Brother Cadfael 09: Dead Man's Ransom

loose. Their first wave went down into the flood, and a few who tried the ford lost their footing in our pits and were swept away. And after our archers had loosed their first shafts, the Welsh turned tail. The lads we had in cover on the other side took after them and sped them on their way. John Miller has closed his sluices now. Give us a couple of dry weeks, and we'll have the bridge up again. The Welsh left three men dead, drowned in the brook, the rest they hauled out half, sodden, and dragged them away with them when they ran. All but one, and he's the occasion for this journey of mine. There's a very fine young fellow,' she said, 'was washed downstream, and we pulled him out bloated with water and far gone, if we had not emptied him, and pounded him alive to tell the tale. You may send and take him off our hands whenever you please. Things being as it seems they are, you may well have a use for him.'
    'For any Welsh prisoner,' said Hugh, glowing. 'Where have you stowed him?'
    'John Miller has him under lock and key, and guarded. I did not venture to try and bring him to you, for good reason. He's sudden as a kingfisher and slippery as a fish, and short of tying him hand and foot I doubt if we could have held him.'
    'We'll undertake to bring him away safely,' said Hugh heartily. 'What manner of man do you make of him? And has he given you a name?'
    'He'll say no word but in Welsh, and I have not the knowledge of that tongue, nor has any of us. But he's young, princely provided, and lofty enough in his manner to be princely born, no common kern. He may prove valuable if it comes to an exchange.'
    'I'll come and fetch him away tomorrow,' promised Hugh, 'and thank you for him heartily. By morning I'll have a company ready to ride. As well I should look to all that border, and if you can bide overnight, sister, we can escort you home in safety.'
    'Indeed it would be wise,' said the abbot. 'Our guest-hall and all we have is open to you, and your neighbours who have done you such good service are equally welcome. Far better return with the assurance of numbers and arms. Who knows if there may not be marauding parties still lurking in the forest, if they're grown so bold?'
    'I doubt it,' she said. 'We saw no sign of it on the way here. It was the men themselves would not let me venture alone. But I will accept your hospitality, Father, with pleasure, and be as grateful for your company, my lord,' she said, smiling thoughtfully at Hugh, 'on the way home.'
    'Though, faith,' said Hugh to Cadfael, as they crossed the court together, leaving Sister Magdalen to dine as the abbot's guest, 'it would rather become me to give her the generalship of all the forest than offer her any protection of mine. We should have had her at Lincoln, where our enemies crossed the floods, as hers failed to do. Riding south with her tomorrow will certainly be pleasure, it might well be profit. I'll bend a devout ear to any counsel that lady chooses to dispense.'
    'You'll be giving pleasure as well as receiving it,' said Cadfael frankly. 'She may have taken vows of chastity, and what she swears she'll keep. But she has not sworn never to take delight in the looks and converse and company of a proper man. I doubt they'll ever bring her to consent to that, she'd think it a waste and a shame, so to throw God's good gifts in his teeth.'
    The party mustered after Prime next morning, Sister Magdalen and her four henchmen, Hugh and his half, dozen armed guards from the castle garrison. Brother Cadfael stood to watch them gather and mount, and took a warmly appreciative leave of the lady.
    'I doubt I shall be hard put to it, though,' he admitted, 'to learn to call you by your new name.'
    At that her dimple dipped and flashed, and again vanished. 'Ah, that! You are thinking that I never yet repented of anything I did, and I confess I don't recall such a thing myself. No, but it was such a comfort and satisfaction to the women. They took me to their hearts so joyfully, the sweet things, a fallen sister retrieved. I couldn't forbear giving them what they wanted and thought fitting. I am their special pride, they boast of me.'
    'Well they may,' said Cadfael, 'seeing you just drove back pillage, ravishment and probable murder from their nest.'
    'Ah, that they feel to be somewhat unwomanly, though glad enough of the result. The doves were all aflutter, but then, I was never a dove,' said Sister Magdalen, 'and it's only the men truly admire the hawk in me.'