Chapter Two
The village of Whitehill
Upon seeing the blue roan Belgian warmblood, a very rare color of horse, Val and Calum were convinced that they had happened upon the knight Lord Horsham was seeking. Horsham had described the horse and the knight in detail, a man he wanted brought to justice for the murder of his beloved son.
It was Val’s intention to see that Lord Horsham got his wish.
In the old stone livery in a part of the village that had two popular inns, they were inclined to believe that their man was in one of the taverns but the livery keep couldn’t tell them which one.
He did, however, describe a tall knight with a long red beard and curly red hair, which made finding de Wyck a little more certain.
A man of that description would stand out.
It was still early enough in the morning that men were just awakening and preparing for the coming day.
From their vantage point at the livery, the knights could see both inns; one was to the north about one hundred feet away across a vacant lot and the other one was directly across the road.
From the rain the previous night, the road was muddy and the air cold, the breath of living creatures creating puffs of fog upon the air.
As the livery keep scurried off, fearful of all of the armed soldiers, Val and Calum gathered men at the rear of the livery to produce a plan of action.
“You were briefed on our purpose for coming to Whitehill,” Val said to the forty-three men he’d brought with him, including three knights.
“Based on a discussion with the livery keep, we believe that the man we are seeking is in one of the two taverns on this road. The tavern to the north, one-storied, is The Peacock and the Flame. I believe most of you men are acquainted with it. Probably more intimately than I would care to know.”
The men snorted, looking at each other knowingly. Val was generous in the time and freedom he allowed his men for service well-rendered and The Peacock and the Flame had a host of lovely women from which to choose. It was popular with travelers and locals alike. Val grinned because his men were.
“But no such distractions today because we have work to do,” he said, looking pointedly at his smirking soldiers.
He threw a thumb over his shoulder. “Across the road is The Golden Pheasant. That one is bigger and less expensive to lodge in. Since we cannot know where the man is staying, our best option is to flush him out. Calum will take Kenan with him along with twenty men down to The Peacock and the Flame while I will take Mayne with me and the remainder of the men to The Golden Pheasant. Now, separate yourselves into two groups of twenty and await further orders.”
The soldiers did as they were told as Val turned to his knights, the three best knights a man had ever had the privilege to serve with.
He’d brought them all back with him from France when he’d returned with his royal appointment, so these were men proven in battle.
Along with Calum, a big blonde stud of a man, there was Kenan de Poyer, built like a bear with big hands and shaggy brown hair, and Mayne de Garr, a knight who was handsome to a fault and took great care in his personal appearance.
Mayne could fight with the best of them.
But if a hair was out of place on his combed head in the process, he would become furious.
It was often quite entertaining to watch Kenan ruffle Mayne’s hair, only for Mayne to light Kenan’s tunic on fire.
That had happened three times that Val knew of, and probably more that he didn’t.
Mayne didn’t take kindly to Kenan’s taunts and there was a subversive war going on between them when Val wasn’t looking.
But in battle, they would both kill and die for one another, making it an odd relationship, indeed.
But on this morning, both men were primed for what was to come. The ride from Selborne had been hard and fast. Even now, they awaited their orders. Val didn’t keep them in suspense.
“It is my suggestion that you have men surround the tavern and cover all windows and doors,” he said to the three knights.
“Have a group of men go in from the rear and flush everyone out through the front. These taverns will be crowded this early in the morning, so be on your guard. We are looking for a man with long red hair and a beard to match, and he will be in no mood to be taken prisoner. He’s killed once and it is my suspicion he will not hesitate to do it again if threatened.
But we want him alive for Lord Horsham’s good justice. ”
The knights absorbed the orders. “The Golden Pheasant has two floors,” Calum said. “As I recall, there were at least eight sleeping rooms above the common room.”
Val nodded. “Eight plus a communal loft,” he said with confidence. “I will send Mayne and a contingent of men to roust that floor but ultimately, everyone will be driven out of the front door. I would suggest you follow a similar tactic.”
The situation was clear to them all. As Calum and Kenan went to collect their group of men, Val turned to Mayne.
“Pick your men to take to the second floor,” he told the man. “But remember that sleeping men, when caught off-guard, can often act before thinking. Watch your head.”
Mayne nodded. “I have every intention of doing that,” he said. “Some men consider scars a mark of honor. I, for one, do not.”
Val fought off a grin at the vain knight. “Then let this operation not mar your tender skin,” he said, a dig at Mayne’s pride. “Get on with it. I will position men around the inn and wait at the entry for you to drive the mob towards me.”
“Aye, my lord.”
As Mayne went to pick his men, Val took the remaining fourteen with him towards the tavern.
Off to his left, he could see Calum and Kenan heading towards the other tavern, moving through the mud and debris that had collected overnight along the road.
They made a concerning sight, armed for battle as they were.
Villeins going about their business were intimidated by the sight of so many armed men.
Val knew that word of their appearance would quickly get around, so he emitted a soft whistle between his teeth, motioning to Mayne and his men to quickly enter The Golden Pheasant.
As Mayne and his soldiers ran past him, entering the front of the tavern in a well-organized group, Val hurriedly positioned his men around the perimeter and instructed six of them to enter from the rear along with Mayne.
That way, both floors would be covered. That left eight on the perimeter, watching doors and windows.
Val was just about to give them the signal to move, another one of those piercing whistles, when the entry door of the inn lurched open.
A man and a woman spilled forth into the early morning, bearing satchels and heavily robbed against the cold.
But it wasn’t just any man and woman; Val immediately recognized an old ally with an unfamiliar young woman at his side.
In fact, the sight was rather surprising and all Val could think of was getting the pair out of the way before a mob of terrified people trampled them as his men chased the patrons from the tavern.
“D’Avignon?” Val said as he moved quickly towards the man. “McCloud d’Avignon?”
Sir McCloud d’Avignon, hearing his name, turned in Val’s direction. He had been moderately concerned when he came out of the tavern and saw all of the armed soldiers. But when Val called to him, his concern turned to both surprise and relief.
“De Nerra?” he boomed, grabbing the young woman by the arm as he headed in Val’s direction. “Is it really you?”
“It ’tis.”
“I’ve not seen you in years!”
“It has been a long time.”
“What are you doing here? And who are all of these men?”
Val reached out to take the man by the arm. “Come away from the door,” he said, not really answering his question. “I do not want you to become caught up in what is surely to come.”
He pulled McCloud and the young woman away from the tavern just as screams began to erupt inside.
Hearing that his orders were already being carried out, Val signaled to one of his men to commence and the man emitted a shrill whistle in response.
With that, there were the sounds of a massive crash and more screams coming from the rear of the tavern.
It all sounded quite harrowing. Val increased his pace, pulling McCloud and the woman across the road and towards the livery as the entire tavern began to erupt.
“God’s Bones, Val,” McCloud said, realizing there was some danger going on behind them. “What is happening?”
Val’s attention was on the tavern, distracted as he spoke to McCloud. “A fugitive,” he said. “A knight who killed Lord Horsham’s son. I have been asked to bring the man to justice.”
McCloud was eyeing the tavern with great concern. From the sound of it, whatever was happening inside wasn’t good. “The poor man,” he muttered. “My daughter and I were just inside the tavern and it was very crowded. What does the man you seek look like?”
Val took his attention off the tavern for a brief moment. “A tall knight with red hair and a red beard,” he said. “Did you see anyone that fits that description?”
McCloud shook his head. “Alas, I did not,” he said. “But that means nothing. The sleeping rooms were all full. He could have been in one of those.”
Val simply nodded, his focus returning to the tavern. “I will find him,” he said. “Meanwhile, it was good to see you. Pleasant journey to you.”
McCloud sensed his distraction. “And I wish you well in your endeavor to bring about law and order,” he said. “A pity we do not have time to speak and become acquainted again. I have missed you, my old friend.”
Val was torn now, because he did want to speak with McCloud. But he was focused on the task at hand. Therefore, he did the only thing he could.