While Rose paced outside her brother’s chambers, The Destroyer sat on Wind looking up at Naward, muscles taut. The chargers waiting in the woods behind him stomped the ground and blew air through their lips. His men waited, quiet and tense. This was the battle that would determine their fates and that of their families.
Ali’s teeth shone bright against his dark face, blackened with charcoal. “The Douglas are having quite a celebration.”
Hugh couldn’t imagine any warrior being so careless with life and home. “Might this be a ruse? What if they’re waiting prepared as they lure us in with drunken songs?”
“The Scots didn’t strike me as that clever. Why? Did you think otherwise?”
“No, no. But by God, they must have DeBruce’s support. Otherwise, who’d dare behave so recklessly.”
“Ah. You suspect that’s why Edward sent you north.” Ali grew silent, face grim.
“Aye. If I kill this clan outright, irate Scots will descend like locusts from the north. If I don’t, Edward will rescind his promise and maybe even insist we depart England for good.”
The drunkenness grew louder, sweet music to Hugh’s ears, and a new idea took root. He pressed a left thigh into Wind who turned so he could speak to his men.
“Hold back on the flaming arrows. Stay your blades and kill none. Allow all within to surrender.”
Ali nodded, then rode forth holding onto a long ladder with Doğan on the other end. When they arrived, they leaned it against the wall, and climbed.
Hugh lifted his fist. Turk, Mongol, Jew, and Christian mercenaries drew swords and readied their bows. Soon, they’d take what they’d waited so long to have; home, land, a dwelling.
Family. Wife. Children.
He pictured sweet Rose and wished for nothing more than to have the right to lie with her. Alas, it was just a dream for once this was over, Edward would choose him a wife with a dowry fit for the Steward of Naward.
Ali’s owl hoot signaled the start of the battle and Hugh focused, motioning his men forward. His best archers knelt and pointed their cross bows at the four guards silhouetted atop the battlement. However, before Hugh could signal for arrows to fly, one man disappeared, followed by the rest.
A few moments later, the portcullis opened and Hugh whooped. “For home, for keep, for family.”
He led the charge into the marshy ground between forest and castle wall. Drums within the keep pounded and the bleat of a horn signaled that they were found out.
Gritting his teeth, Hugh gripped his sword as the Douglas clan poured out of the arch.
What’s this?
Most of them wore no armor and their swords wavered. Those mounted, barely stayed astride, half naked.
Bloody hell. What a sorry sight.
The priest’s wine must’ve been strong.
Oh, for the love of God. This is embarrassing.
Disgusted, Hugh left his warriors to deal with the drunken Scots in the field and entered the melee in the bailey. Swinging one leg around the back of his horse, he jumped in front of Ali who was dodging the blows of a barefoot man in his braies.
“Let’s find the Douglas chieftains and get this over with.” Hugh grabbed two Scot heads that approached at the same time and bashed them together.
Ali nodded, broke a man’s knee with his right foot, and bloodied another’s face with a twist of his shield. “Let’s go. I’m told they’re in their chambers, completely in their cups.”
“Why does that not surprise me.” Hugh sighed, tried not to kill another drunken fool, and eyed his warrior.
“Doğan?”
“Yes, m’lord?” The dark-haired Turk looked up and grinned while continuing to punch and kick at Scots coming at him.
“Try to see that they don’t kill themselves by accident, then lock them in the barracks. When they’re sober, we’ll sort the chaff from the wheat.”
“Quoting the bible?” Ali chuckled as he knocked some poor sod in the head with his shield.
“Only because it seems an apt enough description. Anon, to the main hall.” They crisscrossed the shops of the bailey as merchants cheered, slapped them on the back, and handed them fruit.
When they reached the moat where the inner drawbridge was raised, Ali held his nose. “Gah. And you Christians call us barbarians.”
Chuckling, Hugh shouted across the filth. “You. Inside the keep. Lower the bridge and I promise you’ll not be harmed.”
There was some arguing within but it was a woman’s voice that called out. “Hold, good knight. We’re trying to get it down. How the bloody hell does this thing work?”
Ali cupped his hands to his mouth. “There should be a rope or chain and maybe a lever. You’ll need a strong arm to lower it.”
“Damnation. Samuel? Samuel? Somebody get me the bloody blacksmith.”
After a few moments, the wood lowered with a clunk and Ali grinned. “After you, m’lord Steward of Putrid Moat.”
Hugh grinned as they both put sleeves over their mouths and stomped across with swords drawn. At the thick arch in the wall, a dark-faced peasant girl covered in flour, curtsied.
She pointed up at the tower. “The two lairds are up in their chambers. Follow me. Feel free to slice their necks.”
The great hall reeked of rotten rushes and vomit. From there, they circled up a staircase and into the tower.
When the girl opened the door at the top, Ali laughed. “Well, well, well. This is a surprise. It isn’t even The Night of Three Kings and yet here are two fine gifts. All we need is frankincense and myrrh.”
The oldest of the two Douglas brothers woke and struggled with linen binds. “What in Christ’s nails do ye think yer doin’?”
Ali pushed his head back onto the mattress. “Drinking is a terrible vice. It just cost you Naward.”
“We’ll see what DeBruce has to say about this.”
Hugh shook his head, this whole night most unbelievable. “Actually, he gave us his blessing.”
The other man moaned. “Brian, I told ye. Mither’s spirit said we would pay for our sins.”
Ali knelt beside them and widened the older man’s eye using thumb and forefinger. “They’ve been given some kind of poison, m’lord.”
The Scot shook his head out of Ali’s grasp. “Beware if ye want this accursed keep. My dead ma haunts it.”
Turning toward Hugh, Ali shoved his sword into its sheath. “What would you have me do with them m’lord?”
“Lock them in the dungeon… they do have one, I assume? Then see they’re put under guard. We’ll get a ransom and put it to good use but right now, I need to speak to the people of the bailey. Was anyone hurt?”
“I think someone stubbed their toe. Did I ever mention my people don’t drink?
Hugh rolled his eyes as he pulled the two useless lairds to their feet. “Aye. You may have mentioned it once or twice or over a thousand times.”
“Don’t make light of it. It’d be wise to consider it forbidden among your warriors, as well.”
“I will think long and hard… There. I’m finished. I vow to never, ever, allow my whole damn army to drink at once.”
Ali laughed. “Maybe you’d dare if you had a ghost working in your favor.”
Hugh chuckled. “As long as it leaves me be. That reminds me. Post a guard at the door. I’ll not have this supposed ghost wandering freely through my new keep. Aye, and before we dare eat or drink, we should question the cooks.”
Downstairs, he and Aliyar stood at the door to the large kitchen, oven fires burning low. Six women cowered by an old oak cupboard in the furthest corner of the room.
“Which of you poisoned the lairds?” Hugh needed answers.
The oldest, the one named Agnes responded calmly. “None of us has that kind of knowledge, m’lord. I swear it.”
He shook his head at her feeble attempt at lying. Many enemies had tried and few still lived. “Until I have the poison, I ban you all from the keep, surely you can understand.”
A black woman with a scar running down her face stood up tall. “It were the ghost of the lairds’ mither. I swear it. And it were not poison but the wrath of God.”
The rest of the women muttered in agreement and crossed themselves.
“Nonsense. You think me senseless?”
Pottery rattled in the cupboard causing them all to stare, mouths gaping.
After a moment, the dark woman jutted out her chin. “Ye asked us to tell ye the truth. The least ye can do is allow us to explain what we think we saw. Then decide what you will.”
Women are a tiresome lot.
Hugh sat down, weary of their foolishness and yet could not deny that the shelves had moved of their own accord. “Very well but make quick of it. Know this. I’ll not have my people poisoned. Better I hang you all outside the gates.”
Female sobbing made him regret his harsh words. He’d forgotten how women took everything as if gospel.
Suddenly, a bark inside the wall made him take note. “What was that?”
The wooden bench toppled as he drew his sword, crouched, and glanced around the room.
“’Twas the ghost. Ye’ve angered her.” When the older woman, obviously in charge, knocked on the bricks with her wooden spoon, he slammed his sword on one of the shelves, scattering pottery shards everywhere.
“By God’s blood. I have not!”
One of the youngest girls, shaking madly, piped up. “It were no their mither. It was that lay-sister from the Priory. The healer. She was here. She poisoned their wine, called it dwale.”
“Damnation, the woman is a menace.”
Still, he chuckled at her cleverness until the gray-haired cook added, “It’s true, she was here but later we found her tunic, pieces of rope, and a few heavy rocks by the moat. Poor, wee lassie jumped in the muck rather than be raped by those two.”
“She’s dead?” Stunned, Hugh sat and his throat dried. “Not possible.”
The woman covered her face with her hands and shoulders heaved. “It’s all my fault. I should’ve seen her to the bailey. Ach, now. I’ve got friends who would’ve taken her in… Holy Mother Mary, I never thought she’d do such a thing.”
I’ll kill the bloody bastards.
Hugh’s eyes watered, his fists clenched, and yet still, he clung to hope. No body was found so she might still be alive.
“Thank you for your honesty. For that, you may stay in Naward but never again on this side of the drawbridge. Understood?”
They nodded, put their few belongings inside large scarfs, and he escorted them to the gate. There he squatted by the moat, trying not to picture Rose lying lifeless, deep within.
Why didn’t you trust me? I would’ve kept you safe.
He’d just wiped his eyes when Doğan approached. “M’lord?”
“Aye?”
“A woman is within the smithy walls.”
Hugh’s patience snapped as he stood. “God’s blood! Not you, too. Did you drink from the well? What did you eat?”
“No sir. I assure you. My mind is strong. I strode to the wall and put my ear to it. A woman was crying.”
“Show me.” Hugh’s heart grew light as he followed him through the narrow streets to an open pit with a huge flat stone.
Doğan pointed to where tools hung upon a stone wall. “There.”
“Find some men, tear it down.” When he found her, he’d take that lay sister over his knee. Then? Well, then he’d kiss her until those beautiful lips succumbed. He’d strip her of cloth and lay her bare upon his bed until she moaned and opened her legs. He’d…
“Hugh? What ails ye m’lord?” Out of breath, Ali stopped outside the smithy. “Did an axe hit your head?”
“It’s nothing. That wall needs my attention but we’ve more urgent things to discuss right now. How many of the merchants are loyal Scots?”
“Seems your people are quite accustomed to changing sides. Most didn’t even bother to get out of bed.”
“How many are prisoner?”
“About two hundred warriors suffering from the worst hangover I’ve ever witnessed. What happened to them?”
“The kitchen women said it was dwale.”
Ali whistled through his teeth. “And to whom do we owe thanks?”
“The healer, Mary Rose.”
Ali’s eyebrows raised and one side of his mouth went up.
“Apparently, after she overheard our plans with DeBruce, she came here. Then, she tried to convince the two Douglas lairds that she was their kin. When they threatened to rape her, the kitchen help insists that she drowned herself in the moat.”
When Ali’s face saddened, Hugh grabbed his shoulder. “Hold on. Doğan heard a woman within the keep’s wall. God’s blood, I have no time for such games.”
“I’ll find the wench but…”
“Aye?”
“If you’d permit. She’s pretty and intelligent. When I find her, I want her as my own.”
“No.” Hugh balled up a fist.
“Can I ask why not?”
“No, you may not.”
The corners of Ali’s eyes crinkled. “It’s true, then. You have feelings for this girl.”
“Mayhap I don’t want my commander poisoned in his sleep.”
“Look me straight in the eye and tell me you don’t want her in your bed, to sink into her virgin—”
“Aliyar! Surely you have something else to attend to.”
Ali smirked and waved. “Farewell. I’m off to Carlisle to return with our people. In the morn, we’ll eat within our own great hall, as disgusting as it is.”
He was still laughing and shaking his head as he disappeared around the next corner.
Do I want the sweet healer between my legs? By God, I do.
In the past, he’d paid an occasional camp whore but this was far different and disturbing. Just the thought of her made his balls ache. Maybe she had some kind of recipe for putting a man under her spell. He’d heard of such things in the east but up until now had no belief in that kind of nonsense.
I’m probably merely suffering from a bout of healthy lust. I’ll find a willing wench and… Nay. Only Rose will do.
A man covered in soot, with massive arms and hands approached. “I understand you need some help breaking though my back wall?”
Hugh nodded. “Let me know when you succeed.”
By all things holy! I’ll find her and bed her.