Medieval 01 - Untamed

fortnight, the Reevers will be dispersed like chaff on the wind.”
    â€œI told Meg the same this morning, in the dark hours before dawn.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œShe wasn’t consoled.”
    Simon muttered something about Glendruid witches and the difficulties they gave to the men who married them.
    â€œThere are rewards,” Dominic said, smiling to himself.
    One of them was that Meg’s hair looked quite beautiful by candlelight, fanned across her husband’s body as her soft mouth taught him that thefalcon also flies its master. The sensuous experience had been extraordinary, for both of them.
    Abruptly the sense of wrongness that had been plaguing Dominic crystalized into a need to see his wife once more. Without thought, Dominic turned his horse back the way they had come. The gray stallion responded instantly. Though not the size of Crusader, this horse was faster and easier of gait, an ideal mount for hunting or hawking.
    â€œDominic?” Simon called, surprised.
    â€œI’ve had enough of hawking for the day,” Dominic said flatly. “’Tis time to check on my own small falcon.”
    â€œGod’s blood. Can’t you trust the wench out of your sight?” Simon muttered.
    Without answering, Dominic urged Fatima onto his wrist and spurred his mount into a canter. Cursing, Simon put his own hawk on his wrist and turned to follow. The three other knights and six squires rapidly followed suit.
    When the hawking party finally came cantering past fields and between dry-stone fences, peasants dropped their tools and stared at the lord of Blackthorne Keep as though he were a ghost.
    The first time it happened Dominic thought little of it. But when more and more people stopped work at the sight of their lord riding by, Dominic and Simon exchanged uneasy glances.
    â€œWhat is it, man?” Simon called to a shepherd. “Why do you stare so?”
    The man crossed himself, turned, and fled. Nor would any other vassal come close to the riders. In fact, they seemed terrified of Dominic.
    â€œI like this not,” muttered Simon.
    Dominic simply urged his horse to a faster pace. Not until he was at the drawbridge did he rein in.
    Suddenly Harry limped out of the gatehouse,stared in shock at Dominic, and grabbed at his hand as he rode by.
    â€œThanks be to God,” Harry said fervently. “I knew the lass would save you!”
    â€œSave me? From what?”
    Harry started to speak but no words came. He simply stared, slack-jawed, at the man who bore no marks of injury of any kind.
    â€œThe mistress…” Harry struggled to swallow.
    â€œLady Margaret?” Dominic asked sharply.
    Harry nodded.
    â€œSpeak, man,” Dominic commanded. “Where is Meg?”
    â€œA squire came. He said you were sore injured near the northern fen.”
    Simon started to speak. A curt gesture from Dominic cut off the words.
    â€œAs you can see, I’m not injured. Where is my wife?”
    â€œShe went to you, lord. To care for you.”
    â€œTo the northern fen?” Dominic demanded. “That’s halfway to Carlysle Manor, isn’t it?”
    â€œAye.”
    â€œWho went with her?”
    The look on Harry’s face told Dominic more than he wanted to know.
    â€œGod’s blood ,” he snarled. “You let her ride out alone?”
    A woman screamed from the bailey. The high, despairing cry made the hair on Dominic’s neck rise. He turned and saw Eadith running toward him across the cobbles of the bailey as though pursued by the fiends of Hell.
    â€œLord,” Eadith sobbed, throwing herself at the feet of Dominic’s mount. “Don’t have me whipped, lord! I did my best but I couldn’t talk her out of it!”
    Dominic started to speak, but Eadith’s sobbing words never paused.
    â€œShe has loved him since she was a child. She was determined to follow him. She wouldn’t listen to me! I tried, lord. God knows how I tried! But she wouldn’t listen to me!”
    â€œWhat are you saying?” Dominic asked in a deadly cold voice.
    â€œShe knew she would never be allowed out alone, so she paid a boy to come running up with a tale of injury to you. In all the turmoil, she simply got on her palfrey and ran off!”
    â€œHow long ago?”
    â€œNoon, my lord.”
    Dominic turned to Simon. “We can overtake her before supper. She couldn’t have gotten far on that nag of