Chapter Four #2
With that, Ronan headed off for the de Brito encampment once more with Christian now on his heels.
As he drew close, he could see that two of the four tents had already been dismantled and they were loading up the provisions wagon they’d brought along.
He also saw Dyce’s black and white warhorse tethered, tearing through a bucket of grain.
The animal had run off when Dyce had been mortally wounded, but someone had evidently returned the expensive animal.
He gave the beast a pat, looking it over for injuries, before turning for the big tent where Lady de Brito was.
As Christian headed off to take care of his tasks, Ronan cleared his throat.
“Lady de Brito?” he said, standing next to the tent flap. “It is Ronan, my lady. May I enter?”
There was a pause before the tent flap was abruptly pulled back, revealing Isabeth in the early morning light. Dressed in a heavy woolen traveling garment in a color of yellow that was most becoming, she nonetheless appeared pale as she forced a smile at Ronan.
“Good morn to you, my brother,” she said, her eyes twinkling dully with mirth. “I am glad you have come. I wish to speak with you.”
She stepped back into the tent and he followed, remaining by the tent flap and closing it when she indicated that he should. In spite of her pale appearance, she seemed more energetic this morning. Determined, even. He could sense that simply by the way she was holding herself.
“How may I be of service, my lady?” he asked.
Isabeth faced him in the dim light, the sounds of the encampment around them permeating the canvas walls. Men were shouting, dogs were barking, and birds were chirping but, at the moment, they were only focused on each other.
Something curious was in the air.
“As you can imagine, I did not sleep much last night,” Isabeth finally said. “Mostly, I was thinking. Thinking about Dyce, about my future. Everything has changed now.”
Ronan nodded sympathetically. “That is understandable, my lady.”
“Indeed,” she said. “But I also thought about you, Sir Ronan. All jesting aside, you and I are literally strangers and what Dyce asked of you was not fair. He should never have asked you to take care of me. I am not your responsibility.”
Ronan was beginning to understand why she seemed so determined. Clearly, she’d been thinking long and hard about her situation and his involvement in it and had come to some conclusions.
But he had conclusions of his own.
“Nay, lady, you are not, but I cannot go back on my word,” he said. “I promised Dyce that I would ensure your safety and that is exactly what I intend to do.”
Isabeth’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, studying him. “But what does that mean, exactly?”
He shrugged. “It means that I shall escort you and Dyce home,” he said. “It means that I will ensure your well-being and safety once we reach Ravenscar.”
“Do you intend to remain at Ravenscar, then?”
“To be truthful, I do not know. I’ve not thought the matter through to its logical conclusion.”
Isabeth sighed faintly, moving for a chair. “I have,” she said. “Please sit, Sir Ronan.”
He lowered his big body into the nearest chair. “Just Ronan, my lady. We needn’t be so formal.”
“Then you must call me Isabeth. This is peculiar, isn’t it?”
He gave her a half-grin. “A little,” he said.
“But above all, I want to do what is right by Dyce. You were clearly the most important thing in the world to him and that is something I do not take lightly. He was my dear friend and I would fail him miserably if I did not take care of the most important thing in his life – you. Do you understand my perspective?”
Isabeth nodded. “I do, indeed,” she said. “But do you understand mine, I wonder? Dyce asked you, a married man, to become my guardian. Have you told your lady wife any of this?”
Ronan nodded. “I have, my lady,” he said. “She will be accompanying us to Ravenscar.”
Isabeth lost some of her determination, some of her stiffness then. “I see,” she said. “And… and she is agreeable to this?”
“She is, my lady.”
“She does not mind that you have a widow as your ward?”
“She understands that I am a man of my word, my lady. She will help.”
Isabeth wasn’t sure what to say after that. “If your wife is agreeable, then I suppose my concerns are for naught,” she said. “She is a very compassionate woman to allow her husband to have a grown woman as a ward. But I still feel as if I will be a terrible burden to you.”
He smiled faintly. “You will let me worry about that,” he said. Then, he stood up. “Now, if that will be all, my wife will come in a short while to help you pack. As I said, she would like to help if you are agreeable.”
Isabeth nodded reluctantly. “If you are certain it will be no trouble.”
“No trouble at all.”
He turned for the tent flap, but she stopped him.
“My lord,” she said. “Ronan. If, at any time, I seem ungrateful, please know that I am extremely grateful for everything. It is not a lack of gratitude that fuels my hesitation, but my great concern that my husband’s request has complicated your life.
You are very gracious to keep your word but please know that if you decide it is too much, I will completely understand.
I would never want to be a burden to you. ”
He looked at her, that exquisite woman in the yellow garment.
Her hair was braided on this day and the braid was wrapped around her head, giving her the appearance of having a halo.
It was fitting considering she was quite angelic.
She simply didn’t seem like the burden he’d thought she was the day before.
Somehow, the burden was getting lighter.
She was simply a nice woman he felt sorry for.
“And you shall not be, I assure you,” he said.
“My wife will be here shortly to help you finish packing and then we shall depart when you are ready. I am mustering the escort as we speak. It will probably take us a couple of days to reach Ravenscar but I will try to keep the pace easy, for your sake.”
Isabeth smiled bravely. “You need not worry over me,” she said. “I am stronger than I look.”
His eyes narrowed at her, but it was good-natured. “Then you shall come in handy should we need an additional sword,” he said, watching her laugh. She had a sweet little laugh. “Take heart, my lady, that our journey to Ravenscar will be uneventful. I intend to make it so.”
With that, he dipped his head politely at her and quit the tent, heading straight for Christian, who was gathering the de Brito men and explaining that they would be departing that day.
Ronan announced to the men that he would be taking command of the de Brito escort, by Dyce’s request and Lady de Brito’s approval, and the men seemed eager to please the de Wolfe knights.
Ronan and Christian gave the orders and the de Brito men hurried to do their bidding.
Even after the knights headed back to their own encampment, the de Brito soldiers were ensuring everything was prepared for the coming departure.
The day, already, was moving briskly.