The Thunder Lord: The de Shera Brotherhood Book One (Lords of Thunder: The de Shera Brotherhood 1) (27 page)

Troy came to a halt several feet away, his white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “You get uglier by the year, de Winter,” he greeted him fondly in spite of his words. “What in the hell are you doing upon my doorstep?”

Davyss grinned at the man he’d known a very long time. “There is much to tell, my friend,” he said. “Where is Gallus?”

Troy threw a thumb in a westerly direction. “At Kenilworth with de Montfort,” he said. “Why? What is happening?”

Davyss’ brow furrowed, confused. “He is
with
de Montfort?” he clarified.

Troy nodded. “He has been there for a little over two weeks,” he said. “Why? What in the name of Lucifer is happening? Why are you here?”

Davyss was thoroughly baffled by now. With a heavy sigh, he leaned forward on the pommel of his saddle.

“I do not even know where to begin,” he said, scratching his forehead. “The king received word from de Montfort that suggests Gallus has fallen out of favor. The missive the king received said that not only was Gallus responsible for the death of Jacques Honore, but that he had taken a Welsh bride and was now allied with the Welsh against the whole of England. Henry has sent me and my father to take Isenhall.”

Troy’s eyes narrowed in both confusion and disbelief. “De Montfort told you that?” he asked, incredulous. “Why in the hell would he send a missive like that? Are you sure it was de Montfort who sent it and not someone who is trying to betray Gallus?”

Davyss shrugged. “I did not see the missive but I can only assume Henry believed it authentic,” he said. “I know what Gallus did to Honore, he told me. But what about his Welsh relations? Is there any truth to that?”

Troy shook his head. “Gallus went to Wales, that is true, but he is not siding with the Welsh, in anything,” he said sincerely. “Gallus went to Wales to retrieve his wife because she had taken her father home to recover from his wounds. He did not go to Wales to conspire with the Welsh – he only went to recover his wife and bring her back to Isenhall.”

Davyss was as perplexed as Troy was because none of this was making sense. “Then I return to the question I have had since the beginning of all of this,” he said. “
Why
would de Montfort send a missive like that? My father thought that mayhap de Montfort was luring Henry’s army into a trap. You don’t have a thousand men inside that castle waiting to ambush me, do you?”

Troy snorted. “I have a mere two hundred men,” he said. “Gallus, Maximus, Tiberius, Scott, de Moray, du Bois, and the rest of our army are all at Kenilworth because de Montfort is holding a major assembly of the barons. I was left here to watch over the castle as well as Lady de Shera and Lady Honey. How many men did you and your father bring?”

Davyss cocked a dark eyebrow. “Eleven hundred,” he said. “I also have two siege engines that would put me over the wall of Isenhall before sunrise. I do not want to do this, Troy. I do not want to take my friend’s fortress, but I am not sure I have any choice. I must speak with Gallus. He must know that de Montfort is out to betray him.”

Troy could only shake his head in disgust. “It is beyond comprehension what is going through de Montfort’s mind,” he replied. “Will your father hold off an attack until I send a message to Gallus? I will send one this very night.”

Davyss nodded. “He is no more anxious to lay siege to Isenhall than I am,” he replied. “He and Antoninus de Shera were very good friends, you know. He views Isenhall as an ally. He will hold off until we can straighten this out with Gallus, of that I am certain.”

Troy was relieved. He didn’t relish trying to hold off Davyss and two siege engines. “Then I will send word to Gallus immediately,” he said. “Will you come inside and help me compose a missive? I do not want whatever we write to fall into de Montfort’s hands. If the man is conspiring, I do not want to tip him off that we know of his scheme against Gallus. Whatever we send must be worded carefully.”

Davyss was in complete agreement. “We must take this to a higher authority, you know,” he said.

Troy looked at him, curiously. “Who?”

“Lady Honey.”

Troy grinned in understanding. “Ah,” he said. “Of course. We will let
her
write the missive.”

Together, the two knights began to move towards the darkened bastion of Isenhall. As they drew close, Davyss’ gaze moved fondly over the old walls.

“I have not been here in years,” he said. “I have fond memories of Lady Honey’s cheese pie. Does she still make it?”

Troy nodded. “Her cook does,” he said. “Lady Honey is very ill these days. A cancer, the physic says. She does not do much of anything except lay in bed and wait for death to come.”

Davyss looked at him, stricken. “And Gallus is away at time like this?”

Troy shrugged. “Lady Honey insisted,” he said. “You know that when Lady Honey insists, you have little choice in the matter.”

Davyss sighed, thinking of the woman he had grown up viewing as another mother. “That is true,” he said. “She is much like my own mother in that respect. But is she truly dying? You are certain?”

They had reached the gates of Isenhall but before they passed through into the torch-lit bailey beyond, Troy looked at Davyss.

“You will see for yourself,” he said quietly.

It was an ominous statement, one Davyss didn’t like in the least. Following Troy into the great innards of the mighty fortress, he couldn’t shake the sense of dread that followed him. So much of this venture was distasteful and dark, and he didn’t like any of it. He didn’t like de Montfort attempting to betray an honorable and gracious knight and he didn’t like the fact that death, in general, seemed to be hanging over Isenhall. Once a home of joy and power, now, there seemed to be a cloud of doom hanging over it. Doom, death, and betrayal.

When he finally laid eyes on Lady Honey, he wept.

The cheese and honey pie was gone.

It was meant to be Jeniver’s, and she had indeed eaten a large piece of it, but when the knight who had been introduced to her the night before as Davyss de Winter plowed into it, there was nothing left but crumbs.

Seated in the small dining hall on the ground level of Isenhall’s keep, Jeniver had never seen anyone eat so fast or in such great chunks. De Winter had eaten three-quarters of a fairly large pie in five or six big bites. Jeniver would swear the man had inhaled it. Violet and Lily, seated at the table with Jeniver during what was supposed to be a morning meal, giggled and laughed as Davyss did everything but eat the knife and spoon he had used to devour the pie.

In her early pregnancy, Jeniver’s stomach was a fickle thing, and watching the knight suck up the pie had made her rather nauseous. So she sat, sipping on boiled apple juice with cloves, as Davyss proceeded to eat a half a loaf of bread, a goodly portion of boiled beef, baked eggs with cheese, and a mashed fruit and grain porridge that the little girls were eating. When Davyss realized that Gallus’ children were laughing at him, he pretended to try and eat their hands, too. The girls squealed happily with Lily going so far as to offer her fingers repeatedly to him. Davyss would eat a bite of his food, swallow, and then nibble on her little fingers. This went on until Davyss was nearly finished with his meal but, still, the girls wanted him to eat their fingers. Finally, he looked to Jeniver for assistance.

“My lady, I fear I cannot eat any more,” he said, indicating the small hands that were extended at them. “I do not want to hurt little feelings.”

Jeniver smiled faintly at him before turning to the girls. “Lily, Violet,” she said gently. “Please go and make sure that Taranis has been fed this morning. I know he was sleeping earlier in your chamber but he might be awake now. He will be hungry.”

The mention of the puppy was enough to get the children moving. They fled the table and raced up the stairs to their chamber to check on their most prized possession. Jeniver could hear them upstairs, banging about, as she returned her focus to Davyss who was just finishing up his watered ale. She was still watching him when he set his cup down, her expression hinting at her concerns and suspicion.

Davyss knew Lady de Shera was watching him with distrust she was trying to hide. She had been present in Lady Honey’s chamber the night before when Davyss had arrived and, once he overcame his emotional state at Honey’s health, he had explained why he had come. The politically-astute Lady Honey, in spite of the fact that she was having difficulty breathing and speaking, confirmed that her opinion was the same as Davyss’ – that de Montfort was somehow attempting to betray Gallus. To Honey, it was an unforgivable offense. No man moved against her sons without response.

As Davyss and Troy had planned, it was Lady Honey who worded the missive that Troy so carefully wrote down, the one that would be sent to Gallus. She, too, was fearful it would fall into de Montfort’s hands so she did the only thing she could do – begged her sons to come home because she was breathing her last. She said nothing about armies or de Montfort or even Davyss. It was all about her and she wanted her sons to come home. The missive went out in the wee hours of the morning, heading for Kenilworth.

Now, there was nothing to do but wait until Gallus and his brothers returned. Still, Lady de Shera had misgivings about the entire situation. Davyss could see it in her eyes when he looked at her. As he finished wiping off his face of crumbs, he forced a smile at the woman.

“You have been most gracious, Lady de Shera,” he said. “Thank you for sharing your honey pie with me. I have been dreaming of it for years, wondering when I would have my next taste. When Gallus and I were boys, Lady Honey would make it for us quite frequently. It reminds me a good deal of my childhood.”

Jeniver forced a smile. “I am pleased that you enjoyed it,” she said, but she sounded apprehensive. Hesitantly, she continued. “What will you do now, Sir Davyss? You have sent my husband a missive from his mother begging him to come home because she is dying just so you can speak with him, but what will you do now? Return to your father and await my husband?”

Davyss could understand her concern, her fear of the unknown. “I will return to my father and tell him what I have discovered here,” he said. “I will tell him that we have sent word to Gallus, asking him to return to Isenhall. Rest assured that we will make no move against Isenhall during this time. In fact, I am sure my father will want to visit Lady Honey. They are old and good friends. With your permission, I would like to bid my farewell to Lady Honey before departing.”

Davyss stood up and Jeniver followed. “Of course you may,” she said, moving away from the table with him and heading for the stairs. “But what happens when Gallus returns? You are under orders from the king. Will you disobey him? Or will you lay siege to a castle with a dying old woman inside of it?”

He could hear rebuke in her tone, her fear causing bitterness. “Gallus and I will decide what is to be done, Lady de Shera,” he said evenly. “You needn’t worry.”

Jeniver didn’t like the feeling that he was brushing her off. “I am not trying to be belligerent,” she said. “But you must understand that I am looking out for a dying woman and two small girls. Of course I worry about what will happen. I worry that my husband is being betrayed by a man he trusts.”

Davyss had an eye for beautiful women and he’d been known to steal the virginity of those he was particularly enamored with, but he didn’t like to be questioned by a woman no matter how beautiful she was. In his view, women were to be seen and not heard. His mother, a very strong character who ruled the House of de Winter with an iron fist, was quite good at ordering him around and he was obligated to respond. He wasn’t obligated to respond to Lady de Shera although he did not want to be rude to the woman. He could tell that she was genuinely concerned.

“I worry about the same thing,” he told her as the entered the level that had Lady Honey’s chamber on it. “If I did not care what happened to Gallus, then I would not have sent him the missive, would I? Please trust that we will do what needs to be done in order to preserve you and Lady Honey and Gallus’ children. I would not lift a sword against any of you, I swear it.”

That eased Jeniver somewhat. Nodding with resignation, as his words on the whole were of little comfort, she knocked softly on Honey’s door before lifting the latch and opening the panel. She was very quiet, peeking into the chamber to see that Honey was awake and being attended to by the physic. Coming alongside the bed with Davyss trailing after her, she smiled at Honey when their eyes met.

“Good morn to you, my lady,” she said softly, reaching out to take Honey’s hand. “Sir Davyss is leaving and wished to bid you farewell.”

Honey was having great difficulty speaking this morning. She felt very out of breath. But her eyes had lost none of their fire as she gazed up at Davyss, the mischievous young boy who had grown into a powerful knight. She looked upon him with great fondness no matter who the man fought for.

“Are you returning to your father?” she whispered.

Davyss nodded. “I am,” he replied. “I know he will wish to come and pay his respects. Will you see him?”

Honey was silent a moment as she thought on Grayson de Winter, a man she had once been quite fond of;
too
fond, in fact. She’d had something of a secret love for the man after her husband had passed away but Grayson never knew, or if he did, he never said anything about it. Honey wasn’t sure she was strong enough to see the man so she removed her fragile hand from Jeniver’s grasp and extended it to Davyss. He took it gently.

“I would wish for your father to remember me how I was, not how I am,” she answered. “Tell Grayson… tell him that I have always treasured his friendship.”

Davyss’ smile faded as he gazed onto the woman with the odd yellow complexion. “I will,” he said. “Are you sure you do not wish to tell him yourself?”

Honey tried to shake her head but she was so weak that it was difficult. “Nay,” she rasped. “You will tell him for me.”

Davyss simply nodded, bending over to kiss the frail hand before releasing it carefully. “I will, I swear it,” he said, glancing at Jeniver. “I am camped over the rise to the east. As soon as you hear from Gallus, please send word. I will return.”

Jeniver nodded, reclaiming Honey’s hand as Davyss quit the room. As the knight went to collect his horse and ride for his father, Jeniver pulled a chair next to Honey’s bed as Violet and Lily brought the puppy into the room so they could be near their grandmother. They didn’t quite understand what was happening to her but they knew she was quite ill. It was quite normal for them to play in her chamber and even with Honey’s illness, that hadn’t changed. Honey didn’t want it to.

As the old physic spooned some greenish liquid into Honey’s mouth, Jeniver couldn’t help but notice that the woman seemed to smell strange, like mold or rot. It was a foul smell that permeated the entire chamber. She was worse today. Jeniver could see it in her eyes.

“It promises to be a fine spring day,” Jeniver said, speaking on the first thing that came to mind so they would not be sitting around in gloomy silence. “There were clouds on the horizon last night but they missed us. Gallus should have the missive by now. I am sure he will be home by tonight. Kenilworth is not very far away, is it? Gallus said it was quite close.”

Honey’s eyes were closed but her mouth worked, trying to wash away the terrible taste of the green liquid.

“Jeni,” she breathed. “This will be the last day that I remember on this earth. You must do something for me.”

Jeniver struggled not to tear up. Having gone through the threat of death so recently with her father, the pain and fear of losing a parent was still very fresh in her mind. She didn’t want to listen to last requests but she was the only one available. Her heart ached for her husband as she squeezed Honey’s hand.

“What is your wish, my lady?” she asked tightly.

Honey’s eyes opened and fixed on Jeniver. “I fear that I will not be able to speak to Gallus when he finally arrives,” she murmured. “When he comes, you will tell him that whatever he does, he must keep Isenhall intact for future generations. De Montfort is trying to destroy him and he must not let the man win. He must fight.”

Jeniver nodded, putting a soothing hand on Honey’s forehead. “He will fight,” she assured the woman. “You know your son, my lady. He will not let de Montfort best him. He is the Thunder Lord, after all. De Montfort is a mere mortal.”

Honey’s eyes closed after that and her breathing seemed to calm. Jeniver thought she was asleep but suddenly, she began to speak with a strength beyond her fragile body. It was an inner strength, something that brought back memories of the Lady Honey of old. The resolute, strong woman was still there, somewhere, trapped in a body that was betraying her.

“I had a dream this morning that Antoninus was standing at the gates of Isenhall,” she said. “He looked the same as he did when he was young and strong, before age and his health caused him to deteriorate. I saw this man in my dream, as I once remembered him, but he stood at the gates of Isenhall and would not come in no matter what I said. He simply stood there and smiled. Do you know what I think? He is standing there right now, waiting for me to come to him. When I dream of him again, I believe that I might go to him. I… I have missed him.”

With that, she faded off as Jeniver sat beside the woman, her lower lip trembling and tears streaming down her face. She wiped the tears away, sniffling, as the physic bent over Honey to check her pulse. As the physic lifted an eyelid, Jeniver squeezed Lady Honey’s hand.

“If you dream of him again, then you must go,” she whispered. “I will take care of Gallus and your sons, so do not fear for them. All will be well. If Antoninus comes again to the gates, then you must go to him.”

Honey’s breathing became deep and labored and Jeniver looked to the physic with concern. The old, bald man, still bent over Honey, must have sensed her alarm because he turned to look at Jeniver.

“She sleeps now, my lady,” he said in a voice that sounded as if frogs were croaking. “I do not know if she will awaken again, but for now, she sleeps.”

Jeniver kissed Honey’s hand before placing it gently against the woman’s chest. Rising quietly, she herded Violet and Lily out of the room, carrying the puppy in her arms as she went. But before she passed over the threshold of the chamber, she cast a long look at Honey, lying small and pale upon the bed.

It seemed to her that Honey was fighting death, remaining because she was concerned about her sons and about the situation they were in. As Jeniver had told Gallus, perhaps Honey would hang on long enough to see him returned from Kenilworth and now with this latest happening, perhaps she would hang on longer than that. Now, she needed to see her beloved Gallus vindicated. For that moment, Honey was going to hang on as long as she could.

Antoninus would be waiting at the gates for quite some time.