Trail of Fate

didn’t know anything. He is after me, not you. If I’d told you or if he suspected I’d told you, you’d be in even more danger.”

I tried hard to confuse them so they wouldn’t focus on specifics. I wanted to get moving and leave this discussion behind us. My story was full of holes, and all I could do was make Sir Hugh out to be an evil and manipulative villain and hope they would concentrate on him.

I held my breath. Robard and Maryam were studying me. My gaze never dropped from their eyes. If they demanded to see the evidence I carried, I was safe with Robard, for I knew he could not read. I didn’t know about Maryam. She had been born a merchant’s daughter, and if she could speak English, she might be able to read it as well. If they wanted proof, I was in trouble. Sir Thomas’ letter said nothing about Sir Hugh.

The sun had fully cleared the horizon now and was burning away the early morning mist. We had to get moving. But I waited while Robard and Maryam considered my words.

“So if we accept your story, how do you intend to get to England?” Robard asked skeptically.

“I have thought about this. Since the ports are the first place Sir Hugh will look, I think we go overland, north to the Channel, and get a ship there. It will take him time to search this part of the coast. If we head inland, we can get a head start on him.”

“Do you have any idea how long it will take?” Robard snorted. “Weeks, at least! Months even! Not to mention your friend the High Counsel will also be looking for you when he finds out you lied to him. What do you intend to do about him?”

“I intend to hurry.” I knelt down, shaking out my blanket and rolling it up. It had been soaked in salt water, and as it dried, had grown stiff, but it still looped over my shoulder easily enough.

“Maryam,” I said. “I would like you to come with us. If we can get to London, the Master will make arrangements for you to return to your home on a Templar ship. If you wish to try to find your way alone, I understand.”

Maryam looked at me for several seconds. Her face was impassive at first, then changed, and for a brief instant doubt flashed across her features. She didn’t believe me. She knew I hadn’t told either of them the truth, but didn’t challenge me. Since we had first met her, Maryam had argued with Robard repeatedly, but she took me at my word. I wondered why, but had no time to think about it.

After putting the fire out, we were ready to leave. I was hungry and hoped we could find something along the way. Berries or nuts or maybe Robard could shoot some game.

I waited while Maryam washed her face and hands in the stream. She stood looking at me and nodded. She was ready. “All right, Tristan. If you think this is the best approach, I’ll go with you.”

Robard still stood quietly. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“So are you coming with us?” I asked.

Robard looked out at the sea for a second, then at me. “No,” he said. “This is good-bye.”

8

Maryam looked stricken.

“What? Robard, you can’t be serious!” she said.

Robard shook his head as he slung the wallet onto his back and fiddled with the bow’s string.

“I’m sorry, Maryam, but I can’t. I have duties at home, responsibilities to my father and family. The longer I delay, the greater their burden,” he said. Robard sounded sad when he spoke of his family, and for the first time since I’d met him, I realized how much he missed them. I was already guilty of delaying his return. Yet I still needed him.

“Robard, I understand, but you musn’t. .”

Robard held up his hand, shaking his head.

“No, Tristan. Not this time. You are my friend. Aside from being thrown in jail, shot at by crossbows, shipwrecked and wrestling with a large Frenchman, I have enjoyed your company. I even appreciate your sense of duty. But I cannot wait any longer. And if I do, you’ll talk me into something again, and before I know it, I’ll be hiking through the French countryside dodging who knows whom or what. This is what I need to do.”

My shoulders slumped. I wished to tell him the truth and almost did. It was there, right on the tip of my tongue. I would gladly reveal all of my secrets to both of them. But I could not. And I could not deny Robard this.

I stood up straight and held out my hand, and he shook it.

“I owe you much, my friend,” I said.

“Try to stay out of trouble,” he said. He looked at Maryam and his face softened.

“Good-bye, Maryam. I have enjoyed. .”

“What are you going to do? How are you going to find a way home? Tristan, will you try to talk some sense into him?” She stormed off a few paces and glared at both of us.

Maryam’s reaction confused me. She had done nothing but argue with Robard from the first and now she expected me to persuade him to stay? I had grown up in a monastery, without women. Was this how women acted all the time? They said one thing, yet did another. If so, I now understood the monks a little better.

“His mind is made up, Maryam,” I said.

“So un-make up your mind!” she said sharply. “You have a duty to your friend. What kind of soldier are you!”

This was the Maryam I was used to.

“I am no longer a soldier. I have done my duty,” he snapped.

“I think you’re afraid!” she yelled.

“Afraid? Of what?”

“Of Sir Hugh, of this High Counsel. .”

Robard held up his hand. “Enough. It’s decided. I’m leaving. Good-bye, Tristan. Good luck. I hope we’ll meet again. When you reach England, come to Sherwood Forest and look for me. Our farm lies along the eastern edge of the forest, not far from Nottingham.”

Without another word he started walking toward the west, following the tracks of the High Counsel and his men.

Angel had remained silent through our exchange but now barked at him.

“Sorry, dog. . Angel. He’s leaving,” I said.

She sprinted after Robard and circled his feet, barking and pushing at his legs, trying to drive him back to us.

“What. . Get down! Stay. Go back!” Robard exclaimed.

But she would not be deterred. She ran back and forth between us, barking madly, but Robard kept walking, and Angel finally returned to us and sat on her haunches, whining pitifully.

Maryam stood silent, glowering at the receding figure. “I hope he’s happy with himself,” she scoffed.

“Don’t be too hard on him, Maryam. His family does need him. Times are hard in England,” I said. “Now, if you’re coming with me, I think we should get started.”

Robard had vanished around the bend, so we headed back the way we had come the night before. Angel waited and waited and finally followed along reluctantly. Both she and Maryam were in foul moods, and Maryam muttered under her breath as we walked. I had the feeling she had no desire for conversation, so I kept silent.

Worried as I was about Maryam, my greatest concern was finding our way to England. We were in a strange country, and I knew only that home lay somewhere to the north. Since I had left the temple in Acre, nothing had happened as I had hoped. Now I was blundering about in a foreign land, hoping to somehow stumble my way home. Robard, on reflection, may have been right. I assumed it would take weeks for someone to reach the northern coast if they knew where they were going. Traveling blind like this was a bad idea. But I truly believed it was safer than trying to find a port city. Carry on, Tristan, I told myself. Beauseant!

It didn’t work.

Maryam seethed with silent rage as we made our way through the woods. For no better reason than it was familiar to us, we followed the stream north again. Once past Celia’s campsite from the night before, we would