Belaset's Daughter - By Feona J Hamilton Page 0,41

and you had best make ready," said the servant to Guy.

"I thank your lord for his hospitality," said Guy. "No doubt he’ll come himself to bid us farewell?"

The man reddened.

"He has no wish to see your faces..." he began.

"... so that we can’t see his, I presume?" said Guy. "Well, he’s a wise man, if not particularly brave."

"He’s given you a safe haven for the night, and fed you besides!" said the man indignantly.

Guy nodded.

"He has taken that risk," he agreed. "I shall honour his wishes by not even asking his name. Tell him we’ll be glad to go as soon as the guide can take us."

The servant tugged his forelock perfunctorily and turned on his heel, leaving the barn swiftly, without another word. Guy stood and stretched, then turned to where Judith lay, still cocooned in her cloak.

"You see, madam?" he said. "Your virtue is still intact. It’s only in your capacity as a messenger of the King that you interest us nothing else. Now come and eat with us, we have a long, cold day’s riding ahead."

The meal, such as it was, was soon completed and the horses saddled. Guy paced up and down impatiently, glancing at the door frequently. At last, there was the sound of a horse trotting up to the barn. The door swung open again and a man appeared. Cold as the barn was, an even colder gust of air blew in as he stood there, smiling at them all. He was young and handsome, and obviously pleased to be part of the journey. He looked eagerly from one face to another, then strode across to Guy de Montfort.

"If you’re ready, sir?" he said, bowing slightly.

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Belaset’s Daughter

"We have been ready these past thirty minutes," said Guy, irritably.

The young man’s face expressed sympathy.

"I was delayed by my lord’s caution," he said. "we must not be seen together so close to Lewes it could jeopardise all our plans."

Guy grunted.

"Your lord is right," he said, reluctantly. "But if we leave quickly, we’ll soon be too far away for it to matter."

He went to his own horse and Judith and Trubodi followed his example. Leading their horses by their bridles, the three went out of the barn and mounted. The guide had already sprung into the saddle again. Swinging his horse’s head round, he led them out of the yard and back on to the road they had left in the darkness of the night before.

By daylight, Judith could see that they were following a well-marked way, which vanished into the forest ahead of them. This would be the most dangerous part of the journey for all of them, she knew. The forest covered the whole of the Weald and there was no way north, other than through it. Its silence and thick growth, interspersed with grassy clearings hid bands of outlaws, as well as wild boar, stags and wolves. They would be lucky to get through without some kind of attack, whether it came from man or beast.

Still, a small group such as theirs might attract less attention than a larger party, and they had no wagons with them to slow them down. Then, she thought, there was always the chance that an attack would allow her to escape.

The party had reached the outskirts of the forest by this time and they were soon surrounded by it. Overhead, the trees met in a tangle of branches. Great oaks jostled for space with elm and beech. In between, the thinner trunks of ash and birch struggled upward to the light. The ground was covered with a dense mat of fallen leaves, churned to a pulp on the route they were taking, but still distinguishable as a covering of many different colours on either side. There was little undergrowth, apart from ferns growing at the foot of some of the trees and a few saplings which had sprung up here and there. At this time of the year, with the leaves all fallen from the trees, the weak winter sunshine showed their way clearly, as well as giving them something of a view through the trees on each side.

All of them glanced uneasily about them from time to time, and the men had thrown back their cloaks to reveal their swords. Judith, who had never carried a sword, felt for the slim dagger which she kept concealed about her. It was there. The packet, in its pouch, despite the ill-treatment she had received, was still safe under her