Chapter Seventeen
Alnwick Tournament
Victory is once again mine!
The Black Dragon was in fine form today.
The dagger given to Addax by his father, the one that had belonged to generations of his forefathers, was front and center yet again as he made his run down the guides toward his opponent, a de Royans knight.
Given that the tournament was closed to Netherghyll, seat of the House of de Royans, men either related to the family or working for the family had competed in nearly every event.
The dagger with the onyx eyes was once again watching him ride to victory, but so was something else.
The “worthy” pin was in full view next to it.
The favor had been his charm.
For nine long months, the pin had gone everywhere with him.
It had competed in every event, attended every meal.
In Catterick last month, the daughter of the Earl of Brompton had asked him about it, and he explained that it was from the woman he loved.
That had deterred her, because she’d been actively pursuing him through the entire tournament, but knowing he had a love somewhere had cooled her down somewhat.
It hadn’t been the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last.
After they left Alston Castle on that horrific night he refused to remember, Essien had taken him straight back to Berwick and to Cole, where the entire sordid affair came out.
Cole had been sympathetic, and Corisande had been even more so because she adored Emmeline, but Cole also knew that Addax had to get back to work and focus that grief on something else.
That something else had been the tournament circuit.
He was back.
It was still the northern circuit this time, because he liked the venues and knew the crowds.
The squires and men that Cole had given positions when Addax and Essien went off to Alston were returned to him, and they’d added even more men because Addax was raking in a fortune with every tournament.
Catterick, York, and Manchester had been particularly profitable, so profitable that Addax and Cole were in discussion about Cole selling him the de Velt property of Cloryn Castle on the Welsh marches.
Addax had the money, and, as he’d told Cole, he couldn’t continue wandering for the rest of his life, so Cloryn, which was small but strategic, would be perfect for him and an eventual family.
But that was something Addax wasn’t ready to talk about yet.
These days, he was focused on winning, drinking, and reaffirming bonds with men he’d known a very long time, men he trusted not to change into something he didn’t recognize.
Beau de Russe was one of them, as were three knights he hadn’t seen in a while, even though he’d known them since his first days in England.
Ares, Atlas, and Anteaus de Bourne were descendants of the kings of Northumbria, and were Corisande’s brothers.
Ares, in fact, was the Sheriff of Westmorland, a prestigious post given to him by the king.
But in the Catterick tournament, and this tournament, he was simply Ares de Bourne, Hades’ Wrath—or simply the Wrath.
Every competitor had a nickname, and that happened to be his.
His brother, Atlas, went by the Kraken, while the youngest brother labeled himself God’s Favorite Child.
That brought laughter from most until Anteaus completed in the joust, and then men began to realize that he might very well be God’s Favorite Child.
The man had quality skills.
Whatever he was called, Addax liked him.
Anteaus and Essien were the same age, and close friends.
Even if Addax had been ripped from the woman he’d fallen in love with, he was surrounded by men who loved him, and whom he loved in return, so it had been a salve to his soul.
Knocking Atlas de Bourne from his horse earlier that day had done wonders for his spirit, even if Atlas didn’t think so. But it didn’t matter.
Addax was back where he belonged.
It was the midday break in the tournament while the arena was cleaned of debris, before the afternoon rounds began, and Addax was with Beau, Ares, Atlas, Anteaus, Cole, and Corisande beneath a big oak tree near the edge of the tournament village.
Corisande and a few servants had come down from Berwick with Cole for the festivities, bringing an enormous amount of food with them, and the men were eating with gusto.
There was chicken that had been rolled in egg, then flour, and fried in suet, along with stuffed eggs, onion tarts, sausages, apples, and more.
Blackadder’s household never traveled lightly.
Addax ate until he could hold no more, sitting with Ares and Anteaus on the ground by the trunk of the tree.
Anteaus had eaten so much that he lay on the grass in misery as Addax and Ares talked about the gathering of some lowland clans south of Edinburgh.
That was the latest news coming out of Scotland these days, and Addax was fairly certain the ore purchase those months ago was being put to use in those gatherings—coinage and weapons.
Since that was an Executioner Knights issue, he didn’t mention it to Ares, who was not part of the guild.
But Addax was positive he knew all about it anyway. He and Cole were close, and Cole was deeply invested in the Executioner Knights, so it was probably just a matter of time before the de Bourne brothers became part of it as well.
They would make welcome additions.
“Where is Essien these days, Addax?” Anteaus asked, his hands over his eyes as he lay there in gluttonous misery. “Cole said he was in the north, somewhere.”
The truth was that Essien was on a mission for the Executioner Knights these days. He was the one collecting all of the information on the clan gathering and feeding it back to the northern warlords through channels. But Addax seemed casual about his brother’s absence.
“He is conducting some business for Cole,” he said. “You know Es—everyone likes him, so he makes even the most difficult task simple. He knows I am in with the circuit in Alnwick this week, however, so I expect to see him soon.”
“Sooner than you think.”
The statement came from a man approaching the group, and they all looked over to see none other than Essien himself approaching.
Anteaus managed to push himself off the ground to embrace a friend he’d not seen in months, and Essien laughed softly as Anteaus not only embraced him, but slapped him on the shoulder in a show of brotherhood.
As the two of them greeted one another, Addax still sat against the trunk of the tree, smiling as he observed the return of his younger brother.
Even though he’d known Essien would return to him, because Essien was skilled and careful, there was always that chance of danger.
Seeing Essien returned filled Addax with relief.
His little brother was with him once again.
“Welcome back, Es,” he said as Essien approached him. “Have some food. Cori has brought more than we can eat.”
Essien was exhausted. That was clear. He picked up a couple of stuffed eggs and shoved them in his mouth, washing them down with watered wine that Anteaus handed him.
Once that was all down in his stomach, he burped and looked around for more, finding a piece of chicken to wolf down. Chewing, he turned to his brother.
“I brought some things back for you,” he said. “Come back to the encampment with me and I’ll show you.”
Addax rose wearily from his seated position, stretching out his left shoulder because he’d taken a hard hit earlier in the day, and it bothered him. But he and Essien began heading over to the encampment as Essien continued to chew on the piece of chicken.
“How was the weather?” Addax asked as they moved through the village crowd. “I heard there were terrible rains up north.”
Essien took the last bite of chicken and tossed the bone away. “Bad enough,” he said. “It seems dry down here.”
“It is.”
“And warm.”
“Nicely warm.”
“How did your bout go this morning?”
“I won. I face a de Royans this afternoon.”
“Oh?” Essien looked at him. “Which one?”
“Marston,” Addax said. “Son of the lord of Netherghyll. He’s very young, however, so it could go either way. I will either trounce him or he will destroy me. I do not see it going any other way.”
Essien grinned. “Have you been watching him?”
Addax nodded. “I have,” he said. “The lad is incredibly talented. His father is so proud that he could burst.”
“And taking down the Black Dragon would make him arrogant for the rest of his life.”
Addax snorted. “Probably,” he said. “But young men like that must know that they cannot conquer everything at such a young age. It takes time and skill. Not everything is so easy.”
“Then you intend to trounce him.”
“I do. Sorry to say, but I do.”
“It will be better for him that way.”
The two of them chuckled as Addax was suddenly mobbed by a group of children who had seen him compete.
They clamored around him, demanding stories and money.
Addax had to politely beg off, finally using Essien to run interference while he slipped away and into the competitors’ encampment, where the children were not allowed.
“Well done, Es,” Addax said as Essien caught up to him. “You are officially a terrorizer of children.”
Essien started to laugh. “At least I terrorize someone.”
Addax was grinning as he looked casually around the encampment. “Now,” he said, “what is so important that you had to separate me from the others?”
“The usual business,” Essien said, mirroring his brother’s casual demeanor so they didn’t look as if they were discussing critical issues that some may want to listen in on. “I’ve already given Cole my report, but it seems that any building rebellion the Scots might have toward Berwick is slowing.”
“Truly?” Addax said. “That is good news.”