Cassius knew exactly what he was driving at. “Studying her weaknesses,” he said. Everything they were saying made sense. “So Hagg has hired himself Flemish mercenaries and they are studying Edenthorpe for her weaknesses.”
“That would be my guess,” Rhori said. “And if they take Edenthorpe, the spoils would be immense.”
That was a very true statement. Suddenly, a little raid wasn’t so little any longer. “Did you tell de Lohr your suspicions?” Cassius asked.
Rhori shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “The man has seen one siege since he took command of Edenthorpe. Only one. While he wasn’t terribly rattled, he was somewhat overly concerned given how few antagonists there really were. He spent most of his time reporting to Doncaster, who was sending the majordomo for information every few minutes. We wanted to give you our observations before speaking to Darian or to Doncaster. Something like this cannot be treated lightly.”
Cassius shook his head. “Not at all,” he said. “With Clabecq involved, the stakes have grown considerably. In fact, Clabecq was with Edward when he took Caerlaverock Castle in Scotland a couple of years ago. We were all there. We saw how Edward used them like a hammer to break down Caerlaverock.”
Bose and Rhori nodded gravely. “Did you have much contact with Marcil Clabecq, Cass?” Rhori asked.
Cassius shook his head. “Not directly,” he said. “Like you two, I was with Edward the entire time trying to make sure the man didn’t get himself killed. My focus was on Edward, not his allies or the Flemish scum he’d hired. They raided Caerlaverock heavily once it was breached and I heard that they also raided the Scottish countryside before they took a cog out of Edinburgh for home.”
Rhori shook his head at the despicable nature of the mercenaries. “’Tis a good thing they did not go south into de Wolfe territory,” he said. “I have a feeling that your father and uncles would have made short work of that group.”
Cassius grinned. “They would have chewed up those Flemish bastards and spit them out,” he said. But his grin quickly faded. “And now they’re here, sizing up Edenthorpe.”
“Old Cuffy needs to be told, Cass,” Bose said. “He carries a big, lazy army and they could be in for a good deal of trouble.”
Cassius knew that. “The problem is that they’ve never had trouble here,” he said what they all knew. “Darian is a fine knight, but it’s very possible he’s become complacent. The Doncaster army has contributed to some of Edward’s campaigns, but that was a while ago. If Flemish mercenaries really are here and Edenthorpe is their target, then they must be prepared.”
Bose opened his mouth to reply, but Dacia and Darian chose that moment to quit the cottage. Darian was carrying Dacia’s big leather satchel containing all of her herbs and potions, and she was giving the man orders as she walked.
“… and then I want to see Emmeric to see what he has for a parasite,” she was saying. “I’m convinced that Old Timeo’s wife has a worm of some kind. Mayhap the physic has something to kill it. I would like to go into the village today.”
She walked right by Cassius without acknowledging the man. Not that he had expected her to, for ever since their conversation last night, there hadn’t been another word spoken between them.
But Cassius wasn’t going to let it bother him.
In fact, he was perturbed at himself for giving a damn in the first place. He’d had the rest of the night to stew about the situation and by morning, he was fairly cooked with regret. He’d met a young woman whom he felt sorry for and had tried to help. Or was it more than that? Truthfully, he wasn’t sure and perhaps that perturbed him the most – because he didn’t know why he really did it when it was none of his business. He thought maybe his ego had gotten the better of him and he thought he could make a difference to a rather isolated young woman when, in fact, she clearly didn’t want any help. She didn’t want or need his opinion.
It would be the last time he tried to do something kind for someone.
He was done.
As Dacia made her way out to the palfrey that had been brought around from the stable yard of the cottage, Argos suddenly bolted out of the cottage, past Cassius, and headed straight for Dacia. She was almost to her palfrey when Argos butted up against her legs, wagging his tail so hard that he kept smacking her with his tail. She came to a halt as if uncertain what to do with the dog when Cassius emitted a whistle so piercing that the horses jumped.
“Argos!” he boomed. “To me!”
The dog may have been big and silly, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew when his master was calling him. With a final lick to Dacia’s hand, he loped over to Cassius, who turned for the stable yard where his warhorse had been housed last night.
He didn’t give Dacia another look.
“We return to Edenthorpe, tell Doncaster what we suspect, and leave it at that,” he said to Rhori and Bose, pushing the woman from his mind. “And then we get out of here. We are not staying any longer than necessary. Mount up. I shall meet you in a moment.”
As Rhori and Bose headed off to gather their horses, Cassius made his way into the stable yard where the warhorse he called Old Man await him. A husky Belgian charger, the animal was as red as a stormy sunrise and built for battle. His saddle was in the small barn, in a pile of hay, and he quickly put the tack on his horse as Argos wandered around nearby. He knew the dog was looking for a meal, which was something he could find for him at Edenthorpe. But once the dog was fed and Doncaster knew that there were Flemish mercenaries involved in Hagg’s presence last night, they were departing Edenthorpe.
Hopefully forever.
The ride back to the castle was uneventful. The gatehouse opened wide for the returning knights and sealed up quickly once they passed through. Cassius took Old Man and Argos into the stables where he made sure both animals were well-fed and the horse bedded down, at least temporarily. He left Argos with the horse, knowing the dog wouldn’t wander far away from the steed he was familiar with, as he joined up with Rhori and Bose once more. Darian, who had just stabled his blond beast, emerged from the opposite end of the livery and headed in their direction.
“Well?” Rhori said, eyeing the approach of Darian. “Do we tell him now and let him tell Doncaster?”
“That might be best, Cass,” Bose put in. “If we remain to tell Doncaster as you suggested, there is no telling when we will be able to leave.”
It would have been easy for Cassius to agree to that with his need to get out of Edenthorpe. That feeling grew worse when he saw Dacia emerge from the stable, carrying her leather satchel, heading for the keep. She was covered in her customary veils, glancing in his direction before quickly looking away when he happened to look over at her.
That was enough to disgust Cassius completely.
“Tell Darian now,” he muttered. “Let him tell Old Cuffy. This is their problem, not ours. The longer we remain here, the more chance there is of us getting sucked into something that does not concern us.”
Rhori and Bose nodded in agreement. As Darian came near, it was Rhori who finally spoke out.
“De Lohr,” he said. “My colleagues and I have been discussing the attack last night. I believe this is something you should hear.”
Darian looked between the three knights with interest. “Oh?” he said. “What about it?”
Cassius looked at Rhori, silently urging the man to continue. Rhori and Bose had seen everything firsthand last night and Cassius hadn’t. Therefore, the information was best coming from them.
“De Shera and I noticed something that we wanted to discuss with Cassius before we brought it to your attention,” he said. “I’m curious… you said you’ve had dealings with Catesby Hagg in the past?”
Darian nodded. “Aye,” he said. “Over in the disputed lands. Raids on the mining operation, mostly. Why?”
“And they’ve never attacked Edenthorpe before?”
“Never.”
“Did you ride out to defend the disputed land against their rai
ds?”
“I did,” Darian said. “I led a contingent of men three times. Why are you asking these questions?”
Rhori folded his big arms over his chest. “The men that were here last night,” he said. “Granted, it was somewhat dark, but the moon was still bright, bright enough to see them with a goodly amount of clarity. Did you notice anything different or strange about them?”
Darian’s brow furrowed. “I do not believe so,” he said. “Why do you ask?”
“Nothing different?”
“Nothing at all.” Darian paused, looking at the knights. “If there is something you wish to say, I wish you would say it.”
It was Bose who spoke. “Last night, Rhori and I were northwest tower,” he said. “The earthworks are fairly high there and we were watching the raiders ride up over the crests, coming close to the castle walls. We noticed that some of them were wearing tunics of yellow with a black lion upon them. They were trying to cover them up, but when they rode towards us, the cloak one man was wearing flipped up so we could easily see the standard. Is the black lion the banner of Catesby Hagg?”
Darian looked puzzled. “Nay,” he said. “He flies a red boar. I did not see any tunics with a black lion.”
“You were so busy with Doncaster and his majordomo, I am not surprised,” Bose said. “But we saw it. We’ve seen it before.”
“You have? Where?”
At this point, Rhori and Bose looked at Cassius. “It is the standard of Marcil Clabecq, a Flemish mercenary whom Edward has used in the past to bolster his ranks,” Cassius said seriously. “Clabecq is a killer, Darian. His men are highly trained and he goes where the money is. It is my thought, and the thought of Rhori and Bose, that Hagg has hired Clabecq to lay siege to Edenthorpe. Last night wasn’t an attack as much as it was surveillance. They are looking for the weaknesses of the castle so that the next time they come, they’ll bring a larger number of men and they’ll attack the weaknesses of the fortress. Last night was nothing compared to what is to come.”
Darian was trying not to openly react to the news, but it was difficult. “Are you certain?” he asked. “Catesby Hagg is not a wealthy man, at least not wealthy enough to hire mercenaries of that caliber.”
Now came the second part of the bad news. “It is possible Hagg has promised Clabecq a percentage of the spoils,” Cassius said. “Edenthorpe would be an enormous spoil. They would strip it.”
Now, Darian’s jaw was hanging open in surprise. “But Edenthorpe cannot be breached,” he said. “The fortress is invincible. There is no possible way they can take her.”
Cassius could hear the shock, the denial, in the man’s voice. “Clabecq was with Edward two years ago when he took Caerlaverock Castle,” he said. “The mercenaries were instrumental in helping Edward breach that castle, which is surrounded by a moat as big as a lake and walls that are nearly as high as Edenthorpe’s. Do not make the mistake of thinking they cannot get in here. If they want to, they will find a way. You must warn Doncaster and all appropriate steps must be taken to prevent this from happening.”
Darian closed his mouth, looking at Cassius in astonishment. “Do you truly think this will come to pass?”
“It is very possible, Darian. You must warn Doncaster and make the necessary preparations.”
Darian sighed heavily, running his fingers through his cropped, blond hair. After a few moments of deliberation, he nodded his head.
“Very well,” he said. “Will you please come with me? Doncaster will want to hear this from you.”
Cassius shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “We have relayed our concerns and observations to you, so do what you will with the information. I am expected in the north and will not be delayed.”
Instead of agreeing, Darian reached out and put a hand on Cassius’ arm. “Please, Cassius,” he said, a hint of desperation in his tone. “I will not keep you overly long, but please come with me and speak to Doncaster about this. He respects and trusts you. He will have questions I possibly cannot answer. I would consider it a personal favor.”
When he put it that way, Cassius couldn’t very well disagree. After a moment, he nodded shortly, but it was under protest. Rhori and Bose could both see it. Still, he did as he was asked, accompanying Darian into the keep of Edenthorpe with Rhori and Bose bringing up the rear.
Something told both men that Cassius would not be leaving for the north as soon as he had hoped.
Call it a hunch.
He’d gone inside the keep.
Dacia had been watching Cassius since their return to Edenthorpe from her chamber high atop the keep. Of course, she had been watching him the entire ride back to the castle. And, of course, when they were sequestered together in the cottage.
There had been nothing else on her mind but him.
Oh, she’d pretended to ignore him and, in truth, she did ignore him after he’d told her she was beautiful. But she wasn’t ignoring him to punish him – she’d been ignoring him because she didn’t know how else to react, torn between denial and hope. She’d spent so many years being convinced she was a hideous creature with spots all over her face that to hear the most handsome man she’d ever seen say that he thought she was beautiful had been enough to stun her into silence.
She just couldn’t believe he meant it.
Once Dacia saw Cassius go into the keep with Darian and the other two knights, she came away from the window of her extravagant bower. It took up nearly the entire third floor of the octagon-shaped keep, separated into three chambers. One chamber was for her bed while another was for her possessions like clothing, trunks, and a dressing table. Still another was where her army of maids would sit and work. It was a magical suite of rooms filled with everything a young woman could possibly hope to have. She wanted for absolutely nothing.
With Cassius out of her sight, Dacia wandered into the smaller chamber that contained her dressing table. Her maids were in their little chamber, mending the dress she’d worn yesterday when that silly dog had pushed her in the river, and that included Edie. She could hear the woman bossing the others around.
There were six maids in all, Edie plus two older women who had served her mother long ago, and then three of whom had come into service over the past few years. All of them had a function, from cleaning her bed to emptying her chamber pot to sweeping floors and lighting fires.
It was that veritable army of maids that Dacia was so unfond of, except for Edie, but they had sense enough to leave her alone when the mood dictated it.
Like now.
She was in a mood.
Next to the dressing table was a small cabinet that contained all manner of potions, creams, cosmetics, and herbs meant for the care and hygiene of a well-bred young woman. Given that Dacia was quite familiar with herbs and potions, she probably had more than most, including a potion given to her by Emmeric, the local physic, guaranteed to reduce the marks on her face.
But she had never tried it.
Her old nurse had told her once that the marks on her face were her penitence. For what, she didn’t know, because they had started developing at such a young age that she surely hadn’t had time to sin too terribly. Still, the nervous woman was convinced dark forces were at work through her young charge, something that made for a contentious relationship between the nurse and the priest who taught all manner of lessons.
Growing up with that pair had been an interesting time.
Even now, Dacia smiled when she thought of the old priest teaching her about herbs and flowers, and potions that could possibly help clear her skin, and the nurse screaming about it. Even now, as Dacia looked at all of the medicaments she had collected over the years, there were at least three things in her possession that were said to ease skin blemishes.
Truthfully, she didn’t see the use of even trying them.
Until now.
Cassius had called her beautiful.
As she gazed at herself in the mirror, she began to pull off the veils, one at a time.
They were carefully and artfully arranged, and they ended up in a pile on her dressing table as she stared at her reflection in the polished silver mirror.
Big, blue eyes gazed back at her from under dark brows. Her freckles went across her nose, on her upper cheeks, and faded away once they came to her mouth and chin, although she did have a big one next to the corner of her mouth.
Leaning forward, she touched the freckles, thinking they weren’t as dark as they used to be when she was younger, but to her, they were still quite obvious. And ugly. Everyone said so. Only a woman with pure and clear skin was considered beautiful.
Maybe Cassius had bad eyesight.
Even so… his words had meant something.
Dacia had never been called beautiful in her life. She was so very puzzled why Cassius would say such a thing to her. It had been unsolicited. He’d just come out with it. But he’d heard about the nurse, about her freckles, so he knew something of her embarrassing history.
But mayhap… mayhap… she could try something to ease those marks. With her nurse gone, there was no one to tell her that they were penitence. There was no one to make her feel ugly and harassed by demonic forces. It had been a habit to cover up her face, to hide behind those veils, but the truth was that she hated it even if she was resigned to it.
But maybe she didn’t need to be.
Cassius was the first man she had ever met who took the time to give her a little unexpected hope.
With that thought, she went to the cabinet that held all of the treatises and books that the old priest had given her before he’d returned to his monastery in Lincoln. She was a collector of these things, but kept them tucked away. It was considered unseemly for a woman to collect books, and with her freckles already creating an undesirable issue, she felt compelled to hide one more unbecoming trait away from the world.
Reverently, she pulled them forth.
From the pages of these leather-bound, hand-painted books came recipes for so many things, but she was looking for something in particular – recipes to banish unsightly skin blemishes. Onion and garlic were recommended, mixed with vinegar, as were various herbs and roots. She’d seen these recipes before in the quest for mixing certain potions to help with the sick that she’d been called upon to tend, but she hadn’t paid any attention to them until now.
WolfeSword: de Wolfe Pack Generations Page 10
