The priest looked puzzled. ‘Tancred told you?’ he asked Robert.
‘I found him up by one of the churches on the Bisceopesgeat hill,’ Malet’s son replied. ‘He was there with some of Ernald’s men. They were about to take him away, when I heard him mention my father’s name. That was when I intervened. Their leader was not best pleased.’
The chaplain gave Wigod a glance, then he looked sternly at me. ‘You ran into the town-reeve’s men,’ he said, plainly unimpressed.
I shrugged. ‘I’d gone to find my sword.’
‘They had accused him of fighting in the streets,’ Robert put in. ‘Though they had no one able to swear on it.’
The steward sighed and shook his head. ‘You should have waited until we had gone to the reeve ourselves.’
‘So it’s true, then?’ Robert asked.
‘It’s true,’ I said. ‘I was attacked last night, on the same street on which we met today.’ I sensed the stares of the two ladies upon me; of course they hadn’t been here last night when I came back. ‘There were two of them — one on horseback, the other on foot.’ I put a finger to my cheek, feeling for the line of dried blood, showing them where I had been cut. ‘It was one of them who gave me this. I was fortunate to get away with my life.’
I caught Beatrice’s gaze as I looked up, and saw a hint of concern in her eyes, though it was only the briefest of flickers before she bowed her head.
‘It is a serious matter,’ the steward said as he rubbed the bald patch on his head. ‘I was going to see the reeve myself this morning to report it. But now it seems that he already knows.’
‘I’ll deal with him if he comes,’ said Robert, shrugging. ‘I told his men that he could pursue the matter with me.’
‘You should be careful how you treat with him. To those who oppose him, he can be dangerous. He holds considerable influence with the king.’
‘My father is the vicomte of the shire of Eoferwic, one of the most powerful men in the kingdom.’
‘Even so,’ Wigod said, ‘it is better to have him as a friend than as an enemy.’
The hall fell quiet, the steward’s words hanging like smoke in the air.
‘Come,’ Elise said with a smile, and she began to walk towards the stairs. ‘We shall go to our chambers. You must tell us about the crossing, tell us what news you bring from home.’
Robert made to follow her. ‘I fear there is little to say, but very well. You must also tell me of your journey.’ He bent down as he passed me. ‘I would speak with you later,’ he said, his voice low as he spoke in my ear.
He straightened and walked away, and I wondered what he meant. I had already told him what the town- reeve’s knights had wanted with me. What more was he after?
I let out a yawn; I had hardly slept last night again. Indeed I could not remember the last time I’d had a full night’s rest with four walls and a roof around me, rather than under canvas, on the hard earth. It was longer than a week — that much was certain.
Eudo gave me a nudge. ‘Wake up.’ He picked up a loaf from on top of the hearthstones and held it out towards me. ‘Here, eat.’
It occurred to me that I had not yet eaten that morning, but I did not feel hungry. In fact the smell of the bread, fresh baked by the fire, made my stomach turn.
‘I don’t want it,’ I said, pushing it away.
He shrugged and began to eat it himself, pausing once in a while to pick some grit out of his teeth.
‘Are you going to tell us what happened, then?’ Wace asked.
‘For what it’s worth,’ I said. ‘There isn’t much to say.’ And I explained to them the events of that morning.
‘You shouldn’t have gone alone,’ Eudo said, frowning, after I had finished.
I heard footsteps behind me and looked up to see the chaplain standing there.
‘I’m not interrupting, I hope,’ he said.
I got to my feet. ‘What is it, father?’
He looked about at all six of us, the light from the fire playing softly across his face. ‘I wished only to say, given that the snow is unlikely to clear today, it might be best if we wait until tomorrow to leave for Wiltune.’
‘This message of yours isn’t urgent, then,’ Eudo said, his mouth full of bread.
‘It can afford to wait one more day,’ Aelfwold said. ‘But I want us to leave at dawn tomorrow.’
He stepped away, towards the door at the far end of the hall, gesturing for me to follow him. I frowned, not understanding what he meant, and glanced at the other knights, but they were talking amongst themselves, and so finally I followed him.
‘I sense there’s something troubling you,’ he said, once we were far away from the others.
He was right, of course, there were many things that had been troubling me of late. But I wasn’t ready to speak with him yet; after what had happened last night I still felt uneasy around him.
‘I’m just tired,’ I said.
He narrowed his eyes. ‘If you’re quite sure.’
‘I’m sure,’ I answered.
The Englishman didn’t look convinced, but he placed a hand on my shoulder. ‘Remember that the Lord is always listening, if ever you wish to speak to him.’
‘I’ll remember,’ I said. With everything that had happened recently, I had managed to neglect my prayers.
‘That’s good.’ He let go and stepped away. ‘For now I must go and discuss matters with Robert. However, if you wish, we might talk later.’
‘Perhaps.’ I didn’t think there was anything more I had to say to him. I felt another yawn building and did my best to stifle it.
He nodded. ‘Very well.’
He turned and crossed the hall towards the stairs, and I made my way back to the hearth, where the fire was still burning strongly.
‘What was that about?’ Eudo asked.
‘Nothing important,’ I said, and yawned as I sat back down on my stool.
‘Nothing to concern us, you mean.’ He was glaring at me, his face half in shadow from the firelight, his eyes unfriendly.
‘What?’ I looked at him for a moment, confused as to what he meant, but he said no more, merely returning a bitter gaze.
Wace stood up and I turned to him, breaking off the un comfortable stare. ‘We’re going to train at arms in the yard,’ he said. ‘Are you joining us?’
I shook my head. ‘Later.’ My limbs still ached from the night before, and I did not feel awake enough to be of much use, even in a mock fight. ‘I think I’ll try to sleep some more.’
Wace nodded, buckling on his sword-belt, then went to the door at the back of the hall. Radulf, Philippe and Godefroi all followed. Eudo was the last to go, pausing as if he were about to say something to me, but then he seemed to think better of it, and stalked out after them.
I sat alone, wondering what I might have done to cause Eudo offence, but couldn’t think of anything. Eventually I gave up, and for a while after that I tried to rest. The morning was wearing on by now, however, and the streets outside were filled with the sounds of animals and the shouts of men. At the same time I could hear the other knights in the yard behind the house, their laughter interrupted by the crash of oak against limewood.
Soon I abandoned any hope of sleep, sitting instead by the table in the hall, attending to my sword. Its edge had been blunted again during the fight, and where my sword had clashed with that of my opponent there were nicks in the blade. I tried to smooth them out as best I could with my whetstone, but he had struck hard and the steel was marked deep.
How long I sat there, sharpening the blade, entranced by the patterns in the metal, I did not know, before I heard the stairs creak and saw Robert descend.
‘My lord,’ I said.
‘Tancred,’ he replied. ‘I expected to see you with your comrades outside. I could hear them from the chambers upstairs.’ He gestured at the blade in my hands. ‘That’s a fine weapon.’
