Chapter Seven #3
Bric listened to the rather impassioned speech before slowly lifting his eyebrows. With a heavy sigh, he began to make his way towards Dashiell, but he didn’t make a move to unsheathe his weapon. In fact, his pace was rather slow and thoughtful, as if he were pondering his response.
But as he came closer to Dashiell, the man backed up, unwilling to let Bric, a notoriously fast knight, get any closer and then unleash his fearsome fists. Dashiell knew full well what Bric was capable of, so he wasn’t taking any chances. When Bric saw this, he came to a halt.
“Do you really think that I would hurt you, Dash?” he asked.
“I know what you can do when you are angry enough.”
“This is not one of those times.”
Dashiell wasn’t expecting that answer. In fact, it stumped him, and his brow furrowed in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”
Bric looked at him, a smile playing on his lips. “Your cousin arrived here two days ago.”
That brought a measure of surprise from Dashiell. “She did? I was unaware.”
“We were married yesterday.”
Dashiell’s eyes widened. “You were?” He was shocked. “And… and you are not intending to gut me?”
Bric couldn’t hold back the smile now. “Nay,” he said quietly. “Not to worry, Dash. I am not angry with you.”
Dashiell still wasn’t convinced. He looked to Daveigh, over Bric’s shoulder. “My lord, help me,” he said. “Bric is trying to lull me into a false sense of security by telling me he is not angry with me. I have come prepared to fight him, but now he taunts me.”
Daveigh started laughing. “He is not taunting you, Dash,” he said. “He is serious. The marriage agrees with him.”
Dashiell stared at him. Then, he lowered his sword and put his hand over his heart as if it were failing him. “God,” he muttered. “I must be already dead. In what world would Bric MacRohan not seek revenge against me for forcing him to wed my cousin?”
Daveigh continued to laugh as he walked past Bric and to Dashiell, planting a hand on Dashiell’s shoulder.
“Believe me,” he said. “No one is more shocked than I am. When I told Bric of your marriage proposal, he literally tried to fight his way out of Narborough and flee. Only my wife’s threats against him forced him to remain.
The wedding was yesterday and, if I am reading Bric’s expressions correctly this morning, he is pleased with it.
He seems quite pleased with your cousin. ”
Dashiell was genuinely astonished. He looked at Bric. “Is this true?”
It was the question everyone had been asking him all morning, trying to force him to confess that he was agreeable to the marriage and to his new wife.
He was starting to feel like a fool again, but he fought it, realizing it was his pride that kept him from conceding the point.
Only a liar would deny that he was satisfied, and he wasn’t a liar. After a moment, he nodded.
“I am.”
“Then… then you do not want to kill me?”
“Nay.”
“This is not a trick?”
“It is not a trick.”
“Swear this to me.”
“I swear it upon my oath.”
Dashiell stared at him a moment longer before sheathing his sword. “I cannot believe it,” he said. “Truly, I am thrilled, but I cannot believe it. Are you truly happy about this?”
Bric was growing embarrassed. “What would you have me say?” he said. “I told you I was. Would you feel better if I tried to kill you?”
“Mayhap.”
Bric fought off a grin. “Then it will have to be later,” he said. “At the moment, I want to know why you are here. We heard rumor that Savernake was in the area.”
Dashiell didn’t press him any further than he already had about the marriage.
He could see that Bric was uncomfortable talking about it and he knew the man well enough to sense that.
But he was so stunned about the man’s reaction to the forced marriage that it was difficult to focus on anything else.
But, he had to – it was necessary because he had come to Narborough for a reason.
Business was at hand.
“We’ve been with the de Lohr army near Lincoln,” he said.
“There is a concentration of the remnants from John’s French army in the midsection of England, and Lincoln has been hard-hit.
That is why I have come; Holdingham Castle is being held by Lord Evedon, who is loyal to Henry.
You know the place, Bric – it guards the road that connects Lincoln to Nottingham and also to Newark.
It is strategic. Even though John is dead, the French still will not leave England and now there is a buildup near Holdingham.
De Lohr believes they will try to cut off the road, essentially separating Lincoln from its allies to the south.
I’ve been sent to summon your army to hold the line at Holdingham. ”
Daveigh was listening closely. “Holdingham is two days away,” he said. “How urgent is the situation?”
Dashiell looked at him. “Dire, my lord,” he said. “De Lohr begs you to come immediately to reinforce his ranks.”
Daveigh looked at Bric, who was already in motion. If Dashiell said the situation was dire, then Bric wasn’t going to ask a lot of questions. He was simply going to do what was necessary to support an ally. Already, he was barking orders to Mylo.
“Bring Pearce off the wall and tell him we are mobilizing the army immediately,” he said. “You and Pearce will start with the preparations. I will join you shortly.”
The de Winter army didn’t mobilize without Bric at the helm, so Mylo rushed off to begin the process while Bric turned to Dashiell.
“We can be ready by sunset,” he said, glancing up at the sky as the morning deepened. “We will have a full moon tonight so, barring any cloud cover, we can travel at night. If we only stop once, to rest the horses and the men, we should be at Holdingham by tomorrow at sunset, I should think.”
Daveigh agreed with the plan, for the most part. “We must leave at least three hundred men here,” he said. “If there are still raiders about, I do not want Narborough unprotected.”
Bric nodded. “I will send to Roxham Castle and Wissington Castle for reinforcements for Narborough,” he said. Then, he looked at Dashiell. “You shall have around eighteen hundred men by nightfall.”
Dashiell was relieved. “Thank you,” he said. “I realize you have duties to attend to, but might I trouble you for some food and drink? And may I offer a word of greeting to your wife?”
Bric was back to fighting off a smile at the mere mention of Eiselle. “I think that can be arranged.”
Dashiell, finally understanding that Bric truly wasn’t going to run him through for the marriage situation, put a big hand on Bric’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Cousin,” he said.
Bric merely chuckled at the mention of their new familial relationship, which set off Dashiell. The two of them snorted and giggled like a pair of fools the entire walk back to the keep.
All was well between them once again.