Page 5 of The Red Wolf’s Prize

“Bon.” Renaud faced forward and raised his hand. “PourTalisand!”

At the clenching of his knees, Renaud’s stallion movedforward. The column followed, moving en masse.

Renaud’s mind filled with the faces of the jealous baronsand knights at William’s court who had whispered the Red Wolf was the king’spet, a knight so favored his requests were never denied. In their jealousy,they had failed to see the reason for the king’s favor. Renaud never actedwithout first consulting William in private. Then, too, he knew well the mindof his sire.

There was only one thing that could have moved Renaud fromWilliam’s side—his dream of having his own lands. As a younger son of a Normannobleman, Renaud had known he would have to fight for any lands he would claimas his own. And fight he had, both in Normandy and England, for there had beenrebellions in the south after Hastings.

Aware that Renaud’s devotion ran deep, but also knowing ofhis knight’s dream, William had finally sent Renaud away with orders to takeand hold Talisand, to raise a castle that would be a guard against the king’senemies to the north and a symbol to the English of his domination.

William’s last words came to his mind. “Take as your wifethe heiress of Talisand and raise up sons to serve my heirs.”

“What have you heard of the Lady Serena?” Renaud asked Geoffas they drew nearer to the manor, and the bleating sheep scattered before theirpowerful horses.

Geoff seemed to ponder the question. “When you were grantedTalisand, I heard the men at court whispering the Red Wolf had done well, thatthe lady is rumored to be fair of face with hair as pale as the moon. Though atseventeen summers, she will be older than most girls at her marriage. EarlMorcar, who went with William to Normandy last year, spoke of her as ifdescribing a vision.”

“It would matter naught to me if the lady’s face was asplain as the side of a stable,” Renaud replied. “William has commanded she bemy wife and so she shall be. Have you heard aught else?”

“Nay, though I assume as the daughter of a thegn, she canmanage a household.”

“It is good we tarried so long in London,” said Renaudthoughtfully. “Like the king, we have learned some of the barbarous Englishtongue. The serfs will not be familiar with our Norman French. This far north,I would not expect any of them to speak the language of William’s court.”

“She is supposed to be quite good with a bow,” Maugrisinterjected under his breath, just loud enough for Renaud to hear. “’Tisunusual.”

Renaud raised a brow at the old one’s words. “And how wouldyou know that, wise one?”

A small smile twitched at the corner of Maugris’ mouth. “Ihave ways of knowing many things, my lord.”

Renaud smiled. “Yea, you do, and your counsel is alwayswelcome. Mayhap you can help me understand these people, Maugris. I expect theywill be hostile to the idea of a Norman overlord, though I have little patienceto give them. Still, we must find a way to make them work for us.”

“That is one reason I have come, my lord. Your olderbrothers have your father’s counsel, and you will have mine. As I once servedyour father, now I serve you. I do not expect to return to Normandy. My fatelies with the Red Wolf and his cubs.”

“I am glad of it, Maugris. I would miss your old face wereyou to have stayed behind at my father’s donjon, though I am glad yourcountenance is no longer green as it was on the crossing.”

“I do not favor the sea, my lord, or boats upon it, as youknow.” The old man’s face bore a grin telling Renaud that the unpleasant voyageand his mal de mer were now consigned to memory.

Having crossed the large swath of pasture, they arrived atthe palisade. Renaud was unsurprised to see a crowd of villagers lined up oneither side of the open gate, curious to get a look at their new lord. Thefaces of the young children, particularly the boys, were agog at the knights,enthralled with the hauberks they wore, the lances they carried and thepowerful horses they rode. But the faces of the men, as Renaud had expected,wore scowls and hostile grimaces. Obviously the stories of the Normans, and thetale of the one called the Red Wolf, had traveled far.

Renaud and his men passed through the open gate anddismounted in the yard in front of the manor. Mathieu gathered Belasco’s reinswhile still leading the powerful black destrier Renaud reserved for battle, andled the two horses toward the stable.

“See if you can find the one responsible for the running ofthe manor,” Renaud said to Geoff. “Surely they must have a seneschal. I knowyou will naturally want to determine when we might have a meal.” Glancing downat the mud that had spattered his leggings, he added, “I’d like to bathe beforeI meet the Lady Serena.”

“Yea, my lord,” Geoff said respectfully in the Englishtongue, darting a glance at the watching villagers as he walked toward the doorof the manor.

Renaud waited for his men to draw near. When he spoke, itwas in Norman French. “Sir Maurin, you speak some of the English tongue. Roundup the thegn’s men and see they swear fealty to me. Any who do not must leave.”To the rest he said, “The usual rules apply concerning the women. Take carelest you consume too much of their ale in these first days. Though we areexpected, I cannot predict our reception. Many will yet be unhappy a Normanlord has replaced their thegn. It would be best if you could learn to speaktheir language. Do not flaunt the power we have over them lest they hate us allthe more. In time, they will accept their fate or rue the day.”

Maugris whispered in his ear a reminder that the men wouldbe concerned with their comforts. Raising his head, Renaud said, “I’ve sent SirGeoffroi to see about a meal and lodging for the night, but there may not beroom enough for all of you to set your pallets in the hall. Sir Geoffroi and Iwill lodge within the manor. The remainder will sleep in the hall or in tentsuntil the castle is finished. Knights have first choice.”

The men nodded, their faces telling Renaud they werepleased. The road had been long and the weather not always fair. Spring hadbrought heavy rains and they were often soaked to the skin while travelingnorth. Hard biscuits and dried meat were their only fare when their pace didnot allow them to hunt. Now his men would have hot food to warm their belliesand more than soggy ground to lie upon. He prayed Talisand possessed a decentcook.

Leaving his men to their duties, and with Maugris following,Renaud headed toward the manor’s entrance. Many eyes followed him. Whispersfrom the young lads told him his fierce reputation in battle had preceded hiscoming. At the door of the manor, he paused and turned. This time he spoke inEnglish as he addressed the villagers.

“I am Sir Renaud de Pierrepont, now Earl of Talisand by KingWilliam’s decree. I come in peace. If you show me the same, we will do well.”

The English remained silent, their stern faces disclosinglittle. Were they surprised to find he knew some of their language? Whetherthey yet accepted their fate was not clear, but it mattered little. They werenow his serfs and had no choice but to follow his orders.

Inside the manor, Renaud allowed his eyes to adjust to thelight from the small windows, their shutters open, as he surveyed the interior.What he saw surprised him. Colorful tapestries depicting animals and plantsdraped the whitewashed walls. In between them were iron sconces that would holdtorches at eventide. The furnishings were elaborate even for a thegn’sdwelling, making Renaud think the old lord must have traveled or traded well.Many of the objects he saw were from distant lands, the kind of things he hadseen in Rouen and his home in Saint Sauveur.

In the entry a brazier radiated heat, sending a thin columnof smoke wafting up to a hole in the roof. A small woven rush mat lay in thecenter of the space and there was a bench placed to one side. In front of him,on the left, stairs ascended to the floor above where an open corridor with ahalf railing ran in front of several doors.