No,“ Thomas insisted, wait here and look after the Countess.” He was angry with himself. He should have used his own bow from the start and simply removed the telitale arrow and shot a bolt into Sir Simon's corpse, but he had fumbled the ambush. But at least Sir Simon had fled westwards, away from his two men-at-arms, and he was naked, bleeding and unarmed. Easy prey, Thomas told himself as he followed the blood drops among the trees. The trail went west and then, as the blood thinned, southwards. Sir Simon was obviously working his way back towards his companions and Thomas abandoned caution and just ran, hoping to cut the fugitive off. Then, bursting through some hazels, he saw Sir Simon, limping and bent. Thomas pulled the bow back, and just then Colley and the squire came into view, both with swords drawn and both spurring their horses at Thomas. He switched his aim to the nearest and loosed without thinking. He loosed as a good archer should, and the arrow went true and fast, smack into the mailed chest of the squire, who was thrown back in his saddle. His sword dropped to the ground as his horse swerved hard to its left, going in front of Sir Simon. Colley wrenched his reins and reached for Sir Simon, who clutched at his outstretched hand and then half ran and was half carried away into the trees. Thomas had dragged a second arrow from the bag, but by the time he loosed it the two men were half hidden by trees and the arrow glanced off a branch and was lost among the leaves.
Thomas swore. Colley had stared straight at Thomas for an instant. Sir Simon had also seen him and Thomas, a third arrow on his string, just stared at the trees as he understood that every-thing had just fallen apart. In one instant. Everything. He ran back to the clearing by the stream. You're to take the Countess to the town,“ he told Jake and Sam, but for Christ's sake go carefully. They'll be searching for us soon. You'll have to sneak back.”
They stared at him, not understanding, and Thomas told them what had happened. How he had killed Sir Simon's squire, and how that made him both a murderer and a fugitive. He had been seen by Sir Simon and by the yellow-haired Colley, and they would both be witnesses at his trial and celebrants at his execution. He told Jeanette the same in French. You can trust Jake and Sam,“ he told her, but you mustn't be caught going home. You have to go carefully!”
Jake and Sam argued, but Thomas knew well enough what the consequences of the killing arrow were. Tell Will what happened,“ he told them. Blame it all on me and say I'll wait for him at Quatre Vents.” That was a village the hellequin had laid waste south of La Roche-Derrien. Tell him I'd like his advice.'
Jeanette tried to persuade him that his panic was unnecessary. Perhaps they did not recognize you?“ she suggested. They recognized me, my lady,” Thomas said grimly. He smiled ruefully. I am sorry, but at least you have your armour and sword. Hide them well.“ He pulled himself into Sir Simon's saddle. Quatre Vents,” he told Jake and Sam, then spurred southwards through the trees.
He was a murderer, a wanted man and a fugitive, and that meant he was any man's prey, alone in the wilderness made by the helle-quin. He had no idea what he should do or where he could go, only that if he was to survive then he must ride like the devil's horseman that he was.
So he did.
Quatre Vents had been a small village, scarce larger than Hookton, with a gaunt barn-like church, a cluster of cottages where cows and people had shared the same thatched roofs, a water mill, and some outlying farms crouched in sheltered valleys. Only the stone walls of the church and mill were left now, the rest was just ashes, dust and weeds. The blossom was blowing from the untended orchards when Thomas arrived on a horse sweated white by its long journey. He released the stallion to graze in a well-hedged and overgrown pasture, then took himself into the woods above the church. He was shaken, nervous and frightened, for what had seemed like a game had twisted his life into darkness. Not a few hours before he had been an archer in England's army and, though his future might not have appealed to the young men with whom he had rioted in Oxford, Thomas had been certain he would at least rise as high as Will Skeat. He had imagined himself leading a band of soldiers, becoming wealthy, following his black bow to fortune and even rank, but now he was a hunted man. He was in such panic that he began to doubt Will Skeat's reaction, fearing that Skeat would be so disgusted at the failure of the ambush that he would arrest Thomas and lead him back to a rope-dancing end in La Roche-Derrien's marketplace. He worried that Jeanette would have been caught going back to the town. Would they charge her with murder too? He shivered as night fell. He was twenty-two years old, he had failed utterly, he was alone and he was lost. He woke in a cold, drizzling dawn. Hares raced across the pasture where Sir Simon Jekyll's destrier cropped the grass. Thomas opened the purse he kept under his mail coat and counted his coins. There was the gold from Sir Simon's saddle pouch and his own few coins, so he was not poor, but like most of the hellequin he left the bulk of his money in Will Skeat's keeping; even when they were out raiding, there were always some men left in La Roche-Derrien to keep an eye on the hoard. What would he do? He had a bow and some arrows, and perhaps he could walk to Gascony, though he had no idea how far that was, but at least he knew there were English garrisons there who would surely welcome another trained archer. Or perhaps he could find a way to cross the Channel? Go home, find another name, start again except he had no home. What he must never do was find himself within a hanging rope's distance of Sir Simon Jekyll.
The hellequin arrived shortly after midday. The archers rode into the village first, followed by the men-at- arms, who were escorting a one-horse wagon that had wooden hoops supporting a flapping cover of brown cloth. Father Hobbe and Will Skeat rode beside the wagon, which puzzled Thomas, for he had never known the hellequin use such a vehicle before. But then Skeat and the priest broke away from the men-at-arms and spurred their horses towards the field where the stallion grazed.
The two men stopped by the hedge, and Skeat cupped his hands and shouted towards the woods, Come on out, you daft bastard!“ Thomas emerged very sheepishly, to be greeted with an ironic cheer from the archers. Skeat regarded him sourly. God's bones, Tom,” he said, but the devil did a bad thing when he humped your mother.'
Father Hobbe tutted at Will's blasphemy, then raised a hand in blessing. You missed a fine sight, Tom,“ he said cheerfully: Sir Simon coming home to La Roche, half naked and bleeding like a stuck pig. I'll hear your confession before we go. Don't grin, you stupid bastard,” Skeat snapped. Sweet Christ, Tom, but if you do a job, do it proper. Do it proper! Why did you leave the bastard alive?'
I missed.'
Then you go and kill some poor bastard squire instead. Sweet Christ, but you're a goddamn bloody fool.'
I suppose they want to hang me?“ Thomas asked. Oh no,” Skeat said in feigned surprise, of course not! They want to feast you, hang garlands round your neck and give you a dozen virgins to warm your bed. What the hell do you think they want to do with you? Of course they want you dead and I swore on my mother's life I'd bring you back if I found you alive. Does he look alive to you, father?'
Father Hobbe examined Thomas. He looks very dead to me, Master Skeat.'
He bloody deserves to be dead, the daft bastard.“ Did the Countess get safe home?” Thomas asked. She got home, if that's what you mean,“ Skeat said, but what do you think Sir Simon wanted the moment he'd covered up his shrivelled prick? To have her house searched, Tom, for some armour and a sword that were legitimately his. He's not such a daft fool; he knows you and she were together.” Thomas cursed and Skeat repeated the blasphemy. So they pressed her two servants and they admitted the Countess planned everything.'
They did what?' Thomas asked.
They pressed them,“ Skeat repeated, which meant that the old couple had been put flat on the ground and had stones piled on their chests. The old girl squealed everything at the first stone, so they were hardly hurt,” Skeat went on, and now Sir Simon wants to charge her ladyship with murder. And naturally he had her house searched for the sword and armour, but they found nowt because I had them and her hidden well away, but she's still as deep in the shit as you are. You can't just go about sticking crossbow bolts into knights and slaughtering squires, Tom! It upsets the order of things!'
I'm sorry, Will,' Thomas said.
So the long and the brief of it,“ Skeat said, is that the Countess is seeking the protection of her husband's uncle.” He jerked a thumb at the cart. She's in that, together with her bairn, two bruised servants, a suit of armour and a sword.'
Sweet Jesus,“ Thomas said, staring at the cart. You put her there,” Skeat growled, not Him. And I had the devil's own business keeping her hid from Sir Simon. Dick Totesham suspects I'm up to no good and he don't approve, though he took my word in the end, but I still had to promise to drag you back by the scruff of your miserable neck. But I haven't seen you, Tom.“ I'm sorry, Will,” Thomas said again.
