Page 49 of The Robber Knight's Love
“Does he matter? He's somewhere on the otherside on the river, and he's just one man.”
“Every enemy matters. Tell me.”
Ayla knew it was useless to argue withIsenbard. You could just as well try and persuade a mountain tomove. So she told him about the robbery—except the details aboutwhere the knight had grabbed her to get her off her horse. No waywas she going to admit that to her Uncle Ironbeard! He listenedwith the intensity of a man who knew how to be silent. However,while paying close attention, he didn't seem very interested in thestory—not until she mentioned the knight's red attire.
Immediately, she could feel him stiffenbehind her.
“Red?” he asked sharply. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, absolutely. Blood-red. Why do youask?”
“Not that one,” she heard him mutter underhis breath. “Lord, let it be someone else.”
“Uncle?” She tried to twist around to look athis face.
“Sit still, girl! We're galloping down amountain! Do you want to fall off and break your neck?”
“Sorry!” she whispered, turning to face thepath again. “Uncle, what's the matter?”
He sighed. “I guess you wouldn't know, you'venever been to a tournament. Red isn't a color that is used in coatsof arms within the Holy Roman Empire, generally. It's only usedabroad, for example in England. Did the knight sound foreign toyou?”
“I don't think so.” Ayla's reply washesitant. “But then, I've never met an Englishman. He didn't soundforeign to me.”
Isenbard was silent.
“So what do you think?” she probed. “That hewas English?”
“No, I don't think that.”
“Then what?”
“There is one knight I heard spoken of,shortly after I had to end my days as a tournament fighter becausemy bones got too old and brittle.”
She could feel him shudder even throughseveral layers of armor. It was a moment before she could link thefeeling to the probable cause. But no, that couldn't be. Her UncleIronbeard frightened?
“Mind you, I only heard rumors. But what Idid hear... Let's just say I'd rather be facing a hundredEnglishmen than that devil of a knight on his own. If it truly washe that robbed you, you're lucky to have got away with yourlife.”
Ayla frowned. The knight had been arrogantand rude, he'd even threatened her, but somehow, looking back, shedidn't believe he would actually have hurt her. Bound her to a treeand made fun of her, yes, but not hurt her.
“He didn't hurt me,” she felt it incumbentupon her to point out, “and he had ample opportunity.”
“Hmm. Well, perhaps it was not the one I havein mind. Let's pray to God it isn't, and that if it is, he's far,far away by now from you and your castle.”
*~*~**~*~*
As soon as Ayla was out of the room, Reubenjumped up and went over to the chest in which he had stored hisremaining hoard from his raid on the kitchen last night. He wasn'treally that hungry yet, but Ayla had told him that he had to stayin bed, so he naturally wanted to stretch his legs. He snorted ashe tore into a chicken leg. Trying to give him orders! The girl hadsome nerve.
After he had eaten all he could and jogged afew times up and down the room just for the fun of it, he went tothe window. Strange—it hadn't been all that warm half an hour ago,but now he had started sweating and felt the need to feel a coolbreeze on his face. Leaning out the window, he breathed in deeply,and then let his eyes wander over the beautiful valley.
The first thing he saw was Ayla, clutchedtightly in the arms of the old gray-beard, riding down themountain. Beautiful valley his ass! It shouldn't surprise him,after what he'd heard from her own lips, but it still disgusted andenraged him just to look at the two of them. Suddenly, he feltdizzy. Wiping sweat off his face, he stepped back from the windowand sat on his bedstead, staring angrily at the wall oppositehim.
*~*~**~*~*
Riding on Isenbard's powerful gray warhorse,Ayla and her vassal reached the bridge within a couple of minutes.He slid off the horse's back and then, as he had done ever sinceshe was five years old, held out his arms to help her down. Andshe, as she'd done since she'd been five years old, slid down theother side.
He made no comment but turned towards thebridge. His eyes widened. “What was it you said you were trying tobuild here?” he asked.
“A barricade,” Ayla told him.
