Brother Cadfael 06: A Virgin In The Ice

their leader was dead, and seen to be dead. They broke in all directions, some running to try and find a way of escape, some fighting to the death, some bargaining vainly, some having the sense to surrender and hope to make a passable case for themselves thereafter. There were over sixty prisoners to be rounded up, besides the dead, any amount of plunder to drag out from hall and stores before all went up in fire, a passable flock of stolen sheep and herd of cattle to feed and water until they could be driven down to better lodging. Dinan undertook the custody of the prisoners, captured within his lordship. No need to doubt his adherence to law where his own writ was challenged.
    The fire spread, and when all that was savable was brought out, they spread the flames of intent. The castle stood solitary, clear of the trees, on solid rock, it could burn to the bone and threaten nothing else. It had been a stain upon the countryside in its short and ignoble life, it might well be a passing blemish in its death.
    The strangest thing, though unremarked by most in the general turmoil, was the disappearance of the unknown champion only minutes after he had felled the castellan. Every eye had followed that prodigious fall, and by the time they had stirred out of their daze and looked about, the chaos of flight and capture had broken out all around, and no one had seen the young countryman make off silently into the night.
    "Gone like a shadow," said Hugh, "when I should have liked to know him better. And never a word as to where he may be found, when the king's Grace owes him a debt any sane man would be eager to collect. You are the only one who has spoken with him, Yves. Who is this paladin?"
    Half-drunk with the lassitude of relief after stress, and the exhaustion of safety after terror, Yves said what he had been taught to say, and fronted Hugh with a clear stare and guileless face as he did so. "That was the forester's son who sheltered Ermina, and brought her to Bromfield. It was he told me she's there. I knew nothing of that until then. She is really there?"
    "She is, safe enough. And what is the name of this forester's son? And more to the purpose," said Hugh thoughtfully, "where did he learn his swordcraft?"
    "His name is Robert. He told me he was searching for me, as he promised Ermina he would, and he saw the raiders coming back here, and followed their tracks. I know no more about him," said Yves stoutly, and if he blushed as he said it, the night covered the blush.
    "Certainly we seem to breed redoubtable foresters in these parts," said Hugh dryly. But he did not press it further.
    "And now," said Cadfael, intent on his own business, "if you'll lend me four good men, and let us have the use of all these fresh horses, they'll be better on the move to the Bromfield stables, now they've no roof over their heads here, and I can get these two home to their beds. I can leave you my scrip. We'll rig a litter for Brother Elyas, and purloin whatever blankets and brychans are still unburned to wrap him up on the way."
    "Take what you need," said Hugh. There were seven horses fresh from the stable, besides the common hill-ponies Yves had seen used to bring home plunder. "Stolen, all or most of them," said Hugh, looking them over. "I'll have Dinan give it out wherever they've had losses, they can come to Bromfield and claim their own. The cattle and sheep we'll bring into Ludlow later, after the fellow at Cleeton has picked out his. But best get Brother Elyas away as fast as you can, if he's to live. The marvel is he's survived even this far."
    Cadfael marshalled his helpers to good effect, and took his pick of the furnishings dragged out of the burning hall, to swaddle Brother Elyas in a cocoon of blankets, and fashion a secure cradle for him between two horses. He took thought to load, also, two sacks of fodder from the ransacked stores, in case the sudden arrival of seven horses should tax the resources of Bromfield. The spurt of energy and authority that had animated Elyas when there was most need of him had deserted him as soon as his work was done, and his boy delivered. He yielded himself into their hands docilely, and let them do what they would with him, astray between apathy and exhaustion, and half dead with cold. Cadfael eyed him with much concern. Unless some new fire could be kindled in him, to make life an imperative as it had been when he saw Yves threatened, Elyas would die.
    Cadfael took Yves on his own