Belaset's Daughter - By Feona J Hamilton Page 0,104

was a mystery, certainly.

All he could do now, thought Jervis, was find the hunting party and let someone know what had happened. The track he was on now was much wider than the one by which he had been exploring. He went back to the de Tourney s mount and took its reins in one hand, urging it forward as he began to ride up the path. He could do nothing more for de Tourney, since he was dead, and it was not within his strength to lift him bodily on to his own horse. Better to leave him where he was, until he could return with help.

As he expected, the wider track led him back to the main one, where he had left the King and his hunting party. The sound of their progress came faintly to him, from his left. He wheeled both horses, digging his heels into the flanks of his own mount, and tugging on the reins of the other, to bring it alongside. Both horses obeyed without trouble, and he set off at a fast trot, to join the rest of the party.

Rounding a bend, he found himself catching up with the stragglers. A man and a woman were riding along slowly, deep in conversation and oblivious to everything around them.

The sound of his progress finally penetrated their private world, and he saw them look round with guilty expressions, which changed to curiosity as soon as they realised that they did not know the rider.

Jervis rode round them both, acknowledging their efforts to give him room with no more than a curt nod, and without making any effort to slow down. These two lovers were of no use to him, he needed to find John de Warenne as soon as possible, or, at least, someone he recognised from Lewes, who could take a message.

He continued along the path, passing riders in small groups, who all made way for him so that he could continue to trot. One or two called out after him, but he ignored them all.

At last, he saw de Warenne s livery on two riders in a group just in front, and slowed to a walk as he came near. One of de Warenne s riders turned to look at him, and Jervis, with relief, recognised him as one of the younger squires.

"Where have you been, Jervis, to acquire an extra mount?" said the lad, jokingly. Then his face changed, as he looked more closely at the horse Jervis was leading.

"What s happened?" he said. "That is Sir Roger de Tourney s horse. But where is he?"

"Lying in the forest, killed by an arrow," said Jervis, tersely. "We must let my Lord de Warenne know, Robert, and get a party to bring Sir Roger back."

"Philip and I will go with you," said Robert, immediately.

Philip, a large, fair youth who had been riding alongside, listening to the conversation, nodded his head.

"Of course," he said. "Earl John will not be far ahead. I saw him not long since."

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Belaset’s Daughter

The rest of the group had been silent, listening to Jervis as he told his story. One of them, a dark, small man, whispered something to one of the others, and they both looked at Jervis with suspicious faces.

"How do we know that your story is true?" demanded the dark man.

Before Jervis had time to answer, Philip had turned around in his saddle, leant across, and seized the man’s throat in one of his huge hands.

"What are you saying?" he demanded. "Are you trying to throw suspicion of murder on my friend?"

The dark man gurgled faintly, fear in his eyes. He clawed at the hand that was cutting off the air from his lungs.

Robert grasped his friend’s other arm and shook it, hard.

"Philip!" he said. "Philip! Let go of him, you fool! Do you want to find yourself on a charge of murder?"

Philip suddenly realised what he was doing and dropped his hand. The man choked and heaved for breath, the vivid scarlet of his face slowly returning to a more normal hue. The others in the group had done nothing to rescue him. Several of them had half-smiles on their lips, as though they was enjoying the attack, and would not have gone to the aid of the man in any case. He glared at them all and turned to Philip with a snarl.

"That was a big mistake you made there, friend," he said. He was barely able to speak, and the words came