Lancelot and the Wolf Page 3

  “Lancelot, please, wake up,” urgent calls and pulling on my shoulder.

  I woke with a jerk once more but knew Else instantly. He stood by my bed and had his hands on my bare skin. The first time he’d ever touched me in such a personal way. I shook my head, the random thought unhelpful.

  “What?” I asked blurry.

  “We have to leave,” he said urgently. His fear made his brown eyes huge in the dim light of the room.

  “It’s only just daylight, Else. Please, go away.”

  “No, we have to leave.” Else reached into his doublet and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He spread it flat, two faces peered up and the word ‘Reward’ hung over the heads.

  “Is that me?” I asked.

  “Yes, you fool. Now as delightful as your companion doubtless is, we have to leave, we are being hunted.”

  “Why? The damned Sheriff can’t have that much of a hard-on for us,” I felt the woman stir beside me and I shifted so I wasn’t in her way. I didn’t need her waking up.

  “He can if you killed his brother,” Else said quietly.

  That nugget of information took a good few seconds to be fully appreciated. “I did what?”

  “I didn’t think it would matter, so I didn’t tell you,” Else pleaded.

  “Fuck,” I cursed as I ran my fingers through my hair. “You stupid prick.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he backed away from me.

  I frowned, “Where were you last night?” I asked, realising he hadn’t been there.

  “Watching you piss away your life isn’t my idea of a good time,” he answered primly.

  “Where did you find this?” I asked, my hangover manageable for the moment.

  “Down by the town gates. I went for a walk when I couldn’t sleep for all the noise you were making. Well, she was making.” Else scowled at the woman in my bed.

  “You ever spent the night with a woman who knows what she’s doing?” I asked sarcastically.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Else answered.

  “Well, until you do, don’t nag me about whether it’s a waste of my life or not,” I snapped. “I feel like I’m fucking married,” I muttered as I stood up. The bedclothes fell away from my long legs. Else jumped back, gasped and instantly turned a new shade of red. He snapped his eyes shut and he turned.

  “For God’s sake, boy, we aren’t that fucking different. You need to learn to relax,” I muttered and reached for my clothes. I paused. A noise outside jarred, it was definitely out of place. I approached the window carefully and peered through a gap in the shutters. A tall man with red hair stood in the yard below. He wore a very fine sword at his hip and his spurs were what alerted me to his presence. As he paced, he chimed.

  “Shit,” I said. He’d have a man in the stables looking for Ash. I glanced at Else. “Are we packed?”

  He nodded, pale but calm. “Right, finish in here while I dress.” I began to throw on clothes and for the first time in weeks, I climbed into my gambeson and hauberk. It felt oddly unfamiliar I’d been without it so long. The skin on my back flinched but that had more to do with my imagination than any real pain.

  “We have to get to the horses and they’ll know about Ash. If he’s tracked us this far he’s good,” I said quietly. I had a thought. A truly stupid thought. “Here is the plan,” I said picking up the doxy’s dress. “You wear this and go into the stable with me. We deal with whatever we meet in there, quickly and quietly. We mount and we ride as hard as we can for the town gates. We stop for nothing.”

  “I’m not wearing that dress,” he said. His chin jutted out stubbornly.

  “If you don’t, I’ll leave you here,” I threatened.

  His eyes flashed, “Fine.” He snatched the dress out of my hand and shrugged into it. His small deft fingers did things with it that had it tied up and fitted in moments over his usual clothes, it hung on him strangely. The blue, though faded, made his eyes slightly hazel. I didn’t know what to say, for a moment he looked so vulnerable.

  I coughed to hide the sudden confused emotion, “We need to leave and I need you to help me fake our way out,” I grabbed my cloak and covered myself.

  “Why are you doing this for me?” Else asked unexpectedly.

  I paused, “Because you need me too. Because I need me too.” I’d thought about the answer to that question a great deal over the last week.

  He nodded as though he understood and we left the room silently. The woman in my bed had no idea. I left her enough money to cover the night and a new dress. We all have to make a living.

  On quiet feet, we carried my pack and sword downstairs. I didn’t want to fight if I didn’t have to and I didn’t intend on killing anyone. This sheriff might forgive the death of his brother eventually but if I slaughtered more of his men, I’d have a bigger problem on my hands. I unlocked the front door of the tavern quietly. The well oiled hinges opened without a sound. I couldn’t see the redheaded man and decided a daring approach would be best.

  “Give me your arm,” I ordered Else.

  He frowned, opened his mouth to argue and snapped it shut. His arm slipped through mine and his small body blended with me perfectly. I hid the sword under the cloak and made certain the hood covered my face.

  We walked straight out of the tavern, intentionally bold. Else’s arm trembled on mine but his grip remained strong. There were no men in the yard. We walked calmly toward the stables. My nerves pinged and the skin on my back crawled, screaming at me to turn around and check for arrows targeting my back. Stupidly, I held my breath. I forced the air out and focused on my breathing. If we were caught, we’d be hung. No argument and I doubted there’d be much of a trial. We were steps away from the stable when the tall redheaded man walked out. Else whimpered and clutched my arm. We’d covered his head so his short hair couldn’t be seen but would the Sheriff believe the ruse?

  “My lady,” the sheriff had a quiet precise voice. His eyes were a green hazel and reminded me of an eagle, as did his nose. “You are awake early.”

  Else curtsied beautifully and withdrew his arm from mine, “I have to reach my father as soon as possible, Sir. My escort and I are here for only a few hours.” He smiled and I stared, a horrible idea beginning to surface.

  “You are returning to your father?” the sheriff asked.

  Else smiled again, “Yes, he is very sick and my brother sent for me. My husband gave me his best man to escort me.” He waved a negligent hand in my direction as though I were no more important than a dog.

  “Did you happen to see a man with a boy in there?” asked the sheriff.

  Else frowned, “As we walked through the tavern’s drinking hall late last night, I think I might have seen something. A tall man, with a whore on his lap, making a fool of himself at cards. A young man stood near him but seemed to be unimpressed by his master’s behaviour. I noticed them purely because of the amount of noise he made with the strumpet.” His tone made me fully aware of how he felt about my behaviour. If we managed to escape this threat unharmed, we were having a long chat.

  “And where are you headed to reach your father, if you don’t mind me asking?” the sheriff’s eyes twinkled as he tried to catch the scent of a lie.

  Else didn’t miss a beat, he named the town we’d come from originally. The sheriff’s own town, le Havre. Then he named a man, a stonemason. The sheriff nodded.

  “I know the man. He has a daughter married down here somewhere,” the sheriff stepped back from the door of the stable. His reluctance plain he nevertheless bowed. He knew something was wrong but he couldn’t quite work it out. We walked past him and into the dim light of the stable.

  Now, I had to hope he wouldn’t offer to help with the horses because Ash stood in the largest stall and I wasn’t leaving him. Else glanced up at me, “Well, man, what are you waiting for, saddle the horses.” His ringing imperious tone caused me a moment of reflection. I glanced at him. The fear in his eyes came from more than the Sheriff’s pre
sence. He silently begged me not to challenge him.

  I nodded and saw relief flood through his small body. We moved quickly, Else to Mercury and I saddled Ash. The sheriff didn’t come to check on us and no men were in the stables. We brought the horses out of the stalls but mounted in the stable. I bent low over Ash’s neck to stay in the saddle.

  “Be ready to run,” I said quietly. Else nodded. We walked out of the stable. I kept my sword in my right hand and I knew Else carried a long knife in his left. No one stood in the yard. Were we really going to be this lucky? We walked from the yard, into the pre-dawn street. Nothing. We headed toward the south gate of the town. A hush over the town ate at my paranoia. There should be movement by now. The bread sellers, the flower markets, something should be moving.

  We walked on, Else by my left elbow. I saw the town’s finely built wall and its open gate. It came into full view as we rounded a corner and so did half a dozen fully armed men across the street.

  “And I thought you wanted the North road,” said the sheriff. “The stonemason’s daughter died three weeks ago. He is a friend of mine. A bad choice boy.”

  I’m not into heavy rhetoric when it comes to a standoff. There would be no point in trying to convince this man to release us. There would be no point in apologies. The only objective would be escape.

  “Ride,” I snapped. I dug my heels into Ash. Crossbow bolts flashed past my head as I moved, I heard Else cry out in shock but Mercury remained at my side. Your enemies rarely expect a suicide run and this would be one of the best. I crashed Ash into three men. Three others were reloading their crossbows.

  “Just go,” I yelled at Else as he turned to fight. Someone waved a sword in Ash’s face and he screamed in rage. His feet lashed up in the air and I rode his rear. He pirouetted on the spot to strike out with his front hooves. This was why I put up with his bad moods. He is the finest horse a man could have in a tight spot. I lashed down with the flat of my blade and knocked a soldier’s helmet off his head. He collapsed to the floor. The sheriff ordered the gates closed. His voice loud but calm. They stood open to lure us into the trap, but hadn’t considered how damned desperate we would be to escape. I watched Else cut down at a man trying hard to shut the gate. He jumped back and Else held the position waiting for me. I slashed down, bellowing a war cry at the top of my voice. Ash wanted to continue the fight but I forced him toward the gate and ordered him forward. Now was not the time to face the guard of two towns.

  We galloped over the cobbles, sparks flying. Else turned Mercury and we rode, shoulder to shoulder out of the town. More arrows whizzed over our heads but aiming a crossbow at a moving target isn’t easy. If they’d had a long bow, we’d have been in trouble.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  We raced down the main road scattering people and livestock everywhere. Chaos erupted in our wake. I glanced down at my companion in the dress and realised blood stained the faded blue cloth.

  “You’re hurt,” I cried out. We galloped past a hay cart causing its old horse a fright. Ash tugged at the reins asking for his head so he could really race Mercury. I held him back.

  “I’m fine,” came the gasped reply. “Just find a way off the bloody road before they catch us,” Else glanced behind, as did I. Men on horses with hounds were already leaving the town.

  “This way,” I yelled and I headed for the fields. We began to jump low stone walls and our passage became marked by the shouts of outraged crop farmers.

  “The forest, we have a chance in the forest,” Else managed to say.

  I remembered the horror of something chasing me through the trees and the mist hiding me and my enemy. I remembered the fear, but we had nowhere else to run.

  We galloped for the tree line, flat out, low over the necks of the horses. Mercury began to drop back as we hit an incline. Even Ash started to slow. I risked a glance over my shoulder. Soldiers were now on our trail. We did not have the luxury of easing off on the horses. I pulled Ash back slightly and waited for Mercury to reach me.

  “Hold on,” I ordered Else. I smacked the smaller gelding with the flat of my blade. He lurched, Else tilted but they picked up speed. Ash surged forward determined to beat the gelding. We hit the tree line and kept moving. A wide track ran through this part of the forest and wanting to put as much distance as possible between us and the hunters, I just kept riding.

  The forest consisted of beech, their bright spring leaves helping the sun to mottle the ground. Blue bells were dancing cheerfully as we crashed past. I’m certain it would have been quite beautiful under different circumstances. The track branched off and we took the branch. It proved much narrower and far more rutted than the main road through the forest. I pulled Ash up not wanting to risk his legs. We slowed and I watched Mercury’s head drop instantly. His flanks heaved. He sweated all over. I hoped to God I hadn’t blown him.

  Next, I checked Else. The dress soaked up the blood and the cloth flapped wetly. The boy under the dress sat very still and held the front of the saddle as though it were his only lifeline. He looked as pale as a church candle. We continued in silence. I heard the distant sound of hounds, but so far, they hadn’t found our tracks in the wood. I realised we were riding through a very old part of the forest, great oaks, beech and tall thin birch marked our way. Thick tangles of hazel and bramble forced us to weave. I heard the one thing we needed more than luck right then, a river. Grabbing Mercury’s reins, I pulled us forward. There, rushing and gurgling like a cheerful friend, lay a wide stream or small river. A good five feet separated the rocky banks. I forced Ash into the water, turned downstream, so the mud we stirred up would be harder to track and forced him on.

  We splashed through the river for a quarter of a mile when I spied a bank, which would be good for our exit. I steered Ash toward the slopping bank.

  “No,” came the weak voice behind me. “So far it’s the only sensible place to leave the river. We need to continue on,” Else said. The foliage over the trees cut down the light, hiding his face but a dark stain spread over the side of his horse.

  “You need help,” I said, trying to make Ash reverse enabling me to come along side. He didn’t like the idea when he couldn’t see his feet.

  “I’m going to be fine, you can help when we stop,” his voice sounded lighter and he wheezed slightly.

  I frowned. Indecision isn’t something I live with because I normally travel alone or have clear orders. He sat slightly hunched over the wound, crooked in his saddle. If we were caught we couldn’t run. We needed to be clever to avoid capture.

  “Alright,” I agreed and pushed past the exit. We were lucky, a long stretch of river on a bend had a shale beach and rocks not mud leading out of the river. We splashed from the water and I jumped off Ash. “Ride up there and find the path. Keep the horses still so we have a chance of hiding our direction. Then rip that bloody dress off. I’ve an idea.”

  Else nodded tightly. I watched him settle near the trees and try to undress without dismounting. I smacked Ash on the backside and he walked after Else. I used my hands to begin breaking up our tracks. I took my time over this, I couldn’t hear the hounds right now and delaying them further would help. I swept the beach free of hoof marks and returned to the others. Else continued to struggle out of the dress. The dress was winning.

  “Get down,” I said.

  “I can’t,” came the slightly tearful response.

  I stood still and looked up into my companion’s face. Pale and drawn, Else’s hands fluttered weakly. A knot of anger began in my guts, “Let me help.” I held up my hands and tried not to growl. He looked down, his eyes too wide. Else stopped moving, nodded once and I carefully managed to help him down without touching any of the blood. He whimpered though.

  I stood him on his feet. “Let me look at the wound,” I said.

  “No, it’s fine,” Else backed up out of arms reach.

  “Well, I need the damned dress to help hide the hoof marks, so hold still,” I told him. I didn’t want
to frighten the little bugger. I’d seen how fast he could be with a knife when necessary but I had to have hold of him first.

  “I’ll do it,” he sounded stressed.

  I made a grab for him, running out of patience. He yelped and tried to pull back, but we’d done a great deal of sparring together and I knew how to take advantage of my height and weight. I also knew all the tricks he pulled to force people to let go of him. How that fat fool pinned him to a wall I’d never understand. Even when we first started, Else proved a good open hand fighter.

  I quickly pulled him into my body, he twisted and we ended up his back to my front. He began to thrash wildly. I lifted him off his feet. “Damn it, hold still before you damage more of yourself,” I grunted.

  “You have no right,” Else screamed, startling the horses.

  I tore at the dress. I pulled at his doublet and beat his hands away from my face long enough to look at what I found. Wraps, linen wraps, tied around his ribs and thickly around his waist.

  “I fucking knew it,” I yelled as I dropped him and backed off.

  Else collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, blood once more pouring from the wound, staining the white linen dark red.

  “You,” I lost my words. “You,” I felt so betrayed.

  “Girl,” Else supplied bitterly and breathlessly.

  “Liar,” I qualified.

  Else dropped her head.

  “Who?” I thought about it. The questions, the lies I’d doubtless be spun, the tears and petty manipulations. “Actually, forget it. I don’t care. You’re on your own.”

  Else’s head jerked up, “You’d leave me here?”

  I threw my hands in the air and felt the anger surge out, “Well, what am I supposed to do? You lied to me. Do you know how often women have lied to me? Do you know what I’ve been forced to suffer because of women? Do you know some of the things I’ve been thinking about, having you lying in my camp night after night?” that last part I hadn’t meant to say aloud.