“You sought to withhold this information from me?” he snarled. “By what right do you make a decision like that?”
“It was my fault, my lord.”
Jathan, who had been praying over the severed finger, had heard Gaetan’s rage and came to Ghislaine’s rescue. He quickly came alongside Ghislaine as he saw his lord was close to breathing fire upon her. He knew Gaetan’s moods and what he was seeing wasn’t good; the man had been known to strike out for lesser things. But something like this, something involving one of his men, could set him off to new levels of anger.
Nay, this wasn’t a good thing in the least.
“She wanted to tell you but I told her to wait, my lord,” he said calmly, quickly. “It is not her fault. It is mine. Even now, she did not put the blame on me as she explained why she had not told you, but the truth was that it was my fault entirely. You must not blame her. You and your men were enjoying a rare evening of relaxation and I told her it would be acceptable to tell you on the morrow, as you could not do anything about it last night.”
Gaetan was still enraged, his focus completely on Ghislaine as a hunter would stalk prey. He wasn’t even blinking as he stared at her. Ghislaine stared back at him, trying desperately to remain strong, but the truth was that she was terrified. This was Warwolfe, the Duke of Normandy’s greatest knight, and he had not achieved such fame by being weak.
He achieved that fame by being deadly.
Truth was, Gaetan was struggling with shock and revulsion such as he’d never experienced. Kristoph’s partial finger was bad enough, but in hearing that Ghislaine had known something about her brother she’d not confided in him – even if she’d wanted to but was discouraged by Jathan – told him that she was still not to be trusted. He wasn’t sure he could forgive her for the oversight.
In truth, there was an odd measure of disappointment and hurt mixed up in his outrage. Disappointment in Ghislaine, in himself, and hurt because he was coming to like the woman, just in the slightest. Last night when she’d bested de Russe, he’d found himself drawn to her more than he’d ever been drawn to any woman he’d ever known. He’d spent all night seeing her in his dreams and when he’d awoken, he’d even had her ride near him as the army moved northward simply because he wanted her nearby. He didn’t even want to speak with her, as conversation was not usual on a battle march. He had simply wanted her nearby for the comfort it had given him.
Now, that comfort had been damaged.
“My lord?” Jathan said when Gaetan didn’t reply to his explanation. “Did you hear me? It was not the lady’s fault. It was mine. Punish me if you will, but do not blame her.”
Gaetan was still staring at Ghislaine, unblinking, and she was doing the same. But as he watched, he could see tears filling her eyes. She suddenly blinked, quickly, to chase them away, but they returned, playing on his sympathies no matter how hard he tried to resist. He didn’t want to feel compassion for her. He didn’t want to feel anything for her.
But he was.
Damnation… he was.
“What did you tell Lady Gunnora that made her send a messenger to your brother,” he finally asked, his voice quiet and raspy. “Explain this to me so there is no misunderstanding in my mind as to what you have or have not done.”
Ghislaine was trembling with fear, with emotion. “I certainly did not tell her to send a missive to Alary if that is what you are thinking,” she said, her voice quivering. “She asked many questions about your army and she wanted to know if I was your prisoner. I told her that I was your guide and that we were heading north. She told me that Alary had stopped at Westerham the night before and she said he was returning home. I said that we were also heading home as well because she asked and I did not want to tell her the truth. She wondered why Alary did not wait for us but she said no more than that. I can only surmise she believed she was helping when she sent the rider northward to tell Alary that I was behind him. The messenger said that she told him to tell Alary to wait for us to catch up.”
Her words were quiet and she looked him in the eye with every one spoken, which told him that she wasn’t lying. He’d seen his share of liars and they did not stand against him, strongly, as she was doing. In truth, her explanation made a good deal of sense and his gut reaction told him that there was no mal intent involved on the part of either Ghislaine or Gunnora. It was just a miscommunication and a woman who took initiative when she should not have. He looked at Jathan.
“You were sitting with the women last night,” he said. “Did you hear this conversation she speaks of?”
Jathan nodded. “I heard it all,” he said. “Lady Ghislaine never told Lady Gunnora to send for Alary. In fact, she did her best to avoid the subject. Whatever Lady Gunnora did was completely on her own.”
Gaetan had no reason to disbelieve his priest. Much like the rest of his knights, he trusted the man implicitly but it was a good thing the man had heard the conversation. Otherwise, Ghislaine would be cast into the shadows of mistrust quite easily. Gaetan had to admit that he was relieved, at least for Ghislaine’s role in all of this. But Lady Gunnora’s role was something else altogether.
The woman acted when she should not have and she had cost Kristoph.
Swiftly, Gaetan turned away from Ghislaine and made his way back to Aramis and Téo, who were standing on the road with the others. His jaw was ticking furiously as he faced them.
“It was Lady Gunnora who betrayed us,” he muttered. “Aramis, you will return to Westerham with five hundred men. Take Wellesbourne and St. Hèver with you.”
Aramis nodded grimly. “What would you have me do?”
Gaetan had no mercy in his eyes. “Burn Westerham and the surrounding village to the ground,” he muttered. “Have half the soldiers confiscate anything of value, including livestock and stores, but the rest of it… burn it. And you make sure Lady Gunnora understands that sending that message to Alary last night was the catalyst. I will tolerate no traitors towards me or my men. She will understand that. What she did cost Kristoph a finger.”
Aramis didn’t flinch at the harsh order. “And the lady? What will you have me do with her?”
Gaetan sighed sharply, turning to look at Ghislaine, who was still standing where he had left her. He could have quite easily have given a harsh order for Lady Gunnora but because Ghislaine had spoken kindly of her, and because she was a friend of Ghislaine, he backed off his usual command of execution.
“Leave her alive to watch what her foolish mouth has brought upon her people,” he said. “She can see the results of her loose tongue.”
Aramis nodded, whistling over Wellesbourne and St. Hèver so he could relay their orders. The other knights were gravitating in their direction also. Before Aramis could move away to complete fulfill his orders, Téo stopped him.
“Wait,” he said, looking to Gaetan. “Before they go, there is much to discuss, Gate, not the least of which is the fact that Alary of Mercia now knows we are following him. He told Lady Ghislaine through the messenger that he would send a bigger piece of Kristoph back to us if we continue to follow.”
Gaetan had to pull his thoughts away from vengeance against Lady Gunnora and focus on the situation at hand. He depended on Téo to be his rational self sometimes because the man was inherently wise in all situations. He mulled over the man’s words but in the same breath, he realized his men didn’t know the entire story as to why Alary of Mercia had sent back a piece of their colleague and a threat. Taking a deep breath, he struggled for calm.
“You are right, as usual,” he said to Téo, but his focus moved to his men, all of them now huddled in a circle around him. “You should know why this has happened. Last night, as we feasted at Westerham, Lady Gunnora told Lady Ghislaine that her brother, Alary, had stopped at Westerham the night before. It was Lady Gunnora who sent word to Alary that we were following him and that is why he sent back a piece of Kristoph. I have ordered Aramis and Bartholomew and Kye back to Westerham to burn it to the grou
nd. Treachery will not go unpunished, especially now as we embark in a strange new country. We must be seen as the law and the lords of this country now, and that means we punish those who act against us. If we are perceived as weak, we may as well return home. We cannot hold a country with weakness.”
By the time he was finished, the rest of the knights were nodding in serious understanding. The situation now made more sense to them than simply a random act of brutality.
“What of Ghislaine of Mercia?” de Moray wanted to know. “Surely she knew what Gunnora was doing. They sat together during the meal, whispering between them. Surely Ghislaine has something to do with this.”
It was an accusation, but not an unexpected one. Gaetan fixed on de Moray, who could be a malcontent at times.
“Jathan was with them the entire time, as you all saw,” he said for the benefit of all of his men so there would be no doubt. “He heard their entire conversation and said that there was never, at any time, any hint of subversion or treason on the part of Lady Ghislaine. I want to make that clear. If I thought there was, I would be the first person to punish her and I think you know that.”
De Moray’s jaw ticked faintly as he simply lifted an eyebrow and looked away. That wasn’t good enough for Gaetan.
“Marc,” he said to the man. “Is this in any way unclear?”
“It is clear.”
Gaetan didn’t believe him but he didn’t dispute him, at least not at the moment. “We need Lady Ghislaine if we are to find her brother,” he said for de Moray’s benefit and for the benefit of the others. “Nothing is to happen to her. If I discover that any one of you have moved against her, I will consider that an intentional disruption against this mission and a direct threat to Kristoph’s life. She knows these lands and we do not. Right now, she serves a purpose.”
Before de Moray could reply, Aramis stepped towards the man menacingly. “I know you,” he growled at Marc. “I know that once you believe something is true, you will believe it until the end. If Jathan said that Lady Ghislaine had nothing to do with warning her brother that we were coming, then I believe him. If you make any attempt against her, you will have to deal with me personally.”
He reached out to grab de Moray by the shoulder when he finished, but it was not a friendly touch. It was one of threat. De Reyne was between them and, with a couple of the others, he sought to separate them before a brawl started. But Gaetan entered the fray and slugged de Moray so hard that the knight went stumbling backwards.
“Make a move against Lady Ghislaine and you will have to deal with me as well,” he said. “Whatever you think you suspect about her, forget it. That is my command. If you do not wish to follow that command, then you can ride back to Normandy and stay with him. I have no use for you.”
De Moray was a man of great pride but he was no fool. If his comrades, men he loved like brothers, were so convinced of the woman’s innocence, then there was no reason for him not to believe it. But he was a naturally suspicious character and it was difficult for him to move past that. Still, he wasn’t suspicious enough that he would walk away from his brothers. He sighed heavily and threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“If you believe she did not instigate this treachery, then I will take you for your word,” he said, though it was difficult for him to back down. Then he pointed a finger at Gaetan. “But men who trust too easily are often made fools of.”
Gaetan was still glaring at him, as was Aramis, but they backed off, moving away to stand with the others. Téo, the peacemaker, went to de Moray and pulled the man back into the group.
“We need Marc to see things we may not,” Téo said evenly. “There have been times when his suspicious nature has been of great use. Let no one condemn him for it. But at this moment, we need everyone’s level head. Gate, Alary will be watching from now on to see if we are following him. We cannot be a day behind the man with a two-thousand-man army; he will know it is us and we will risk Kristoph greatly if we continue to follow him on this path.”
Gaetan raked his fingers through his dark dirty hair, laboring to collect his thoughts on the matter. “That has occurred to me,” he said. “It seems to me that we must leave the army behind while we continue onward. We cannot follow him with so many men because we would make a very big target. Alary would quickly know we have disregarded his threat, so we will have to leave the army behind.”
“Leave them where?” Téo asked. “Right here? Or do we send them back to Normandy?”
Gaetan shook his head. “Not back to Normandy,” he said. “Part of our mission heading north is to subdue Mercia. I cannot do that if I send the army back to Normandy. Therefore, we must leave them here.”
“What about leaving them at Westerham?” Aramis asked. “I realize you have ordered us to burn the place, but what if we simply confiscate it for our army? There are plenty of supplies and a village to sustain us. That would make more sense than burning it and leaving our army to fend for themselves in the wilderness of Mercia.”
Gaetan liked that idea. “An excellent suggestion,” he said. “That will be punishment enough to Lady Gunnora to have a Norman army confiscate her home.”
The others seemed to like that idea a good deal. “Westerham could become your first outpost in Mercia,” de Winter suggested. “But what of Lady Gunnora’s father, Lord Boltolph? Were we not told that he was soon to return? He may not like that the Normans have stolen his property.”
Gaetan lifted his eyebrows. “The man cannot compete with two thousand Normans, dug into his holding like a tick on a dog,” he said. “I am happy to allow him to return to Westerham so long as he lives alongside us in peace. I would rather have him as an ally and not an enemy, but I will let him choose what his relationship will be. It will be up to him.”
A plan was formulating, something that made the knights feel more in control of the situation. It wasn’t as if they would give up pursuing Kristoph, so leaving the army behind – and confiscating the property of Westerham in the process – seemed like a logical solution as the nine knights continued onward in the quest for their colleague.
No one was about to back away, no matter what Alary had threatened.
“So, it will be only the knights moving forward,” de Reyne said. “I think that is an excellent solution but I do not believe it is wise to continue on this road. Alary will have his spies watching his retreat and, if they see us, that would also jeopardize Kristoph.”
It was a true statement. Gaetan turned to Ghislaine, still standing over by the rider from Westerham, and emitted a whistle between his teeth. When she looked at him, startled by the sound, he motioned to both her and the messenger and then beckoned both with a crooked finger. Ghislaine understood, immediately grasping the messenger and pulling him with her over to the collection of enormous knights. The messenger was clearly dragging his feet but Ghislaine had a good grip on him. As they drew near, Gaetan spoke to the messenger.
“Where did you find Lord Alary last night?” he asked.
The messenger stumbled in the lady’s grip before answering. “In the village of Oxshott, my lord,” he said.
“How far from Westerham?”
The messenger shook his head. “Not far, my lord. Ten or twelve miles.”
Gaetan glanced at his men. “Then he moved quite slowly yesterday,” he said. “We have been making nearly twenty-five miles a day with an army and he has only traveled ten or twelve since Westerham? That seems odd.”
Téo addressed the messenger. “Has Lord Alary seen a battle or something that would slow his travel? Did you see wounded among his men?”
The messenger shook his head. “Nay, my lord. No battle, at least not from what I could see. But his men did seem weary from what I saw and, although Lord Alary ate well, I did not see his men eat while I was there.”
Next to him, Ghislaine sighed with disgust. “That is typical of my brother,” she said. “He would live in comfort while his men starve.”
Gaetan s
cratched his head. “That can only work to our advantage when we catch up to them. Starving men will not fight strongly, nor are they particularly loyal to the lord who starves them.” He paused a moment. “Still, it would only take one of them to get to Kristoph and do great damage to him if they discovered we were still following. Is this the only road north that will take us to Alary’s stronghold?”
Ghislaine shook her head. “There are others, but not nearly as well traveled.”
“Could we parallel Alary’s travel and intercept him at some point?”
Ghislaine cocked her head thoughtfully. Then, as the knights watched, she went in search of a stick, bringing it back to the group and then dropping to her knees in the center of the knight’s circle. She began to draw with the stick.
“I have been traveling Mercia my entire life,” she said, wanting to be helpful now that they had seemingly given her the chance to do so. Perhaps they would even forgive her for this incident at some point. “We are north of the sea right now and close to London. Alary is not far ahead of us and since he more than likely departed this morning, just as we did, he is probably somewhere west of London right now along the road we are currently traveling on. Just to the north of us, intersecting this road, is another road that leads west. If we take that road, we will travel about five miles before we come to another road that leads north. This is a small road, more of a path really, but it runs deep into Mercia and all the way to the village of Worcester, which is far to the north.”
Gaetan liked the idea. “How close is Worcester to Tenebris?”
Ghislaine made a mark on her crude map. “Not far at all,” she said. “Tenebris is northeast of it, mayhap two or three days. If we travel swiftly enough, we can be waiting for Alary before he reaches his stronghold.”
From a day that had suffered from a terrible moment of darkness, Gaetan was starting to see some hope. Perhaps nothing was lost, after all, in their quest to save Kristoph. He turned to Wellesbourne, who knew this area considering he was from the village whose name he bore, which was in the borderlands between Wales and Mercia.