A Dishonorable Knight - By Morrison, Michelle Page 0,24

took deep, restorative breaths. Cynan and Bryant were mounted on a huge gray workhorse and Gareth moved to tighten the straps on Isrid's saddle. He glanced up when Elena came out of the small house and felt his loins tighten. Shrew though she may be, she was a beauty. Her cinnamon-colored hair glowed richly in the shafts of sunlight that pierced the dispersing clouds. She had plaited it in one long, fat braid that hung over her shoulder. Her creamy skin now had a healthy glow from her days spent in the saddle and thick lashes fringed her nutmeg-colored eyes. Gareth laughed under his breath. Cinnamon, cream and nutmeg? He was no doubt hungry for food, not a woman. Still…did she not have the tongue of an adder, the spice of her looks and intelligence would make her a woman to be treasured.

He watched her look around, and knew when she realized her small gray palfrey was nowhere to be found.

"Where is my horse?" she asked.

Gareth continued loading Isrid as he said, "It would never make it over the mountains we'll soon be crossing. Besides, we'll travel faster if we're all mounted."

"That still doesn't explain where my horse is."

"I traded her for this one," he jerked his chin toward the large horse on which Cynan and Bryant were mounted.

"How dare you! That animal was given to me by Queen Anne just before she died, you oaf. King Richard will hear of this, I can assure you!"

Gareth swung around. In an instant he had Elena by the arm. "I care not for the precious symbol of how prized you are by the King of England. 'Twill be a symbol of a meaningless reign before the year is out."

"Gareth!" Cynan said sharply.

Gareth glanced at his friend and flushed.

"You do mean to commit treason! You! A knight sworn to serve King Richard!"

"I am sworn to serve the crown which rules Wales and England, not the man who wears the crown."

"What is the difference?" Elena demanded.

Gareth paused. He had been struggling with the same question all night. Though he had no great fondness for Richard, and abhorred the thought of how he had obtained the crown, he had, in truth, done no harm to England. In fact, he had lifted many taxes and devised a fair and successful Council, which met once a quarter in York to keep the peace, disperse punishment, and settle disputes. Glancing from Elena's furious face to Cynan's and Bryant's wary ones, Gareth sighed. He hoped his father would be able to offer him advice on determining his loyalties.

Gareth ran his fingers through his hair and turned back to Elena. "Get on the horse. We can argue as we ride, but we are losing daylight."

"I am not going anywhere with a traitor."

"Fine. Stay here with Gruffydd and Catrin. I'm sure they'll be able to drop you at the abbey the next time they go to Llangollen for the yearly fair in six or eight months. In the meantime, I'm sure they could use you to tend the herds and help with the younger children."

Elena strode furiously to Isrid and waited to be lifted up.

"I'm so glad you decided to join us," Gareth said amiably as he took the reins and quickly mounted. When Elena continued to stare at him expectantly, Gareth leaned down and lifted her unto the saddle in front of him.

The three men waved goodbye to Gruffydd's family who had gathered around to hear the English woman argue with Gareth. With little urging, the horses broke into a spirited gallop.

"Where will you leave me?" Elena asked several minutes later.

"Despite what you may think," Gareth said, "Wales is not a Godless country. There are many abbeys and monasteries scattered throughout."

"So, where will you leave me?"

"Unfortunately," Gareth continued as if Elena had not interrupted, "Since none of us ever thought to take up the life of a holy man, we have little or no idea where the nearest abbey is."

"Couldn't you have thought to ask before we left?"

"Catrin says there is one about two days' ride south, but we cannot afford the time to ride there and back. You will simply have to enjoy our beautiful Welsh scenery until we come across one that will not delay us overlong."

"Heaven forbid you should be inconvenienced," Elena said caustically.

***

The next five days were duplicates of the one following their departure from Gruffydd and Catrin's home: they rode hard all day, stopping at night at a small village or hut where one of