Page 486

Izlyn looked at Keller, her young face rosy and full of delight. She was thrilled with the attention and the praise. She nodded but she didn’t verbally answer him, so he looked over at Gart.

“I do not suppose she wants me to eat those rabbits, does she?” he asked the man.

As Gart grinned, Izlyn looked straight at Keller and shook a finger at him. “N-nay!” she barked.

The knights roared with laughter, as did Chrystobel. She hugged and kissed her sister, giggling as the girl soaked up the praise. They were so happy, thrilled with life, thrilled with what the future would hold. It was a day of blessings and of sorrows with Trevyn’s funeral looming, but at the moment, they were mostly counting their blessings. It was a momentous day, indeed.

The rest of the journey into Machynlleth was pleasant and uneventful after that. Izlyn didn’t say another word, but it didn’t matter. She’d already made a great achievement, at least in her world. In truth, it couldn’t have been a better day in spite of the fact that they were heading for a funeral mass. There was joy among the sorrow.

Surprisingly, the air seemed to be warming a bit in the bright sunshine and everyone seemed to soak up the warmth and sunlight as they traveled the road that was growing less muddy by the minute. The ground was drying up as the sun soaked up the moisture, and as they began to reach the outskirts of the town, they began to see farmers in their fields or shepherds with their flocks. There were a few orchards about, mostly apples, pears, and plums, and being that it was fall, the fruit was being harvested before the colder weather could ruin it.

A young boy herding several goats ran alongside the party of soldiers, directing his goats with a stick by slapping them on the rump or on the shoulder, depending on what he wanted them to do. Izlyn was very interested in the boy, since he was around her age, and she watched him intently. When she lifted a hand to timidly wave at him, he waved wildly, stuck his tongue out at her, and then tore off into another field with the goats running after him. Chrystobel had seen the lad stick his tongue out and she watched Izlyn’s face shift from interest to outrage and then back to interest again. She thought she even saw a hint of a smile.

Hiding a grin at her sister’s reaction to the cheeky youth, she turned her attention to the town up ahead as the party drew close to the eastern end of Machynlleth. They entered the town proper and ran head long into a busy avenue filled with people going about their morning business. As the mud from the rains dried up, the smells came out, and the heavy scent of animal dung and human waste was prevalent on the moist air.

Chrystobel and Izlyn, having lived rather isolated lives, were quite interested in all that was going on around them. People darted around them, carrying baskets laden with vegetables, or other goods, and they even saw a woman carrying piglets in a basket. Izlyn was quite interested in the piglets until she spied a man leading four goats, each one tied to the next in a string of goats. The knights had fanned out and took position at both the rear and the front of the column as they headed towards the church, watching for any threat. Villages in particular were hazardous because there were so many places to hide, and since they’d been attacked yesterday on this very road, they were well on their guard.

At the head of group, Keller had his visor up, his dusky eyes taking in every detail; every word, every breath, every movement was noted. He was especially edgy because they were approaching the part of town where the merchants were and where they had been ambushed. He almost thought to put Chrystobel and Izlyn in the bed of the wagon to better protect them, but he veered away from that stance. They were safe enough on the bench next to the wagon driver should something happen, and he knew that he could get to his wife very quickly if he needed to. Therefore, he allowed the ladies to remain in full view as they passed through the heart of the busy burg.

Nearing the vendor stall where he had purchased all of the beautiful finery, he noticed the old merchant coming out to greet him. The old man waved a hand at him, almost frantically, and Keller raised a fist, indicating for the column to stop. Behind him, men and animals ground to a halt.

“Fy arglwydd!” My lord!

Keller leaned forward on the saddle to address the man. “Greetings,” he said in Welsh. “Have you more jewelry to sell me?”

He meant it as a jest but the old merchant appeared nervous and grim. He waved a dismissive hand at him. “I could see you coming from the crest of the road to the east,” he said, pointing to the rising sun. “I went to the alley behind the shop where the view is better. I must warn you, my lord, that I saw many men back in the fields, men with weapons and crossbows. They have gone into hiding now.”

Keller’s mood turned serious. “Are you sure?” he asked. “How many did you see?”

The merchant shook his head. “Too many,” he said. “They were moving through the fields and trees. Mayhap these are the same men who attacked you yesterday.”

Keller’s gaze moved around the avenue without moving his head. He kept it pointed towards the merchant. If they were being watched, he didn’t want to give away the fact that they were being warned by looking around as if hunting for someone or something. He wanted to appear as casual as possible, at least for the moment. But inside, his heart began to race. We have women with us… my wife is with us!

“Mayhap,” he said nonchalantly. Then, he motioned to William, who was nearest to him, to come closer. William brought his steed alongside and Keller leaned in the man’s direction, his voice quiet. “The merchant says he has seen men with weapons around the town. He says they went into hiding when we approached. Spread the word and make sure my wife and her sister are well protected down in the wagon. Use the coffin as a barrier if you have to. I am sure Trevyn would not mind.”

As William nodded and moved off, Keller returned his attention to the merchant. “We are going to the church to bury my wife’s father and then we are returning home,” he said. “I will be at the church should you need to send a message to me.”

The merchant nodded nervously and darted back into his stall. Keller gave the signal to move and the column lurched forward. As William moved back among the men, spreading the ominous word, Rhys moved forward to ride point with Keller. He reined his big black and white charger close enough so that he wouldn’t have to shout.

“What are your thoughts, Keller?” he asked, his gaze studying the town, the people, just as Keller was. “Do you think they are the same rebels who attacked you yesterday?”

Keller didn’t look at Rhys. “It is possible,” he said. “If it is not, then that is very concerning.”

“What do you mean?”

Keller glanced at him. “I mean that if these are not the same men, meaning that they are somehow indigenous to this village, then it would stand to reason that we are either being followed unaware, or that someone told local rebels that we were returning today so that the rebels would be here to greet us.” He shook his head. “The only people who knew we were returning were the priests.”

“I doubt the priests would have been party to setting up an ambush.”

Keller wriggled his eyebrows. “I would hope not,” he said. “Which leads me to the second possibility; we’re being followed. If so, by whom? I’ve not seen any sign of being followed and I am fairly astute at that kind of thing.”

Rhys wasn’t sure how to answer that. “There are a myriad of possibilities,” he said. “For one, we look, act, and smell like Saesneg. Of course the locals would know that we are not Welsh. It would not take long for word to get around.”

Keller turned to look at him. “You are half-Welsh, are you not?”

Rhys nodded. “My mother is Welsh,” he said. “But only by name and by blood. Our heart and our family culture is more English than most.”

“Then what do you think of the situation, as a man with Welsh blood in him?”