Brother Cadfael 14: The Hermit of Eyton Forest

highroad, to sweep the expanse of field and forest from Wroxeter to Eyton and beyond. For a fugitive murderer they might have to turn the hunt westward, but Richard must surely be somewhere here in this region, if he had indeed set out to warn Hyacinth of the vengeance bearing down on him. Hugh's party had followed the direct road from the Abbey Foregate to Wroxeter, an open, fast track, and thence by the most direct path into the forest, to Cuthred's cell, where Richard would have expected to find Hyacinth. By young Edwin's account he had been only a few minutes ahead of Bosiet, he would have made all haste and taken the shortest and fastest way. But he had never reached the hermitage.
    'The boy Richard?' said the hermit, astonished. 'You did not ask me of him yesterday, only of the man. No, Richard did not come. I remember the young lord well, God grant no harm has come to him! I did not know he was lost.'
    'And you've seen nothing of him since? It's two nights now he's been gone.'
    'No, I have not seen him. My doors are always open, even by night,' said Cuthred, 'and I am always here if any man needs me. Had the child been in any peril or distress within reach of me, he would surely have come running here. But I have not seen him.'
    It was simple truth that both doors stood wide, and the sparse furnishings of both living room and chapel were clear to view.
    'If you should get any word of him,' said Hugh, 'send to me, or to the abbey, or if you should see my men drawing these coverts round you - as you will give them the message.'
    'I will do so,' said Cuthred gravely, and stood at the open gateway of his little garden to watch them ride away towards Eaton.
    John of Longwood came striding out from one of the long barns lining the stockade, as soon as he heard the dull drumming of many hooves on the beaten earth of the yard. His bare arms and balding crown were the glossy brown of oak timber, for he spent most of his time out and active in all weathers, and there was no task about the holding to which he could not turn his hand. He stared at sight of Hugh's men riding in purposefully at the gate, but in wonder and curiosity rather than consternation, and came readily to meet them.
    'Well, my lord, what's afoot with you so early?' He had already taken in the significance of their array. No hounds, no hawks, but steel by their sides, and two of them archers shouldering bows. This was another kind of hunt. 'We've had no trouble hereabouts. What's the word from Shrewsbury?'
    'We're looking for two defaulters,' said Hugh briskly. 'Don't tell me you haven't heard we have a man murdered between here and the town, two nights ago. And the hermit's boy is fled, and suspect of being the man's runaway villein, with good reason to make away with him and run for the second time. That's the one quarry we're after.'
    'Oh, ay, we'd heard about him,' said John readily, 'but I doubt he's a good few miles from here by this time. We've not seen hide or hair of him since late that afternoon, when he was here to fetch some honey cakes our dame had for Cuthred. She was not best pleased with him, neither, I heard her scolding. And for sure he was an impudent rogue. But the start he's had, I fancy you won't see him again. I never saw him carry steel, though,' said John by way of a fair-minded afterthought, and frowned over the resultant doubt. 'There's a chance at least that some other put an end to his master. The threat to haul him back to villeinage would be enough to make the lad take to his heels, the faster the better. In unknown country his lord would be hard put to it to track him down. No need, surely, to kill him. Small inducement to stay and take the risk.'
    'The fellow's neither convicted nor charged yet,' said Hugh, 'nor can be until he's taken. But neither can he be cleared until then. And either way I want him. But we're after another runaway, too, John. Your lady's grandson, Richard, rode out of the abbey precinct that same evening, and hasn't come back.'
    'The young lord!' echoed John, stricken open-mouthed with astonishment and consternation. 'Two nights gone, and only now we get to hear of it? God help us, she'll run mad! What happened? Who fetched the lad away?'
    'No one fetched him. He up and saddled his pony and off he went, alone, of his own will. And what's befallen him since nobody knows. And since one of the pair I'm seeking may be a murderer, I'm leaving no barn un-ransacked and no house unvisited, and with orders