Chapter 46
FORTY-SIX
John knew that he had to leave Salem village, that he should have left at first light when he had heard Corwin, Putnam and Ingersoll plotting in the tavern last night.
He foolishly thought they would not be so brave as to confront him with no ale inside of them.
How wrong he had been in that assumption.
They had been the worse for wear last night and if he had considered it, he could have beaten each of them to a pulp as they left the tavern after they’d attacked him.
He had not and had gone up to his room, brooding about his predicament all because he had chanced upon the English women five days ago and now he was smitten with Lucine.
He would give anything to take her away from this awful, small-minded Puritan place that was so unforgiving and strict with their rules.
He knew she would not leave her sisters.
They shared a bond so strong he doubted they would ever be parted, and he knew if he wanted to be in her life he would need to convince all three of them to leave with him.
This gave him the determination he needed to leave.
He would find someplace suitable for them all to live together.
Where they were free of the Puritans, and where the natives were far more forgiving than the villagers, yet they had far more to be angry about.
He fetched Dapple from the barn and mounted her.
It was a fine day and as he began to ride out, he noticed a black crow watching him from a low branch of a tree a little too intently.
All crows looked the same or did they? This one looked like the one the boy’s mother had given to Lucine yesterday that she had set free.
As he passed it, he nodded his head in respect and it nodded right back at him, making him smile despite the churning in his belly that this was too easy.
As he passed the bird it took off into the sky, following him along the way and he paused.
‘Are you not supposed to be with Lucine? You were a gift to her not to me.’
The crow cawed loudly but still it followed and John began to feel a little less concerned, thinking those drunkards were probably still lying in their cots with a pain in the head from too much ale.
Lulled by the sun on his face and the fact that he managed to leave the village without passing another soul, he began to let his guard down, and his shoulders relaxed and his neck felt less taut.
His heart was another matter entirely and he could not stop the sharp pain that filled it every time he pictured beautiful Lucine English.
So lost in his thoughts of Lucine he did not see the band of men waiting in a copse of trees until he happened upon them.
Dapple sensed them first and stopped dead.
John looked up and saw Corwin, Putnam, Ingersoll and three others he did not know by name.
‘Good morning, gentlemen.’ His voice was strong; it did not betray the sickness inside of his gut. ‘I trust you are well this fine day.’
Corwin stepped in front of his horse, and John had thought to let Dapple trample him and to gallop away as fast as he could go, but he could not do that to Lucine.
They might take their anger out on her. He would take a beating if only for her sake if he had to, that was not to say he would not defend himself for he would.
‘Leaving so soon, what of Lucine English?’
‘What of her?’
‘Hast thou not corrupted her enough or didst thou corrupt her too much that now you want nothing of her.’
Circles of red flared up John’s cheeks.
‘I have not corrupted that woman; I am her friend. We share a common bond over a love of nature nothing more than that. Pray watch your mouth, Corwin, for it is thy own evil thoughts that spew forth.’
Putnam and Ingersoll stepped forward, and John dismounted. Dapple was getting feisty and he did not want her to throw him off, so that he was on the ground and would give these men the advantage over him.
‘It is thou that should watch thy mouth, riding through the forest on your own with a woman is a sin.’
John stared at Putnam then threw his head back and laughed.
‘Oh, you fools, you live and breathe those Puritan rules when all of you break them the moment the good reverend’s back is turned.
Do not think I cannot see what you are. I see right through you all and you are no better than the swine cooped up out the back of your ordinary, Ingersoll. You do not smell much better either.’
He crossed his arms, challenging them to attack him so he could get this over with.
‘How darest thou talk that way.’ Corwin’s black eyes sparkled with anger.
Out of the corner of John’s eye, he spied the crow. It was watching their every move and if he wasn’t mistaken judging him for acting so foolish. John wanted this to be over so he could be on his way.
‘’Tis true though, Corwin, I can smell thee and thy filth from over here and so can my steed, you have upset her delicate nose.’
Corwin launched himself at John who was much taller and wider than him. He stepped aside, throwing a punch that landed on the side of Corwin’s head, knocking him off balance, and he stumbled and fell to his knees.
John shook his head. ‘There is no need for this anger, gentlemen. Let me be on my way, I will not be back. I despise your small village that is full of small-minded people and the most dreadful ale I have ever had the displeasure to drink.’
Ingersoll ran at John, fists up. He was the same height as John, and he landed a punch that hit John square in the middle of the nose.
He felt the bone crunch and a warm rush as blood spurted from it, and before he could hit the man back the others, who now felt courage at seeing that blow land, rushed him and he began to swing his arms at them.
One of them hit the back of his legs with a wooden cane so hard it took him to his knees and he fell to the ground.
John knew this was a dangerous position to be in and rolled over to try and get up, but with five men kicking and punching him from every angle, it proved harder than he thought.
He realised it was Corwin with the wooden stick, and he was raining blows so hard John felt the bone in his arm snap.
His hands were beaten to a bloodied pulp, and he tried to protect his head.
They were an angry mob, kicking and beating him with fury like he had never seen before.
He spied the bird in the tree and imagined he was the bird, able to soar away from this pain high up into the sky and back to Lucine. He pleaded with the bird to take his soul away from this place and keep it safe until he could come back just as he’d promised Lucine he would.