Trusting in Faith - A Medieval Romance (The Sword of Glastonbury Series Book 5)

by Shea,Lisa

  Sarah gave a warm laugh. “Rachel, where have you been?” She took in the state of horse and rider with one long glance. “Did you ride to London and back?”

  “Cedric would never have allowed that,” shot back Rachel with a grin, looking around as the soldier galloped up the path, reining in heavily as he drew close. “Not that he can keep up with me when I want to run!”

  Cedric shook his head as he dismounted. “You really should stay near me, Rachel,” he admonished as he led his horse over to Lou.

  “Horn-beast!” teased Rachel with glee, leaping down from her horse. Her eyes lit on Reynald, and she grinned. “Come help me with my steed,” she entreated. “I know you love horses!”

  Reynald glanced at Sarah, and she smiled in return. “I will go tend to my gardens. You two have fun,” she offered, the enjoyment of the sunny day drawing her on. She headed out through the stable doors, turning left to move toward the back gardens.

  A sparkle caught her eye – a broach was discarded by the outer stable wall. She moved toward it, recognizing it as a ram design that her father had given her sister as a present several years ago. Chuckling, she picked it up, preparing to head back in to give it to Rachel.

  Rachel’s resonant voice came to her as she neared the stable doors. “So then, I went to talk with her, and you would not believe what she had done! She turned her room into a cave! It was pitch dark in there! A sunny day, people all around, and she is hiding out in a cave! What is she, a troll?”

  The energy drained out of her; the world dimmed. She put a hand out against the door for a moment, hearing only a murmur of response from Reynald. Turning, she kept her gaze downcast at the ground as she moved her way back toward the keep. She idly rotated the broach in her hand as she went, her thoughts muddled.

  Chapter 12

  Sarah woke with a resolute focus. She knew where her energies should be directed. She would find something to do out of the house for the day, and to help others. It was the best way to draw herself out of her funk.

  She kept that thought in mind as she headed down to breakfast. Rachel maintained a flirtation with Reynald throughout the meal, but Sarah studiously ignored the pair, her mind deliberate on her plans.

  She quickly finished her meal, then headed out to her garden, already bright with the summer sun. She took her time gathering her seeds, trowels, and fertilizers. When the bags were full, she lugged them over to the stables, packing them all securely onto her horse until there was barely room for her to sit.

  Finally ready, she mounted up and made her way slowly to the Johnson’s home.

  The trip was pleasant, the warm summer sun bringing a fresh glow to the wildflowers which lined the lanes. It seemed in no time at all that she was reining in at the small two-room cottage nestled into a clearing in the woods. A line of clothes hung drying to one side, drifting in the breeze.

  She had barely dismounted when a pair of young children came running up to greet her, squealing with delight. Behind them walked their mother, her round face beaming with pleasure.

  “Sarah, what a surprise!” called out Bethany, dusting the dirt off of her simple home-spun tunic before welcoming her friend with a gentle hug. She smiled down at her two youngsters. “John, Susan, go fetch some mead for our friend. She must be thirsty.”

  The two ran off with glee. Sarah turned and unstrapped the packs and leather bags from her steed. Once those were in a pile by the cottage wall, she removed the saddle and bridle, carrying them to stow them to one side of the cottage.

  To her surprise, a similar set of items was already tucked into a corner. Looking up, she could see a steed grazing on the far side of the clearing.

  “Did you get a horse?” she asked with a smile, gratefully accepting a proffered cup from Susan, the cherubic blonde who had just turned five.

  Bethany shook her head, turning to point out into the field. “No, that horse belongs to the man who came to help Jack with the fence work today. We have been doubly blessed; I am sure we will get everything repaired and replanted in no time now that you are here.”

  Sarah followed her gaze. There was Jack, his portly build easy to spot, pulling a log clear from the fence-line. And alongside him …

  She blushed. Surely, that was Reynald, down in the dirt alongside him, wrenching the log free of some impediment.

  Bethany’s keen gaze met that of her friend. “So you know him, then? We thought him a godsend when he arrived this morning, offering to help. He dove right in, no questions asked.”

  “Reynald and I were with Cecily and Milo yesterday,” explained Sarah. “We were checking in on their new child. Milo told us of your plight. I had no idea that Reynald would come out here, though.” She watched him for a moment; his movements were sure and steady. She shook herself and turned her attention back to her friend. “Reynald is a Templar visiting the area. My parents have put him up in our keep while he is here.”

  Bethany gathered up a few of the bags. “What do you think of him?” she asked with a friendly smile.

  Sarah took the other half of the items and walked with her friend alongside the fence. Together they knelt in the rich dirt at the beginning of the garden area.

  “It is complicated,” Sarah admitted. “He is only here for a short while, on a mission. Certainly he seems very honorable.”

  A chorus of young voices sounded near them. Susan’s young voice piped up. “I want to plant!” she insisted, pulling her younger brother in tow. “What can I do?”

  John’s eyes were bright with desire. “I can help, too!”

  Bethany smiled indulgently and provided digging tools to each child in turn. With great seriousness, the pair dug out shallow holes, spacing them evenly down the row. Behind them, the two women carefully planted the seeds, surrounding each pocket with loose dirt and nutrients.

  The sun moved slowly across the sky, and Sarah’s energy seemed to renew with each row. The children laughed merrily as they did their part, and Sarah and Bethany made quick progress, replacing the eaten plants with fresh seeds for fall-growing crops. They talked and joked as they went, enjoying the beautiful weather.

  After a few hours, Bethany stood and brushed the dirt from her tunic. “How would you like to stop for some food?” she asked Sarah with a smile. “We could have a picnic on the grass.”

  “I brought some supplies for just such an event,” responded Sarah, standing and heading toward the side of the cottage. The children ran to call in the men, and shortly the group was converging on a blanket laid out in the shade beneath a large apple tree, to one side of the home.

  Reynald strolled up to Sarah as the others worked in the house gathering serving plates and cups. “Well met, Sarah,” he offered with a warm smile. “I did not think you would have come out here today, or I would have ridden in escort with you.”

  Sarah dropped her eyes, suddenly flustered in Reynald’s presence. Every day revealed a new aspect of him, another feature of his honor which drew her in. She turned to rummage in the bag at her feet, drawing out wrapped bundles. “I brought along bread and cheese,” she commented quietly, “for my midday meal. There should be enough here for us both.”

  Reynald’s smile grew wider. “As did I,” he responded, “with the help of Sally. I think between us that we shall have enough to feed the whole family.”

  Together they laid the provender out on the blanket. Soon the group was settled in the shade, laughing and talking. Sarah cut off pieces of cheese for the children with her dagger, amusing them by carving the shapes into simple animal designs.

  The meal time flew by, and in short order the men were back at the far end of the fence, continuing to mend the broken lengths. The children went in for a nap, and Sarah and Bethany worked their way further down the rows, now planting near where the men were performing their repair work.

  Another hour drifted by in peaceful talk, with both teams shouting encouragement to the other as they moved through their tasks. The children, bleary eyed, stumbled o
ut into the bright sunshine. Sarah looked up at Bethany, but she waved the two off.

  “Let them play,” she mused with a chuckle. “They have done enough for one day, and we are nearly finished.” She licked her lips. “I am thirsty, though.” She pitched her voice to carry to the young ones. “Susan, fetch us a fresh bucket of water from the pond for mint tea, would you?”

  John threw his small head back with pride. “I can do it!” In a moment he had gathered up the bucket from beneath the eaves and was trotting across the clearing. Sarah watched his progress with amused eyes.

  The small pond was at the far end of the homestead, tucked in against the woods. John carefully pulled the wooden bucket through the water to fill it, then wrestled it to sit upright on the shore. Despite planting his feet and pulling with all his strength, he could barely budge it from that spot.

  Sarah laughed in amusement, her eyes twinkling. “You hold tight,” she offered to the equally merry mother. “I will go and help the young water carrier.” She stood and strode across the distance to come up alongside the boy.

  John’s face was crimson with exertion. “I can do it,” he insisted stubbornly. He pulled hard against the handle. The bucket slid an inch, then stopped.

  “I know you can,” agreed Sarah with a smile. “However, I was sick a short while ago and still need to rebuild my strength. Please let me carry this so that I can get better.”

  John looked up and studied her with a serious frown. “All right,” he agreed after a moment. He took a step back, his eyes looking out at the woods.

  All of a sudden, he froze still, his eyes growing round and white. Sarah followed his gaze. In a flash she stepped before him, drawing her dagger in one smooth movement.

  A pair of yellow eyes stared in unblinking focus from the woods. A step, then two, and a large she-wolf emerged from the shadows, facing them, not twenty feet away. At her feet tumbled two young cubs, their faces still wet with water. The youngsters scrambled to stay close behind their mother.

  A low growl emerged from the wolf’s throat, and Sarah’s hair stood on edge. The noise made every muscle in her body scream for her to run away, to escape those sharp teeth and rending claws. She swept a hand behind her to take a firm grasp on John’s arm, drawing him in behind her body.

  “Stay perfectly still,” she ordered him beneath her breath, her voice firm. His body instantly went rigid against hers.

  The world seemed to slow down. She could hear every chirp of a grasshopper, sense the lazy drift of a butterfly over a daisy. Behind her, there was a long, drawn out shout, but Sarah did not look away from the eyes. She knew if they ran that the wolf would be drawn to chase. She dropped into a lower crouch, settling herself in. If the wolf sprang, she would need to absorb the full impact so John could escape unharmed. If she was lucky, she might drive the dagger into the wolf’s chest or throat. If she were unlucky … well, John would get away.

  She turned the blade in her grasp and made a flicking motion at the wolf. “Go,” she growled, her voice hoarse.

  To her surprise, the wolf blinked once, twice … then turned on its heels and headed in a fast trot into the depths of the forest. The two cubs stayed close at her side. A second passed, then two, and they were gone from sight.

  The world spun back up to speed again, and Sarah took in a long, deep breath. Life exploded into motion. John was ripped from behind her, and she heard Bethany and Jack cry out in panicked relief. A shadow fell across her as Reynald landed heavily before her in a crouch, dagger out, shielding her with his body. Reynald scanned the forest with sharp eyes, every muscle tense and alert for trouble. Finally reassuring himself that the threat was gone, he stood upright, then turned to look down at Sarah, his eyes moving up and down her body with rapid evaluation.

  “Did the wolf harm you? Are you all right?” he asked in staccato, his breath still coming quickly from his sprint to her side. “How many were there?”

  Sarah shakily reseated her dagger back into her belt, her gaze moving past him to reassure herself that the animals had indeed left. “It was a mother with two cubs,” she explained, her voice tight. “I imagine they had come down for a drink.”

  “God’s teeth,” swore Reynald under his breath, looking back out into the shadows again. “A mother defending her young; anything could have happened.” His gaze returned to the woman before him. “What you did was incredibly brave,” he added, his eyes going to the weapon at her side.

  Sarah chuckled wryly, working to slow her breathing. “It is what any mother would do, to defend her cubs,” she pointed out, her gaze lost in the depths of the forest.

  Warm arms wrapped her in a bear hug as Bethany enveloped her from behind. “Oh, thank you, thank you,” her friend gasped, holding her for several long moments before releasing her. “You saved my baby.”

  Sarah looked around. John was high up on his father’s shoulders, and Jack held him there securely with both hands. “I will gather up the villagers tomorrow,” he promised, his voice somber. “We will drive the pack far from here, deep into the woods, and kill them if they return. This is no place for a wolf to be raising its young.” He glanced around the clearing. “The fence is done, but it was meant to keep out deer. Wolves would be another problem altogether.”

  The group moved as one back toward the safety of the cottage. In the bright sunlight, with the fence stretching securely around them, and the long line of crops planted and laid out, the danger began to fade, to seem a bad dream.

  Bethany gave her daughter a pat on the behind. “You go play in the house with your brother for now,” she instructed the blonde girl. After she had ensured both youngsters were safely indoors, she turned and looked over the fields, allowing herself to relax and admire the result of the day’s efforts.

  Sarah’s eyes ran along the edges of the clearing, her heart still pounding, but she forced herself to smile with encouragement at Jack. She pitched her voice in what she hoped was a casual tone. “So your work is complete? The fence is whole?”

  Jack looked over at Reynald, nodding, returning to more immediate matters. “Yes, we had just finished the last of the spans,” he reported with a gleam of pride. “Everything is more sturdy than before, thanks to Reynald here. I could not have asked for better help.”

  Reynald smiled in acknowledgement, but his eyes went to Sarah’s, bright with admiration. His voice was light when he spoke, but Sarah could see how his tone differed from his inner emotions. He had other comments for her which he was putting aside due to the presence of their hosts. She wondered what he would have said if they had been alone.

  “Did you accomplish all you dreamt of?” he asked quietly, his voice hoarse.

  Sarah was caught in his gaze, sensing the emotion behind his seemingly casual comment about their planting.

  All she dreamt of ....

  Her throat went dry as she remembered how he had leapt before her, risking his life to protect her …

  To her relief, Bethany answered for her, covering her lapse. “We might have fewer summer turnips. However, we will have plenty of spinach, which perhaps is just as well.” She glanced up at the sky. The sun was dropping lower, and evening shadows were stretching across the clearing. Bethany looked between Sarah and Reynald, her look full of friendly welcome.

  “We do not have much, but please, come in and have some dinner with us. It is the least we can do.”

  Sarah looked down, then glanced up at Reynald with nervous concern. The family would be short on food for a while, regardless of Bethany’s statements. She did not want to be rude, but Sarah did not want to add to their already burdened life.

  Reynald understood immediately and shook his head.

  “I am afraid I have business back at the keep,” he informed the couple with a wry smile, “and given today’s events, it would be best if Sarah rode back with me.” He offered his hand to Jack. “I will certainly take you up on the offer another time, though,” he added with a smile.

  Sarah accepte
d warm hugs from Jack and Bethany, promising to return soon for a visit. The four gathered up the horses, saddling them and packing the bags on in preparation for the trip.

  Soon she and Reynald were walking their horses quietly along the path home, the evening sun streaming across their path.

  After long minutes of silence, Reynald looked over at her, his eyes somber. “Your actions by the pond were beyond courageous,” he commented. “If that wolf had leapt …”

  Sarah kept her eyes on the road, drawing in a deep breath. “If the wolf had leapt, my dagger was out, and I would have done the best I could. I have been trained with a dagger, and perhaps I could have found my mark. If nothing else, I hopefully would have delayed her long enough to allow John to get to safety.”

  Reynald’s voice dropped into a growl. “I should have been there.”

  Sarah shook her head. “You cannot be in all places, to protect all people,” she pointed out. “It is why I practice with knife and sword. I may not be very skilled with either, but I can at least try. It allows me to help others who are less strong than even I am.”

  Her mind drifted back over the day’s events. “Speaking of which, what made you come out here today? I never would have dreamt to find you there.” She thought of the long hours Reynald had spent in manual labor, setting spans and digging fence post holes. “I know the family well, but you had never heard of them before.”

  “I knew they were in need of assistance,” murmured Reynald as they moved through a dusky section of the forest. His eyes scanned the shadows alertly, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. “That seemed enough reason to help them out.”

  Sarah pondered Reynald’s response, and wondered how many other people would consider that enough of a call to action.

  The couple drifted into silence again, and although Sarah had ridden this road countless times in the past, she felt reassured having Reynald alongside her, his eyes ever alert for danger.

  Chapter 13

  By the time Sarah had come down to eat the next morning, Rachel and Reynald were fully involved in plans to ride out to a local lake for the day. Sarah left them to their discussions, preparing herself for an afternoon in town.