to dispatch a messenger there. He mentioned Rennes or St. Malo as being places where a courier would be sent to meet us; both towns are big enough to show little interest in pilgrims passing through.”
“And if you are wrong? How will we know to stand fast?”
“I will have Sparrow with me. If there is any reason why you should not come near the city, one or both of us will double back to warn you. In truth, though, I do not anticipate any trouble. The leader of the rebelling forces is Hugh of Luisgnan—doubly vexed with the king for divorcing his first wife and taking Hugh’s betrothed as his new queen. He is a good man, not known for wanton pillage and murder. If his armies have occupied Rennes, he will be more concerned with restoring the peace than prolonging open hostilities. He wants all of Normandy to unite against the usurper; he cannot do that if he rouses sympathy for the English king.”
The light shifted and the fog swirled, retreating before the heat of the torch as three men emerged from the stables. Ariel, not wanting to be caught on the path spying on them, slipped behind the bulky shadow of an ancient fig tree a step before Henry, Sedrick, and FitzRandwulf materialized out of the fog. FitzRandwulf was leading Lucifer behind him. The enormous rampager was fully geared and as Eduard spoke he adjusted the corner of the saw-toothed saddle cloth.
“Leave here as close after dawn as possible and keep to the main road. If neither Sparrow nor myself rejoin you before midday, assume the way is clear and push on to Rennes.”
“Will you find us, or will we find you?” Henry asked.
“If I am not there to meet you at the town gates, go directly to an inn called the Two Fighting Cocks. The hostler is a friend and will provide all your needs. Whisper the words à outrance in his ear and he will know you come from Amboise.”
“The Two Fighting Cocks. A outrance.” Henry nodded. “And if you are still not with us when we are ready to leave again?”
Eduard smiled grimly. “Then I am undoubtedly dead and your sister will have realized her fondest desire.”
FitzRandwulf led Lucifer forward again, seemingly toward the solid wall that enclosed the monastery grounds. But as the torchlight burned away the fog, a postern gate took shape amongst the withered ivy and overhanging tree branches. It was just tall enough and wide enough to allow Eduard to lead the destrier through, and once on the other side, he swung himself up into the saddle and was swallowed into the darker mist without so much as a fare-thee-well.
Henry and Sedrick stood at the postern until the sound of Lucifer’s heavy hoofbeats had faded into the woods.
“He’s a hard fellow to like,” Sedrick commented. “Cocky as well.”
“Cocky,” Henry agreed, “but tolerable for another fortnight or so. In truth, I have never had a great love for these provincial barons—nor their bastard cubs—but this one seems to know what he is about.”
Sedrick chuckled gruffly. “The Lady Ariel might find cause to argue his worth.”
Henry glanced back at the ghostly silhouette of the abbey. “In this, Ariel will do as I say. She already has the means, with the Welsh princeling eager to climb into her bed, to win back the estates and titles rightfully belonging to the De Clare name. Once we have the Pearl in our possession, we will have the means to ensure those lands and titles remain ours for a very long time.”
Sedrick’s frown, as slow to form as some of the thoughts in his head, regarded the young lord speculatively. “Ye would fain help steal the Pearl to use as barter? But ye swore—we all three swore an oath on our lives, that once stolen, the Pearl would be placed in safekeeping, far out of reach of the king.”
“So we did. And I have no intentions of breaking that oath, nor do you. But keeping the Pearl out of the king’s hands, and well within our own, are two different matters.”
Sedrick’s scowl turned dubious. “I would not want to let FitzRandwulf hear ye say such things. He’s prickly enough as it is planning one theft without having to worry about planning another.”
Henry sighed as if greatly put upon to explain the obvious.
“We do not have to steal the Pearl a second time in order to keep the king on tenterhooks. It is enough to know. … and