Chapter Fifteen
Life at Elmstead moved at its regular pace with only a couple of changes that took place. With Broc in London, the villagers once more came to Swein with problems that needed handling. He was the thane and always would be regardless of who actually owned Elmstead. The other dramatic change was Alwen and her father’s disappearance. A few days after Broc’s departure, they were found missing.
Ranulf had retired for the night, and in the morn, they were gone along with all they had brought to Elmstead. Ariel was just glad to see the back of Alwen and her father. Ranulf, on the other hand, predicted their late-night departure would not bode well somewhere down the road. Ariel told him his fears were unfounded.
A week passed. Ariel spent her days in arms practice with Ranulf and caring for Colwyn. During the evenings, she relaxed with her father, Lily, and Ranulf. This evening had been no different from any other. The others had already retired, but Ariel was not quite ready to close her eyes for the night. Thoughts of Broc whirled madly inside her mind.
She missed him. There was no doubt about that. She missed his touch and ached for him. The night before he had left for London, he had reawakened her body to desire. It now demanded what Broc could only give it.
Looking at the night sky, at the millions of twinkling stars, Ariel wondered if Broc looked at them at the same time. Even though leagues separated them, they would be sharing the wonder of the night together. She shook her head at her silly musing. Love made her a romantic fool.
Ariel turned and walked to her chamber. She stripped out of her tunic and trews and then replaced them with a chemise, the only feminine piece of clothing that graced her body these days. She went to the other side of the chamber to check on Colwyn. He slept on a small bed low to the floor. Smiling at her sleeping son, all soft and warm-looking, she gently placed a kiss on his chubby cheek. He did not stir.
She climbed into bed and buried herself beneath the covers. In moments, sleep claimed her.
* * * *
Something was wrong. Ariel sat up in bed, trying to get her bearings. The smell of something burning tipped her off that all was not right. She looked at her chamber door. A cloud of smoke drifted under the bottom of it.
Ariel bounded out of bed and then picked up Colwyn, wrapping the covers around him. Before she left the room, she gathered up her armor and threw it out the only window. She looped her sword belt over her arm. She would not leave her armor to be burned.
She threw open the door to find the hall engulfed in flames. Panic tried to take over her senses. If the fire reached the thatching of the roof, it would fall in on them. Ariel tried to focus through the thick haze of smoke as she went to her father’s chamber.
After pushing open the door, she spied her father’s sleeping form. “Father! Wake up! The hall is on fire!”
At Ariel’s shout, Swein jerked awake. It did not take him long to pull on some clothes. Once dressed, he reached for Colwyn. “Give him to me, Ariel. I will carry Cowlyn.”
Colwyn was now awake and had begun to cry. Ariel gently passed him to his grandfather. Before she left the room, she strapped her belt around her waist so her sword hung at her side.
The smoke was so thick it was hard to see through it. Her eyes watered, and with heat so intense, each breath seared her lungs. With the hall burning all around them, they gradually headed to the entrance. The few minutes it took to cross the space felt more like hours to Ariel. By the time they reached the outside they coughed from all the smoke they had inhaled.
The alarm had been raised in the village. A couple of village men came to help them. Once they were safely out of range of the fire, the wife of one of the men placed a blanket around Ariel’s shoulders. In her haste, Ariel had forgotten she only wore a thin chemise.
Swein wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. “Are you all right?”
Ariel coughed, trying to dispel the smoke from her lungs. “Aye, Father.”
Now that they were out of danger, Ariel turned to look at the hall. Some of the villagers tried to fight the fire, but it was a losing battle. The building was totally engulfed by greedy licking flames. There would be nothing left once it ran its course. They would lose everything. It was then she remembered her armor.
“Father, are you able to stay with Colwyn?”
Swein nodded. “Aye, where are you going?”
“I threw my armor out my chamber window before I left. I want to retrieve it.”
“Fine. Just be careful you do not get too close to the flames. At the rate this is burning, I would not be surprised if the whole building collapses.”
“I will be careful.” Ariel had already started to walk away.
Ariel wrapped the blanket more closely around her as she walked to the back of the burning hall. It was not hard to find her armor. The flames reflected off the chain mail, making it flash in the darkness. She had thrown it far enough away, so she did not have to come close to the fire, but even at that distance the heat of the flames could be felt.
Ariel let go of the blanket and bent to pick up her armor. As she did, she had the feeling she was no longer alone, that someone watched her. Straightening, she slowly turned around.
One of Theodoric’s guards stepped into view. The man called Hugh. “Did you think you could get away from me so easily? Your Normans will not be able to come to your rescue this time. Especially with one in London and the other knocked senseless.”
As Hugh lunged for her, Ariel threw her armor at him, hitting him square in the chest. The weight of the metal slowed him down, giving her enough time to draw her sword. With a bellow of outrage, the guard drew his and advanced on her.
His skill did not match hers, but he made up for its lack in brute strength. With each block, Ariel’s arms felt as if they were being ripped out of their sockets. There was only one way to defeat that opponent—she would have to out maneuver him.
After blocking a few more hits, Ariel found Hugh’s weak point and lunged, effectively disarming him. She placed the tip of her sword at the base of his throat. Instead of yielding, he laughed. She opened her mouth to cry for help, but a blinding pain at the back of her head silenced her. Before blackness engulfed her, the other guard, Godwin, step into view. She had underestimated her enemy. Her sword dropped from her hand as she silently fell to the ground.
* * * *
The sound of voices brought Ariel out of the darkness she had fallen into. That and the sickening jolt her stomach made with each bump that hit her. She cracked open her eyes, which produced the same sensation. She quickly shut them again.
She tried to move and found it beyond her capabilities. After the events of the night before, she was not surprised to find her wrists and ankles bound by thick ropes. Ariel could only wonder what Theodoric’s men had in store for her.
A heavy blanket wrapped her from head to toe, rendering her blind to her surroundings. All she knew was that she was inside a cart. She recognized the rocking sensation. Ariel shifted her head, trying to find the opening of the cover. A stabbing pain shot through the back of it at that small movement.
The cart rumbled on, and the blanket became stifling. Ariel had no idea how long they had been traveling, but judging by the sounds her stomach made it had to have been quite some time. She hoped they would reach their destination soon. The pressing need to relieve herself was becoming great as well.
A short while later, the cart came to a stop. Ariel heard a new voice, but through the thick blanket the conversation was too muffled to hear what was said. The voices fell silent. Once the blanket was pulled from her head, she closed her eyes against the bright glare of the sun. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the sudden change. After she could see again, she was not pleased with the situation she found herself in.
Theodoric leaned over the side of the cart and smiled. His smile held no warmth. It was obvious who had been behind her abduction. He reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair. His grip grew painful as he moved her head from side to side, intently studying her face.
“Well, well. I see my daughter was correct. I almost did not believe her when she told me you were actually a woman. You fooled a lot of people, my lady.”
“What do you want with me?” Ariel’s voice came out in a croak. It had been many hours since she last had anything to drink.
“It is quite simple, really. You are going to be an instrument of revenge. The Norman has to pay for his treatment of my daughter. The slight he gave her cannot be easily overlooked.” Theodoric seemed to be pleased with his plans. He even rubbed his hands together.
“I refuse to do anything that will hurt Broc.”
“Such loyalty. Too bad you will not have a choice in the matter. My plan is simple. What better way to wound him then to sell his woman into slavery. He will never be able to find you.”
A wave of real fear washed over her. “What makes you think Broc will even care I am gone. He might not even search for me.”
Theodoric’s laugh was sinister. “Come now. Of course he will search for you. How could he not try to get back the mother of his son?”
At his words, Ariel’s stomach rolled. “How…how did you know?”
Theodoric shook his head as if to say Ariel should know better than to ask such a silly question. “My men watched you for a few days before they set out to capture you. What a surprise they had when they saw the child. It was not hard to guess his heritage when he wears it on his face.”
The urge to protect her child made Ariel momentarily forget her situation. “If you harm my son in any way, I will kill you.”
Her captor chuckled. “In your present position, I think that is an impossibility. Do not worry. I have no interest in harming your son. He will better serve as a reminder of you every time the Norman looks at him and feels your loss. He will represent everything that could have been.”
A chill ran down Ariel’s spine. She was indeed powerless. Right now, she would not be able to fight the plans Theodoric had for her. She only hoped an opportunity presented itself.
* * * *
Broc returned to Elmstead triumphant. The annulment had been granted with the help of the king, and he now carried the papers safely among his belongings. He did not return alone. As planned back in London, William rode at his side.
It was still the early part of the day when they dismounted in the yard. So early in fact, none of the villagers or anyone else, for that matter, moved about. Broc took the reins of both horses and then led them to the stable. It did not take him long to wake the stable boy and leave the animals in his care.
William stood in the middle of the yard, giving Elmstead a thorough inspection. At Broc’s return, he nodded. “I can see why you asked for Elmstead, other than the obvious reason of Ariel coming along with it. Speaking of which, let us see your Lady Knight.”
Broc motioned for William to follow him. On the way, he thought of what the king had called Ariel. Lady Knight. The title was appropriate in more ways than one.
The sight of the smaller hall burned to the ground knocked the air out of Broc’s lungs in a rush. My god, who could have done this? He wanted to shout that question until someone answered his cries. Then he thought of something else. What of Ariel and Colwyn?
Broc took off at a run and headed to the main hall. He did not even take the time to see if William followed him. Broc called Ariel’s name in the empty hall. The sound reverberated off the walls. She did not appear, and he called for her again. It was Swein who finally stepped out of a chamber. He carried Colwyn. His son quietly whimpered. Broc met him halfway.
“Where is Ariel? Why did she not come when I called?”
Swein whispered to Colwyn, trying to soothe the baby. “Calm down. You are frightening your son. There are a few things you need to know.”
“Give Colwyn to me.” Swein passed the child to Broc, and Colwyn settled.
Broc kissed the top of Colwyn’s head. “How did your hall come to be burned to nothing?”
Swein sighed. Lines of tiredness etched the older man’s face. “We do not know exactly how the fire started, but we think it was deliberate to draw our attention away.”
“Away from what?”
“From Ariel. She is missing. She disappeared during the night of the fire. I have a good idea who is behind it, though.”
“Who would that be?” Swein and Broc looked at William.
Swein was the first to recover. “Who, may I ask, are you?”
“William, your king.”
Swein’s mouth dropped. “I am sorry, sire. I did not realize who you were.”
William waved away his apology. “Never mind that. Tell us what you know about Ariel’s disappearance.”
The older man pulled himself together and nodded. “Well, to start with, Alwen and Theodoric left Elmstead shortly after you, Broc. They did so in the dead of night, with no word to any of us about their intentions.”
Broc had to admit all thoughts of his former wife had fled his mind at the sight of the burned hall. Taking time to look more closely around him, he noticed another person was also missing. “Where is Ranulf?”
“Gone in search of Ariel. He left after she was discovered missing. He has been gone for four days now.”
A thought flitted across Broc’s mind. One he was not proud of, but that did not stop him from voicing. “What makes you so sure Ariel was taken? Who is to say she and Ranulf had not planned this all along so they could be together?”
Swein’s face turned red. “How dare you accuse my daughter of ever doing something as dishonorable as that? She would not ever leave here willingly. She would have never left Colwyn behind or you, for that matter. Ariel loves you. She waited for your return.”
A wave of pleasure swept over Broc. “I apologize. I did not mean what I said. Please continue.”
After giving Broc a stern look, Swein spoke once more. “You are forgiven. Ranulf could not have planned this. He was bound and knocked unconscious. We found him trussed up, and he never saw his attacker, either.”
William took over the questioning. “What else led you to your conclusions that Ariel was taken forcibly?”
Swein switched his attention to the king. “During the fire, Ariel had tossed her armor out her chamber window. She did not want to lose it to the flames.”
“How any knight would feel. Continue.”
“After we safely escaped the hall, Ariel went to retrieve her armor. When fifteen minutes turned into half an hour, I became concerned for her. I found her armor lying in a pile behind the hall and her sword a short distance away. She had been wearing it when she left Colwyn with me.”
“Not a good sign. Who do you think is behind this? I am sure you have your suspicions.”
“Aye, I do. I think Theodoric, along with his daughter, set this into motion.”
William scratched his chin and nodded. “That does seem to be the most logical choice, but from what I remember of him, he spent most of the time in his cups.”
Swein shook his head. “Pardon, sire, but you do not know the man as well as me. Before your coming, he was Elmstead’s overlord. I have had to deal with Theodoric for some years now. He is not what he seems. I warned Ariel to be cautious around him when she joined the fryd. The former earl can be ruthless when the notion takes him.”
William’s eyes turned hard and forbidding. “Then let us hope Ranulf returns with something to aid us. If not, we have to find Theodoric ourselves. He will have much to answer for.”
* * * *
Late that afternoon Ranulf returned. Seeing Broc and William he felt a surge of hope, but taking one look at their faces he realized Ariel had not returned. Wearily shaking his head, he let them know he had found nothing promising in his search.
Ranulf took a few staggering steps, then slumped onto one of the benches in the hall. William sat beside him, placing a tankard of ale on the table next to him.
“I take it you found nothing concrete in regards to Ariel’s whereabouts.”
Ranulf scrubbed his face with his hand. “Nay. I have been on the road since I left here. I could find no sign of her, but I did find out one thing. Theodoric must be behind Ariel’s abduction. One of the villages I passed through gave me that piece of information. A villager noted a pair of rough-looking Saxons driving a cart pass through. The men he described exactly matched Theodoric’s guards. They had something in the back of the cart. The villager did not see what they carried. That was the day after the fire.”
William nodded. “Did the villager tell you which direction they were headed?”
“Aye, they were driving the cart north.”
After giving Ranulf’s shoulder a squeeze, William stood. “You did well. Eat, then get some rest. You look as if you need it.”
“Aye, I do. In the last four days, I have hardly taken the time to eat or sleep. I stopped only long enough to rest my horse. Give me a few hours to sleep, then I will be ready to continue the search.”
“Get your rest. We will not leave without you. Three are better than two.”
“Make that four,” Swein said. “Ariel is my daughter. I will not be left behind.”
“Are you sure you want to leave Elmstead unprotected?”
“The villagers can look out for themselves. I doubt there would be any trouble during our absence, in any case.”
William turned to Broc. “What about you? Are you willing to leave your son behind?”
Broc, who up until now had only listened to the exchange between the king and Ranulf, spoke. “Aye, Lily will continue to provide the care Colwyn requires. I need to be there to confront Theodoric. If he is indeed behind Ariel’s disappearance, I will smite him a blow he will soon not forget.”
“I give you leave to deal with him as you see fit. If we are all agreed, we continue the search for Ariel with the dawn.”
* * * *
If there truly was a hell, then Ariel was in it. Her life had become a misery, fraught with pain and suffering.
Theodoric had not kept her long. He had wanted her gone before her presence would arouse suspicion, but he kept her long enough to make a few changes to her person.
After their brief meeting, he ordered her taken to a small storage shed. The ever-obedient Hugh quickly jumped out of the cart and roughly picked up Ariel. From what she could see in her position over Hugh’s shoulder, there was a building that appeared to be a small hunting lodge. Where exactly they were, she had no idea. The most distinguishing feature was all the trees. The lodge was surrounded by them.
A shed sat a short distance away. Hugh unceremoniously dumped her onto the floor once he opened the door of her temporary prison. Before he took his leave, he cut the bonds that had secured her ankles. At least she was to be allowed to move around on her own two feet. He slammed the door shut and then locked it from the outside.
Sunlight filtered through the chinks in the walls, allowing enough light for Ariel to see her surroundings. They were not pleasant to behold. The same spaces that provided the light also permitted the cold winter air entrance. Her only cover was the thick blanket that had hidden her from view. She grabbed the edges of it and tightly pulled it around her.
A pile of straw lay in one corner, affording her some protection from the hard dirt floor. An empty pail occupied another corner, reminding Ariel of the pressure building in her bladder. Not relishing the idea, she quickly used the pail as best she could with her hands bound. After taking care of that particular piece of business, there was nothing else to do but wait and see what Theodoric would do next.
The day wore on, and Ariel remained undisturbed. With the coming of night, the door was unlocked to allow Hugh into the shed. He carried a bowl of steaming food and a jug. He silently placed each item on the floor beside her. After giving her a sly smile, he left her once more, locking the door behind him.
Ariel looked at what she had been given. The jug contained water. Since there was no cup included with what she was given, she picked up the jug and drank from it. Her thirst was as great as her hunger. As time had crept by, she had figured she was not going to be fed or given anything to drink. She was most thankful that was not to be the case.
With her thirst now quenched, she turned to look at the bowl of food. It contained a thin-looking stew of meat and onions. It was not much, but it would fill the space in her belly. She dipped her fingers into it and then ate greedily.
Ariel had just finished her meager meal when the door to the shed opened once again. This time Theodoric crossed its threshold. He silently watched her as he cut the ropes at her wrists. Letting him know she would not be cowed, she stared back.
He chuckled. “It is good to see you are not easily scared. When you are sold, it will go that much harder on you. A few stripes placed on your back will put you in your place.”
Ariel remained silent. She would not give him the pleasure of hearing her defend herself. There was no point, anyway.
At her continued silence, Theodoric threw a bundle of clothes at her. “Take off your chemise and put on this.”
Ariel picked up the bundle and found it to be peasant garb. The material was rough homespun, and the hem of the skirt was frayed, and from the look of it, far from clean. Her mind rebelled against the notion of donning such.
Theodoric took a threatening step closer. “Either you put it on or I will rip that chemise off you and dress you myself.”
The thought of him touching her was incentive enough to make her do what he had asked. With her eyes downcast, Ariel hurriedly stripped off her chemise and dressed in the peasant clothes. Once she finished, Theodoric shouted for Hugh.
Before Ariel could resist, Theodoric grabbed one of her arms and painfully wrenched it behind her back. With her subdued, Hugh easily slipped a collar around her neck, locking it in place with a bolt and lock. Those tasks completed, they left her alone.
The metal sat cold against her bare skin. The weight of it was more than enough to make its presence felt. Already the rough edges dug into the flesh of her neck. Having to wear the collar was humiliating enough, but it made the chances of Ariel’s escape that much harder. As long as she wore it, she would forever be marked as a serf. No matter what she told others she would not be believed.