“What is this?” asked the captain.
“Captain!” greeted the commander as he saluted, “These are men, carrying no papers, seeking entry into camp. They say they have urgent business with Duke Edmund of Northumberland.”
The captain looked towards the newcomers. “Who are you?” he asked. “What is your business with the Duke?”
“My name is Tobias Harding, Captain,” said the man. “I am the Duke’s trusted advisor at his castle. I have urgent business with the Duke. If only I may be allowed to see him.”
“Tobias Harding,” said the captain with a look of deep concentration on his face. “Have you ever served?”
“Aye, fifth regiment,” replied Tobias, “against the Scots some four years ago.”
“I was leading the third regiment in that war, Tobias Harding,” muttered the captain, “under the Lord Umber himself.”
“Then for the sake of past battles fought together, Captain, I pray you would let us into your camp and grant us an audience with the Duke,” said Tobias.
“Aye, perhaps.” The captain wet his lips. “And who be the boy with you, Master Tobias?”
“The boy’s name is Pip, Captain.” Tobias looked over at the boy. “He’s the Duke’s messenger boy at Northumberland.”
“An odd pairing, Master Tobias,” said the captain hesitantly. “Surely you understand why we may be suspicious.”
“Of course, Captain. But grant us an audience with the Duke, and you shall know that we speak the truth.”
“Very well,” said Bard hesitantly. “I will take you to the Duke. But you shall proceed on foot. And hand over your weapon to me at once.”
“Aye, Captain,” said Tobias and nodded to the boy.
The two of them disembarked immediately and without another word proceeded to follow Captain Bard through the camp. He led them through a maze of tents, the only sound being of their footsteps and the faint crackling of the torch that Bard held in front of him. Bard was a bit apprehensive, having his back towards two strangers so he frequently turned back to check up on them. Every single time, he found them quietly following him, heads down and hands folded behind their backs. Before long, they had crossed the camp and reached the Duke’s tent. Bard walked up to the pole and gently knocked on the tampered wood.
“Enter!” came the voice of the Duke almost immediately. It was not odd to find the Duke awake at such odd hours. He usually stayed up to calculate and predict the movements of the French. Ducking below the flap of the tent, Bard entered the dimly lit living space, closely followed by Tobias and Pip. Duke Edmund was hunched over at his table, a lamp illuminating his face.
“My Lord,” began the captain, “apologies to disturb you at such an hour, but these men were adamant at being granted an audience with you.”
The Duke looked up as recognition dawned on his face, “Tobias!” he exclaimed. “What in heaven’s name are you doing here?”
“My Lord,” greeted Tobias, bowing, “I’m afraid I bring grave news.”
“Pip! You be here too? What has happened Tobias? Is it Abigail, man? Speak!” the Duke walked up to Tobias, shaking him by the shoulders.
“Northumberland was overrun, My Lord,” said Tobias in a grave voice. “When I was still in London.”
“By who?” raged the Duke with an expression of surprise.
“The Earl of Aldrich, Harold Blakemore,” said Pip. “He took everyone captive, My Lord. I barely escaped with my life.”
“Pip! What fares of my Lady? How is she?” exclaimed the Duke. “Has any harm befallen her?”
“I know naught of the Duchess, My Lord,” said Pip hesitantly. “She was fine when I left.”
The Duke thought for a moment, “Oh Abigail, I pray you be fine. Captain, rouse my men. I wish to march back to my castle now. I’ll take two hundred and fifty men with me. The rest shall stay behind.”
“My Lord,” said the captain, “that would not be the best thing to do. London will take care of the civil unrest. It is better if you do not abandon your post.”
“London won’t help,” growled Tobias.
“Captain, do as you are told this instant,” ordered the Duke, “I am needed elsewhere.”
“Very well, My Lord,” said the captain in a dignified voice, “but If I am called to bear witness in front of a Royal jury, I shall be bound to bear witness against you as a deserter.”
The Duke looked at the captain and then muttered, “So be it.” With that, he marched out the tent, calling for his horse.
Chapter 20
Pip shuddered as a cold breeze brushed him while he stood upon a hill looking down upon Northumberland, the castle that he had been calling home these past three months. He knew naught of the Earl or the politics associated with why he would even think of doing something so treacherous. All he knew was that the Earl was an evil man. Everything about him screamed of evil and cruelty; the way he talked and walked and smiled. The man scared him. Pip shuddered again, but not from the cold this time. He had a feeling that something had tremendously gone wrong. The Earl terrified him.
“Oye, Pip,” called Tobias from behind him. “Get down; we do not wish to be seen.”
“Aye!” he exclaimed and immediately ducked.
The Duke and his party of men had left from the channel for the castle within minutes of receiving news of the Earl’s treachery. The cavalry had ridden out and had reached the base of the castle a few hours after dawn. They now stood atop a hill overlooking the castle. The men were in position, waiting for the Duke’s orders, ready to storm the gates of the castle.
“Pip, the Duke be needing you!” said Tobias and beckoned him forward.
Pip immediately got up and rushed towards where Tobias sat on his steed further away. A few steps away was the Duke’s horse. He sat, with a worried expression, looking down at his home. The Duke had been silent for most of the journey, concerned for his lady wife, Abigail.
“Yes, My Lord?” asked Pip, saluting the Duke.
The Duke looked at him with a troubled expression, “Pip,” he said in a grave tone, “I require a service from you. It may risk your life, my boy, but you are the only one who can do this.”
“What is it, My Lord?” asked Pip, becoming excited.
“The gates of the castle be closed, my boy. And they shall remain closed. We do not have time for a siege. We must get the doors to open,” said the Duke.
“Do you know of the back passage, Pip?” asked Tobias, “the one that leads into the kitchens from the pasture outside the castle?”
“Aye, Mr Tobias,” said Pip, “I know it well.”
“Pip, you be the only one in this company that can squeeze through the fence surrounding the pasture and enter the castle,” said Tobias, “then all you must do is go to the gates and pull the lever; the gates shall open within minutes.”
“I know it is a difficult task, my boy,” said the Duke, “but there is no one else. Are you up for it?”
Pip hesitated for a moment. Then masking his fear, he said, “Aye! I be knowing a shortcut through the orchard. The gates will be open within minutes, My Lord!”
“Are you sure, lad?” asked the Duke, sounding apprehensive.
“Surer than ever, My Lord.”
“Very well, then,” said the Duke and took out his own pistol. Extending it towards Pip, he said, “Take this, my boy. And pray that you may not need to use it.”
Pip carefully took the weapon in his hands and darted off, running down the hill as fast as his legs could carry him. “Be careful, Pip!” called the Duke behind him. Pip ran around the southern wall of the castle, ducking behind trees and bushes, careful not to be seen in the slanting rays of the early morning sun. Strafing towards the pasture, he approached the fence lined with barbed wire to keep unwanted predators out. Holding the wire away using the barrel of the pistol, Pip ducked into the pasture. Ignoring the bleating of the numerous sheep, he crawled towards the small metal door leading to the kitchens. The metal door was always d
ifficult to open as it was old and rusted, but Pip had figured out a way to open the door with minimum effort. Instead of pushing at the door, he pulled it towards him to unhinge the door from the ground, then with a grunt, he pushed out with all his strength, and the door creaked open. He was inside the castle.
The corridor leading up to the kitchens was very dimly lit. Pip tiptoed through the damp tunnel-like corridor until he reached the wooden doors of the kitchen. Opening them just a crack, he peeked inside. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Carefully, Pip slipped into the kitchen and closed the door behind him. He then slowly walked towards the doors leading into the orchard. The courtyard would be full of guards, so it would be foolish to go that way. Sneaking through the orchard was easy enough; there were no guards whatsoever. Pip walked along the wall separating the orchard from the yard and climbed over at the end. Scanning the courtyard, he saw that it was eerily empty. Delighted, he jumped off the wall and ran to the gate. Hurriedly, he pulled the lever next to the gates. A huge sack of sand fell a few steps away, releasing the weight holding the gates closed. The gates gradually creaked open as Pip ran off and hid behind a carriage.
Aldrich guards swarmed the courtyard. They saw the gates wide open but, oddly enough, did nothing to close them. They didn’t even brace themselves or load their weapons. Just then, the Earl himself stepped out the doors of the castle and looked across the courtyard towards the gates, a small smile playing on his lips. With a jolt, Pip realised why it had been so easy to sneak into the castle and open the gates. It was a trap. A chill ran down his spine as he heard battle cries and the sounds of hoofs as the Duke’s cavalry charged the castle. Panicking, Pip looked around, thinking of ways to stop the charge, but he was helpless. He saw as the cavalry galloped into the courtyard, the Duke in the lead. Suddenly, the Earl held up his hands, “I want no bloodshed!” he called, as the cavalry halted just inside the gates. “We surrender, Duke Edmund. Men! Lay down your weapons!”
His men immediately hastened to obey. All the guards put down their weapons and took a few steps back. Surprised, the Duke slid off his horse. “You surrender?” he called across the courtyard. “You surrender to the Crown’s laws and swear not to protest when you and your men are handed over to London so that justice may be done?”
“Aye,” said the Earl.
“Men!” the Duke called to his cavalry, “Arrest every single one of them and take them to the dungeons and free the people of this castle!”
The cavalry cheered as the men disembarked from their horses and proceeded to escort the Earl’s soldiers to the dungeons. The Duke walked up to the Earl, Tobias next to him. Pip darted out from his hiding place and ran towards his Lord.
“Where be my lady?” the Duke asked of the Earl just as Pip ran up to stand behind Tobias.
“She is unharmed,” said the Earl, looking extremely comfortable for a man who had just been arrested, “in the guest chambers of the castle. Please accept my humble felicitations for the child. May it be healthy.”
“I accept nothing from you,” growled the Duke. He then turned towards Pip, “Ah, Pip, you did excellent work, my boy.”
The Earl gasped with delight as he craned his neck to look at Pip, “Ah, so you are the rogue prisoner who escaped. Pip, I believe justice has been served in regard to your insolence.”
Pip hid behind Tobias, avoiding the Earl’s gaze as the Duke looked towards the Earl with a confused expression. “What do you mean, snake?” he asked in a menacing tone.
“Well, Lord Duke, I am sure you share my views on the importance of timely justice. But since the boy, the perpetrator was not here,” the Earl smiled widely, “I executed his father.”
Pip registered what the Earl had said, horrified. The Duke’s shouts of protest and rage as well as Tobias’s words of consolation fell on deaf ears as Pip fell to his knees, his pain making him oblivious to his surroundings. The only family he had, gone. Pip screamed in rage and sorrow, pounding the ground with his fists as tears rolled down his face. Silence fell in the courtyard as Pip wept in silence; everyone stared at the boy with looks of pity and despair. The silence was broken by the Earl who suddenly broke out into cheerful laughter.
Chapter 21
Tobias sighed as he walked towards the Duke’s study. Night had fallen. The moon could be seen as a fine line in the sky. It was a new one. But Tobias was too tired to appreciate how beautiful the moon looked. He had spent the whole day trying his best to bring the chaotic situation at Northumberland back in control. He had started with restraining the Duke who had struck the Earl Harold when he had laughed at Pip grovelling on the ground at his feet. The Duke had been furious; he would have done much worse than break the Earl’s nose if Tobias hadn’t held him back.
It was only after that the people of Northumberland had been released from the dungeons and the Earl and his soldiers had taken their place did the Duke decide it was time to reunite with his Duchess. The Duke had retired to his chambers and had asked that Abigail be escorted to his room at once. A shaken up chambermaid who had just been released had hastened to do as the Duke had commanded. The good Nurse Daisy had escorted a dishevelled and devastated looking Pip from the courtyard with promises of sweet syrup. Tobias had then sent riders out, carrying letters to all the Dukes of the area, as well as one letter to London. Finally, a guard of three men was sent out, escorting the Earl who was to stand trial in front of the Crown in London. The Earl’s soldiers were to stay in Northumberland for the time being.
Meanwhile, the Duke had stayed in his chambers with his lady wife, approving and disapproving papers and orders that Tobias sent up to him. Only now had the Duke shifted to his study and had summoned Tobias to discuss something urgent. Climbing the staircase, Tobias ran into the Duchess Abigail.
“My lady?” asked Tobias, “are you be needing something?”
“Aye, Tobias,” said Abigail, her eyes red. “I wished to send for Pip, but it seems as if the chambermaid has gone off to bed. I have to answer to the boy.”
“Retire to your chambers, My Lady. I shall have Pip sent up in a minute.”
“Very well. Thank you, Tobias,” said Abigail, disappearing into the master chambers.
Tobias leaned over the staircase. Spotting a chambermaid, he called out to her and relayed the Duchess’s instructions. Then, he continued to proceed to the Duke’s study. Every muscle in his body protested against the strain as he walked. He had been awake for a night and a day and had spent most of that time on a horse. He was exhausted. Reaching the doors of the Duke’s study, he stopped and knocked gently. After waiting for a moment, he entered. The Duke sat at his desk, looking out the window and smoking a pipe. He looked up at Tobias and gestured to an empty chair in front of him. Tobias hastily took his seat.
“Tobacco?” offered the Duke, holding out his pipe. Gratefully, Tobias accepted and took a long drag of the finely cut city tobacco as the Duke watched him, an odd look on his face.
“What be the reports of the day, my friend?” he asked. “Is everything done and accounted for?”
“Aye, it is,” said Tobias, returning the pipe.
“Good, good,” the Duke seemed to be deep in thought. “I did not question your decision in the moment, Tobias. But a man cannot help wondering; why did you not go to London for help? Why come to me at the channel?”
“My Lord,” said Tobias, “London would be of no help. I am afraid London has been compromised.”
“Compromised?” asked the Duke, raising an eyebrow.
Quickly, Tobias summarised his experience in London and the talk he had had with the messenger boy, Will Turner. The Duke stared at him as he spoke, apprehension dawning on his face.
“Lord Walder. Who would have thought? I was of the belief he was an honourable man,” the Duke muttered to himself. He then said, “Do you not find it odd, Tobias, that the Earl went through the trouble of acquiring Northumberland and then gave it up so easily? Especially how the idea of being brought before the Crown did nothing
to ail him?”
“Aye, My Lord,” said Tobias gravely, “There is more to what that man wishes to accomplish. We must be wary, My Lord. Lord Harold cannot be underestimated.”
The Duke looked out the window again, took a drag of his pipe and passed it to Tobias. In complete silence, the two men smoked the tobacco together until the pipe had gone out. It was then that the Duke got up and looked towards his friend. “It would be best for us to retire, Tobias. You look bleak. You must rest, old friend.”
“As should you.” With that, Tobias embraced the Duke and proceeded to exit the study.
“And Tobias,” the Duke called out from behind him, “pray that all goes well.”
Chapter 22
As the Duke made his way into his chambers, he caught sight of Pip sitting next to the Lady on the floor as she rocked in her chair. His face flooded with tears and her doting hand caressed him gently. She was whispering to him what seemed like words of consolation but were too inaudible to be distinctly heard. As the Duke’s careful, yet self-assured steps made their way across the room, a startled Pip suddenly rose to his feet. The Duke beckoned him to remain seated and carefully sat down in his own seat.
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