Chapter 16 #2
Serena smiled shyly. “Yea, I believe I am. It is what I want, Rhodri, though I cannot imagine what Steinar will think of it.”
“He will like it not,” said Rhodri darting a glance at Cassie. “Did you tell Morcar of your decision?”
“Nay. He could not envision it, I am certain. And I was afraid if he knew of my intention he would try to detain me.”
“’Tis a wise thing ye do in returning, m’lady. The Red Wolf will be good to ye. Sir Maurin says so.”
Serena smiled at Cassie. She would believe anything Sir Maurin told her.
“Are you hungry?” asked Rhodri. “We can rest for a while before setting off for Talisand.”
“Yea, I am,” said Serena, “did you bring food?”
“Aye,” said Cassie, reaching into a bag she carried and handed Serena some dried venison. It was a bit tough but, together with the berries, satisfied Serena’s hunger for the moment. As she chewed, Elfleda walked forward and nudged her shoulder. Serena stroked the soft skin of the mare’s nose.
“I’m glad you brought my horse, Cassie. I missed her.”
Serena and Cassie sat on a fallen log at the edge of the clearing and spoke of the abduction and how it might have occurred. Rhodri went off to water the horses, then returned to listen to their conversation.
“I remember nothing of that night,” confided Serena.
“They had to have help within the manor for none to notice,” said Rhodri standing at the edge of the woods. “The next day all at Talisand was the same. There were no signs of struggle.”
“I have thought on it some,” said Serena looking into the concerned face of her handmaiden.
“I believe it was Aethel who altered the ale. She was the last to fill my cup. I wonder if, in her mixed up thinking, she believed it would please me. She knew of my desire to leave. She had offered to help once before.”
“Aye, Aethel might have done so,” said Cassie.
“Were any hurt?” asked Serena.
“Nay,” said Cassie. “The guards were fine, save for their aching heads. I am certain the Normans suspect me of giving them a sleeping draught as I delivered Sir Niel his ale that night. Sir Maurin has said nothing, but he sent Sir Niel to find ye.”
“Say nothing of Aethel’s involvement until I can speak with her,” said Serena.
Serena was looking at Cassie when Rhodri, who had been standing in front of a tree, suddenly slumped to the ground.
“What—” Serena rose and began to walk toward the bard lying supine on the ground when a huge shape loomed from amidst the trees.
Sir Hugue!
“Ah, two little doves ripe for the plucking,” said the mercenary as he stepped into the clearing, a wooden cudgel in his hand.
Cassie rose and Serena stepped back, pulling her handmaiden with her as she retreated from the Norman mercenary and his lecherous gaze. She remembered it all too well.
“’Tis a shame one must be returned untouched to the earl,” said Sir Hugue. “But the other,” he leered at Cassie, “aye, that one is mine to do with as I may.”
“No!” protested Serena. “I will not go with you. I do not wish to return.” Serena took Cassie’s arm and dragged her back still farther until more distance lay between them and the mercenary.
Cassie drew a seax from her waist and held it high, the point aimed at Sir Hugue. “Ye’ll not touch me, ye dog,” she said.
“Cassie, no!” shouted Serena. Her handmaiden was no match for so burly a knight.
The Norman mercenary slowly stalked toward Cassie, a sickening smile on his face.
Before he reached the handmaiden, the thunder of hoof beats sounded in the woods.
Sir Hugue turned his head to see, but the riders were not yet in sight.
The moment he looked away, Cassie threw her seax.
The blade sank into the Norman’s shoulder.
Dropping his cudgel, the Norman pulled Cassie’s blade from his shoulder and sent the deadly looking knife flying through the air and into Cassie’s chest.
The girl dropped to the ground as the Norman mercenary turned and fled.
With a shriek, Serena crouched at Cassie’s side.
“Cassie!” Moving her hands over the place where the blade had entered the handmaiden’s chest, Serena thanked God it was lodged near the girl’s shoulder, and not in her heart.
The wound poured forth blood as Serena withdrew the blade.
Tearing the hem of her undertunic, Serena wadded the cloth and pressed it to the wound.
Cassie opened her eyes, dazed, and looked down at her chest. “He…he hit me.” Then lowering her head, she added in stilted words, “I thought he had…something else…in mind.”
“Likely he did. The man is evil. But we were lucky. He fled when he heard riders coming.” Cassie shut her eyes, moaning in pain. Serena kept the pressure on the wound. “Stay with me, Cassie.”
From a few feet away, Rhodri began to stir as mounted knights rode into the clearing in a flurry. Serena was alarmed until she saw the Red Wolf led them. Her heart leapt in her chest.
He came!
Serena experienced both joy and relief at seeing the Red Wolf on his magnificent stallion, but her spirits fell when she saw the anger in his eyes as he looked down upon her.
He dismounted and strode toward her. “What have you done now, my lady?” His words dripped sarcasm.
“I can explain,” she offered.
“Indeed you will,” he said with a stern look.
Sir Geoffroi and Sir Niel slid from their saddles. Sir Maurin had already dismounted and rushed to Cassie’s side where he knelt, taking her hand.
“Cassie, my love,” he said in accented English. “Qu’est-il arrivé?”
Cassie’s green eyes filled with tears at the sight of the knight’s anxious face. It was clear to Serena that Sir Maurin was as enamored with Cassie as she was with him.
Rhodri sat up and rubbed the back of his head.
The Red Wolf stood over the small group. His fierce gray eyes held Serena’s gaze for a long moment, then glancing at her handmaiden, he said to his knight, “Geoff, get the bandages from my bag before the girl bleeds to death.”
“Aye,” Sir Geoffroi acknowledged, and strode to their horses.
“Sir Niel,” said the Red Wolf to the younger knight, “make yourself useful and find some water to clean the wound.”
Without a word, Sir Niel took a skin from his saddle and headed for the stream.
“What has happened here?” the Red Wolf demanded of Serena.
There was more than anger in his eyes now.
Was it a look of concern? Knowing he was close made her feel safe, no matter he was displeased.
Relieved at seeing him returned from Exeter a whole man, she wanted to fly into his arms but his forbidding manner kept her still.
“We were attacked by the mercenary you sent away from Talisand, the one called Sir Hugue.”
“Sir Hugue?” asked Sir Geoffroi, incredulous as he handed Serena an oilcloth containing fresh bandages.
“What was the mercenary doing with you in the woods, Serena?” the Red Wolf asked.
Serena felt the cold chill in his voice. “He followed me,” said Serena, realizing that told him little.
Rhodri, still rubbing his head, asked, “Who hit me?”
“Sir Hugue, the Norman mercenary,” said Serena, shooting a glance at the Red Wolf.
“There will be time later to hear the full tale,” said the Red Wolf. “We must get your handmaiden back to Talisand.”
“First, let me try and stop the bleeding,” pleaded Serena. Asking the men to turn their backs, Serena stripped the top of Cassie’s tunic and undertunic from her, and with the water Sir Niel handed her, cleaned the wound.
Cassie moaned.
Rhodri spoke from where he was rising. “Serena, Cassie had some herbs with her. Agrimony was one of them. It will stop the bleeding.”
“I’ll get it,” said Sir Maurin. He rose from Cassie’s side and hurried to the horse Rhodri directed him to.
When the knight returned, Serena lifted the cloth she had used to cover Cassie’s chest and sprinkled the dried herb over the wound.
Still conscious, Cassie winced.
To Sir Maurin, who stood looking grief-stricken, Serena said, “’Tis not good, Sir Maurin, but hopefully not so grievous as to take her life.”
Cassie’s eyes fluttered and then closed.
Sir Maurin stared fixedly at the redhead, then dropped to her side to hold her hand once again. The Red Wolf hovered above them like a dark threatening angel.
When the flow of blood slowed, at Serena’s signal, Sir Niel and Sir Geoffroi gently lifted Cassie into the arms of Sir Maurin where he sat upon his horse. The knight balanced her on his lap, one arm around her shoulders and the other on the reins, allowing her body to rest against his chest.
Watching Sir Maurin’s embrace of the handmaiden, the Red Wolf said, “We’ll have to travel more slowly.” Then looking at Serena and Rhodri, “There will be time for the tale.”
They mounted their horses, Sir Niel leading, followed by Sir Maurin holding Cassie. Next came Serena and the Red Wolf riding abreast. Sir Geoffroi and Rhodri brought up the rear.
Aware of the Red Wolf’s anger, she managed to say, “I am glad to see you safely returned, my lord.”
“Are you, indeed, my lady?” The tone of his voice told her he was unconvinced. “As you must have discerned, I came from Talisand where I found you missing once again. It seems you have a penchant for stealing away.” He did not hide his displeasure.
“I only escaped this morning,” she explained.
“Escaped? I was told you left Talisand days ago.”
“I was abducted days ago. Surely you do not think I left on my own?”
She could plainly see that is just what he thought.
“Abducted? Do you expect me to believe such a story when Sir Niel was given a sleeping potion? Surely it was your doing, my lady, or someone aiding you, mayhap the Welshman.”
Serena knew he had not trusted her, and with good reason.
He could not know her heart had changed.
Before the abduction, she had decided to accept her duty and take her place at his side as the Lady of Talisand, but now it was more.
It had taken an English earl to show her she wanted only the Norman knight.