“Of course,” Kathleen said.
“Very well,” Frank said. “You can go that way,” he pointed to the east, “to avoid the enemy bands seen earlier today. And no further than those trees in the distance.” He pointed to a small stand of trees a few hundred yards away.
Anna turned to look where he pointed and nodded. She glanced at Kathleen. “Coming?”
Kathleen nodded. “Yes.”
They walked together across the open field. Anna glanced back once to see Frank watching them as they walked, his arms crossed over his chest; but before she looked away again he turned and walked away. The sounds of the army became more distant, until finally they could hear the sounds of bees and other insects darting between the long grasses. Anna swung her arms as she walked, and turned to look at Kathleen.
“Wishing you hadn’t come on this march?” she asked.
“Oh, no. It is a wonderful adventure,” Kathleen said. “It is a bit tiring at times, and there are so many men who like to stare and make one uncomfortable, but I have never traveled anywhere before except to Civitas and our house in the country.”
Anna smiled. “Well, when you look at it that way, this is quite an adventure.” They were nearing the copse of trees. There was a slight rustling, and Anna peered into the shadows. The grasses swayed around her feet as strands of hair blew across her face. She turned back to Kathleen. “I saw one of the men greet you earlier today. Do you know him?”
Kathleen blushed. “You mean Lord Giles? No, I don’t know him. I mean, not really.” She looked down at her feet. They were only a few steps from the woods when Anna heard the rustling sound again. She paused, and so did the sound.
“What is it?” Kathleen said.
“Someone’s there,” Anna whispered. She grabbed Kathleen’s arm and took a step back. “I think we should return.” Kathleen nodded, but before they moved another step, Anna saw three men step out from behind the trees. She yanked Kathleen’s arm. “Run,” she shouted, but it was too late. The first man already had his hands on Kathleen and was dragging her into the shadows. “Stop,” Anna shouted. She pounded her fist against the man, but a second man stepped up behind her, and catching her fists he pulled her arms behind her back. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the shin with her boot. The man grunted, but the hold on her arms did not loosen. She heard a voice in her ear.
“A little fighter, eh. Is Roderick recruiting women to do his warring these days?”
“Let me go,” she shouted. She rammed her elbow in the man’s stomach. His grasp on her arms slackened slightly, and she spun around to look up at the man who had her captive. He was tall, with well-muscled shoulders and arms. His gray eyes were furrowed in a frown, but as he looked down at her his lips stretched into a wide, full smile. He glanced at Kathleen, who stood quiet in the other man’s arms, then back at Anna. “Now, what are a pair of women doing wandering around while a war is being waged?”
Anna lifted her eyebrows. “War? The war hasn’t even started yet!”
“Really?” The man laughed. “And how many men has Alfred lost so far?” Anna was silent. “So, let me ask my question again. Why are you women wandering around?”
“We are not ‘wandering,’” Anna said. “We are taking a walk!”
“A walk? Ah, I see! You decided you must come all the way from your own kingdom and take a walk in ours.”
“We are ladies to Queen Matilda,” Kathleen squeaked. Anna sighed.
“Queen Matilda, eh? And how is our lovely princess these days?” He didn’t wait for a response. “You know, I should return you so you can tell her, from me, to take herself back home again.” He raised his eyebrows. “Does that surprise you? We don’t want Matilda here, nor her brother, Roderick. We have a king, and are quite satisfied with him.”
“But he’s a pretender to the throne!”
“Is that what they tell you?” The man laughed again. “No, Terran has just as much claim as Roderick. But he is a much better man, and a fine king. We do not want Roderick back, thank you very much.” Anna was silent. The man looked at the others. “Tie them up. We will take them to Terran. Maybe they will earn us some negotiating power.” He looked back at Anna, smiling at her furious scowl. “Don’t worry, love,” he said. “We will take good care of you. And since we will be together for a while, let me introduce myself.” He delivered a courtly bow. “Syngen Gail at your service.”
Chapter 37
Syngen Gail was charming, handsome and proud – just the kind of man Anna abhorred. She could not believe she had led herself and Kathleen so easily into a trap. She glared at the man, scowling more when his smile grew wider. He was detestable, she thought. She glanced at Kathleen, meeting her gaze briefly. She had yearned for adventure – was this what she had in mind?
The other two men bound the women with ropes as Syngen watched. He checked the knots before nodding his approval. “Let’s be off,” he said, taking the lead and weaving his way through the trees. One of the men grasped Anna by the arm, but she shook him off.
“I assure you, I am quite capable of walking unassisted,” she said. Syngen glanced over his shoulder with a grin.
“Oh, I doubt it’s your ability to walk that Danny is questioning,” he said. “Unless …” He paused, and turning around, sniffed Anna as she pulled back in horror. “No, you don’t smell of drink, so I’m sure you can walk without assistance.” He grinned shamelessly then turned back and strode down the path, humming a tuneless song.
The sun dropped behind the horizon, but Syngen did not slow his pace. A branch caught on Anna’s gown, and she winced when she heard it rip along the hem. A twig slapped her in the face, and her eyes smarted. She wondered whether Frank had started searching for them. Or would he just leave them to their fate? But it was no use thinking about such things. She needed to find a way of escaping. As soon as they stopped, she would find a way to speak to Kathleen unobserved.
They cleared the trees and continued walking. The moon was nearly full, and it shone brightly in the night sky, shedding plenty of light to walk by. The ropes around Anna’s wrists chafed, and she twisted her hands as they walked. It was another hour before Syngen finally called a halt, and the men allowed Anna and Kathleen to collapse on the ground.
“We’ll rest for a few hours, and be on our way again before first light,” Syngen said to the men. “And no fire. There will be men out searching for these two.”
Anna glanced at Kathleen, but she was staring at the ground a few feet away. She looked at the man standing behind her friend. Syngen had called him Danny. He was short, but built like a bull. He could probably withstand any battering without moving an inch. The other man, however, was much slighter. He was gazing at Anna with sharp, beady eyes, and she looked away. He might not have the same physical prowess as the other men, but not much would escape him. Anna glanced up at the night sky. The stars looked paler than usual against the bright light of the moon. She looked down, but not before a flash caught her eye, making her look up once more. Across the night sky she saw a blaze of light. A falling star, perhaps, or maybe a flash of flame. She glanced back at the men. The big one was sitting on his haunches, staring at the ground, while the beady-eyed one was talking to Syngen. She looked back at the night sky, and there it was again – a flash of flame. She smiled and pushed herself to her feet. Syngen turned to look at her, his eyebrows upraised.
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