Stephen Lawhead - Scarlet

I did not wait for Bailiff Antoin to make the first move. "There they are!" I called. "This way!"

With a slap of the reins, I rode on ahead, leaving the Ffreinc to come on at their own pace. I wanted a word with Bran before they arrived.

Rhi Bran was sitting in the second wagon, which was being led by Siarles. I rode directly to Bran. He smiled when he saw me and raised his hand in greeting, but the smile quickly faded. "Trouble?"

"De Glanville is not with us," I said. "He would not come, and sent his bailiff instead."

Bran's eyes narrowed as his mind began to work on the problem. Iwan joined us just then, and I explained what I had just told Bran. "Do you think he suspected a trap?"

I shook my head. "He is sick, I think-maybe from the wound he took on Twelfth Night. He would not leave his chamber."

Iwan cast a glance at the advancing soldiers. We had but a moment more before a decision would be needed.

Siarles said, "We cannot send them back, I suppose."

Said I, "Maybe you could go explain to them that they are no longer needed." Siarles frowned and gave a snort of derision, then turned to Bran to see what he would say.

We were all looking at Bran by then. It was time to decide.

"Well, my lord?" I asked. "What will you do?"

"We will go on." Bran smiled and raised his hand as the bailiff came riding up. "Come back and speak to me when we reach the town."

"All is well," I told Antoin in my broken French. "They say there has been no sign of the phantom of the wood."

"We will not see that black coward today," the bailiff declared, but I noticed he cast a hasty glance 'round about just to make certain he had not spoken too soon. He called a command for some of his men to fall in behind the last wagon and guard the rear. "If you are ready," he said, wheeling his horse, "we will move along. We must hurry if we are to reach Saint Martin's by nightfall."

"Lead the way, my lord," I said, and accompanied him to the front of the train.

"Only two wagons?" asked Antoin as we began the return journey.

"Only two," I confirmed. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "I thought it would be more. Where are they from?" he asked.

"From the north country," I told him. The southern Ffreinc knew little about anything beyond the Great Ouse. "It is a hard winter up there. Trading is easier in the south this time of year."

Antoin nodded as if this were well known, and we made our way up the slope to the crest of the ridge once more, the wagons rumbling slowly behind us. Every now and then the bailiff would ride off to one side and look back to reassure himself that all was as it should be. As we started down into the Vale of Elfael, I wondered what Bran was thinking, and how we would make good the deception. We might have posed as the traders we professed to be, but we had no goods to trade; we had a few pelts and some other odds and ends, but that was only for show. Once we reached the market square, we would be discovered for the rascals we were.

Now and again I found a chance to look back, but Bran was too far behind and I could not see him. I tried slowing down so as to drop back to speak to him, but the bailiff kept everyone moving, saying, "Step up! Step up! Don't fall behind. We want to reach the town before dark."

Indeed, the sun was well down by the time we left the forest. Clouds were drifting in from the west, and the wind was picking up-a wild night in the offing. We came to the fording place where the road crossed the stream that cuts through the floor of the valley. "The animals need water," I called. Before the bailiff could say otherwise, I slid down from the saddle and gave my horse to drink. One by one, the others joined us at the ford. While the oxen drank, I sidled over to where Bran was standing.

"What are we to do?" I asked, smiling and nodding as though we talked of nothing more consequential than the weather.

"It will be almost dark by the time we reach the square," he said. "So much the better. Tell the bailiff we mean to make camp for the night behind the church, and that we will set out our wares in the morning. I'll explain the rest when they've left us alone."

I nodded to show I understood, and then felt his hand on my shoulder. "Nothing to fear,Will," he said. "We'll just have a little further to ride when we snatch de Glanville-nothing more. All will be well."

I nodded again, and then walked back to my mount.

Bailiff Antoin called to his men to move the wagons on, and we were soon rolling again: down and down, into the valley, leaving the protection of the forest behind. The clouds thickened and the wind sharpened. The sun set as the first wagon passed Castle Truan, the old caer, Bran's former home. Though we were that close we could almost reach out and touch the wooden palisade, Bran gave no sign that he knew the place. As we passed, one of Count De Braose's men came out to meet us on the road, and I feared he might make trouble. He and Antoin exchanged a brief word and he rode back up to the fortress; we continued on to the town, which we could see in the near distance.

The wind fell away as we rounded the foot of the fortress mount. A silvery pall of smoke hung over the town. Folk were expecting a cold night and had already built their fires high. I could well imagine the warmth of those flames burning brightly on the hearth and longed to stretch my cold bones beneath a tight roof. The soldiers, seeing we were within sight of the town and there were no bandits lurking on the hilltops, asked to be relieved of duty. The bailiff turned to me and said, "The town is just there. You are safe now."

I thanked him for his good care and said, "We will make camp behind the church and offer trade tomorrow. Pray, do not trouble yourself any longer on our account."

"Then I will bid you good night," said Antoin. He made no move to leave until I dipped my fingers into the leather purse at my belt and drew out some silver. I dropped the coins into his palm and his fist closed over them. Without a word, he signalled to the others; his men put spurs to their mounts and they all galloped for home.

I wheeled my mount and hurried back to the second wagon. "They're away home," I told Iwan in the first wagon as I passed him. "Keep moving." Reining in beside Bran, I said, "They've gone on ahead to town.

I thanked them and explained that we'd make camp behind the church.

I don't think they suspect anything."

"Good," said Bran. "We should have some time to work." Rising in his seat, he turned and looked back the way we'd come. I thought he was looking at the fortress, but he said, "Now where did those other soldiers get to?"

"Other soldiers?" I asked. "They all returned to Saint Martin's."

"All but three," said Bran. "There were five behind us, and only two rode on."

Now I looked back along the trail to see if I might catch sight of the missing three. I saw nothing but a dull grey mist rising with the oncoming night. "I don't see anyone."

"It would be good to know what happened to them."

"Could they have stopped at the caer?" I wondered.

Bran shrugged. "More likely stopped to pee." He turned around again, and said, "Lead on, Will. Let's get to the church."

It was well and truly dark by the time we reached the little town square. No one was about. The mud underfoot had hardened with the cold and crunched under the heavy wagon wheels. A single torch burned outside the guardhouse, and it fluttered in the rising wind. Of our escort of soldiers, there was no sign. No doubt, they had already stabled their horses and gone in to their supper. The thought of a hot meal brought the water to my mouth and made my stomach gurgle.

As we passed the stone keep of the guardhouse, a burst of laughter escaped into the square. It was the sound of soldiers at their drink-a fella has only to hear that once to know it whenever he hears it again. Crossing the square, we passed the church and made our way to the little grove behind. We put the wagons in the grove, unhitched the oxen, and led them to the wall of the church, where they might get some shelter from the wind. We tethered them so they might graze, and left them. "Gather round," said Bran, and we formed a tight circle around him as he explained how we were to proceed. "But before we go any further, we must get some horses," he concluded.