Chapter 15 #2
The Red Wolf might be her enemy, but given all she had observed, he was more a man than Morcar.
Older, less compulsive and accustomed to being responsible for the lives of others, he had won her respect in the weeks he’d been at Talisand.
Then, too, she remembered that Morcar and his brother, after having been defeated at Fulford by Harald Hardrada of Norway, failed to appear at Hastings when their help was so badly needed.
If she refused Morcar, she knew there were ways he could bring the marriage to pass. The priest may be under his control, and there were potions that could rob her of the will to resist. He had already demonstrated he would use them to aid his cause.
“What about the Norman king?” she asked.
“You would defy him?” Here was the essence of it in Serena’s mind.
She herself had once entertained the possibility of wedding a Saxon, but thought only to do so from the safety of Scotland.
She had not believed it wise to marry in defiance of the Norman king while she remained in England.
The Bastard’s reputation was that of a hard, ruthless man who showed no mercy to those who defied him.
“I would,” Earl Morcar said proudly.
He does not intend to serve England’s new king!
The Mercian earl was na?ve if he believed he could succeed in robbing a Norman knight of the bride his king had given him, the king who had conquered England with his hundreds of ships and his thousands of men.
It would take more than one Mercian earl to return England to the English.
Morcar’s brother moved restlessly in his chair, catching her eye. She turned to look at him. He averted his gaze, making her think he was not comfortable with Morcar’s chosen course of action.
“Then you would fight still,” she said.
“Yea, I would,” Morcar admitted, “and there are others who would fight with me, your brother among them.”
Her gaze darted from one brother to the other, searching their faces. “You spoke of Steinar before. Have you word of him?”
The two earls shared a glance before Morcar answered.
“I know that he resides with Edgar in Scotland, who even now gathers a force to return. In regards to you and my intention to wed you, I did send Steinar a message. I am certain he would wish this between us, my lady, as did your father. Steinar would never give his sister to a Norman.”
Serena’s appetite waned and she picked at her food as she again thought of the older brother she loved. Morcar had the right of it. Steinar would never consent to having the Red Wolf as a brother-in-law. “It has been a long while since I’ve had any message from him,” she said sadly.
“I need not await his word to summon the priest and see us wed, Serena. Once ’tis done, we can travel together to join Steinar.”
* * *
Two days after Serena disappeared, Cassie began to suspect where her lady had gone.
Sir Niel had been dispatched to find Serena the morning after she had disappeared.
Sir Maurin believed Serena had arranged to flee once again, and knowing she had gone north before, it was in that direction he sent Sir Niel.
But Cassie cast her gaze to the south. She did not think Serena had escaped.
No, her lady had been taken. For Cassie knew once Serena made up her mind to accept the Norman lord as her husband, she was not likely to change.
Cassie had seen the way Serena had looked at the Red Wolf, her eyes following the powerful knight as he strode though the yard and lingering on his broad shoulders in the practice yard.
Nay, Serena had been preparing for a wedding, not a flight into the woods.
When the cloth merchant from Mercia had left Talisand, Cassie remembered he rode south.
But his cart was still full of wares. Why would he return home so soon?
Most merchants would have ridden east to the rich purses in York before heading south.
She had wondered at the time, and now she again puzzled over his going.
The morning after Serena disappeared, her white mare Elfleda was still in her stall.
Serena would not have left behind the horse her father had given her.
But who would have abducted Lady Serena? Could it be Morcar? His brother Edwin was Earl of Mercia and she had heard that Morcar, having lost Northumbria, now dwelled with him. Yea, it was possible he had taken her. And Cassie was determined to follow.
As a young girl, Cassie had learned to ride when Serena did, so she could be her lady’s companion.
Though she rode infrequently and had no horse of her own, Cassie decided to take Elfleda and ride south to search for Serena.
She would not tell Sir Maurin, for if her thinking was correct, and Earl Morcar had Serena, it would bring the Normans to Mercia were they to know.
Cassie had filled a bag of food and changed to a simple brown tunic before leaving for the stables, assured no one had seen her. She was hoping to slip out while Sir Maurin and the other Normans were occupied.
Once inside the stables, she set the small saddle on Elfleda, and tightened the girth. The sound of soft footfalls in the dirt behind her caused her to turn. There, garbed in his green and brown clothing, stood Rhodri.
“You go in search of her, then?” he asked.
She glanced around. At least for the moment they were alone. “How did ye know?” she whispered.
“You are infrequently in the stables, lass. When I saw you slip through the door, I was curious. I have been planning to go myself, as I was certain Serena would not have left without telling me. And I am obligated to see to her welfare. I made my oath to her brother.”
“Ye have seen Steinar?”
“Yea, but none know of it, not even Serena.”
“Why did ye not tell her? She has been anxious for word of him.”
“Steinar asked me to say nothing to her until we were ready to leave to join him. He never considered she would want to stay. Nor did I.”
Nodding, Cassie set her will to her task and finished saddling the mare. “I want to go, Rhodri. Serena is not only my lady, but my dearest friend.”
“It is not safe for you to travel alone. You are not Serena, adept at the bow and dressed like a lad, whereas I can travel with few knowing I am in the woods. No one suspects a bard has any purpose other than entertaining.”
“I must go, Rhodri. I owe it to Serena.”
“If you insist on following after her,” he said reluctantly, “I would go with you. You can travel as my wife to any who ask. And I am familiar with the Mercian earl’s holding, which I have no doubt is your destination.”
Surprised at the bard’s astute observation, and not unhappy to have the protection of his bow, Cassie agreed. Traveling together would make her feel safe.
“Aye, Rhodri, I welcome yer company.”
“Does anyone know you are doing this?”
“I asked Eric to deliver a message to me mother after I have left, saying I have gone to the west manor. I would not want her to worry.”
Cassie only hoped that Sir Maurin did not connect her with the missing horse.
* * *
Through their conversations at meals following her arrival at Adlington, Serena learned much of what had happened to the Mercian brothers after Hastings. It seemed the Norman king had not been constant toward them, and his promises, freely given, had all come to naught.
Edwin was especially bitter about having been promised William’s daughter only to have the girl’s hand withdrawn at the urging of the king’s courtiers.
And Morcar had lost Northumbria to a man of the Norman king’s choosing.
In turn, the Mercian brothers no longer believed William was owed their fealty.
While Serena had much sympathy for their plight, and shared their view of the Norman king’s deceit, she resisted Morcar’s plans for herself.
But since he was not aware of her reluctance, she was free to roam at will over the lands that surrounded Edwin’s manor in Mercia.
From her conversations with the servant who oversaw her baths and dressing, Serena knew Adlington lay fifty miles south of Talisand. She could be home in a day and a half if she had a good horse. Using the excuse of a ride with Morcar, she intended to find one for her journey north.
The horses Edwin kept were fine palfreys any nobleman would be proud to own.
The one Morcar had saddled for her this morning was a chestnut mare.
Stroking the palfrey’s mane, she realized it was the same color as the Red Wolf’s hair and it caused her to wonder.
Was he well? Had he returned from Exeter?
She did not want to think of the powerful knight as wounded or worse, but she shuddered to think of his reaction if he returned to find her gone.
She and Morcar rode over the green hills speaking of earlier times, of an England free of Normans. When they came to a small rise that looked east over Mercia, Morcar pulled rein and dismounted. As he helped her down, he pulled her into his arms.
“I would show you something of my ardor, my lady.” So saying, he bent his head and kissed her.
She thought to resist but he was so quick his lips were on hers before she could do so.
He was gentle but his kiss stirred no passion nor sent any shivers down her spine like the kiss of the Red Wolf.
To Serena it was more like the kiss of a brother.
“On the morrow, the priest comes, my lady,” Morcar said, holding her gaze. “And you will be properly wed to a Mercian earl.” He smiled as if he could think of no greater honor to bestow upon her.
She smiled back and walked to the edge of the rise, looking into the distance while Morcar secured the horses.
At one time, she might have considered wedding Earl Morcar a great honor but unbeknownst to the earl, Serena’s feelings had changed.
Once she would have gladly married him to escape the fate of a Norman’s wife, but that was before she had spent weeks with the knight called the Red Wolf.
She had told the Norman she would be his lady and, though it had taken her some time to realize how sincerely she had meant those words, with Morcar’s kiss, her course was firmly set. She would not alter it.
“And what follows after, my lord?” Serena asked. “What will you do when the Norman knight discovers you have stolen his bride?”
The handsome earl took her hand and gave her a confident grin.
“Why, my lady, we will not tarry here for William’s wolf to find us.
” He kissed her knuckles. “I intend to take you to York where the loyal Northumbrians are preparing even now to meet Edgar and his men. I imagine your brother will be among them. He will be anxious to see you.”
York!
Her brother would be in York. She was eager to be reunited with Steinar, but she could not bring herself to marry this Mercian to see it done.
No matter it would please her brother for her to wed Morcar and escape the grasp of the Red Wolf, she knew in her heart she must return to Talisand.
From there, she would seek a way to find Steinar herself.
“I would very much like to see my brother.”
Early the next morning, Serena slipped from her chamber, silently creeping to the stables.
She had donned the green undertunic and gown with the wide skirt that would allow her to ride astride.
The mare whinnied softly as Serena lifted the small saddle to the horse’s back.
Unlike Talisand, where the Normans had posted guards at the gate, there was no guard here, so that she was able to disappear unseen into the gray light of dawn.
* * *
“She’s gone, I tell you!” exclaimed Morcar, anxiously staring out the window at the trees in the distance being stirred by the wind. “And today was to be our wedding.”
“Calm down, brother,” Edwin urged, “mayhap she took a fancy to ride alone. Brides can be nervous.”
“’Tis a possibility, but the servant who has been acting her lady’s maid told me Serena was gone when she went to attend her this morning.
I wonder if she has not run north to York.
She rides well, you know. Mayhap, she decided to avoid a wedding and seek her brother directly.
She and Steinar were close and she seemed eager to see him. ”
“I need you this afternoon, Morcar, to help me oversee the plans for the rising in Northumbria. Why not send the Norman mercenary after her and let him bring her back if, indeed, she has fled?”
“Aye, ’tis an idea. Sir Hugue was here this morning asking if we’ve another task for him, and he speaks English well enough.”
Immediately thereafter, Morcar dispatched Sir Hugue, and watched as the mercenary rode away from Adlington.
Though he would have preferred to go himself, Morcar had trusted the mercenary once before with good results so he would trust him again.
He had told the knight to search to the north and to watch for signs that Serena might veer east toward York.
The Norman seemed happy for a chance to regain the woman Morcar had lost, assuring him that she would soon be back at Adlington.