"I wish to visit Canterbury where Mabel used to live.
The needle that was making circles stopped in the middle of north and east. Finally, a lead, she thought excitedly. She prodded the horse forward in that direction, pocketing the compass, glad that she had a direction to navigate. It was a risk. She did not know where else to go. But it was a possible lead.
From time to time she would check the compass but it was still dead on between north and east. Hope spurned her on. At least she had a place she was going to and hopefully that would lead her straight to Esmeralda.
As she followed the directions, the scenery changed in the days that followed, from the highway to the forest then to rugged farmlands. She met some travelers on the road but they kept to themselves as she kept to hers. She had drawn the red cloak around her like a shield. She did not want any unwanted attention. She would rest when she knew Bessie needed a break and then get up again to resume her travel. She rode until it was late in the afternoon. She would have to seek shelter soon, she thought. She was off the paved road and was following a small path when a man jumped in front of her horse. Bessie reared up on her hind legs, frightened by the stranger's appearance. Rosabelle gave out a cry as she lost her seating. She fell with a loud thump on her rump.
"Well, well, well, what have we here? A lady by herself?"
She was ready to flee but when she looked up, she saw another man behind her, blocking her way. He was in dirty clothes as well, his face had not seen a good wash in months. Bessie had ran off and this second man was as dirty as the first man.They were both in the path blocking her way from the front and back.
"Stay away from me!" Rosabelle threatened. She tried to make her voice controlled and menacing.
The first dirty man spoke, snickering at her attempt, "Or you'll do what, Lady Red? Scream? Scream all you want. There's no one here to hear ye. Right, Finn?"
Finn answered in a chuckle as he nodded in earnest. Rosabelle tightened her hand around her cloak as she dug for her small knife which she always kept in her pocket. She took it out slowly, pointing the sharp tip away from her.
She leveled it at angle from her, steadily showing them her knife, "Stay away. I don't want to hurt you."
Again, the two men gave out a barrage of laughter. Finn was shuffling around her, "Ooh, I'm scared at the wee knife you have. Watch out, Jack, she might skin you alive."
"Oh, I'm so scared." Jack mimicked, coming closer.
She swiped through the air to stop Jack in his tracks. She controlled her breathing. Her father taught her a thing or two about self-defense. She needed to stay calm. She kept both men in her visual field, making sure they were a good ten feet from her.
Just then a man on a horse came thundering down their path. He held a bow and arrow in his arms and shot two arrows consecutively. She watched as it landed on Jack and Finn, killing them instantly. They did not stand a chance. They fell with a thud on the ground.
Rosabelle stepped back, horror in her face as she realized the men were dead. Their eyes were staring up unmoving. The arrows struck true and blood was slowly seeping through the men’s clothes.
"Are you alright?" A female voice came from behind her.
Rosabelle turned towards the voice and she saw a beautiful young woman. Her black hair was braided and she had one of the most pale skin she had ever seen which contrasted well with her ruby red lips.
"We saw your horse first down the road. It was saddled but riderless so I told my huntsman to retrace the horse's path."
"I thank you, er---"
"Call me Blanca," she said sweetly. "Come, we made camp nearby earlier. You can join us. Mark will join us after he disposed of the bodies.
Rosabelle did not argue. First of all, she did not want to see how Mark was disposing of the bodies and second, she needed to get Bessie. The poor horse must be frightened. They walked for awhile until they came into a nearby stream. Bessie was there with another horse, grazing on some grass. The horse had already forgotten about her ordeal. She clearly was not worried about Rosabelle as the horse was munching on the green grass with gusto.
"Come, sit beside the fire. You just had a tough ordeal. It was fortunate we were close by and heard your scream."
Blanca handed her a cup of water. It was cool and refreshing.
"Thank you, Blanca."
There was rustle in the bushes and they turned to see the huntsman come through. He went to the stream and washed his hands, probably removing off dirt that came from the bodies he disposed of.
Blanca smiled, "Well, Mark did most of the work. You should thank him. I only held your horse. Mark, meet our guest, er--"She stopped when she did not know her name.
"Rosabelle." She answered. She stood up and gave a little curtsy. "I am most grateful, kind sir. You saved my life."
Mark nodded his head unsmiling, "'Tis my duty, my lady. Any gentleman would have come to your rescue. Although, I am curious as to why a beautiful young lady such as yourself would be traveling alone? It is not safe."
"You are absolutely right. My adventure is not of my own doing although I chose to be here. Circumstances have dealt me a hand I cannot control. I have to travel alone. There is no other way. I am looking for someone."
"Oh?" Blanca asked. "Where is this person from? Perhaps we can be of assistance?"
"I believe she might be in a place called Canterbury. Have you heard of such a place?"
Both Blanca and Mark shook their head. It was not a familiar place they have been or heard. Rosabelle's heart sank. She would have to travel further to find Esmeralda. She did not think it was going to be easy.
"We were about to go set up snare traps for rabbits before your horse came down this path. Would you like to join us, that is, if you feel you’re up to it? You can stay here and wait for our return. We won’t be long."
Rosabelle nodded, "I would love to see how you do it. I have never set up a snare before."
"I'll teach you," Blanca volunteered with a smile.
They left their horses tied to their trees where they continued grazing the grass. They walked further up along the stream and here Rosabelle watched Blanca and Mark take a string and a little bait at the end. They tied the traps along the banks where some bushes lay.
"They usually come out late afternoon before night time to drink so hopefully, they get caught in our little trap." Mark said, twining the string and giving it enough slack.
After setting four or five traps, they went back to their camp and sat before the fire, where Rosabelle took out her food from the bag.
She offered her bread and cheese that Pedro had packed. They accepted some and in turn, offered some deer meat which they were smoking earlier. It was good to eat meat again after having the monotony of bread and cheese.
Rosabelle learned that Blanca and Mark were on their annual hunting trip, a tradition they held since Blanca was ten years old.
"Mark is my teacher He is the best huntsman around, even my stepmother says so."
Rosabelle had glanced at Mark who blushed in embarrassment. He almost looked guilty as he looked away from them, chewing on his deer meat nervously. He was quiet most of the time during their supper, almost brooding.
"Your stepmother allows you to hunt?" Rosabelle inquired, admiring the beautiful lady with a talent in hunting.
Blanca shrugged her shoulders, "She's more lenient after my father passed away. She suggested this excursion herself, saying once I turn eighteen, I will not have the time to do things for myself. I am grateful for Mark and his teachings. He is like my uncle."
Mark muttered something about checking on the horses, standing up abruptly and leaving them alone to converse between themselves.
"You trust your huntsman, Blanca?" Rosabelle asked, curious, when she was sure Mark was not nearby to overhear her query.
Blanca smiled, "Completely. Forgive his grim face. He seems like a grizzly bear but he's soft-hearted. He is usually more friendly but he's more brooding lately. Come, you m
ust be tired from your journey. You can have half of my sleeping bed roll."
Blanca took one of her thick bed mats she used as a bedding and separated them. Rosabelle felt touched by Blanca's thoughtfulness as that would mean a thinner bedding for her on the hard ground.
Rosabelle hesitated at first but accepted it graciously with a murmur of thanks. She made her bed a few steps away from the fire underneath a tree. Blanca followed suit close by.
Mark came back with more wood for their fire. He sat on one of the big logs and added more kindling to the campfire, still not conversant but his presence was comforting.
He approached the ladies as they were straightening their beddings and asked if they wanted to check on the traps with him.
Blanca smiled and said, "You go, Rosabelle. You've never seen a snare before. I'll continue making our bedding for the night."
Rosabelle followed Mark up the same trail they took earlier. He motioned her to keep silent as they tread quietly, looking at each trap they had set. The first two were still empty but the third one had a live animal. It had caught a rabbit. It was gray and white and its leg caught in the snare. It was struggling against the thin wire.
Mark took out his knife and approached the frightened animal. He held it down and raised his knife as he turned it to its side. Rosabelle watched Mark as his knife came down towards the rabbit. She was surprised later on when Mark released the rabbit and it scampered away, unharmed.
"What---?" Rosabelle looked on dumbfounded.
Mark put away his knife, "Not its day today. The rabbit has to go home to feed its young."
"You mean---?"
“It just delivered a litter of baby bunnies."
Rosabelle gave a nod of understanding, "That was kind of you to release it from the trap. Another man would not have cared."
"I know how it feels to be caught in a trap."
Rosabelle wanted to ask more questions but Mark had moved on to check the other traps. She followed closely. There were no other rabbits caught in the traps set so they headed back to camp.
Blanca inquired about their traps and all Mark said was, "None today. We'll check it tomorrow. Rest now. I'll do first watch."
He took watch as they retired for the night. During the night, Rosabelle had opened her eyes and glanced at the huntsman still by their fire, his eyes staring deeply into the flickering embers. He was also holding a knife in his hands, cleaning and sharpening it. He had a look of resigned fate. A shiver ran through her body but she brushed her suspicious thoughts away.
Rosabelle glanced the other way where Blanca was sleeping soundly. She was so trusting and was sleeping peacefully, without a care of the world. She would have to talk with Blanca about her suspicions. If not with her then she will have to confront the huntsman herself.
In the morning, they broke camp. Rosabelle knew she must be on her way but she had one more thing to do before she left her rescuers. Blanca was washing their cups in the stream and Rosabelle approached Mark. He had been up all night, keeping watch. He did not wake either of the ladies to relieve him. He probably could not sleep either way even if someone stood watch for him, Rosabelle surmised. His eyes were weary and red from sleeplessness and something else Rosabelle could only guess.
"Mark, I am grateful you saved my life." She opened her bag and took out her treasured box. "Please accept this. It was given to me by my mother. I called it my small treasure chest. I would put in small trinkets of anything in it as a reminder but I feel you are about to come into a major decision. I know not what but I can see it distresses you very much."
He took the box in his hands. The craftsmanship on it was beautiful. He opened it and saw it was empty. He did not say anything. He was in deep thoughts.
"Whatever you decide, Blanca will not think anything less of you. She loves you like family."
He still did not answer, almost brooding in his expression.
Rosabelle left him then and walked towards Blanca. She hugged her and held her hands.
"You can come away with me, Blanca, instead of pushing on with this hunting expedition. You can help me with my quest. I just feel something bad is going to happen to you."
"I will be careful. Do not worry. Mark will protect me. He always does."
“What if he has ill intentions towards you, Blanca? There is something bothering him. I will never forgive myself if something bad should happen to you.” Rosabelle said, obvious concern in her voice.
Blanca squeezed her hands, reassuring her, “Mark will not harm me. I will be alright. Trust me that my trust in him is well justified.” Blanca's trusting voice cut across her and Rosabelle knew she could not convince Blanca in going with her.
She sighed and gave her friend another hug. "My prayers are with you. Keep safe."
"Thank you, I will. I hope you find the person you're looking for, Rosabelle. Good fortune to you." Blanca kissed her cheek in return.
Rosabelle got up on Bessie and she waved her goodbyes. Her gaze lingered a second longer on Mark who gave her a silent nod as she turned to leave. It was subtle but she saw it. She glanced at the compass and she lead Bessie towards that direction. She sent up a prayer for both Blanca and Mark. Whatever their next chapter was, she hoped it was a good one. In the meantime, she needed to find Esmeralda with much haste.
20
Rosabelle traveled two more days without any incident. She was more wary of strangers. She would take breaks for herself and her horse but always in a safe distance from where the townsfolk gathered. She avoided less travelled paths, not wanting a repeat of what had happened before. She passed numerous towns and people would look at her curiously but would not question her presence. It was fortunate indeed that she did not have to want for food as she later realized that Pedro had given her a magic bag that always replenished itself of the bread and cheese he packed. That was a life-saver! And convenient, she added. All she needed was water to drink.
She was riding in one of the common roads when she came across a peddler's cart. The owner was a tall, thin man and he was dressed in baggy clothes. He had his cart at the side of the road. His horse was loosened from his harness and eating a bucket of oats.
He waved his hat at Rosabelle who stopped to look at what he was selling. She had another motive for stopping her horse. Surely, this peddler had been all around and must have come across a town named Canterbury, she thought. She was not comfortable getting down from Bessie and maintained her distance. She was still wary of strangers.
"Good morning, Miss. May I interest you in a bottle of perfume? Or a coat made out of the finest cotton? You seem to have traveled far. Perhaps a pair of shoes for you or a horse shoe for your horse?"
Rosabelle held out a hand to stop him from ranting on and on about his wares, "I do not need anything, Mr. Peddler. But I do need to ask you directions."
The peddler bowed and smiled, "Of course, my lady. How can I be of service?"
"I'm looking for the village of Canterbury. Do you know where it is?"
"Canterbury?" The peddler was thinking deeply, trying to recall all the places he had gone through. He shook his head. "It does not ring a bell. I don't think I have gone that far."
"Well, thank you for your time." Disappointed again, she was about to click on the reins when the peddler took something out from his pockets.
"Miss, how about these? These should interest you."
Rosabelle looked down at his hand. He held three bean pods.
"Beans, Mr. Peddler?"
The peddler grinned a toothy smile, "Not just any beans, Miss. They are magic beans. They are supposed to bring great fortune."
"Mr. Peddler, there are no such things as magic beans. And what will I do with these magic beans?"
"It supposed to make you filthy rich, my lady. I'll trade you for that gold watch you have in your pocket."
Rosabelle instinctively touched the golden compass in her pocket. The peddler had mistaken it for a watch. "No, Mr. Peddler. This is not mine to bar
gain away. Magic beans or not, I am not a young girl you can fool. Good day!"
She prodded the horse forward and left the peddler without another word. Magic beans, indeed! Well, she did not want to think about magic beans now even if they were real. She had the magical rose in her mind already. She swerved Bessie to avoid a lad pulling his old cow who was moving on the same road very slowly. The lad tipped his hat in greeting as she passed him.
She traveled inward to a different county and did not meet another soul for hours. She passed a small village and there were rows of shops on one side. There were a scattered amount of people who were coming and going, minding their own business. They had glanced at her approach but did not stop what they were doing. She looked around for a water hole or a well but she did not see one. She was getting thirsty and Bessie could use a drink too.
She made her way to the edge of a village where a huge house stood. It looked old and needed some fresh paint. There was a well as she neared and saw a maiden was pulling on the rope that was tied to a bucket. She swallowed. Her throat was parched dry.
"Hello." Rosabelle called out, not wanting to startle the maiden.
The woman at the well stopped her pulling. She was dressed in servant's clothes and she was hauling water to another bucket at her feet.
"Hello." She called back, slowly lowering the bucket full of water at the side.
Rosabelle could see she was very pretty and features were noble. Her tone and voice was that of a lady but she was in servant's clothes.
"Forgive my intrusion. My name is Rosabelle. May I bother you for some water for the horse and me? We have travelled far and you were the first water source I had seen."
"Of course. I am called Ella. You must be very thirsty." She took a wooden ladle hanging nearby, dipping it into the bucket and handed it off to Rosabelle. "Drink. I'll see to your horse."
The White Mask & The Red Rose Page 10