don’t know, Falaise,” he said sorrowfully. “It’s there in my head and I know what’s happening but I don’t know why or how I know it.”
“Well if Gaelan cannot buy them back, what alternative do we have? Will you help us, David?”
“Of course we will help. But there will be a price to pay.”
“Ah,” Falaise said. “You are a mercenary company now.”
He inclined his head. “If we no longer go round robbing and stealing what we want, then we have to find some other way of earning our keep. We have returned a wagon load of supplies to your people that would have gone a long way to seeing us through the winter. I have to look after my people now as you do yours. And that includes the widows and orphans of those under my command who do not survive.”
“I understand,” she said. “So what is your price for this rescue?”
“One silver talon for each child safely returned to his family; payable by the family.”
Falaise pursed her lips for a moment and then shook her head. “That is too much, David. Some of the families were blessed with two or even three boys. They cannot afford so much.”
“Hm. Okay then, one silver talon from each family to whom a child is returned.”
“That would be acceptable except that you said there was a risk of casualties among the children. I propose there should be a payment of five silver talons to every family whose boy is not returned safely. Consider it as an incentive.”
“Ha,” he exclaimed. “Where did you learn that one, Falaise?”
“I told you, David, we are a race of merchants. I learned to negotiate at my mother’s teat.”
“You appear to have learned remarkably well,” he commented. “Very well. One silver talon from every family to whom we return a boy safely and a payment of five talons, from company funds, to every family we fail.”
“Agreed. But please, David, keep an eye out for Jeren. From what we have learned tonight, he may be in greater danger than I thought.”
“Ah yes, Jeren. Looking at his mother, I would guess that he was the tall slim one with the blond shoulder length hair rather than the short stocky one with the dark hair.”
“You have news of them,” she gasped.
He smiled at her. “They are safe; at least for the moment,” he added. “And they are not prisoners of Duke Henry. Who is the other one, by the way?”
“That will be Baltur,” she replied. “They are inseparable, those two. They do everything together. Apparently they were off hunting when Duke Henry’s men came to the village.”
“They are certainly dressed for hunting but at the moment they are following Duke Henry’s men and marking the trail behind them.”
“He doesn’t know his father is dead,” Falaise said sadly. “He will be expecting his father to lead the men of the village in a pursuit of the boys.”
“That is what my scouts think also.”
“Please David, please get him back. I will pay any price you ask to have him safely returned.”
“I want no money for the safe return of your son, Falaise. I have something else in mind.”
“Oh,” she said in sudden confusion and then coloured as understanding dawned. “Oh. I had not thought it of you, Lord Held, but I can have no shame where my son is concerned. If my body is the price I have to pay then you may have it.”
“No, no. Not that,” he said hastily ducking beneath the daggers being thrown at him by Marta. “I mean… yes you are an exceptionally beautiful woman who any man would desire but I would not insult either one of us by forcing such a bargain on you.”
The tension eased slightly as the rain of daggers from Marta’s eyes dried up.
“Then what is it you want from me?” Falaise asked.
“I want your influence with your people, Falaise. I want you on my side when I come to negotiate with them.”
“My people hate you, David. Not you personally, of course, but they probably regard you the same as Manny. That may change if you succeed in
“Well if Gaelan cannot buy them back, what alternative do we have? Will you help us, David?”
“Of course we will help. But there will be a price to pay.”
“Ah,” Falaise said. “You are a mercenary company now.”
He inclined his head. “If we no longer go round robbing and stealing what we want, then we have to find some other way of earning our keep. We have returned a wagon load of supplies to your people that would have gone a long way to seeing us through the winter. I have to look after my people now as you do yours. And that includes the widows and orphans of those under my command who do not survive.”
“I understand,” she said. “So what is your price for this rescue?”
“One silver talon for each child safely returned to his family; payable by the family.”
Falaise pursed her lips for a moment and then shook her head. “That is too much, David. Some of the families were blessed with two or even three boys. They cannot afford so much.”
“Hm. Okay then, one silver talon from each family to whom a child is returned.”
“That would be acceptable except that you said there was a risk of casualties among the children. I propose there should be a payment of five silver talons to every family whose boy is not returned safely. Consider it as an incentive.”
“Ha,” he exclaimed. “Where did you learn that one, Falaise?”
“I told you, David, we are a race of merchants. I learned to negotiate at my mother’s teat.”
“You appear to have learned remarkably well,” he commented. “Very well. One silver talon from every family to whom we return a boy safely and a payment of five talons, from company funds, to every family we fail.”
“Agreed. But please, David, keep an eye out for Jeren. From what we have learned tonight, he may be in greater danger than I thought.”
“Ah yes, Jeren. Looking at his mother, I would guess that he was the tall slim one with the blond shoulder length hair rather than the short stocky one with the dark hair.”
“You have news of them,” she gasped.
He smiled at her. “They are safe; at least for the moment,” he added. “And they are not prisoners of Duke Henry. Who is the other one, by the way?”
“That will be Baltur,” she replied. “They are inseparable, those two. They do everything together. Apparently they were off hunting when Duke Henry’s men came to the village.”
“They are certainly dressed for hunting but at the moment they are following Duke Henry’s men and marking the trail behind them.”
“He doesn’t know his father is dead,” Falaise said sadly. “He will be expecting his father to lead the men of the village in a pursuit of the boys.”
“That is what my scouts think also.”
“Please David, please get him back. I will pay any price you ask to have him safely returned.”
“I want no money for the safe return of your son, Falaise. I have something else in mind.”
“Oh,” she said in sudden confusion and then coloured as understanding dawned. “Oh. I had not thought it of you, Lord Held, but I can have no shame where my son is concerned. If my body is the price I have to pay then you may have it.”
“No, no. Not that,” he said hastily ducking beneath the daggers being thrown at him by Marta. “I mean… yes you are an exceptionally beautiful woman who any man would desire but I would not insult either one of us by forcing such a bargain on you.”
The tension eased slightly as the rain of daggers from Marta’s eyes dried up.
“Then what is it you want from me?” Falaise asked.
“I want your influence with your people, Falaise. I want you on my side when I come to negotiate with them.”
“My people hate you, David. Not you personally, of course, but they probably regard you the same as Manny. That may change if you succeed in
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