began to feel quite relaxed, until we crested a ridge and Hugh put a hand on the bridle of my horse.
'Wait now,' he said softly and gestured beneath us.
The ridge stretched into the unseen dark and on its north it overlooked Liddesdale. Below us, deep in degradation and specked by flickering lights from fireside and window, swept that dreaded valley. Even up here with the fresh night wind blowing and the occasional spatter of rain cleaning the air, I could sense the wickedness.
'We have a choice,' Hugh said. 'We can either go around the valley, which means a ride of around forty miles or more, or we can cross it, which is much more dangerous and very much shorter.'
'Which shall we do?' I asked.
'We must decide between us.' Hugh said.
I looked at him. Nobody had ever asked my opinion about such matters before. In the Lethan, Father made all the decisions about farming or anything outside Cardrona Tower, while Mother was the matriarch of all within. There was no argument. Here, Hugh was treating me as if I mattered, as if I was important. It was a new sensation. 'Thank you,' I said simply.
'Thank you for what?' He sounded genuinely curious.
'For asking me,' I said. 'Not many men would have done so.'
He looked away. 'It is your life as much as mine,' Hugh said.
I pondered the choices; the longer, safer ride meant at least another night out in the open, another night on the hills that bordered the Armstrong homeland. It also meant another night of worry for my parents. And for Robert of course. How on earth could I forget my own Robert? On the other hand if we crossed directly…
'How long would it take to cross the valley?' I asked.
'That depends on luck,' Hugh said. 'Liddesdale is not a single valley; it is Y-shaped. If we manage to cross the downstroke of the Y we could be over in three hours at the most. If we are less lucky it will take twice as long, or we could be there forever, mouldering at the foot of a shallow grave.'
'Let's try it,' I said. 'If you agree.' I felt a surge of excitement at the thought of crossing the Armstrong homeland of Liddesdale. Until the Yorling's raid I had never thought of the Armstrongs except as a distant menace. Although we were always prepared for a raid on the Lethan, I had not considered Liddesdale or the Armstrongs as being a direct threat to me. Now, since I had met Wild Will face to scarred face and I knew what sort of man he was, I detested him and the whole Armstrong clan. They were my enemy and I wished to show them my contempt. I wanted to cross their damned valley to prove I was not scared.
Which, surprisingly, I was not. Why I was not scared, I did not know as Wild Will was undoubtedly the most dangerous man I had ever met.
'We will be passing through the most feared valley in the country,' Hugh reminded me.
'I know.' I said, 'but you will take care of me.' Once again, I had spoken before I thought.
'I am glad you think so.' I was surprised that Hugh replied so quickly. I was no longer surprised that he did not look at me. I knew I had embarrassed him again. Why did I keep doing that to a man who had shown me nothing but kindness and help?
'Dismount,' he ordered, and lent me his hand to help me down. I watched as he took a padded jack from behind his saddle, cut it into strips and wrapped them around Kailzie's hooves.
'What are you doing?' I asked.
'Muffling any sound,' he said, moving across to his own horse to do the same. 'Now keep behind me and keep very quiet.'
I took a deep breath, wondered if I had made the correct choice in venturing into Liddesdale, and followed. We padded downhill, following a sheep track that seemed to favour the steepest parts of the incline. I kept my eye on the shadowy shape of Hugh as he negotiated the hillside, passing from the steep upper slopes to the sides of the tilled ridges, whose crops were not yet gathered despite the lateness of the season. No doubt the men of Liddesdale had more important things to do that gather their
'Wait now,' he said softly and gestured beneath us.
The ridge stretched into the unseen dark and on its north it overlooked Liddesdale. Below us, deep in degradation and specked by flickering lights from fireside and window, swept that dreaded valley. Even up here with the fresh night wind blowing and the occasional spatter of rain cleaning the air, I could sense the wickedness.
'We have a choice,' Hugh said. 'We can either go around the valley, which means a ride of around forty miles or more, or we can cross it, which is much more dangerous and very much shorter.'
'Which shall we do?' I asked.
'We must decide between us.' Hugh said.
I looked at him. Nobody had ever asked my opinion about such matters before. In the Lethan, Father made all the decisions about farming or anything outside Cardrona Tower, while Mother was the matriarch of all within. There was no argument. Here, Hugh was treating me as if I mattered, as if I was important. It was a new sensation. 'Thank you,' I said simply.
'Thank you for what?' He sounded genuinely curious.
'For asking me,' I said. 'Not many men would have done so.'
He looked away. 'It is your life as much as mine,' Hugh said.
I pondered the choices; the longer, safer ride meant at least another night out in the open, another night on the hills that bordered the Armstrong homeland. It also meant another night of worry for my parents. And for Robert of course. How on earth could I forget my own Robert? On the other hand if we crossed directly…
'How long would it take to cross the valley?' I asked.
'That depends on luck,' Hugh said. 'Liddesdale is not a single valley; it is Y-shaped. If we manage to cross the downstroke of the Y we could be over in three hours at the most. If we are less lucky it will take twice as long, or we could be there forever, mouldering at the foot of a shallow grave.'
'Let's try it,' I said. 'If you agree.' I felt a surge of excitement at the thought of crossing the Armstrong homeland of Liddesdale. Until the Yorling's raid I had never thought of the Armstrongs except as a distant menace. Although we were always prepared for a raid on the Lethan, I had not considered Liddesdale or the Armstrongs as being a direct threat to me. Now, since I had met Wild Will face to scarred face and I knew what sort of man he was, I detested him and the whole Armstrong clan. They were my enemy and I wished to show them my contempt. I wanted to cross their damned valley to prove I was not scared.
Which, surprisingly, I was not. Why I was not scared, I did not know as Wild Will was undoubtedly the most dangerous man I had ever met.
'We will be passing through the most feared valley in the country,' Hugh reminded me.
'I know.' I said, 'but you will take care of me.' Once again, I had spoken before I thought.
'I am glad you think so.' I was surprised that Hugh replied so quickly. I was no longer surprised that he did not look at me. I knew I had embarrassed him again. Why did I keep doing that to a man who had shown me nothing but kindness and help?
'Dismount,' he ordered, and lent me his hand to help me down. I watched as he took a padded jack from behind his saddle, cut it into strips and wrapped them around Kailzie's hooves.
'What are you doing?' I asked.
'Muffling any sound,' he said, moving across to his own horse to do the same. 'Now keep behind me and keep very quiet.'
I took a deep breath, wondered if I had made the correct choice in venturing into Liddesdale, and followed. We padded downhill, following a sheep track that seemed to favour the steepest parts of the incline. I kept my eye on the shadowy shape of Hugh as he negotiated the hillside, passing from the steep upper slopes to the sides of the tilled ridges, whose crops were not yet gathered despite the lateness of the season. No doubt the men of Liddesdale had more important things to do that gather their
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