The Warrior and the Dove - A Short Novel (Medieval Chronicles) by Julia Byrne Read Free Book Online

told me you were in boy’s clothes, and
you certainly didn’t get those in a cloister. Do you remember a journey, or—”
    She drew in a
sharp breath, staring at him.
    “Close your
eyes,” he said softly. “Think about a journey.” When her lashes lowered, he
asked, “Are you riding?”
    “Nay, walking,
running. All last night…today…” Her voice took on a dreamy note as though she
spoke only to herself. “’Tis farther than I thought—on foot.”
    He was about to
ask where she’d started from, when her lips parted. The almost silent whisper
that emerged raised the hair at his nape.
    “ Stay away
from the roads .”
    Hugh held his
breath. He had the feeling that Herleve and Martin were doing likewise.
    “So many leaves
falling,” she murmured. “Winter will be early this year.” She frowned. “There’s
another road. I think I have to cross it.”
    “Why?” he asked.
    “To go north. Don’t
wait for nightfall. I need to find somewhere to sleep. A barn, or…”
    He exchanged a
grim look with Martin. “Are you alone?”
    “Aye. Nay! ”
Her eyes flew open and she jerked back on her stool. “Nay. There were boys
coming along the road. I hadn’t heard them until then. They saw me and waved. I
thought it best to stand. If I’d run—”
    Hugh shoved to
his feet so violently his stool fell backward with a crash. He saw Herleve give
a startled jump, but, thankfully, she remained silent.
    “What happened?”
he ground out, forcing himself to stillness. The only thing stopping him from
seizing Annith and dragging her across the table into his arms was the quick
fear on her face when he’d moved. But it was gone in a flash, and her gaze
clung to his as if he was the only anchor in her world.
    “I remember,”
she whispered. “They greeted me as they would a friend. They thought I’d come
from some manor to join them. They were boisterous and worked up about
something, but I wasn’t afraid. I kept my hood well forward and made my voice
gruff, and they were too intent on reaching their goal to bother about one not
familiar to all. I think they assumed if one group didn’t know me, another
would.”
    Somehow Hugh
managed to keep his voice level. He knew, now. Knew what was coming and dreaded
it. “And then?”
    “More boys
joined us along the way.” Her gaze turned inward as memory returned. “I tried
to stay on the edge of the crowd, hoping to slip into the forest unnoticed. But
before I had a chance, we came to a field, and men were there with horses. One
man kept riding up and down, shouting and getting the boys more excited. Nay,
not excited, they were angry now. Then he motioned to everyone to follow him,
but before we went more than a few yards, men on horseback charged at us from
the trees.”
    Hugh closed his
eyes. His hands were gripping the edge of the table so hard he wondered the
wood didn’t splinter. He had led that charge. Never mind that as soon as he’d
seen who they were closing with, he’d signaled his mounted knights to veer off
toward Corbel’s horsemen, while his foot soldiers engaged the youths. For some
of those boys it had been too late.
    “I tried to get
away, but someone struck me,” she went on. “I remember falling and being unable
to move.”
    “Holy Mother
Mary,” Herleve breathed. “But, child, you must have managed to get away from
the battle. Martin found you in the forest.”
    “Aye.” She
shivered. “I woke up and couldn’t move. I could barely breathe because I was
face down in the grass, and— Oh! Mayhap that’s what brings on my dreams,” she
exclaimed. “I tried to get up and couldn’t, and then I realized I was beneath
two boys. They must have fallen when I did. Fallen dead, or senseless,” she
added, as though taking care to be accurate. “The fighting had moved off a
little way by then and I managed to free myself. I wasn’t sure if I could
stand. Everything was dark and hazy and the ground kept tilting beneath me, so
I crawled into