Chapter Fifteen
Richmond’s encampment had been set up about three miles north of Pickering in a vale of trees with a large brook running through it, enough so that his men were able to wash and cook with plenty of water.
In spite of the fact that it was December in the north, the skies were remarkably clear and the land fairly dry.
It was, however, very cold. Richmond had his men spread out and set up a perimeter, setting watch shifts and security, as several of his men set up his tent and stoked two viziers into a nice, warm blaze.
Arissa and Emma had huddled around one of them while the tents went up, until Emma grew bored and began to speak of the winter blooms she had seen.
She began to speak of pomades and oils, pulling Arissa into her excitement, and soon the two of them were out of the tent in search of the elusive winter blooms. That was fairly normal behavior for Arissa.
Unbeknownst to Richmond, they wandered away from camp.
But his clues came soon enough. Richmond heard a chorus of screams, faint and muffled against the damp trees, and he knew without a doubt the screams came from Arissa; he would know her voice anywhere.
He had just located Gavan amongst the soldiers and was preparing to deliver the contents of the second missive when the air had been pierced by the unmistakable sounds of terror.
Deterred from his dreaded task, both he and Gavan had been jolted into action.
Within seconds, the entire camp was a boiling cauldron of men and armor, determined to seek out and protect the two women from the impending threat.
The five soldiers that had been left in charge of the young ladies’ safety suddenly found themselves stripped of their arms and corralled into a tight group.
Guarded by ten soldiers of Richmond’s personal choosing, hope for a relatively painless future was not guaranteed as Henry’s most powerful knight discovered their failings.
Richmond and Gavan were already mounted, tearing into the thicket of trees to the south of the wagon, the very last place the two ladies had been seen and assuming it was a logical location to begin.
But several feet into the undergrowth, it was obvious the destriers could go no further in the heavy foliage.
Dismounting, swords were unsheathed as both knights and several dozen soldiers charged headlong into the dense, wet leafage.
Heart pounding, Richmond was not given ample time to work himself up into a good panic; within moments, he found himself gazing upon a black and blond head from where the ladies sat, perched on a large moldering rock.
Beside them, a vaguely familiar figure clad in rags sat happily and several feet away, a cluster of children were hovered intently over a small fire.
Richmond could see that the women weren’t in any danger and his anxiety transformed into simmering anger. Pushing through a bank of heavy brush that he practically tore to shreds with his force and size, he jabbed an armor-clad finger at the two figures on the rock.
“What goes on here?” he boomed.
Arissa started violently, leaping up from the rock in surprise. Emma, her eyes wide with shock, stared at Richmond and Gavan as if the Devil had suddenly made an appearance; covered with exposed swords and weapons, the picture was terrifying.
“We…. we came into the trees looking for flowers,” Arissa stammered. “The children found us and are preparing a special treat in our honor.”
Richmond stared at the overall picture a moment; seventeen very frightened, very cold children gazed back at him as if he were pure evil. On a small fire built into the mucky earth, five small fish were cooking on spits and Richmond sheathed his sword, moving to grasp Arissa by the arm.
“’Twas foolish to venture into the trees without an escort,” he growled. “I would expect more of a show of intelligence from you, my lady. You are fully aware of the dangers that lurk about.”
Arissa winced at the brutal grip on her arm. “Release me, Richmond, you are hurting me,” she said with as much force as she could muster. His grip immediately lessened, but he did not let go of her and she attempted to pull free. He did not budge. “Let go of me, Richmond. I demand it.”
“You do not make demands,” he flipped up his visor, his eyes like ice as his gaze moved from the frightened children to Emma.
He gestured at her with his free hand. “Take her, Hage. Tie her to the wagon if she cannot show more wisdom than to venture out into the forest without the proper attendants.”
As Gavan moved for Emma, Arissa could see that the situation was rapidly deteriorating.
Since she could not match Richmond’s anger, and his fury was quite correct for wandering away from the campsite, she decided to play to his sympathies instead.
As she had proven abundantly in the past, a little honey against the hard facade of Richmond le Bec could work wonders.
“Richmond, may I speak with you a moment before you haul Emma and I away like a pair of criminals?” she asked politely.
He eyed her. “When we return to camp, I will expect a full explanation. You may speak to your heart’s content at that time.”
She shook her head, her soft hands moving to grasp his massive glove. Smiling faintly, she pressed against him. “Now, Richmond. I shall take but a moment of your precious time. If you do not agree with my words, you may spank me all night.”
There was a decidedly erotic invitation in that statement but he ignored it, still focused on his anger. “After I remove you from this rabble, I shall be happy to speak with you.”
He made the attempt to pull her with him but she balked, digging her heels in. His jaw ticked at the show of insolence but she tried not to let the gesture intimidate her.
“Please, my love,” her voice was suddenly very soft, very seductive. “Allow me a moment to speak with you. Just a small, insignificant moment? Please?”
God’s Teeth, he could never refuse her. Somehow, he was always caving into her imperious commands disguised as prettily uttered requests. Releasing her from his grasp, he put his hands on his hips in a display of irritation. “What, then?”
She smiled, pressing herself against him and winding her arms about his waist. Next to her, Emma was fighting off a grin as Gavan pretended to look the other way; they both knew Arissa would have her way in the end, regardless of Richmond’s harsh stance.
“They are preparing a feast to thank me for my kindness in defending them against you earlier today,” she whispered, watching the blue eyes soften as she spoke.
“Those five fish are all they have to sustain the seventeen of them, and still they are willing to share with me. I shall not refuse their kind tribute, Richmond. Even though they are dirt-poor, scraping the very dregs of society in their attempt to maintain a meager existence, they still know the true meaning of selflessness. That, my love, is worth all of the kings and knights and wealth this world has to offer and I am honored to be a part of it.”
He stared at her a moment before emitting a weary, heart-felt sigh.
She continued to smile at him, watching his uncertain expression as he glanced to the wary cluster of children.
It took him a moment to realize that during the course of their conversation, he had distracted the orphans from their fire and the fish were burning brightly with flames as he watched.
With another sigh, this one of pure resignation, he realized he was about to give in to her request yet again. Watching the fish burn, however, he was suddenly aware of how to please Arissa without appearing weak in front of his men. God’s Teeth, he was a fool for the woman.
“Their tribute appears to have become a torch,” he grumbled, touching her cheek; he simply couldn’t help himself as she gazed up at him.
His gaze lingered on the children a moment before turning away from Arissa.
“You will tell them to sup with us since I have ruined their dinner. I shall wait for you on the other side of the thicket, so do not delay.”
Arissa smiled broadly, a beautiful smile that rendered him weak with love and adoration. “Of course, my love. I shall do it right away.” Before he could move away completely, she reached out to gently grasp his massive hand. “Thank you, Richmond. You are an extremely generous man.”
He barely acknowledged her thanks as he moved into the foliage he had so recently crushed. “I am not generous; I am a fool,” he muttered, listening to Gavan’s snort of agreement.
Hearing Gavan’s laughter reminded him of the second missive from Henry, the one whose contents he had been directed to deliver to Gavan in private. The man had to be made aware, the sooner the better, and Richmond’s heart sank as he once again braced himself for the devastating duty.
His gut churned as they reached the destriers, preparing to mount. God’s Teeth, how he hated what he was about to do. Eyeing Gavan as the man moved to mount his horse, he wondered if his best friend would ever be able to forgive him.
*
Seventeen children around a campfire filled with hardened soldiers proved to be a surprising, wonderful source of entertainment.
The children sang, danced, told stories and involved the men-at-arms in betting games.
Two boys would wrestle as the men eagerly placed wages, adding to the festive atmosphere, while two of the girls would take bets on who could spit the farthest.
Knowing well their liege’s fondness for sports and betting, Richmond found himself coerced into placing wagers on the wrestling matches and was pleased when his chosen contender emerged the victor in the majority of the contests.
In spite of any reservations about the skinny, dirty, happy children, Richmond was forced to agree that inviting them to dine with his men had been a wise decision.