The Lion of the North (40 page)

Alec, hearing Adam’s comment, threw a pebble that hit the man in the neck. Angry, Adam shook his fist threateningly at Alec but his threats went largely ignored. The knights then dissipated into the deepening evening to help shore up Wolfe’s Lair for the night while Atticus and Isobeau lost themselves in a kiss that would go down in history as possibly one of the best and purest in the true sense of the gesture. It was everything they ever knew it could be… and more.

After that, Atticus spent the next hour with his wife simply to make up for lost time before reluctantly pulling himself away from her to oversee the post-battle activities of Wolfe’s Lair. At least for the night, there was no talk of battle, of death, or of war.

With Shaun Summerlin and his men on the retreat and Wolfe’s Lair under a veil of peace, Atticus was able to relax somewhat. For the moment, he was worry-free. For a brief and shining moment, he allowed himself the luxury of life without battle or grief. For that brief and shining moment, there was only Isobeau.

Even though Atticus slept in his mother’s bed next to his wife that night, he did not engage in his husbandly rights. He knew she was still healing from her recent miscarriage and he suspected that an act of that sort would be physically difficult for her, so he refrained. It was the first time in his life that he’d ever thought of someone else over himself. But he didn’t regret it. In fact, sleeping with her in his arms was quite possibly the best thing he ever did.

Waking up to her soft, gentle singing was just this side of heaven.

~ The End is Known ~

“W
ith the threat
against Wolfe’s Lair gone, I do not intend to delay any longer in my quest to ride to Wellesbourne Castle,” Atticus said. Seated around the feasting table of Wolfe’s Lair’s great hall, he spoke to the knights sitting near him, including Juston de Royans. In fact, he was singularly focused on the man. “I realize you and I have not had any time to speak since the chaos of yesterday, but Adam mentioned briefly that you had been on the road to Wolfe’s Lair specifically to see me when you came upon Norfolk’s siege and went to summon help. I am in your debt for that action.”

Juston, a cup of warmed wine in his hand, was exhausted from little sleep this morning after the siege but, like the other knights, he was focused and determined. He had a message to deliver to de Wolfe but from Atticus’ statement, he was coming to think that Atticus already knew the whereabouts of de la Londe and de Troiu. He was moderately surprised to realize that.

“No need, my lord,” he replied. “I was coming to tell you that Simon de la Londe and Declan de Troiu came to Wellesbourne Castle but it seems that you are already aware of that.”

Atticus cocked his head curiously. “The information I had, from Norfolk’s knight no less, is that Wellesbourne Castle was their last known location,” he said, grunting as he reflected upon the past several days and all that had happened. “Let me be clear on the situation; Norfolk’s siege was the direct result of my refusal to swear fealty to Edward. But there is more to it; Norfolk sent two seasoned knights, Shaun Summerlin and Alrik du Reims, to inform me that Norfolk would have my oath or he would confiscate Wolfe’s Lair. Naturally, I refused, but it seemed very odd to me that Norfolk knew where to find me. Logically, I would be at Alnwick, yet Norfolk came straight to Wolfe’s Lair in search of me, as if someone told him to come here. Upon interrogating Norfolk’s knight, I discovered that information for my whereabouts came from none other than de la Londe and de Troiu. I was told that their last known whereabouts was Wellesbourne Castle, according to Summerlin. That is why I said my destination was Wellesbourne Castle. Now, a knight from Wellesbourne Castle has come to Wolfe’s Lair to speak with me, which is both strange and coincidental. What more can you tell me about de la Londe and de Troiu?”

Juston started to speak but Adam interrupted him. “Those bastards went to Wellesbourne to convince my father that I had sworn fealty to Edward,” he said, angry. “They tried to convince my father to swear fealty to Edward also, but my father was smart. He knew there was something odd about the situation and he did not trust them, so he threw both of them in the vault and sent de Royans to Alnwick to find out what the truth of the matter was. Atticus, de la Londe and de Troiu are locked up in Wellesbourne’s vaults. They have been there all along.”

Atticus was stunned; pleased, but stunned. He looked to de Royans. “This is what you were coming to tell me?”

Juston nodded. “Indeed,” he replied. “Upon my arrival to Alnwick, Adam and the other knights strongly denied de la Londe and de Troiu’s assertions. They were lies, as Andrew Wellesbourne suspected they were. But what Lord Andrew does not know is that those knights killed your brother; Adam told me what happened with Titus. He told me of the betrayal, how they have sided with Norfolk and are trying to recruit all of Northumberland’s knights for Edward’s cause. If you will ride to Wellesbourne, I am sure Lord Andrew will happily turn the traitors over to you for your good justice.”

Atticus understood everything now and he felt an extreme amount of relief in what he was being told. The men he sought to punish were being held in a dank, nasty vault at an allied fortress. It was an amazing stroke of good fortune and his gratitude ran deep.

“Now it is clear,” he muttered with satisfaction. “I am more grateful than you can know for the information and for Andrew Wellesbourne’s astute action to capture them. That has made all of the difference in the world to me. Now I will ride to Wellesbourne Castle and dispense justice for my brother.”

The knights at the table, particularly Maxim and Alec, began to eye each other. The subject of accompanying Atticus hung in the air as an unspoken question and, once again, everyone was eager to go with him but no one wanted to speak up. Already the knights from Northumberland had been denied. Tertius, who knew very well what the sentiment was, finally broke the silence.

“I would assume Kenton and de Royans will go with you to Wellesbourne,” he said. “Atticus, I will be honest when I say that every man here wants to go with you. We all have a personal stake in this. Titus was our commander as well as our friend, and what de la Londe and de Troiu did was betray all of us when they swore fealty to Norfolk. What happened to Titus could have happened to any of us; Titus was simply the knight they approached first.”

Atticus looked around the table at the men he had fought with for many years. They were all close friends, brothers-in-arms, and he deeply respected every one of them. Here they sat, surrounded by wounded from the siege, exhausted to the bone from fighting off Norfolk on behalf of the House of de Wolfe, and still they wanted to help him. Their support had always meant a great deal to him but somehow, it meant more today, on this day of days after Titus’ death and Warenne’s death and the realization that he loved his new wife. There were emotions close to the surface for the knight known as The Lion of the North, emotions he was allowing himself to feel for the first time.

“I have learned a great deal over the past several weeks,” he said to the group as a whole. “I have learned that Titus was not the only brother I have. I have several – Tertius, Kenton, Maxim, Alec, Adam, and, in particular, Warenne. I have always considered you all brothers-in-arms but not necessarily brothers of the blood… but now I consider all of you that as well, for only brothers in blood would risk their lives and show support such as you all have. When I left Alnwick, I only took Warenne and Kenton with me. I felt strongly that with Alnwick under threat from what I assumed to be imminent attack from Edward that your places were at Northumberland’s fortress. But I no longer feel that way – Tertius, you are correct in your assertion that every man has a stake in this. We all have a right to see de la Londe and de Troiu punished. But I am the only one with the right to punish them. Therefore, if any man wants to accompany me to Wellesbourne, I will not deny you. But this vengeance, this right to punish, is mine alone. Is that clear?”

Every man around the table nodded except for Tertius. He was looking at the knights he would lose to Atticus’ quest. He drew in a deep, thoughtful breath.

“One of us must return to Alnwick and since you left me in charge, I suppose that should be me,” he said. “But I will certainly not stop any man who wants to go.”

“I want to go,” Maxim said immediately.

“As do I,” Alec chimed in.

Kenton, eyeing the two younger knights, shrugged. “I am already going,” he said, cocking his head in the direction of Maxim and Alec. “Moreover, if these two ladies are going, then I must certainly go to keep them in line.”

“I am going,” Adam said, serious. “I want to see my father and I am sure he wants to see me.”

So the escort party was assembling, men determined to see their former friends and comrades punished. Men determined to support Atticus. De Royans, draining what was left of his watered wine, set the cup down.

“And I am going simply because I live there,” he said, watching Adam and Maxim grin. He sobered. “If I know Lord Andrew, and I do, he has kept those two locked down in the black hole without any light or human contact. They will already be quite demoralized by the time we arrive which is far less than they deserve.”

Atticus, realizing he had nearly all of his knights accompanying him to Wellesbourne, felt a great satisfaction in that. He felt bolstered by their support, as if he were an avenging angel supported by a gang of heavenly hosts, descending upon de la Londe and de Troiu to dispense his particular brand of fiery justice. In that respect, he didn’t want to delay any longer. He had a task to fulfill and he wanted to get to it. Setting his wine cup aside, he rose to his feet.

“Then the end will come and the end will be known,” he commanded, praying and hoping that his quest for vengeance for Titus was now coming to a conclusion. “You will share this end with me, good knights. We will know it together.”

The knights nodded, each of them feeling a different sense of purpose than the man next to him. There were many reasons for this closure, as diverse as the needs of the men around the table. Kenton, across the table, stood up along with Atticus.

“When will we leave?” he asked.

Atticus looked around the table. “Be ready to leave in an hour,” he told the group. “I intend to make arrangements to send Warenne back to Thetford and then see to my father and wife in that time. I will meet you all by the stables. Kenton, please see that my horse and my wife’s horse are saddled and ready.”

The knights stood up as well, intent on completing their tasks so they could be ready to leave when Atticus wanted to. Now, their path was set and the journey lay ahead of them, a journey that was several long weeks in the making. Finally, Titus would know justice. They would
all
know it because what Tertius said was true; de la Londe and de Troiu’s move against Titus was purely by fate. It could have been any one of them. They all had a stake in this and there wasn’t one man there not eager to watch Atticus dispense justice against those who had murdered his brother.

Vengeance was coming.

The Lion of the North was coming.

Isobeau was sitting
at the table in her chamber, her small harp in hand, doing something she’d not done in ages; she was writing music again. Now that all was well between her and Atticus, and Wolfe’s Lair was at peace again, her heart was overflowing with songs for her new husband and she’d even awoken that morning with one on her lips. She must have been singing it in her sleep because when she opened her eyes, Atticus was propped up on an elbow, smiling down at her. It had been the most wonderful thing in the world to wake up next to him. Although it was certainly no slight against Titus, she’d never known such jubilation as she did when gazing into Atticus’ handsome face. There was something magical about it.

She and Atticus had broken their fast together before dawn before he went out and about his duties, leaving Isobeau to dress leisurely. She’d had the oily-faced serving wench bring her warmed water and she proceeded to use her precious bar of white soap that smelled of lemon, washing herself as thoroughly as she could, before dressing in a linen gown the color of lilac.

The garment was long-sleeved, snug in the bodice, giving her a delicious silhouette. Braiding her long, blond hair and draping the braid over one shoulder, she had proceeded to remove her small harp from one of her larger capcases, pulled forth the box that contained the precious parchment that Titus had bought her, and the song writing for the day began. Once again, she was happy. It seemed as if she couldn’t remember the last time she was actually happy.

So she composed whilst Atticus was away conducting business. She must have been making some noise at it because she was almost finished with the song she’d been composing in her sleep when there was a soft rap on the chamber door. She bade the caller to enter and when the door swung open, Solomon was standing in the doorway. He smiled timidly as she smiled brightly.