force of his indignation. “And we succeeded! Beyond all hope of success, we succeeded. But that selfish sot refused to help. After we saved his life, by Peter’s beard, that rascal of a king would not lend so much as a single sausage to our aid.” He shook his head in weary commiseration. “Poor Bran . . . that his own kinsman would use him so ill—it’s a wicked betrayal, that’s what it is.”
“Raw as a wound from a rusty blade.” He considered this for a moment. “So that’s the grit in his gizzard—our Bran knows we’re on our own now,” concluded Scarlet gloomily. “Aye, we’re alone in this, and that’s shame and pity enough to make man, woman, horse, or dog weep.”
“Never say it,” Tuck rebuked gently. “We are not alone—for the Lord of Hosts is on our side and stretches out His mighty arm against our enemies.” The little friar smiled, his round face beaming simple good pleasure at the thought. “If the Almighty stands with us, who can stand against us, aye?” Tuck prodded Scarlet in the chest with a stubby finger. “Just you answer me that, boyo. Who can stand against us?”
The friar had a point, Scarlet confessed, that no one could stand against God—then added, “But there does seem no end o’ folk that’ll try.”
The Grellon resumed the task of accumulating what provisions they could—meat from the hunt, grain and beans from the raid, tending the turnips in the field, making cheese from the milk of their two cows—preserving all they could and storing it up against the days of want that were surely coming.
Bran turned his attention to the other matter weighing on his mind. With everyone else already occupied, he called Scarlet and Tuck to him and announced, “Put on your riding boots. We’re going to find Mérian—and while we’re at it, we’ll see if we can convince King Cadwgan to lend some of his men to aid us.”
“This is what Mérian has been arguing all this while,” Tuck pointed out.
“Aye, it is,” Bran conceded. “I was against it at first, I confess, but our feet are in the flame now and we have no other choice. Maybe Mérian is right—maybe her family will help where mine would not. Lord Cadwgan holds no kindly feelings towards me, God knows, but she’s had a few days with him; I have to know whether she’s been able to soften her father’s opinion and persuade him. Pray she has, friends—it’s our last hope.” He spun on his heel and started away at once. “Ready the horses,” he called over his shoulder. “We have only this day.”
“It seems his disappointment has passed,” said Scarlet. “And we’re for a ride through lands filled with vengeful Ffreinc.”
“Lord have mercy.” Tuck sighed. “The last thing I need is to spend more time jouncing around on horseback. Still, if we can convince Cadwgan to help us, it will be worth another saddle sore.”
“So now, if the Ffreinc catch us rambling abroad in plain daylight,” warned Scarlet, “saddle sores will be least of all your earthly worries, friend friar.”
CHAPTER 26
Arriving just after midday, the three riders paused to observe King Cadwgan’s stronghold from a distance. All appeared peaceable and quiet on the low hill and surrounding countryside. There were folk working in the fields to the west and south of the fortress, and a few men and dogs moving cattle to another pasture for grazing. “Seems friendly enough from here,” remarked Scarlet. “Any Ffreinc around, d’you reckon?”
“Possibly,” answered Bran. “You never can tell—Cadwgan is client king to Baron Neufmarché.”
“Same as tried to kill you?” wondered Scarlet.
“One and the same. I made the mistake of asking Neufmarché for help, and thought he might behave honourably,” replied Bran. “It is not a mistake I shall make a second time.”
“A bad business, that,” mused Tuck. “It is a very miracle Cadwgan has survived this long under the baron’s heavy thumb.”
“You know him?” asked Scarlet.
“Aye, I do—we’re not the best of friends, mind, but I know him when I see him—for all I’ve lived in the shadow of Hereford castle for many years.”
“That is why I am sending you on ahead,” said Bran.
“Me!”
“I dare not show my face within those walls until you have seen how things sit with the king.”
“You want me to go in there alone?” Tuck said.
“Who better to spy out the lay of the land?” said Bran. “No one up there has ever seen you,” he pointed out. “To the good folk