Harald (16 page)

"Look to the lady, Majesty." Thorvald charged their pursuers, sword out, his brother beside him. The King hesitated a moment; Anne did not. He followed her.

Five miles north, the fresher horses were gaining. A long open stretch, the lead Wolves in sight, Anne and James almost abreast. A shout from the woods ahead.

"Right, for your lives."

Anne wheeled her horse, James followed. They crashed into the edge of the forest, through brush; the horses slowed. He looked back. A horse running free, a cluster of Wolves around a body, some off their horses with bows out.

"This way. On foot."

They followed, leading their horses up and over a series of low ridges, coming to a stop at last at the edge of a clearing where two horses were tethered to a tree. Their guide, when she stood still long enough for a clear look, was younger than Anne. Mail over golden brown tunic, bow. Order. They stood a moment, catching their breath, uncertain.

A voice behind them. "What have we?"

Startled, James turned. Wider, plainer of face, similarly garbed and armed.

"We should go first. I'm Elaina ni Leonor; my sister Kara ni Lain."

"The lady's name is Anne, mine James. You are sister to Caralla ni Leonor?"

"We have the same mother. Do you know Cara?"

"She saved my life not long ago; it seems to be a family habit."

"Kara spotted the Wolves this morning. They were coming this way, so we got ready for them. We don't like Wolves."

"All things considered, I cannot blame you. We are your debtors. Might you by chance increase the debt by directing me to where Harald Haraldsson and the Lady Commander are encamped?"

Anne spoke, surprise in her voice: "You are at peace with Harald?"

"With Harald and with the Lady Commander. In their debt. You were right; I was wrong."

She spoke gravely. "Then if your question has not changed, my answer has."

It was some time before they again noticed the two Ladies.

By Kara's advice they avoided the road; the woods were safer if slower. Before nightfall they made camp east and north of the inn. The two Ladies helped their guests construct a shelter, floor it with pine boughs, then vanished into the woods. James was the first to speak.

"You said you had a tale."

"Did you ever tell Andrew why we quarreled?"

"No."

"He took your room in the castle, left me in mine. I think he hoped . . . He didn't know about the sliding panel. I listened."

"And?"

"Heard him instruct Mord to have his Wolves find you, kill you, blame Harald. Heard him hint to two provincial lords that William was too young to rule, that if they supported him instead they would not lose by it. Heard him instruct his people to have certain of the garrison imprisoned. He has brought in men loyal to him. There are mercenaries in the castle I have not seen before. Some will not speak in any language I know. I think Westkin. And there is more."

"Enough and too much. What else?"

"The Emperor's man in Eston paid a long visit. Too fast for me to follow, but I think they have an understanding."

"That first lunch. Harald was right."

"Usually, I think. What did he say?"

"That if I required wisdom, I hadn't far to look."

Kara, her head three feet from theirs, smiled. She came to her feet soundlessly, moved like a shadow through the woods to her hammock.

Three days later they reached Stephen's hill, Harald's force encamped below it. Elaina led them past the cats' encampment to where the Order's banner, green circle on gold, flew above lines of hammocks, cooking fires, tethered horses. Two women at a fire near the banner looked up, came to their feet. Elaina hesitated a moment, then slid off her horse, ran to her mother. Caralla walked over, nodded to the King, looked curiously at his companion. James was the first to speak.

"Anne, the Lady Caralla ni Leonor, Elaina's sister. Lady Caralla, Anne of Estfen, my betrothed."

Anne looked down, spoke: "I understand I have you to thank for my lord's life."

Caralla looked puzzled a moment, then her face cleared.

"I just followed orders. It was one of Father's set-piece battles—everything important settled five minutes before it starts."

This time it was Anne who looked blank. James explained.

"The Lady is daughter to Harald."

"Fortune indeed. Speaking of whom, it would be well to find him."

"Father's up hill with Stephen; we can take you."

She walked over to the other two, got their attention. Elaina remounted, Leonora and Caralla fetched their horses. Elaina rode by her mother; Caralla caught Kara's glance, fell back to join her. When they reached the gate it was open; Leonora led the party through it.

In Stephen's council chamber Harald looked up, saw Anne, smiled.

"All this way for stories? I'm flattered."

"It would be worth the ride, but I have one to tell first."

Leonora sent Elaina and Kara off, with instructions to stay out of trouble. The rest were silent as Anne repeated what she had seen and heard. When she was done, Harald spoke.

"The Westkin you saw. What were their tattoos?"

Anne thought a moment. "The one who seemed to be in charge of the others had a black bird on his forehead."

"Ravens. At least he has sense enough not to mix clans. Any idea how many?"

"They had half the west barracks."

"Fifty to a hundred. What else?"

"A company, thirty or forty, that seemed to be his people—accents from the hill country south of Estmont. Another company I think were mercenaries. The Wolves mostly lodged in Eston, but ten or twenty in the castle, maybe more."

James broke in. "What about my people?"

"He quarreled with the captain of your guard for losing you—and living. Sent them all off to Eston. Of the men you left behind, he sent some with messages. Two at least he locked up; I don't know if he gave any reason. Of the old garrison, maybe ten are left."

Leonora summed it up. "Fewer than two hundred, almost all loyal to Andrew." She looked at Harald; he nodded, spoke.

"Stephen, what can you raise fast?"

"Messengers out today? Two-fifty, maybe three hundred, five days from now. Five, six more days for the rest. We'd best assemble on my southern border, plains west of the road. Plenty of grass."

"What about Brand?"

"If he's home when the bird gets there, a hundred in five days—farther to come. Maybe more. Four hundred more in another week or so."

" 'Nora?"

"Three tataves in camp, one in the hills east. Do we pull in our scouts, Stephen's, from the border?"

"No. Four tataves, my people, Brand and Stephen's. Leave James's folk in Eston out—too hard to get word to them without its getting to other people. Bring them in after. Taking the castle gets the birds, might get Andrew, might not. He'll have more people south. Snake clan, maybe. Mercenaries from over the eastern passes. Useful stuff, gold. Need a royal banner."

Harald, Leonora, and Stephen spent the rest of the afternoon working out details with occasional help from Caralla; James and Anne sat, hands linked, listened, answered an occasional question. When they were done, servants brought dinner.

Eight days later Harald reached the fork in the road where he had separated from Hrolf a year before—left to Eston, right to the castle. A Lady, dressed as a traveler, mounted, was waiting. He gave her an enquiring look; she spoke quietly.

"Caralla's watching the gate, the rest are scattered between here and there. Nothing that looks like a messenger the past two days."

"Stay; we don't want word going out, either. Not till we send it."

She nodded, backed her horse into the woods to let the columns pass. They made camp in the twilight, set sentries on all three roads. Well before dawn the Order broke camp, moved off into the woods toward the castle.

The sentry above the gate heard hoofbeats, looked up. Out of the forest edge, a bowshot and more from the gate, a rider came galloping. More. Dark cloaks, a red splotch on the breast of one—Wolves. A lot of Wolves. Something behind them. He yelled to the captain of the gate, the guards below. As the gate swung ponderously open—the bridge was already down—the castle courtyard filled with yells, running feet. Men ran past him; he reached down for the bow and quiver at his feet, rose again. Something struck him a sudden blow on the chest. He looked down—an arrow.

Anne watched, hidden at the forest edge, out of bowshot from the walls. From the brush ahead arrows poured at the castle. She turned to Elaina.

"Some of them are going high."

"At the far rampart, shooting blind. Arrows from behind make men nervous."

The lead force in their borrowed plumage were through the gate. Behind them the pursuers, a double column of cats at a gallop. The gate stayed open; they went through. After them the main body, banners of North and River, between them the royal banner. By the time James reached the castle courtyard the fighting was over, the ramparts swept clean, the courtyard spotted with bodies, men laying down their weapons. Harald, in the middle of the courtyard with his cats spread out behind him, was arguing with one of the nomads. He turned to the King.

"Wants supplies over Northgate; Emperor might not be too happy with them any more. I said parties of ten, my messenger first. He thinks I'm being rude. Can I invite him and senior kin to stay a week as guests while junior kin head home? Wounded to stay till they can travel. Useful folk to know."

James nodded.

The chair in the King's council chamber was at least as comfortable as a saddle and Harald had slept in a lot of saddles. He came out of a half doze at a familiar voice, opened his eyes. The guard captain appeared to have survived his brief imprisonment without serious damage. Harald was the first to speak.

"Henry. You owe me a gold piece."

The King looked puzzled, the captain blank; neither spoke.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

The guard captain shook his head.

"It doesn't count; I was locked in the dungeon."

"When we made the bet, we didn't say anything about who I had to take the castle from. Besides, you weren't locked up for the past three years. Told you to keep the brush down."

"And I told His Majesty."

"And I had more urgent matters to deal with. Fortunate you didn't tell Andrew. I gather the two of you had a bet."

"Five years back. 'Nora?"

"Sober, and off settling a fight between two of my commanders who weren't. Never heard the terms."

"Stephen?"

"You said you could take the castle. Henry said you couldn't—not without a siege. One gold piece. To Harald if he did it, to Henry if he tried and failed."

The King reached into his purse, pulled out a gold piece; Henry caught it out of the air.

"Pay him. My fault."

Harald closed his eyes again, considered the situation. Andrew had left the castle with the contents of the treasury and most of his own people, probably on word of either Mord's failure or Anne's escape. The mercenaries and nomads had been left behind to hold the castle, the Wolves, Harald suspected, in the hope that the King might show up without an army.

They were talking about birds. Philip's voice. Harald opened his eyes again.

"Your Majesty's cousin commanded me to send birds to most of the provinces south of here; he did not tell me why or what messages they carried."

"What does that leave us?"

"Nothing for Estfen or Estmount; he sent the last three to each the day of his departure. Two birds still for Estmark. South one for the hills, one for the plains. Two for Westval. One other thing, Majesty."

James looked up.

"I sleep in the tower under the birds. This morning, bell woke me, yelling. Someone pounded on the door. No voice I knew. Didn't pull the bolt—figured it was worth waiting to know more. After a while he went away."

Harald turned to the King. "Majesty, Anne should be here."

The King gave him a puzzled look.

"If the southern provinces are in revolt—hills, plain, everything east—you'll need the other half of the kingdom to deal with them, full levies. If they are with Andrew because he told them you're dead, they're fighting me, you should move fast with what you have—and bring your banner. The lady is Estfen's daughter, Estmont's niece, nobody's fool."

The King looked around the room. "Henry, you know the lady Anne's apartments?"

He nodded.

"Take word that I would be glad of her counsel. While we wait I will send for refreshment."

The refreshment came, followed by the lady.

Harald put the question to her. She thought a moment before answering.

"Estmark is friendly to Andrew because he wants his word with His Majesty, next time he quarrels with us. Father hasn't forgiven Andrew for last time. Nobody likes him much. If he told any of the three he planned to seize the throne by force, they'd bring you his head, happy to do it. South plains, hills, I don't know."

Harald nodded to her, turned to the King. "By my counsel we leave a skeleton garrison here, under Henry. Call out the Eston levies, what they can mount of them. Bird to Westval—they're close. Spend tomorrow getting ready, assembling supplies, sweeping the Eston taverns for what's missing of your guard. Next day west and south. Order out first as scouts, all the way across the plain in case they come up the west edge."

"Should we send birds to everyone else to tell them I'm alive and Andrew a traitor?"

"Messages can lie. It's your face we need. Pigeon can't carry that."

The next morning Harald, sleeping in a room at the base of the south tower, was awakened by voices nearby, thumping noises, someone singing off key. Dawn. Through the arrow slit he observed a team of men with axes, Henry among them, cutting brush. There being nothing handy to throw, he went back to bed.

A day and a half later, the army formed up outside the walls. Harald was feeding his mare a last handful of oats when he heard voices raised behind him.