Brother Cadfael 09: Dead Man's Ransom

how his father's cot and holding was laid waste, his family fled eastward, and how a Welsh raiding party was drinking its fill in what remained of his home, and boasting how it would disembowel the nunnery of Godric's Ford. Huntsmen on their way home will not despise a few stray head of game to add to their booty. We had not the news of the defeat of Lincoln then,' she said, meeting Hugh's attentive gaze, 'but we made our judgements accordingly and took heed. Cadwaladr's shortest way home with his plunder to his castle at Aberystwyth skirts Shrewsbury close. Seemingly he still feared to come too near the town, even with the garrison thinned as he knew it must be. But he felt safer with us in the forest. And with only a handful of women to deal with, it was worth his while to spend a day in sport, and strip us bare.'
    'And this was four days ago?' asked Hugh, sharply intent.
    'Four when the boy came. He's safe enough, and so is his sire, but their cattle are gone, driven off westward. Three days, when they reached us. We had a day to prepare.'
    'This was a despicable undertaking,' said Radulfus with anger and disgust, 'to fasten like cowards upon a household of defenceless women. Great shame to the Welsh or any others who attempt such infamies. And we here knowing nothing of your need!'
    'Never fear, Father, we have weathered this storm well enough. Our house yet stands, and has not been plundered, nor harm come to any of our women, and barely a scratch or two among the forest menfolk. And we were not quite defenceless. They came on the western side, and our brook runs between. Brother Cadfael knows the lie of the land there.'
    'The brook would be a very frail barrier most of the year,' said Cadfael doubtfully.
    'But we have had great rains this winter season.'
    'But there's both the ford and the bridge to guard.'
    'True, but it takes no time there among good neighbours to raise a very fair muster. We are well thought of among the forest folk, and they are stout men.' Four of the stout men of her army were regaling themselves in the gatehouse with meat and bread and ale at this moment, proud and content, set up in their own esteem, very properly, by their own exploits. 'The brook was high in flood already, but we contrived to pit the ford, in case they should still venture it, and then John Miller opened up all his sluices to swell the waters. As for the bridge, we sawed through the wood of the piers, leaving them only the last holt, and fastened ropes from them into the bushes. You'll recall the banks are well treed both sides. We could pluck the piers loose from cover whenever we saw fit. And all the men of the forest came with bills and dungforks and bows to line our bank, and deal with any who did get over.' No question who had generalled that formidable reception. There she sat, solid, placid and comely, like a well blessed village matron talking of the doings of her children and grandchildren, fond and proud of their precocious achievements, but too wise to let them see it.
    'The foresters,' she said, 'are as good archers as you will find anywhere, we had them spaced among the trees, all along our bank. And the men of the other bank were drawn aside in cover, to speed the enemy's going when he ran.'
    The abbot was regarding her with a warily respectful face, and brows that signalled his guarded wonder. 'I recall,' he said, 'that Mother Mariana is old and frail. This attack must have caused her great distress and fear. Happy for her that she had you and could delegate her powers to so stout and able a deputy.'
    Sister Magdalen's benign smile might, Cadfael thought, be discreet cover for her memory of Mother Mariana distracted and helpless with dread at the threat. But all she said was: 'Our superior was not well at that time, but praise be, she is now restored. We entreated her to take with her the elder sisters, and shut themselves up in the chapel, with such sacred valuables as we have, and there to pray for our safe deliverance. Which doubtless availed us above our bills and bows, for all passed without harm to us.'
    'Yet their prayers did not turn the Welsh back short of the planned attempt, I doubt,' said Hugh, meeting her guileless eyes with an appreciative smile. 'I see I shall have to mend a few fences down there. What followed? You say all fell out well. You used those ropes of yours?'
    'We did. They came thick and fast, we let them load the bridge almost to the near bank, and then plucked the piers