Scarlet

a shadow and just as silent. A fox works quick and so frightens the flock that none of them lets out a peep. With a fox in the barn, no one knows the deed is done till you walk in and find 'em all in a heap of blood and feathers.'

Odo bristles at this. 'Are you saying the sheriff hanged two innocent men?'

'I don't know that they were innocent, mind, but de Glanville hanged two men for the same crime that neither could have done.'

Odo shakes his head. 'Hearsay,' he decides. 'Hearsay and slander and lies.'

'That's right,' I say. 'You just keep telling yourself that, priest. Keep on a-saying it until they find a reason to tighten the rope around your fine plump neck, and then we'll see how you sing.'

CHAPTER 15

The snow continued through the night and over the next days, covering all, drifting deep on field and forest, hilltop and valley throughout Elfael. As soon as the hard weather eased up a little, we fetched the captured spoils back to Cel Craidd, along with the four oxen kept in a pen not far from the road, trusting to the windblown snow to remove any traces of our passing. We kept a right keen watch for the sheriff and his scabby men, but saw neither hank nor hair of them, and so hurried about our chores. The wagons we dismantled where they stood, keeping only the wheels and iron fittings; the animals were more useful, to be sure. One we kept to pull the plough in the spring; the others would be given to farmers in the area to replace those lost in one way or another to the Ffreinc.

It was the same with the money. Bran did not keep what he got from the raid, but shared it out among the folk of his realm, helping those who were most in need of it-and there were plenty of them, I can tell you. For the Normans had been in Elfael going on two years by then, and however bad it was in the beginning it was much worse now. Always worse with that hell crew, never better. So, the money was given out, and those who received it blessed King Raven and his men.

Oh, but that great gold ring began to weigh heavy on the slender strap around Bran's princely neck. Worth a king's ransom it was, and we all stoked a secret fear that one day the Red King himself would come after it with an army. We were all atwist over this when Friar Tuck showed up.

I had heard his name by then, and some few things about him-how he had helped Bran in his dealings with the king and cardinal. But whatever I had heard did nothing to prepare me for the man himself. Part imp, part oaf, part angel-that is Friar Tuck.

His arrival was announced in the usual way: one of the sentries gave out the shrill whistle of a crake. This warned the Grellon that someone was coming and that this visitor was welcome. An intruder would have demanded a very different call. For those few who were allowed to come and go, however, there was a simple rising whistle. Well, we heard the signal, and folk stopped whatever they were doing and turned towards the blasted oak to see who would appear through the hedge. A few moments later, a fat little dumpling rolled down the bank, red face shining with a sheen of sweat despite the chill in the air, the hem of his robe hiked up and stuffed in his belt to keep it from dragging through the snow.

'Happy Christ-tide!' he called when he saw all the folk hurrying to greet him. 'It is good to see you, Iwan! Siarles! Gaenor, Teleri, Henwydd!' He called out the names of folk he knew. 'Good to see you! Peace to one and all!'

'Tuck!' shouted Siarles, hurrying to greet him. 'Hail and welcome! With all this snow, we did not think to see you again until the spring.'

'And where should I be at Christ-tide, but with my own dear friends?'

'No bag this time?'

'Bag? I've brought half of Hereford with me!' He gestured vaguely toward the trail. 'There's a pack mule coming along. Rhoddi met me on the trail and sent me on ahead.'

Bran and Merian appeared then, and Angharad was not far behind. The little friar was welcomed with laughter and true affection; I glimpsed in this something of the respect and high regard this simple monk enjoyed amongst the Grellon. The king of England might receive similar adulation on his travels, I'll warrant, but little of the fondness.

'God with you, Friar,' said Merian, stepping forward to bless our visitor. 'May your sojourn here well become you.' She smiled and bent at the waist to bestow a kiss on his cheek. Then, taking that same round red cheek between finger and thumb, she gave it a pinch. 'That is for leaving without wishing me farewell the last time!'

'A mistake I'll not be making twice,' replied Tuck, rubbing his cheek. He turned as Angharad pushed forward to greet him. 'Bless my soul, Angharad, you look even younger than the last time I saw you.'

Wise and powerful she may be, but Angharad was still lady enough to smile at the shameless compliment. 'Peace attend thee, friend friar,' she said, her wrinkled face alight.

'Brother Tuck!' cried Iwan, and instantly gathered the sturdy friar in a rib-cracking embrace. 'It is that good to see you.'

'And you,Wee John,' retorted the priest, giving the warrior a clip 'round the ear. 'I've missed you and all.' Iwan set him down, and the priest gazed at the ring of happy faces around him. 'Well, Bran, and I see you and your flock have fared well enough without me.' Adjusting his robe to cover his cold bare legs once more, he then raised his hands in a priestly benediction. 'God's peace and mercy on us all, and may our Kind Redeemer send the comfort of this blessed season to cheer our hearts and heal our careworn souls.'

Everyone cried 'Amen!' to that, and when Tuck turned back to Bran, he said, 'Some new faces, I see.'

'One or two,' confirmed Bran. He grasped the priest's hands in his own, then presented the newcomers; I found myself last among them. 'And this one here,' he said, pulling me forward, 'is the newest member of our growing flock and as handy with a bow as King Raven himself.'

'That's saying something, that is,' remarked Tuck.

'Will Scatlocke, at your service,' I said, thrusting out my hand to him.

He took it in both his own and shook it heartily. 'Our Lord's abundant peace to you, Will Scatlocke.'

'And to you, Friar. See now, two Saxons fallen among Welshmen,' I said in English.

He cast a shrewd eye over me. 'Is that the north country I hear in your voice?'

'Oh, aye,' I confessed. 'Deny it, I'll not. Your ear is sharp as Queen Meg's needle, Friar.'

'Born within sight of York Minster, was I not? But tell me, how did you come to take roost among these strange birds?'

'Lost my living to William Rufus-may God bless his backside with boils!-and so I came west,' I told him, and explained quickly how, after many months of living rough and wandering, Bran had taken me in.

'Enough!' cried Bran. 'There is time for all that later. We have Christmas tomorrow and a celebration to prepare!'

Ah, Christmas… how long had it been since I had celebrated the feast day of Our Sweet Saviour in proper style? Years, at least-not since I had sat at table in Thane Aelred's hall with a bowl of hot punch between my hands and a huge pig a-roasting on the spit over red-hot coals in the hearth. Glad times. I have always enjoyed the Feast of Christ-the food and song and games… everything taken together, it is the best of all the holy days, and that is how it should be.

I did not know how the Cymry hereabouts celebrated the Christ Mass, and nursed the strong suspicion that if Friar Tuck had not arrived when he did, King Bran's pitiable flock would have had little with which to make their cheer. But when his pack mule arrived a short while later, it was clear that the friar had brought Christmas with him.

Within moments, he seemed to be everywhere at once, kindling the banked coals of the forest-dwellers' hearts-a word of greeting here, a song there, a laugh or a story to lift the spirits of our downcast tribe. Bless him, he fanned the cold embers of joy into a cracking fine blaze.

Although they have adopted some of the more common Saxon practices, the Britons appeared not to observe the trimming of pine boughs, so it fell to Tuck and me to arrange this part of the festivities. The day had cleared somewhat, with bright blue showing through the clouds, so the two of us walked into the nearby wood to cut some suitable branches and bring them back. This we did, talking as we worked, and learning to know one another