arrows than they have men."
Harald gave Hen and his father a friendly nod, went past them, down the stairs, out to the stable.
Dark. The mare saddled, loaded, waiting by the postern gate. Harald in full armor. Hen, Yosef, the two Ladies. Elaina still arguing:
"A lot of them, it's a long way. I should . . ."
Harald tapped his quiver, gentled the mare. "I was breaking legions when you were at your mother's breast, child. Damn nuisance you were too." He led the mare out the postern into the night, Elaina staring after him.
Homeward
If you know a friend you can fully trust,
Go often to his house
Getting through the siege lines was easier than he had expected, since there weren't any. He saw several fires through the trees, heard voices of men around them. Only at the last minute, after he had mounted, was there a shout, footsteps running through the woods towards one of the fires. Harald moved off as quietly as he could. Several times he heard hoofs, once someone yelling. Into the dark, through the forest, west and a little south by the stars. An hour later he heard the sound of hard packed dirt under the mare's hooves, stopped, looked right, left, the cleared road silent under the stars. He turned, rode north.
He rode all night and most of the morning, the last few hours through the plains as the tall hill grew closer, the timber walls at its top catching the sunlight. The gate was open, guarded. The gate guards looked up in surprise at a Northvales cat some considerable way from home, swaying in the saddle, the horse almost as tired as the man.
"Forest Keep is under siege; message for Lord Stephen."
The younger man stood frozen, his mouth open. The older gestured the rider forward.
"I'll take you. Arthur, Ragnar."
Two boys came running from the stable.
"Take the man's horse, rub her down, feed her."
Harald nodded his thanks, followed the guard between buildings towards the mass of the great hall.
It was a single enormous room, wood pillars along the sides, a long fire down the center, smoke rising, or not, through a hole in the roof. Near the far end its lord was sitting, talking with several of his men. He looked up, eyes widening. Harald spoke first.
"I bring a message from Yosef, castellan of Forest Keep. He is under siege and prays your aid."
Stephen looked at him, silent for a moment, then spoke to one of the men.
"Take Yosef's messenger to the south guest house. Food and drink." Then, to Harald, "I will join you there, hear more."
As Harald left, Stephen's voice faded behind him, other voices, hurrying footsteps. A man ran past, down the hall, out the other side door.
The guest house was a single room, newer than most of the hold, a fireplace at one end, a bed at the other, a table between. Harald pulled off his armor, did his best with the ewer and basin on the table. A servant came in, dumped a pail of burning coals onto the hearth, stacked wood above it. Another brought bread, cheese, sausage, a pitcher of beer. Harald was seated, eating slowly, when Stephen came in, closed the door, took the other chair, gave him a questioning look.
"Two Ladies, wounded, took refuge with Yosef a month back. I was guesting too, after some problems on the way home. One was Elaina, 'Nora's youngest.
"Day before yesterday, man at the gate, said he was a king's messenger. Demanded 'Laina, Kara. Yosef told him they were his guests, he was your man, not the King's. Yesterday they attacked, tried to storm the keep. Yosef, six guards, the Ladies, his boy Hen—not a bad shot, too brave for his own good." Harald fell silent a moment.
"And you."
"And me. Held them."
"How many?"
"I saw maybe fifteen, twenty, but there were more shooting from the woods. Three decades, four?"
Stephen sat thinking a while, then shoved his chair back, stood up.
"I'll have to send to the King. Thorvald to Forest Keep, three decades to keep him company, he's a careful man. I'll follow with more tomorrow.
Harald gave Hen and his father a friendly nod, went past them, down the stairs, out to the stable.
Dark. The mare saddled, loaded, waiting by the postern gate. Harald in full armor. Hen, Yosef, the two Ladies. Elaina still arguing:
"A lot of them, it's a long way. I should . . ."
Harald tapped his quiver, gentled the mare. "I was breaking legions when you were at your mother's breast, child. Damn nuisance you were too." He led the mare out the postern into the night, Elaina staring after him.
Homeward
If you know a friend you can fully trust,
Go often to his house
Getting through the siege lines was easier than he had expected, since there weren't any. He saw several fires through the trees, heard voices of men around them. Only at the last minute, after he had mounted, was there a shout, footsteps running through the woods towards one of the fires. Harald moved off as quietly as he could. Several times he heard hoofs, once someone yelling. Into the dark, through the forest, west and a little south by the stars. An hour later he heard the sound of hard packed dirt under the mare's hooves, stopped, looked right, left, the cleared road silent under the stars. He turned, rode north.
He rode all night and most of the morning, the last few hours through the plains as the tall hill grew closer, the timber walls at its top catching the sunlight. The gate was open, guarded. The gate guards looked up in surprise at a Northvales cat some considerable way from home, swaying in the saddle, the horse almost as tired as the man.
"Forest Keep is under siege; message for Lord Stephen."
The younger man stood frozen, his mouth open. The older gestured the rider forward.
"I'll take you. Arthur, Ragnar."
Two boys came running from the stable.
"Take the man's horse, rub her down, feed her."
Harald nodded his thanks, followed the guard between buildings towards the mass of the great hall.
It was a single enormous room, wood pillars along the sides, a long fire down the center, smoke rising, or not, through a hole in the roof. Near the far end its lord was sitting, talking with several of his men. He looked up, eyes widening. Harald spoke first.
"I bring a message from Yosef, castellan of Forest Keep. He is under siege and prays your aid."
Stephen looked at him, silent for a moment, then spoke to one of the men.
"Take Yosef's messenger to the south guest house. Food and drink." Then, to Harald, "I will join you there, hear more."
As Harald left, Stephen's voice faded behind him, other voices, hurrying footsteps. A man ran past, down the hall, out the other side door.
The guest house was a single room, newer than most of the hold, a fireplace at one end, a bed at the other, a table between. Harald pulled off his armor, did his best with the ewer and basin on the table. A servant came in, dumped a pail of burning coals onto the hearth, stacked wood above it. Another brought bread, cheese, sausage, a pitcher of beer. Harald was seated, eating slowly, when Stephen came in, closed the door, took the other chair, gave him a questioning look.
"Two Ladies, wounded, took refuge with Yosef a month back. I was guesting too, after some problems on the way home. One was Elaina, 'Nora's youngest.
"Day before yesterday, man at the gate, said he was a king's messenger. Demanded 'Laina, Kara. Yosef told him they were his guests, he was your man, not the King's. Yesterday they attacked, tried to storm the keep. Yosef, six guards, the Ladies, his boy Hen—not a bad shot, too brave for his own good." Harald fell silent a moment.
"And you."
"And me. Held them."
"How many?"
"I saw maybe fifteen, twenty, but there were more shooting from the woods. Three decades, four?"
Stephen sat thinking a while, then shoved his chair back, stood up.
"I'll have to send to the King. Thorvald to Forest Keep, three decades to keep him company, he's a careful man. I'll follow with more tomorrow.
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