He wanted to keep an eye on the action.
But, at the moment, all eyes were turned to the dead lining the road into Hawkstone, trying not to look at Lady Emelisse when she broke down in tears because of it. It was a great deal to take in, the death of men who had been part of her Hawkstone family, and their party approaching the gatehouse was met with no resistance whatsoever. There were no men to even question them. They passed through with ease and ended up in the vast bailey of Hawkstone.
It was then that Caius got a good look at de Wrenville’s coveted prize.
Hawkstone sat at the base of a mountain that was covered in white. He could see that there were trees covering the slopes, but the snow had left everything pristine and white. It was more of a hill than an actual mountain, but a big hill at that, and it stretched to the north and east, giving a rise to otherwise flat lands.
Mynydd Adar.
Hawk Mountain.
The castle itself was built from red sandstone, mined from the mountain itself. It was surprisingly large, built on an upslope so it angled up towards the mountain. There was an enormous curtain wall, anchored in each corner by a squat, heavy tower. The bailey had stables, outbuildings, and a great hall, which had a partially-burned roof and a wall that had crumbled when the roof caved in. There were a few more buildings that were built against the wall and then an enormous keep that was at four stories tall, shaped like a four-leaf clover.
As Caius and the others entered the bailey, they could see a vast amount of soldiers crowding around the base of the keep, seemingly very busy. The only door to the keep was well above their heads, on the second floor, the retractable wooden staircase having long been burned away. They could see the remnants. It looked as if the soldiers were clearing something away, perhaps snow, but the keep was clearly still bottled up. The door was sealed and the windows shuttered. Caius reined his horse over to Emelisse.
“That is where your brother is?” he asked her, pointing to the keep.
She was discreetly wiping away the tears. “Aye,” she said, trying very hard not to show how emotional she was about the devastation of her home. “I believe he is there. But it is possible he is not.”
Caius looked at her. “What do you mean?”
Emelisse’s gaze moved to the big keep. “That was the last place I ever saw him,” she said. “After I was captured, I heard someone say that he was still there, fighting with several of his men. But I do believe he is still there. Caspian is strong. He would not surrender.”
She sounded confident, but Caius sensed pain. A lot of it. His gaze lingered on her a moment before reining his horse over to Hallam.
“Whatever your men are doing, get them away from the keep,” he said. “In fact, move them all out of the bailey and back to the encampment. I have a feeling that de Thorington will not open that door under any circumstances, not even for his sister, which means any conversation will have to be shouted and your army is not privileged enough to hear what is to be said.”
Hallam nodded, turning to glance at the lady. “I cannot imagine it is pleasant for her to be back here.”
“Nay.”
“Did you see that pendant around her neck?”
Caius looked at him. “I did.”
Hallam’s focus returned to the keep. “It was a gift from Lady de Wrenville,” he said. “Her husband gave it to her on their wedding night. It is an incredibly expensive piece, as de Wrenville purchased it to impress her parents. The inscription on it says ‘because I must’, meaning he gave it to her because it was expected of him, not because he wanted to. Lady de Wrenville has given it to Lady Emelisse and told her to sell it and use the money to repair Hawkstone.”
Caius very nearly cracked a smile. “God’s Bones,” he muttered. “Are you serious?”
“Quite.”
Caius shook his head at the bold, brave, and vengeful Lady de Wrenville. He was coming to think that she was a tribute to her Marshal blood. Knowing her husband had married her for his own nefarious scheme, she wasn’t going to let him get away with it.
“So she makes amends for her husband’s actions by giving away jewelry he paid a good deal for,” he said after a moment. “Bravo, Lady de Wrenville.”
Hallam cast him a long glance before fighting off a smile. “I thought you should know,” he said. “We are not returning Lady Emelisse back to Winterhold.”
Caius hesitated, unsure if the man was asking him or telling him. “I am not sure why you should bring that up, but in any case, you are here to ensure de Wrenville’s wishes are carried out.”
“And I shall,” Hallam said. “The lady will speak with her brother and try to convince him to surrender the keep. That is all I am here to do; to ensure that conversation takes place. But let me be plain – I have orders from Lady de Wrenville not to bring Lady Emelisse back. With Marius due back any day now, she does not want him or his father getting their hands on the lady.”
Given what Caius knew about Lady de Wrenville and Hallam, he could see that the man took his orders from the wife more than her husband, which was going to get him into trouble, eventually. Perhaps even now, with this very situation. As Caius was coming to trust the knight and even like him just a little, he didn’t want to see the man get on Covington’s bad side. As a legacy knight, that would be considered a failure of duty.
He wasn’t sure he should give him any advice or not, but he felt an obligation to.
“You should know that the lady has asked me to help her escape,” he said after a moment. “I have decided to aid her. You do not need to be involved. In fact, it is better if you are not. Let de Wrenville’s anger be directed at me and not you.”
Hallam didn’t seem at all surprised to hear that. “What will you do?”
Caius shook his head. “I do not know yet,” he said. “Let us get through the conversation with her brother first. I am very curious to speak with the man, so pull your men back and let us begin this.”
Hallam nodded, spurring his horse towards the keep and shouting at the men who were there. Startled, they looked up at him, a few of them heading towards his horse. As Caius watched, he could see that there was a lively conversation going on, with Hallam pointing towards the keep and then waving his hand as if to wave it away.
“What is happening?”
Caius turned to see that Maxton had ridden up next to him. “Chadlington is clearing his men away from the keep so we can speak with the lady’s brother,” he said. “I suspect the man will not so much as open a window if he knows Winterhold troops are still around.”
Maxton nodded. Then, he looked around the place, shaking his head at the destruction. “What a mess,” he said. “If de Wrenville hoped to use Hawkstone as a garrison, he has all but ruined it. It will take a great deal to make this place habitable again. And all those dead? Christ…”
Caius shook his head, echoing Maxton’s revulsion. “That was completely unnecessary,” he said. “That kind of destruction speaks of de Wrenville’s unreasonableness. The man’s quest for destruction is something you’d see in a blood feud.”
Maxton grunted. “I am coming to think that de Wrenville has a touch of madness,” he said. “And I do mean that in all seriousness. He wants what he wants and believes his actions should have no consequences, not to mention the fact that he is truly at a loss when support is refused. Watching him speak with Edward was an experience that brought about those revelations. He truly believes he is beyond all reproach.”
Caius looked at Maxton. The man had seen much in his life, more than most men would see in a few lifetimes. He was wise beyond measure, but he also had little patience and even less tact when it came to stupidity.
“Then tell me what you think of all of this,” he said quietly. “And you should also know that the lady is not returning to Winterhold. She cannot remain here, clearly, but she is not going back.”
Maxton nodded. “I assumed as much,” he said. “Where will you send her?”
Caius shrugg
ed. “I do not know,” he said. “Would you be willing to send her to your home? De Wrenville would never think to look for her at Chalford Hill.”
Surprisingly, Maxton didn’t deny him right away. “My wife would make her welcome, of course,” he said. “But you know if I send her to my home, Andressa will have something to say about what is to be done with her. My wife gets attached to everyone in her care, a trait that makes her a wonderful mother, but also a trait that can interfere if decisions are made about Lady Emelisse. My wife may hide her from us if we decide to send Lady Emelisse somewhere that she does not approve of, and she cannot remain at Chalford Hill forever.”
Caius grinned. “I’ve not yet met your wife but I look forward to the day,” he said. “Only a remarkable woman could have tamed the mighty Maxton of Loxbeare. But you do have a point. There needs to be more of a plan with Lady Emelisse than to simply send her away.”
“Have you spoken to her?”
Caius nodded. “A little,” he said. “She wants to hide out at Hawk Mountain until de Wrenville stops looking for her.”
“Hawk Mountain?”
Caius gestured to the big mountain behind the castle. “That is Hawk Mountain,” he said. “A magical and mystical place, I am told.”
Maxton eyed the white-capped mountain. “And no place for a lady,” he said. Then, something over by the keep caught his attention. “Look, Cai. The men are moving away from the keep. It is time.”
Caius watched Hallam as he shepherded his men away from the keep. “Max, do something for me,” he said. “Get an understanding of just how many Winterhold men are here and where they are positioned. I also want to know if there are any Hawkstone men remaining other than those in the keep.”
Maxton nodded sharply. “Of course.”
He was off, calling to Kevin for assistance. As he moved away, young William charged up beside Caius on that horse that was far too much for him. In fact, Caius had to rein his warhorse away from the excitable beast as William wrestled with it and tried to make it look like he wasn’t.
“Can I help, my lord?” William asked, grunting as the horse threw his head. “Is there something I can do?”
Caius eyed him as he fought with the steed. “Aye,” he said. “You can not get yourself killed while your father is taking his army home. I have no idea how I could explain to him that you fought a horse and the horse won.”
William grinned, slapping the horse affectionately on the side of the neck. “We are the best of friends, my lord,” he said. “This is how he shows his love for me.”
“By trying to throw you?”
William laughed. “If you have not met my horse yet, his name is Odin.”
Caius snorted. “It figures that you would name it after a wild Northman god,” he said. “Where did you come by him? I’m surprised your father would buy you such a powerful horse.”
William looked at him seriously. “My father did not buy him for me,” he said. “I won him in a dice game from one of the knights at Kenilworth. Now, can I do anything for you, my lord? Do you require anything?”
Caius just started chuckling at the big, bold squire who was so capable with his gambling games. No wonder the master knights of Kenilworth had sent him home for his father to discipline him, which was obviously not going to happen. To Edward, William could do no wrong.
Caius wondered what kind of knight William was going to grow up to be. It made for interesting speculation. He was either going to fail miserably or be the greatest knight England had yet to see. With that kind of brilliance and ingenuity, Caius suspected it might be the latter.
Time would tell.
“I do not know yet,” he said after a moment. “Stay with me and keep that horse under control.”
“Aye, my lord.”
“If you fall off and break your neck, I am going to kick dirt over you and leave you where you fell. Do you understand?”
“Aye, my lord.”
Together, they charged over to where Emelisse was patiently waiting, sitting on the small gray palfrey Lady de Wrenville had loaned her. Morgan was beside her, protecting her from any Winterhold men who might have a notion to try to harass her. As Caius rode up, he motioned to her.
“Come, my lady,” he said. “Let us speak with your brother.”
Eagerly, she followed. Caius led the way, with Morgan and William bringing up the rear. The Winterhold men were being forced to the gatehouse, leaving the entire keep free and clear from anyone at all. Caius reined his horse to a halt, dismounting as he gazed up at the very large keep. It could easily hold fifty men or more and given the state of the castle as a whole, it was relatively undamaged. But he took his focus off the keep and went to Emelisse, reaching up to help her dismount her horse.
The moment he touched her, something occurred to him.
It was the first time he’d felt her warmth.
Suddenly, the keep wasn’t as interesting as the lady he was lowering to the ground.
“What can you tell me about the keep, my lady?” he said, his big hands still on her arms as she got her footing. “Is that door the only entrance?”
Emelisse was concerned with picking the bottom of the too-long dress up out of the mud. “Aye,” she said. “There used to be a staircase, but my brother must have burned it when Winterhold breached the castle.”
Caius tore his gaze from her, looking at the piles of snow beneath the keep and seeing pieces of burned wood.
“I can see it,” he said. Then, he returned his attention to her. “Tell me about the keep. Where would your brother be right now?”
She shook her head faintly. Then, she gently pulled herself from his grip, gathered up her skirts, and began to move towards the keep.
“I do not know,” she said. “But I am going to find out.”
Caius, Morgan, and William followed her as she marched up to the keep, right underneath the door.
“Caspian?” she called up. “Caspian, are you there? Please answer me!”
She was met by silence, but it didn’t deter her. She began to walk along the keep, where there were windows, and shouted up to them.
“Caspian!” she called. “Please answer me!”
Caius, Morgan, and William followed her all the way around the keep as she continued shouting up to it, calling for her brother. They ended up back at the entry door and she stood there, begging her brother to respond. She even took to throwing rocks at the closed entry door. William thought it might be a good idea, too, so he picked up a bigger rock and hurled it at the door, creating a loud thump. Between him and the lady throwing rocks, it was inevitable that there was an eventual answer.
There was a window next to the door, shuttered tightly, and the shutters suddenly began to move. Emelisse rushed up, standing directly beneath the window.
“Caspian?” she called eagerly. “Please open the window. It is me! I have returned with help!”
The shutters had been nailed shut because she could see someone trying to pry them apart. The four of them stood beneath the window, watching and waiting, until one of the shutters was finally pulled free and a grizzled, old head appeared.
Emelisse gasped.
“Harcourt!” she said. “You survived!”
The very old soldier seemed glad to see her. “I did, m’lady,” he said. “And you are well, also. Praise the saints. We were certain you had been taken away to your death.”
Emelisse shook her head. “Nay,” she said. Then, she sobered greatly. “But Papa did not survive. He is with God now. Where is Caspian? I must speak with him right away.”
The old soldier sighed heavily. “If you think to ask him to surrender the keep, he won’t. You should not waste your breath.”
“I did not come to ask him that,” she said. “I told you I have brought help with me. This is Sir Caius d’Avignon and he serves William Marshal. Harcourt, where is my brother?”
The old man eyed Caius before looking to Emelisse to see if she was being forced to say such thin
gs. He seemed confused, but finally, he shook his head.
“He has gone to be with your papa,” he said as gently as he could. “Your brother died from an arrow wound last night, but he told us that we aren’t to surrender the keep under any circumstances. We are to die here.”
Emelisse stared at him, her hands flying to her mouth to hold back the sobs that were struggling to burst forth. “Nay,” she breathed. “Not Caspian… God, please…”
That was as far as she could get before tears overwhelmed her and she hung her head, silently sobbing. Caius looked at her with concern, with sorrow, before stepping forward to take charge of the conversation.
“As the lady has explained, I serve William Marshal,” he said. “I am not siding with Winterhold, nor am I siding with Hawkstone, but I am here to see that the hostilities cease until this situation can be settled. Where is the lady’s brother?”
“In here, with us,” the old man said. “He did not die alone. We made sure he was comfortable. He feared greatly for the lady and their father, and we tried to be of some comfort.”
“Please,” Emelisse whispered hoarsely. “I must see him. Please let me see him.”
Caius heard her heartbreaking plea. He turned to the old soldier again.
“Please open the door,” he said. “I am not asking you to surrender the keep, but the lady has a right to see her brother.”
The old man hesitated a moment before nodding wearily. “And you’ll keep those Winterhold bastards away?”
“I will.” Caius leaned in Morgan’s direction and muttered. “Once Hallam has the Winterhold men out of the bailey, put our escort at the gatehouse to block them from entering again. And find Maxton; I want him on the gate, also. Keep them out while we are conducting our business.”
Morgan nodded and rushed off. Meanwhile, the old man had disappeared and Caius went to Emelisse, who was standing there with her head down, trying desperately not to collapse. First her father, now her brother… Caius could only imagine what she was feeling. Gently, he reached out and took her by the elbow.
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