Noble looked back at William and Pearl. She was getting louder by the minute and soon she would be wailing again. He felt sorry for the baby, to be sure, and understood her misery, but there was nothing he could offer her, nothing he could do to make the journey go faster. Somewhere along here had to be the way out of the valley. Jasper seemed confident that this was the way, but it seemed that they had been traveling far too long. If the men went out every night to drink they would not be able to, or even want to, walk hours each way to the tavern. They must have missed the secret way somehow. Perhaps they should turn back.
He was deep in thought when they rode out through a heavy patch of trees and brush. Pearl was crying in earnest now and William was trying to sing the only lullaby he knew. Ruby was giggling at the sound of William’s singing and turned around, trying to look past Noble at the prince and her baby sister. He was caught by surprise, then, when a figure suddenly swung out of the tree overhead and landed directly in front of Valiant’s face. He heard a shout behind him as well but could not turn to look, for Valiant had reared back, and now with no reins or saddle to hold on to, he was fighting to keep himself and Ruby on the horse’s back.
Rhain! He stood there sneering, with a knife in his hand, blocking any way of escape. Behind him he heard William yell, and someone else shout, “Stay where you are, boy, or I’ll—.” It sounded like Parry, or perhaps Croft.
Noble was sickened. It had happened again and this time not only had he failed the prince, he had failed these four little children, as well. How could this be? Lord, why? Caddock would have no mercy—for them or for his defenseless, motherless children. Help us, Lord!
“Let us go!” he said sternly to Rhain. “There is no home left behind for these children. The flood has wiped it out. We are taking them where they may receive help and a home.” There was no sign of Caddock yet, and he would surely have something else to say about it, but until the father appeared perhaps he could prevail upon Rhain to have mercy on the children. Surely he had seen how cruelly they were treated.
Rhain did not seem to care for now he said bluntly with no thought for the children’s feelings, “They have no home and no da now, either, for the flood took care of Caddock and all the others, save Parry an’ me. They be orphans now, an’ of no use to anyone. I care not what happens to the brats, but I do care about the good price these horses will fetch—and a king’s ransom! We came back for the loot we had buried back at the house, if the flood did not wash it away, for divided by two is much better than divided by six! But now we find a greater treasure! We thought you were all dead, but what has fallen into our hands but a prince, a knight and three good horses!” He laughed in evil glee.
Noble looked down at Ruby. Her face was still and guarded. There were no tears in her eyes for her da. The stiffness in her back and shoulders told him that she was terrified, but he would never have known it by her face. He glanced back quickly at Jasper and Beryl. Their faces, too, looked like masks, with no emotion, no sorrow. Even the baby was quiet now, sitting perfectly still in William’s lap. These children were accustomed to hiding like frightened little rabbits, and now they slipped easily back into their old ways.
“Let the children go then, if you have no use for them,” he said. He tightened his arm around the little girl, trying to reassure her.
“What? And have them lead the king’s men back to ye? No, I think not! Parry, bring the prince up here! Him and that princely horse!” He laughed again. Caddock was gone and now he was in charge! Free to do things his way! Free to enjoy the sudden wealth he would soon obtain! And when he was finished using Parry to get his hands on the treasure—well, he would find a way to rid himself of Parry, as well, and enjoy it all for himself!
Noble did not think twice. Two large men against one youth—they with knives, he with nothing—but there was no other way. A fight with two was better than a fight with six, at least, and perhaps he could hold them off long enough for the others to escape while they still had the horses. “Go!” he shouted as he leapt off of Valiant’s back and straight at Rhain. “Go! William, lead them!”
Valiant jumped away as if he had been kicked. Ruby nearly fell, but she tangled her hands in the mighty horse’s mane and hung on for dear life. The mare followed Valiant, and somehow Jasper and Beryl managed to stay mounted as well. William hesitated, unwilling to leave his friend to fight their enemies alone, but really there was no choice. He had the baby, and the children needed someone to help them. At the last second he gave Warrior a mighty kick and the stallion bolted away from Parry.
Parry stood there for a moment, wondering what had just happened, when suddenly he came to his senses and ran toward Rhain and this reckless young fool who were now locked in a deadly struggle. He plunged into the fray with his knife flailing.
Noble had landed nearly on top of Rhain when he had leapt from Valiant’s back. Rhain was caught by surprise at the sudden attack, but he quickly recovered and slashed at Noble. His knife sliced through the young knight’s arm but Noble did not feel it and paid no attention. He was in a fight for his life.
The criminal had weight and wickedness on his side, but Noble had youth and the skills he had learned in the training fields of the king’s men. He had a determination, as well, to protect those who were under his care. And he had one other weapon in this deadly battle—the Lord fought beside him.
Strength and courage welled up inside him, and a righteous wrath against those who would harm these little ones and the lad whom he loved like a brother. He fought like never before. He would prevail! He must prevail! The lives of William and the children depended upon it.
Rhain was startled. He fought all the time, either with the victims he would rob, or in drunken brawls, or with the other members of the gang, but never had he encountered a foe like this one! The youth had a fire in his eyes and no fear. Even without a weapon he did not hesitate to attack. It would have gone badly indeed for Rhain if Parry had not suddenly jumped into the midst.
Even then, with two against one, it did not go as well as they would have expected. No sooner had Parry joined them when suddenly Rhain let loose a howl and turned ferociously against his partner. The fool had stabbed him with his knife! He swung at Parry with his own knife and would have sliced off his ear if he had been an inch closer.
For a few seconds Noble had a brief respite while the evil men turned .upon each other. He cast about for some weapon he could use, some shield with which to defend himself. It had only been a minute or two since the fight had begun, but he knew he could not keep it up for long with the assault from two at once. There! A large bough lay close at hand and Noble scooped it up. It was as good as any stave Noble had ever used in the mock battles or tournaments in which he had participated with the knights. It would do.
His sudden action alerted his enemies to the foe they held in common and they turned their attention back to him once more. They were surprised at the skill with which he used the tree limb, using it to parry their thrusts or hold them at bay or even jab at them. It could do no real harm, of course, and yet they were constantly on the defense when he came at them so fearlessly.
Noble could not hold out against the two of them forever, though. Gradually he started to tire and they began to move in closer, as wolves upon their prey. The knives slashed ever nearer. A continual cry arose from his heart, Lord God, help me! Give me strength! Just when he thought he could go on no longer, someone else plunged into the battle.
It was William. He had led the children away and hidden them with the horses in as good a spot as he could quickly find. “If I don’t return, Jasper, ride away from here with the children as soon as it is safe and find your way out of the valley. Go to the king in Caernarfon and tell him what has happened,” he said urgently. “Ask for directions. You will find him. Tell him that it is my desire that he take care of you and your siblings.” With that he dashed away to help his friend and hero and brother, Noble. He could not leave him to fight alone. He p
icked up a stout branch of his own.
Noble groaned when he saw the courageous boy prince appear at his side, but it gave him new strength to go on. Not only was he fighting for his own life, now, but he was fighting for William’s. With a cry and a quick thrust of the heavy limb he suddenly pushed back at Rhain, knocking his knife from his hand at the same time. Rhain stumbled back, trying to catch his balance and lunge for the knife at the same time.
Noble reached it first. Rhain was flat on the ground, stretching for the blade, but suddenly to his shock there was Noble, straddling him with the knife in his hand. He feared the young knight then for the first time, for he saw righteousness and honor and justice blaze across the lad’s face and he knew that judgment was at hand.
Noble was suddenly pulled off of him from behind. Parry had seen what was happening and once again came to the aid of his fellow horse thief. He wrapped his arm around Noble’s neck and pulled him backwards. William gave a shout and, dropping his tree limb, jumped onto Parry’s back. He was not strong enough to pull the big lummox off of his friend, but he screamed in his ear and yanked ferociously at his hair. Parry shook him off as if he were an overgrown pup and once again turned his attention to Noble.
It would have gone very ill indeed with Noble if help had not come just then from an unexpected quarter. Out of nowhere it seemed, Valiant was suddenly there, slashing and pounding with his hooves at the evil man who had dared to attack his master. His whinnies of rage and warfare shook the forest. None could stand before him in his fury.
Parry forgot all about Noble and threw himself off of the knight. He held his arms around his head and curled into a ball, trying to protect himself from the enraged animal, but there was no getting away from Valiant. The warhorse stabbed at him viciously until Parry lay motionless on the ground. Then he whirled upon Rhain.
Rhain had tried to crawl away during Valiant’s sudden attack, but now Noble stood over him with the knife in one hand and his crazed horse at his side. “I really don’t think you want to continue this fight, do you, Rhain?” he asked now, breathing heavily.
Rhain shook his head. It was over. The gang was gone. The treasure was gone. His dreams were gone. He sat slumped on the ground with his head in his hands until the knight pulled them behind his back and tied them together with the same rope he had once used on him. It was over.
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CHAPTER TWELVE
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Home at Last!
Noble was tying up Parry when the sound of pounding horses’ hooves reached them. Now what? Had Rhain lied about Caddock and the others? Were they coming after them after all?
He jumped up just as the horses broke through the trees. It was not the gang. A far larger band of horsemen emerged before them and suddenly his heart soared. The king—with Sir Michael at his side! And many more knights behind them, besides! Thank You, Lord!
“Noble!” the king cried. He leaped from his horse and ran toward his young knight. Sir Michael was at his heels. He looked for his son. William! William? His heart nearly stopped within him. William was nowhere to be seen. Where was he?
Just then the answer came. The prince came through the trees leading Warrior and a small mare. Several children sat upon the horses. Strangest of all, though, to the king’s eyes—his son was carrying a baby in his arms! No matter. “William!”
He rushed to his son and threw his arms around him. William was nearly crushed in his father’s embrace, and poor little Pearl let out a squawk in protest. At last King Stephen released them and stepped back to look his son over. “William, are you well? Are you injured? Were you hurt?” The king’s voice choked with emotion and he fought to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.
“I am fine, Father! Truly! I am so glad to see you, though! I need your help—rather, these children need your help!” The words broke out eagerly. He could not wait to keep his promise to them.
The king looked at the little one in his son’s arms. She was clutching William’s tunic tightly and looking at this big, strange man doubtfully. A little girl sat upon Warrior, and two boys were on the mare. They were ragged and looked like half-drowned little rats—but of a truth, his own son did not look much better!
King Stephen smiled. Leave it to William to think of others before himself! Now he simply said, “I shall hear the whole story soon, William, and I will do whatever I can to help them, I am sure. For now, though, there are a few matters I must attend to.” He turned to one of his men and said, “Ride as quickly as you can to Caernarfon and take word to the queen that we have found William and he is well—very well, indeed! We will be home as soon as possible.”
He strode to Noble’s side as the knight spurred his horse and rode away. “And you, Sir Noble? Are you well?” Blood soaked the sleeve of the young knight’s tunic and a long slash in the material told the story. “You’re hurt!” Sir Michael was already there, rolling up the sleeve and examining the wound.
Noble glanced down at the gash and shrugged. “It burns, a bit, but I can still use my arm. It will heal.”
The king looked around him. One man lay at his feet, unconscious but obviously breathing. Another sat on the ground a few feet away with his hands tied behind his back. “Who are these men? Are they the men who ambushed you? Oh yes, we found the place where you were attacked,” he said as Noble looked at him quizzically, “and saw how it must have been. Did we read the signs correctly?”
Noble nodded. “A gang of outlaws surprised us as we were returning from our hunt. These are only two of them. The rest perished in a flood that ripped through the valley last night.”
“Yes, we saw signs of the flood, as well.” Sir Michael spoke up.
“We escaped the flood ourselves, and were looking for a way to escape this valley, as well, when these two turned up. I had tried to hide the prince’s identity from the outlaws, Sire, but when they got word that the prince was missing, and a knight along with him, they figured it out and had planned to ask for a ransom.”
“It appears there was a fight here,” the king said, “and you got the best of it!”
Noble looked at the two men on the ground. “With God’s help—and William’s and Valiant’s, as well! You should have seen your son, Your Majesty! A braver lad, and more loyal, I have never seen! You would have been so proud of him, Sire! A true man of valor he has become, like his father!”
The king smiled. “And like his hero—Sir Noble! You know he has always watched you and tried to be like you, Noble.”
Noble flushed and changed the subject. “How did you find us, Sire? You came just in time.”
“Not quite. You seemed to have done very well without us. But it was Valiant who led us to you!”
“Valiant!”
“Yes. We were riding along the edge of Glyn Tywyll up above, searching for some way into the valley, for we had followed the trail to its very rim. Suddenly, up ahead in the distance, Valiant appeared! There was no mistaking that it was he, for he looked straight at us and tossed his head with a loud whinny and then turned and disappeared again! We rode after him but could not find him at first until finally we saw his hoof prints. We followed them to a stand of trees on the very edge of the ravine. The underbrush was thick, but we pushed through and there, to our amazement was a steep path leading down into the valley!”
“There was no sign of Valiant,” Sir Michael took up the story, “but just a little way in, once we reached the bottom, his hoof prints mingled with the marks of other horses and we followed the trail. We had lost it again when suddenly we heard the sound of Valiant in a rage and followed it here.”
“Then Valiant is a hero twice over, for it was he who finally overcame our enemies and won the victory,” Noble said. Valiant still stood nearby and now Noble patted his steed’s neck proudly.
“A true horse of valor, indeed!” the king smiled. “Remind me to give him a whole bushel of apples as his reward when we return home! And now, men, allow me to spend a few
minutes with my son before we leave and hear the story of these children that he is so eager to tell.”
“I am glad you are well, Noble,” Sir Michael said as the king walked away. “The king has been most frantic with worry—for you both. Let me hear the full tale now, while I bandage your arm—or at least as much as we have time for before he is ready to leave.” The two friends moved to a fallen log where Noble wearily sat as Michael bent over his arm. Now that it was all over, he felt that his legs could barely hold him up at all.
The king walked back to his son and the children. William was laughing and talking with them as if nothing had happened and they were just out for a peaceful morning’s ride. The children were giggling at something William had said, but now as he approached they grew silent and watched him cautiously. Their eyes grew as big as saucers when he once more threw his arms around his son and hugged him tightly. They had never dreamed they would ever see the king, but far more amazing to them was this display of love that the father had for his son. They had never known that a father could love his child like that, for they had never, ever known their own da’s love.
“Now, who are these good children, William?” he finally asked turning his attention to them and smiling kindly at them.
“These are Jasper and Beryl, Ruby, and of course, this little one is Pearl. She seems to have taken a liking to me and does not want to let me go!”
The king reached out a finger to the baby and she took it, smiling back at him. The others smiled shyly, as well, for they liked it that he had called them “good.”
Valley of Valor (Noble Heart Book 6) Page 9