get that in the midst of a battle? They'd seen men reeling away, blinded, their faces aflame, roasting alive in their own armour, until they'd fallen on the mercy of a spear or sword. Both men knew only too well what a man would do to end the agony of burning.
Talbot tugged urgently at Raffe's arm. 'Look there, between those trees.'
Raffe glanced across at the rise. A lone figure sat on horseback, watching the burning ship. Raffe, motioning Talbot to follow, crept forward. It was dark, but even so Raffe could see from the cut of the long, heavy cloak that this was no marsh-man.
The horse shuffled restlessly sideways. Its rider gathered the reins and turned the beast's head, preparing to leave. As he looked back for one last time at the ship, the light from the burning vessel revealed the full profile of the man's face. It was so familiar that Raffe could have drawn it from memory.
'God's blood,' he breathed. 'Do you see who that is? That's Hugh, that's Osborn's brother.'
Talbot threw his arm over Raffe, pressing his head down hard into the dirt, just as Hugh dug his spurs into his horse's flanks and cantered off straight past the thicket in which they were sheltering. As soon as the muffled sound of hoof-beats had faded, Raffe sat up, brushing dried leaves from his face and spitting out bits of twig.
Talbot whistled through his teeth. 'So that's your traitor. 1 always hated the bugger.'
Raffe shook his head in disbelief. 'Unless I'd seen it with my own eyes, I'd never have believed it. I knew it had to be one of Osborn's men, but his own brother! Satan's arse, Hugh fought for John in Aquitaine.'
'As did you,' Talbot reminded him. 'And it didn't make you love the bastard.'
'I loathe John, but I'd never give aid to England's enemies, not even to save my own life.'
Talbot grunted. 'Easy to say when your life's not at stake. Thing is, what are you going to do now? Seems to me it's still your word against Hugh's, or rather that girl of yours. And -'
Raffe smashed his fist into the palm of his hand. 'And I can't prove a bloody thing against Hugh. If I could have seen him with this Faramond, or the king's men had taken even one of the Frenchmen alive and questioned him, he might have given them Hugh's name. But Osborn will never hear a word said against his brother. If there's one thing in this world he has any feelings for at all, it's that little whelp.'
Raffe grabbed a clump of grass and ripped it from the ground in frustration. His hope of seeing the whole pack of them turned out of the manor had slipped so far from his grasp, he couldn't see how to retrieve it.
'Thing is,' Talbot said, 'sooner or later Hugh's going to start wondering who tipped off the king's men, and I reckon he'll get to thinking that the girl did overhear what was said after all and told someone. If you've any feelings at all for her, you'd best see she stays well hidden out of his way.'
Raffe raked his fingers through his hair. God in heaven, how much more could go wrong? At least Elena was in the village, and Hugh was not likely to soil his boots by mixing with cottagers from Gastmere. He just prayed Elena would have the sense to stay away from the manor.
Both men stared in silence over the darkened bay. The flames reflected on the glassy black water danced around the stricken ship like imps at a witches' Sabbath. Even as the two men watched, the ship rolled over on its side with a mighty crash. As waves broke over the deck, the flames clawed higher in the sky as if they were desperately trying to escape the sea. But it was only for a moment, then the water closed over it and the Santa Katarina and all she contained was pulled down and down into the cold black depths.
7th Day after the New Moon,
June 1211
Rowan — was once known as raun, meaning charm, for it is a powerful weapon against witches and the evil eye.
Raun tree and red thread, hold the witches all in dread.
The druids burn rowan to summon the spirits to battle, or to force them to answer questions. Mortals often plant the tree near the door of a house so that no evil may enter it. On Quarter Days, when