“Rodric told me ye come from the future and that ye speak the truth when ye say ye do not know how ye arrived here. In addition, ye told him many amazing things and drew pictures in the soil for him. Because of our time difference, there were no people digging at Druid’s Grove when I went there.” Stacey said suspiciously, “You’re being very calm about all this. I’m not sure I trust you. I don’t wanna’ be locked up in one of your tower cells or turned into a bonfire.”
Eric was dismayed at Stacey’s analysis of him. “Do ye know me so little ye think me that sort of man?” he asked. “If we are the past and ye are a woman of the future and learning, then surely ye must be aware of the dangers of our time. For ye to leave my protection be foolhardy.” A long silence followed and then finally Eric asked, “Demoiselle, why do ye not speak? This be not like ye to be so meek.”
“I’ll tell you why,” Stacey said. “This time travel thing happened to me and it’s very difficult for me to understand. So how is it for you to be, ‘mister open minded,’ about it? Even in my time, time travel is impossible.”
“Mayhap demoiselle, since I have met ye, I have learned never to underestimate the impossible,” Eric said.
“Why do you keep calling me demoiselle?” Stacey asked. “You can call me, Miss Scott, your lordship.”
“Come,” Eric, said. “It is getting late. We must get back to the keep, but first we must make a truce, ye and I. No one must know ye truth. I mean no one, other than Rodric and myself. This be for ye own safety. Try to learn to speak as we do and I will take ye to Hampton hall in six weeks time when we go for the tournament. Mayhap ye be right. Mayhap ye will be able to travel to ye own time from Druid’s grove. Be this not what ye want?”
“Yes, it is,” Stacey, said.
“Aye then,” Eric said. “I will do all I can to make it so.”
They rode back on Gray Cloud in silence. They both were deep in thought, but kept their thoughts to themselves. Stacey went back to her same room and no one asked any questions. Life in the castle went on as usual, except for Eric and Stacey. They were no longer adversaries, but not friends either. It was obvious that the atmosphere between these two had changed. Stacey was quiet and subdued and the earl could not cover the yearning for her in his eyes. Many times they talked late into the night about her world. The earl had many questions; he was hungry for knowledge of the future.
He never asked about her parents or her family. She realized that his interest seemed to be mostly about politics and weaponry. She was far from an expert in that field, but told him all she could about cannons, guns, atomic and nuclear energy. Stacey tried to help him to understand how atomic and nuclear energy could be used for peace and prosperity as well as war and devastation. He was also surprised to hear how medical science had advanced and eliminated many dreadful diseases. He was amazed at the politics of a freethinking, democratic society. He was also revolted and disappointed in the future kings of his own country.
Chapter 13
The Tournament
The Earl of Dun-Raven, spent his days practicing for the coming tourney however, after the eventide meal, he spoke with Stacey in private to ask many questions about her world. The nights were long, cool and unrestful. Stacey couldn’t get past the chagrin she felt when Rodric told her about Isabelle. Stacey felt Eric’s interest in her was curiosity about her world and nothing more. Stacey regaled Eric with the people and fashions of the future. He chortled heartily when she described the hair and fashions of Elizabeth the first, then James the first and his son Charles the first, with the long hair and ringlets and high-healed shoes of the nobility. Eric could not imagine the unmanly sound of the future royalty and the misuse of their power.
“This queen Elizabeth, sounds more a man and a king than her father.” Eric said. “She gave her life and her womanhood for her country. Yes, she had flaws but she had guts a plenty. Tis unfortunate I will not live long enough to make her acquaintance.”
Eric chortled often over Stacey’s descriptions of the peoples and times of the future. Having this knowledge was a dangerous thing for Stacey, so more than ever; Eric urged on her the importance of not revealing her origins to anyone; that she must remember the fourteenth century be a time of turmoil, suspicion and superstition. Stacey thanked him and smiled, but didn’t tell him that it wouldn’t get any better in the next few hundred years. Part of Stacey wished she could bring Eric back to her time, but deep inside she knew he belonged in this time.
He was looking forward to the tournament the way guys in her time look forward to the Super bowl.
Even though Eric practiced for the tournament diligently, he still took time to hear the complaints of the privileged and peasant alike. Stacey had watched him from the gallery above as he dispensed justice equally to all. Stacey told him one day, “You know, you are the Solomon of your time. Do you ever doubt your ability to be fair?”
He studied her for a few minutes and said, “Yes, that is why I do not always give a quick decision. It is important to investigate and find the truth. Neither the privileged nor the peasant is always truthful. Many times, I must find my own way to the truth.”
Stacey watched and admired Eric for his unbiased and fair judgments of the people who were brought before him as well as the ones who came to complain to him. She was amazed at his patience and compassion for the people of his fiefdom. Stacey missed Rodric as he; Callie, Nicole and Sir Robin were her singing partners. Nicole played lute, Robin a little squeeze box that looked like a small accordion and Callie played a viol, which was played with a bow. Rodric played a version of a modern day guitar. Stacey picked it up easily as she already played guitar in her own time.
Sir Giles asked the young people to play and sing for them. They had done this often when Rodric and Lady Margaret were with them. Stacey really wasn’t in the mood for rollicking music, but there was a couple of songs from her time she felt fit her mood. She wrote out the harmony parts and gave them to the players. The two songs from Stacey’s time were, ‘I’m moving on,’ by Rascal Flatts, one of her favorite groups and ‘Flesh and Blood,’ by Johnny Cash.
Eric had been playing chess with Langston, the castle seneschal. As the young group were playing and singing, Eric stopped and listened to the words.
I’ve dealt with my ghost and faced all my demons
I’m finally content with the past I regret
I found you find strength in your moments of weakness
For once, I’m at peace with myself
I’ve been burden with blame...trapped in the past for to long...
I’m moving on...
I’ve lived in this place and I know all the faces
Each one is different, but they’re always the same...
They mean me no harm, but it’s time that I face it
They’ll never allow me to change...but I never dreamed home would be where
I don’t belong...I’m moving on...
At last, I can see, life has been patiently waiting for me and I know...there’re no guarantees...
But I’m not alone...there comes a time in everyones life when all you can see are the years passing by...and I have made up my mind that those days are gone...
I sold what I could and packed what I couldn’t...stopped to fill up on my way out of town...I’ve loved like I should, but lived like I shouldn’t...I had to loose everything to find out...
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down the road...
I’m moving on...I’m moving on...I’m moving on...
The second song Stacey and the group sang was a way for Stacey to pour out her heart to Eric if he would but listen.
Beside a singing mountain stream, where the willow grew
Where the silver leaf of maple sparkled in the morning dew
I braided twigs of willow, made a string of buck-eyed beads,
But flesh and blood needs flesh and blood and you’re the one I need
Flesh and blood needs flesh and blood and you’r
e the one I need
I leaned against the bark of birch and breathed the honeydew
I saw a northbound flock of geese against a sky of baby blue
Beside the lily pads, I carved a whistle from a reed
Mother Nature’s quite a lady, but you’re the one I need
Flesh and blood needs flesh and blood and you’re the one I need
A cardinal sang just for me and I thanked him for his song
The sun went slowly down the west and I had to move along
These are some of the things on which my mind and spirit feed,
But flesh and blood needs flesh and blood and you’re the one I need
So when the day was ended, I was still not satisfied
For I knew everything I touched would wither and would die
Love is all that will remain and grow from all these seeds
Mother Nature’s quite a lady, but you’re the one I need
Flesh and blood needs flesh and blood and I’m the one you need
Eric felt the song ‘I’m moving on’ was appropriate for Stacey’s situation, but when he heard the other song ‘Flesh and blood,’ it hit him right in the gut. He knew that was how he felt. Eric thought, to himself; if they write songs like that seven hundred years in the future mayhap, they be not so different from us after all.
At the end of six weeks, the Earl of Dun-Raven, his knights and their ladies with squires and body servants were ready to travel. The entourage included groomsmen, armor bearers, a blacksmith, carpenter, baggage handlers, maids, cooks, ladies maids, porters and mules to carry the pavilions for the Earl his knights and blessed Alfred, to keep it all together left for the tournament. Langston stayed behind to run the business of the castle.
It took over a week for the travelers to reach Hampton hall. Stacey was to stay there with Lady Margaret. The earl, with the rest of his party went to Westminster where the tournament was to be held.
Knights from all over Europe came to Westminster where scores of pavilions covered the grounds. A tournament was a festive occasion. The sad part was many of these knights would die or lose everything they owned. The lucky ones with wealthy families could ransom back what their relative had lost. The tourney would last twelve days.
Everyone that could attend, even the poor came; some were barefoot others with their shoes strung over their shoulders and vendors selling their wares. Everywhere you looked, there were the poor, the rich and everyone in between. Stacey was amazed at the headgear some of the women wore. High-coned hats seemed to be the fashion. The shoes some of the men wore were laughable. The pointed toes were so long they tied them up to their ankles in order to walk.
Lady Katherine whispered to Stacey, “The length of a man’s shoe toe be supposed to indicate the length of the owner’s man root.”
Stacey started laughing and said, “Right, in his dreams.”
There was so much to see. Many women were there, even highborn ladies with their maids. Stacey noticed that Lady Isabelle was there with her entourage. The ladies from Hampton hall only went when one of their knights were competing.
In the joust, the knight that broke the most lances on their opponent was the winner. There were competitions with different weapons. Some weapons were swords and shields and others were long lances and knights on their destriers. A destrier was a fearless warhorse trained to kill. There were competitions for knights with broadswords, long and short. As well as competitions with bows and arrows, battle axes, mazes and hatchets. Most all of the knights wore armor.
Rodric, along with Jaron was squiring for Eric. Their banners and surcoats had a tower with a raven perched on it. The days passed rapidly. The only times Stacey saw Eric was on the field of competition. Eric had great skill with weapons. He won the jousting by out shining and out pointing his opponents. Eric was dauntless and Stacey was proud of him. On the final day of jousting, Eric came to where Stacey was sitting with his mother and held his lance out to Stacey to tie her colors to his lance. Stacey was at a loss, as she had no scarf to tie on his lance. Lady Margaret saw her dilemma and handed her a scarf to tie on his lance.
The lances were made of ash wood and sharpened to a point. The length was about ten to fifteen feet long. Stacey realized these lances were much more dangerous than the ones they used for practice at Dun-Raven, where the points were blunted. Stacey held her breath as Eric broke his three lances and cheered with relief. A melee was the last competition and Stacey saw it as more or less a chaotic situation. The declared winners were the last few knights left standing. Miraculously, Eric was one of the eight-left standing. They were laughing and slapping each other on the back. Stacey assumed they were friends or acquaintance at the least. Lady Margaret said that they would not see the men folk this night or mayhap the next. There would be much celebrating, drinking and wenching.
Lady Katherine didn’t seem concerned and a few hours later Stacey understood why, as sir Giles, Rodric and Eric arrived home a little less for the wear. “A bed be what I need,” Sir Giles said, as he took Lady Katherine by the hand and disappeared upstairs. Stacey had many questions she wanted to ask Eric about the tournament, but he seemed tired and remote. After a cup of wine, he also said goodnight and went upstairs.
Chapter 14
The Parting
The earl’s men returned the night before they were scheduled to leave for Dun-Raven. They had supper and much to say about the tournament. Eric asked Stacey what she thought about the tourney.
“I’ve read about it in books and watched it play-acted on Renascence Days but it was never as real to me as this was,” she said. “You can’t put the smell of people, vendors, blood and danger in books.”
“Did ye fear for me?” Eric asked.
“Yes and no,” she said. “I’ve watched you at practice, so I knew you were well qualified for the competition, but actually seeing you in harms way, yes, a part of me did fear for you.”
Stacey and Eric stood and looked at each other. Finally, Eric asked, “Are you sure you want to stay here, lass? Ye must mind your speech and manners.”
“I know,” Stacey said. “I’ll bring no harm to your family, I promise.”
Eric wanted to tell Stacey that it was she, he was most concerned about, but he knew from Rodric, that what Stacey wanted most was to go back to her own time. It was a cool night with much talking and laughing in the big sitting room. Eric motioned for Rodric to step outside. He asked his brother to stay at Hampton hall and to notify him when Stacey returned to her own time. “Until then brother, keep her safe. It will be best if Sir Perceval does not see her disappear.”
“Do not worry, Eric. I will take care of everything.”
Everyone had gathered in the big sitting room after eating when Eric requested the young people to play and sing the two songs they did the night before they left Dun-Raven.
“Which ones do ye speak of, ye lordship?” Robin asked.
“The ones about, moving on, and flesh and blood,” Eric said.
In her heart, Stacey didn’t feel much like singing, but when she sang ‘Flesh and blood’ neither she nor Eric could take their eyes off one another. Stacey desperately wanted Eric to ask her to go back to Dun-Raven with him, but she knew there was no way she could ever play a secondary role to some other woman and there was no way Eric would marry her. She had nothing to offer him.
Soon after the singing, Stacey told everyone goodnight and goodbye. When she came to Eric she said, “Thank you for everything, your lordship.” She hugged Scooby bye and ran upstairs with tears in her eyes. She lay in bed crying for some time. Then she got up and washed her face, took her dress off and put on her robe. The house had become very quiet. Stacey was sitting, brushing her hair when someone knocked softly at her door.
“Yes, who is it?” Stacey asked.
The door opened and there stood Eric. He stepped in, only closing the door part way. He said, “This
night our eyes have been on each other. I think ye want me as much
as I want ye. If I am wrong, tell me and I will leave and trouble ye no more.”
Stacey stood up and said, “No, you’re not wrong.”
Eric closed and locked the door. He came to Stacey and took her in his arms. He said, “I have long dreamed of doing this since the first day ye came to Dun-Raven. I know ye think Isabelle and I..., but I swear to ye, I have not touched her since ye came into my life.” Stacey was still holding the hairbrush. Eric smiled and said, “Would ye care to surrender ye weapon, my lady?”
Stacey handed him the brush and said, “I would like to surrender myself to you too, my lord.”
When Stacey put her arms around him, he said, “Kiss me like ye did before.”
They kissed and this time there was no holding back. They both knew what they wanted. Eric untied her robe and Stacey let it slide to the floor. He looked at her in her black laced underwear and asked, “How do we remove this tiny armor?” Stacey unhooked the bra from the front and let it fall to the robe on the floor. Eric admired her slenderness and said, “I knew they would be beautiful and desirable.”
He pulled his shirt over his head, and then took her in his arms once more. His kisses were so sensual her head was spinning. No man had ever touched Stacey, now she was glad she had saved herself for this man from the past. Eric picked her up and carried her to the bed. He started to put out the candle, but Stacey said, “No, leave it. I want to see you.” Eric removed his clothes and stood before her. Stacey said, “You’re such a beautiful man you take my breath away.”
As he took her in his arms, he said, “Men are not beautiful.”
“Yes, my lord, you are,” she said. Eric kissed her lips and her breast. Stacey’s arms were around him, pulling him to her and running her fingers through his hair. Where his hands caressed, his lips soon followed. Stacey was holding tight to the head of the bed. She had never felt such ecstasy. She loved the feel of his soft silky chest hair and his hard, strong muscular body against hers.
A Fall Through Time (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #1) Page 8
