A few days later found Gerald and Anna sitting in her room, with a fire going against the increasingly chilly nights while Tempus lay, snoring on the floor.
Gerald was picking absently at a plate of cheese while Anna rifled through papers on a small table.
"I have a plan," she stated.
"All right, let's hear it," he responded.
"We're going to run away for a while."
"Come again? I thought we put that off the table a long time ago."
"I don't mean forever. I mean we're going to sneak off on a little expedition."
"And by 'we' you mean?"
"Just you, and I, and half a dozen guards or so."
He absently brushed his hands free of cheese. "And where, precisely, are we going to sneak off to?"
"Norwatch. It lies on the northern road that goes east from here," she stated.
"What's in Norwatch that's got you so interested?" he asked.
"The Greatwood. Alric said there were Orcs there. I'd like to meet them."
Gerald was shocked. Their last encounter with Orcs had them fighting each other at Eastwood.
"May I remind you," he countered, "that it was only this last spring that we were fighting Orcs?"
"That was politics. I've been reading up on them. They're an interesting race."
"The Elves tried to kill all of them," he reminded her.
"Yes, but the Elves also tried to kill Humans years ago, as well. I don't think the Orcs are evil. From my research, they appear to be a race of hunters. We know from Beverly's encounter that many of them speak the common tongue, and even if they don't, we've got Revi with his spell."
"Why is it, exactly, that you find them so fascinating," he asked, though he suspected he already knew.
"I want to know more about them. All the books are tainted. They're written by people who fear them or loathe them. History is like that, always written from only one point of view."
"And you want to make your own judgement," he offered.
"Yes, but I'm being cautious. I'm not saying we have to meet a chief or anything. Even just an Orc hunter or two would be most informative."
"I see you've already made your mind up about this," he said.
She smiled, "You know me all too well, but I've still some planning to do."
"Out of curiosity," he asked, "how do you intend to get away from your Royal Guard?"
"That's the least of my worries," she countered. "Once we start, Prince Alric will either have to leave right away with us, or catch up later."
"He won't like that," he exclaimed.
"No, but he won't really have a choice."
"You said it was the least of your worries. What else are you worried about?"
"We still have a traitor in our midst. I want to flush them out."
"How do we do that?"
"I was thinking we take a small group, including at least one of the suspects."
"Is that wise? They might be dangerous."
"In a smaller group, they might be more inclined to try something. No one's going to try anything with an army like we have here in Faltingham."
"I don't like it," he complained. "It puts your life in danger. We almost lost you this summer, I can't go through that again."
"You won't have to, Gerald. We won't let it go that far. There will only be one person to watch, and there are enough of us to be on guard at all times."
"And Revi will be with us this time," remembered Gerald.
"Yes, agreed. Revi will be with us at all times."
He thought about it for a moment. She had a good point. Any attempt on her life was unlikely to occur with so many soldiers around, but would they necessarily try something on a smaller expedition?
"I'm not sure it'll work, Anna. What if they don't make a move?"
"Then we're no worse off and we hopefully still get to meet some Orcs."
"All right, I don't like it, but I'll go along with it."
Anna stood to walk over and give him a hug. "Thank you, Gerald. I was hoping you'd agree."
"Now, who do we take on this little expedition of ours?"
"Who do you think we should take?" asked Anna.
"Beverly, of course, and Revi, for healing. I think we should leave Lily here, I don't want to put her in harm's way. Do you have anyone to add?"
He watched Anna stroking her chin, mimicking the actions of Baron Fitzwilliam. "I should like to take Hayley. I think her ranger skills might prove useful."
"What if she's our traitor?" asked Gerald.
"I think it unlikely," Anna replied. "To hear Beverly talk, our ranger friend doesn't seem to know much about fortifications."
"So if we strike Hayley off the list of suspects, that leaves us with only five," Gerald concluded.
Anna thought for a moment before continuing, "Who are your top two suspects?"
"Aelwyth is from an old family who has seen better times, and she's also from the northern border. Perhaps she harbours some resentment towards the crown?"
"Interesting, I hadn't considered that. Who else?" prompted Anna.
"Juliet. I have no idea of her background, and she keeps to herself. What do you think?"
"I agree with you about Aelwyth, but Beverly assures me that there is a reason for Juliet's secrecy. What about Celia, she was there with us in Bodden?"
"True, she was, but so was Levina," Gerald added.
"Yes, but Beverly has been in correspondence with her for years," Anna reminded him. "So, if we assume it's either Aelwyth or Celia, how do we choose which one to bring?"
Gerald shrugged his shoulders, "Does it matter?"
"I suppose not," agreed Anna. "We'll take Celia."
"What about Arnim, will he be coming along?" Gerald asked.
"I thought about that. We'll tell Arnim about the traitor, and then he and Aubrey can keep an eye on things here. I think we're better served by leaving them at Faltingham."
"He won't like being left out," Gerald warned.
"No, but he'll see the reasoning. I want him to look into a few things. With us out of the way, the guards will be less intrusive. He might be able to dig through some belongings looking for clues."
"If Prince Alric discovers this, he'll insist on coming."
"That's the beauty of my plan. It'll still work, even if he comes with us."
"You realize that he'll likely bring soldiers?"
"Not if he has no advance notice. We'll plan this in secret. He'll only know we're leaving when he sees us on the way. He'll have to hurry to catch up so he won't have time to assemble his men. We'll make sure we pack extra food for him; I shouldn't like for him to have to starve."
Gerald chuckled, "I can't imagine he'd like camping out in the wilderness without a tent."
"He'll like it even less when we get to Norwatch," she stated.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"We'll be travelling in disguise. He won't get to play the royal card."
"You're enjoying this far too much."
"I know," she agreed. "Now, what do we call this little operation?"
"A walk in the woods?"
"Excellent," said Anna. "It'll let us talk about it in plain hearing. We'll work out more details tomorrow."
"Agreed," said Gerald, "but it's time for bed. You have some visiting to do tomorrow, we don't want to slight our hostess." He rose, and started heading for the door.
"Wait," pleaded Anna. "You can't go yet."
He turned in surprise, "Why?"
"You haven't told me a bedtime story!"
"Aren't you getting a little old for that?"
"From you, Gerald? Never. One day you're going to be telling stories to your grandchildren, you need all the practice you can get."
"Grandchildren? I'm far too old to have a child, let alone a grandchild."
"Nonsense, Gerald. You're my father now, and you'll be grandfather to my children. That's your legacy. Now, how about that story?"
Gerald felt a tear forming i
n his eye and coughed to clear his throat. "All right, I'll tell you the story of how Beverly broke up a duel between two knights."
"Really? She did that?"
"Not that I know of, but it will make it a more interesting story if you know the characters."
Seventeen
Norwatch
Autumn 960 MC
The plans were made and finally, a week after their arrival, they were ready to be executed. Anna had written a letter for Lady Aubrey to deliver to Lady Alicia once they had left. The plan was to return within the fortnight after they'd had a chance to investigate Norwatch. Beverly and Hayley had discretely arranged for two pack horses loaded with supplies to be ready in town. The ranger would pick them up in the early morning, rendezvousing with the rest on the road.
Anna and Gerald were the last to leave, for they were watched the closest. They made as if to take a light ride around the estate, the better to be prepared for travel. Aubrey had insisted the ruse be complete and had hidden away travelling clothes on the estate the night before so that they could change along the way. Strict instructions were left behind for Arnim. He would assume temporary command of all the knights in Beverly's absence and keep an eye on them, with Aubrey's help.
Tempus was loping along in front of them when they cleared the grounds of the estate. They hurriedly changed and were beginning to trot toward the rendezvous when they saw two riders; Alric and Jack. They had gone over the possibilities numerous times and so, rather than run, they slowed their pace, waiting for them to catch up.
"Out for an early morning ride, Highness?" asked Jack. "You should have let us know, we could have accompanied you."
Alric was a little more alert, noticing the clothing they were wearing. "What's this? Sneaking off somewhere are we?"
"We are," stated Anna. "Are you coming with us?"
Alric was taken aback by her stark honesty. "Where are we going?"
"'WE' are going nowhere, Highness, unless you want to lose that Royal Persona of yours."
"Meaning what, exactly?" Alric bristled.
"Meaning, we're travelling as commoners," stated Gerald. "We thought you might like to join us, so we have some extra clothes in the bag."
"Clever, Your Highness," commented Jack. "I never pictured you as someone who would go slumming."
"We're not slumming, Lord Jack," corrected Anna. "We're out to meet common folk in the countryside. Are you interested in accompanying us?"
"Of course," uttered the cavalier. "It'll be a story for the ages. I can just imagine sitting around the fireplace, a warm drink in one hand, a warm girl in the other-"
"We won't be sitting around a fireplace," interrupted Anna.
"No," agreed Gerald, "though a fire pit might be appropriate."
"What do you mean 'a fire pit'?" Jack exclaimed.
"We'll be camping out tonight," said Gerald.
"Camping out? That's barbaric. Why would you camp out when there's a nice set of beds waiting for you at the hall?"
"Because we'll be on the road to Norwatch," explained Anna.
"We'll need guards," commented Alric, his face difficult to read.
"We have them already arranged," explained Gerald. "We'll be rendezvousing with them shortly."
To Gerald's trained eye, the prince did not look happy, but he swallowed his pride. He doesn't want to lose face in front of Anna, Gerald thought.
"Very well, Highness," said Alric. "Lead on, and we shall follow."
Surprised by his easy capitulation, Anna urged her mount forward, Gerald pulling up beside her.
"That seemed a little too easy," remarked Anna.
"Yes," her friend agreed, "the prince is full of surprises."
They rode in silence for a little longer, and then Gerald laughed.
"What's so funny," asked Anna.
"I can't wait to see Jack's expression when he learns we're sleeping on the ground."
The laughter that erupted from Anna startled Jack and Alric.
"What's so funny," asked Alric.
"Nothing, Highness," replied Gerald. "I was just watching Tempus running ahead of us; he likes to chase flies." He grinned at Anna and the shared joke remained their secret.
* * *
They arrived at the rendezvous point to see the rest of the group ready to go. Hayley and Celia were riding with a pack horse behind each of them, while Revi sat on his mount, waiting for the princess to arrive. Beverly, surprisingly, was riding a regular horse, not her infamous charger, which Gerald immediately noticed.
"Where's Lightning?" he asked.
"I left him in Aubrey's care. He kind of sticks out in a crowd. I thought it best to leave him behind."
"Where's your armour?" asked Anna.
"Don't worry, Highness, it's packed up with the rest of the supplies. It would raise too many questions."
"I see you've still got your weapons," noted Gerald.
"Well, a girl can't be too careful these days."
Jack looked on in appreciation, "You clean up nicely, Dame Beverly. I never would have taken you for such a beauty."
Beverly flushed with anger, but Gerald recognized the look and quickly changed the conversation.
"If we're to travel as commoners, we'll have to avoid using titles," he stated.
"Quite right," proclaimed Anna. "That means no more 'Highnesses' and 'Dames'. Only first names will do."
"Agreed, Anna," said Alric.
"How interesting," stated Jack. "Perhaps we should adopt some sort of cover story. I suggest that I am travelling with my wife, Beverly and that the rest of you are our relatives."
"I don't think that's quite necessary," added Gerald quickly. "We'll just use our regular names. We shouldn't need to worry about anything else."
"Yes," said Anna, "the more we make up, the greater the chance to slip up. No one should be expecting a royal in Norwatch, so we'll just mind our manners."
"Hayley," ordered Anna, "you and Beverly take the lead. Gerald and I will follow with Jack and Alric behind. Celia and Revi will bring up the rear."
"What about the dog?" queried Jack.
"What about him?" said Anna.
"Where will he fit in?" the cavalier asked.
"Wherever he wants to," she replied and urged her horse forward.
* * *
The road to Norwatch was easy to follow, for it was used quite frequently by traders. They passed a number of these, some slowly meandering towards Norwatch, others returning to Faltingham. If they had feared discovery, they were reassured, for these people had little interest in their band.
They decided to forgo the roadside inns that dotted the roadway and instead stayed outdoors. Hayley had brought extra blankets, and these were gratefully accepted by the group. They camped around a fire each night, always leaving people on watch. There was some discussion about this, but eventually, they decided to divide the watch into three shifts. Anna and Gerald insisted on taking the first shift while Hayley and Revi took the second. They, in turn, would wake Celia and Beverly for the early morning watch. They decided to let Jack and Alric, neither of whom had camped out before, get a good night's sleep.
The second day of their journey Jack was overly quiet. Being the son of a viscount, he was used to a life of luxury, but he refused to complain, seeing it, perhaps, as a weakness. By the fourth day, he began to return to his normal, exuberant self as the town of Norwatch grew close. A traveller had told them they would arrive before noon. The thought of a nice meal or a drink of ale seemed to bring out the more social nature of Jack.
"Out of interest," he stated, "what's the plan when we get to Norwatch. Are we dropping in on the baron?"
"No," said Alric. "We're supposed to be commoners. Why would we be dropping in on the baron? Besides, he's down in the capital."
"So what, precisely, is the plan?" Jack reiterated his question.
"We make our way to a tavern," offered Gerald, "and start asking around for news."
"At least we'll be able t
o get some decent ale," muttered Jack. "That stuff you brought was foul."
"Hey," uttered Hayley, "I paid good coins for that ale."
"It's not your fault, oh glorious maiden of the wood. All the ale up this part of the country is raw."
"Raw?" noted Celia.
"Yes, it tastes like horse piss."
"Then why do you drink it?" the knight asked.
"Why, because it's in my nature," he said, flashing her a smile.
"All right, you two," said Gerald, "the village is coming into view, let's not create a scene."
As they approached the edge of the village, they saw a group of six mounted soldiers coming out. The armed men halted, their leader trotting over to them.
"Have you come from Faltingham?" he asked.
"Yes, why? Is there danger hereabouts?" asked Gerald.
"We've had some trouble lately with Orcs. They shouldn't bother a group of your size but keep your eyes open. I wouldn't suggest travelling at night."
"Have they entered the town?" Gerald asked.
"No, they tend to stay away from Norwatch, but we've heard they've hit some farms nearby. Have you seen anything unusual on the road?"
"Only a party of royals," muttered Jack, under his breath. Alric smacked him with his hand.
"What was that?" asked the soldier.
"Sorry, Sergeant," Alric replied, "my friend has had a little too much to drink. We haven't seen anything on the road, other than the odd traveller."
"Welcome to Norwatch," the man replied. "If you're looking for lodging, you might try the Fiddlers Bow, you can't miss it."
"Thank you, Sergeant," said Gerald, who then urged his mount to the side of the road to allow the soldiers to pass.
Anna waited for the patrol to disappear down the road before speaking, "What was that all about?"
"It seems the Orcs are not so friendly in these parts," offered Alric. "This might not have been the best time to visit."
"Nonsense," Anna proclaimed. "It's the best time to visit. Our chance of meeting an Orc has increased substantially."
"You can't be serious," said the prince.
"You don't know Anna," remarked Gerald. "Once she gets an idea into her head, there's no changing her mind."
Heart of the Crown Page 15