Chapter 4 #2
Pounding hooves shook the ground. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed Alex galloping into the clearing.
He swung out of the saddle, landed running and flung his spear all in one powerful motion.
The boar crashed to the ground and slid, plowing up the loam, before smashing into Merewyn, knocking her to the ground.
One of its tusks pressed against her leg.
The spear quivered, jutting up from the beast’s armpit where it pinned the boar’s heart.
Merewyn stared, open-mouthed, still shivering in fear. Part of her bow was beneath her, her quiver of arrows pressing into her back.
Without a word, Alex reached for her, pulling her free of the boar. Lifting her from the ground, he swept her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. “By the grace of God, you are safe.”
She clung to him and the hard strength of his body, her heart hammering in her chest. “You… you saved me.”
He pulled back to look at her. “Did you not see the boar?”
“Nay!” she spit out. “I went to check on the deer and the boar was in the bush. He caught me unawares. How did you know to come back?”
“I was heading back to find you when your pony screamed. In these woods it could mean only wolves or boar.”
The sound of pounding hooves made her push away from Alex to stand apart, her arms wrapped around her leather jerkin. Her bow still lay on the ground but the quiver of arrows remained over her shoulder.
Into the clearing rode Alex’s father, Sir Geoffroi and Jamie followed by Rory and Guy.
Talisand’s lord gave the scene a studying perusal: the dead boar with the spear protruding from its wiry hide lying next to the deer with an arrow sticking from its body, Alex and Merewyn on either side, more intent on each other than on the beasts between them.
With a concerned look, he asked, “You are both unharmed?”
“Aye,” said Alex. “A fortunate shot stopped the beast.”
“Fortunate?” scoffed Sir Geoffroi. “ ’Twas not mere luck, that. ’Twas more like miraculous.”
“You have rescued the fair damsel,” said Guy with a grin.
“It was a close thing,” said Alex, glancing at Merewyn and then looking away.
“If it had not been for Sir Alex,” she said to his father, “I would not be alive.”
* * *
Alex’s hand shook as he grabbed the pommel of his saddle and swung onto Azor’s back. The pounding in his chest was only beginning to subside, but a quick look at Merewyn assured him she was well.
What horror had gripped him when he’d ridden into the clearing to see the boar’s tusks mere feet from Merewyn’s slender body.
He remembered little of what followed, certain he’d gone mad.
Enraged, he had flung his spear at the beast. Surely God had been with him to enable him to pierce the beast’s heart as he had dropped from his horse in a blur.
He’d had close calls in battle and faced death more than once. But never had the life at risk been Merewyn’s. The pain he felt at the thought of losing her was like no other he had experienced. The moment he’d realized the boar was intent on taking her life, killing the beast was his only purpose.
During the ride back to Talisand, he pondered what the girl meant to him.
Kissing her had told him he wanted her in his bed, but his feelings had gone well beyond lust for a beautiful woman.
He could not abide the thought of any harm coming to her—or of another man having her.
And he had no desire to take another woman to his bed though several made clear they were willing.
Rory and Guy had sought their pleasure and were quick to tell him of their conquests. When his companions noted his unusual abstinence, Alex had said nothing.
“Are you certain you are not ill?” asked Rory one morning when Alex ignored a village girl’s flirting at the practice yard.
“Do I appear ill?” he snapped back. Alex had just defeated Rory in their sparring, thus he expected the reply that followed.
Rory took in Alex’s appearance, which, except for the sweat on his forehead from their lively swordplay, conveyed his readiness to spar again. He was not even winded. “Nay, you do not seem ill.”
When Guy, who had been listening to their conversation, suggested the cause was Merewyn, Alex returned him a dark scowl. He would not allow her name to be bandied about.
In response, his friends grinned widely. “You’ll hear no complaints from this quarter,” Rory said with a smirk. “Leaves more women for me.”
“And me,” put in Guy.
Alex no longer wanted to be a part of his friends’ search for comely wenches to bed. Their pleasure excursions now seemed shallow and his former behavior dishonorable. Being in Merewyn’s company was somehow more satisfying even if he could not touch her.
After they returned from the hunt with the animals they had taken, Alex and his companions left for the river to wash and then change for the feast that would follow.
When the time for supper drew near, the enticing smell of boar, spiced with sage and roasting in its own juices, filled the hall, making his mouth water.
As the men and women gathered for the meal, the roast boar was carried into the hall on a huge wooden plank and set on a special table where it was carved. Wine flowed freely as he and his companions ate with Merewyn, Lora, Bea and Alice at the end of one of the trestle tables nearest the dais.
Jamie joined them, commending Alex on his kill. He was glad to see Merewyn appeared to have recovered from her encounter and was exchanging pleasantries with Guy.
They were still eating when Alex looked up to see a man dressed in the king’s livery step into the hall and stride toward the dais.
“From the king,” the messenger said, bowing before the Earl of Talisand and thrusting the scroll toward him. His father accepted the parchment, broke the seal and quickly read the missive. Then he asked the man to hand it to Alex.
The message contained only one line:
You are summoned to Westminster for a meeting of the barons in a fortnight.
A scribe had no doubt written the message, for the king was unlettered, but it was signed with William’s mark. A date was scrawled below which, according to Alex’s figuring, left them ten days to reach London.
The messenger handed his father another scroll. “This, too, my lord.”
His father took it and read the second message but did not pass it to Alex. Instead, he proclaimed, “The king’s summons has come.” Turning to Alex’s mother, he asked, “Do you still wish to go, my love?”
“I do. ’Tis time I called upon your king.” Then glancing toward Merewyn, she said, “My student of the bow has never been to court. She will attend as well, as we have discussed.”
His father nodded, seemingly content with his wife’s plans.
Mayhap he was pleased she would go. Alex knew his mother would never claim a Norman as her king but his father told him she had once entertained the Conqueror at Talisand for the sake of her husband’s honor and her brother’s life.
Her willingness to go to court now and bow before William Rufus suggested age had softened her.
Alex looked across the table at Merewyn, studying her expression. What would it be like to be with her on the road for many days? There would be two other women on the journey, his mother and her maidservant, Nelda, and for that, he was glad. ’Twas best he and Merewyn would not be alone.
“Can you be ready to depart at dawn tomorrow?” Alex’s father asked his lady.
“Since I expected the summons, Maggie and Nelda have been readying the chests that will go with us. We need only one cart and it can be loaded this evening.”
Before Alex left the hall, Maugris came to speak to him. “Might I have a word?”
Alex drew the old one aside, wondering what vision he had seen now, hoping it was not a harbinger of doom. “Aye.”
“Honor is revealed in the face of temptation, my son, and courage in the face of fear. You have passed one trial but still face another. It is near, even at your door.”
With that, Maugris wished him a safe journey and abruptly turned and walked through the door to the bailey.
Alex stared after him, mystified.
* * *
Merewyn stifled a yawn and accepted the groom’s help mounting Ceinder.
Unused to rising before dawn, she was still tired from the restless night before.
Then, too, as she dressed, she and her bow had exchanged words about her decision to accompany Lady Serena to London.
But in light of Maugris’ counsel, she ignored her bow’s scolding.
London would be an adventure, one she eagerly anticipated.
Since they would be stopping in a village and then going on to Earl Hugh’s castle in Chester, Lady Serena had wanted her to wear a gown for the travel. Merewyn was so pleased to be included she did not complain of having to struggle with skirts and Nelda had been there to help with the laces.
The linen gown she chose, the color of rust, would bear up well under the dust of the road. On her head she wore a straw hat like many of the villeins did when working in the fields. Her dark green cloak was tied behind her, secured to her saddle with her bow and quiver full of arrows.
Alex dipped his head to her and his mother as he rode to the head of the column where he joined his father. The knights wore no mail and, because they did not ride to war, their destriers, even their squires, remained behind. Still, every man had his sword and a long knife at his belt.
The sun was rising on her left as Merewyn and Lady Serena fell in behind Alex and his father.
Following the two women were Sir Geoffroi, Guy and Rory with several men-at-arms behind them.
A male servant brought up the rear, driving the cart in which Nelda, Lady Serena’s maidservant, rode with the chests, tents and food stores.