have urgent need of you, Master Aagard,’ Lord Gilbert agreed. ‘Send the young ones after Cluaran, if you think they’ll go astray on their own. He’s not long gone – they’ll catch him easily.’
Edmund shook his head. ‘We’ll be fine on our own.’
Elspeth wasn’t sure she agreed. If Aagard was right about the amount of danger they were in, they would surely be safertravelling with someone who knew the roads? Her right arm and hand began throbbing again, distracting her thoughts.
Leave me alone!
she told the sword.
‘If I go,’ Aagard said at last, ‘you must promise me that you will find Cluaran and tell him I have charged him with your protection.’
‘Charged him?’ Edmund protested. ‘We don’t need –’
‘Swear it!’ Aagard insisted. ‘Tell him I demanded this in the name of the one who never died. He will understand. If he hears that, he will not desert you.’
Edmund looked mutinous, and Elspeth’s irritation boiled over. ‘Do you want Aagard to go to Medwel or not?’ she hissed at him. She turned to Aagard. ‘We promise,’ she said. Beside her, Edmund nodded crossly.
Aagard saluted Gilbert. ‘I will ride with you, my lord.’ He clasped Elspeth’s and Edmund’s hands once more. ‘You must go at once,’ he urged. ‘Remember your promise, and trust no one but each other – not even Cluaran, unless it is to guide you on your journey. When I have learned more of Orgrim’s plans, I can find you in Noviomagus and Dubris, or send Thrimgar to you. Go safely. And may your gods and your God speed you.’
He gave them one last look, then turned and strode to the horse that was held ready for him. Moments later Gilbert and his men were galloping away to the south, and Elspeth and Edmund were left alone in the gateway.
*
Elspeth stood with Edmund on a little ridge outside the village, looking down on the distant, north-eastern road. The morning was fine, but the spring sunlight felt weak and the breeze cool. The sky stretched vastly above them, hanging over land that looked neither familiar nor welcoming to Elspeth’s sea-trained eyes. Instinctively her left hand went to her right, which still tingled with an itch beneath the skin.
‘We had better catch up with Cluaran, then,’ she said.
Edmund shrugged. ‘If that’s what you want.’ He added bad-temperedly, ‘I don’t know why Aagard made us promise to ask for his protection. I don’t want protection from some stranger Aagard doesn’t even call a friend.’
His lofty tone grated on Elspeth, but when she looked at him she saw only distress in his eyes. She wondered if he was as nervous as she was at the journey ahead and if, like her, he felt burdened by his strange, unasked-for gift.
They scrambled down the slippery slopes of the ridge to the road. On either side lay sparse meadowland with a few stunted trees at the edge, their new buds barely broken. The road itself was little more than a track, stony and rutted, but it ran straight, and the narrow footprints that appeared here and there showed that Cluaran was still ahead.
Elspeth was glad to be on the move again.
When I get back to Dubris, I’ll go straight back to sea,
she decided.
And if this dragon that Edmund saw is still threatening the south coast, then I’ll take a ship to Northumbria, or even up to Hibernia.
But there was still so far to go – two kingdoms to cross. Theywould have to go near Venta Bulgarum, if not through it, and Elspeth knew this was dangerous. Whenever Aagard mentioned the town, her arm had tingled with that strange energy.
Elspeth frowned. The enchanted sword seemed to have some purpose of its own, quite outside her own plans. But Venta was a town like any other, she told herself, and her quickest route home lay through it. She would not be put off by omens from an invisible sword.
She glanced over her shoulder. Edmund was trailing behind, staring dismally at the dusty road beneath his feet. Perhaps she should make more effort to
Edmund shook his head. ‘We’ll be fine on our own.’
Elspeth wasn’t sure she agreed. If Aagard was right about the amount of danger they were in, they would surely be safertravelling with someone who knew the roads? Her right arm and hand began throbbing again, distracting her thoughts.
Leave me alone!
she told the sword.
‘If I go,’ Aagard said at last, ‘you must promise me that you will find Cluaran and tell him I have charged him with your protection.’
‘Charged him?’ Edmund protested. ‘We don’t need –’
‘Swear it!’ Aagard insisted. ‘Tell him I demanded this in the name of the one who never died. He will understand. If he hears that, he will not desert you.’
Edmund looked mutinous, and Elspeth’s irritation boiled over. ‘Do you want Aagard to go to Medwel or not?’ she hissed at him. She turned to Aagard. ‘We promise,’ she said. Beside her, Edmund nodded crossly.
Aagard saluted Gilbert. ‘I will ride with you, my lord.’ He clasped Elspeth’s and Edmund’s hands once more. ‘You must go at once,’ he urged. ‘Remember your promise, and trust no one but each other – not even Cluaran, unless it is to guide you on your journey. When I have learned more of Orgrim’s plans, I can find you in Noviomagus and Dubris, or send Thrimgar to you. Go safely. And may your gods and your God speed you.’
He gave them one last look, then turned and strode to the horse that was held ready for him. Moments later Gilbert and his men were galloping away to the south, and Elspeth and Edmund were left alone in the gateway.
*
Elspeth stood with Edmund on a little ridge outside the village, looking down on the distant, north-eastern road. The morning was fine, but the spring sunlight felt weak and the breeze cool. The sky stretched vastly above them, hanging over land that looked neither familiar nor welcoming to Elspeth’s sea-trained eyes. Instinctively her left hand went to her right, which still tingled with an itch beneath the skin.
‘We had better catch up with Cluaran, then,’ she said.
Edmund shrugged. ‘If that’s what you want.’ He added bad-temperedly, ‘I don’t know why Aagard made us promise to ask for his protection. I don’t want protection from some stranger Aagard doesn’t even call a friend.’
His lofty tone grated on Elspeth, but when she looked at him she saw only distress in his eyes. She wondered if he was as nervous as she was at the journey ahead and if, like her, he felt burdened by his strange, unasked-for gift.
They scrambled down the slippery slopes of the ridge to the road. On either side lay sparse meadowland with a few stunted trees at the edge, their new buds barely broken. The road itself was little more than a track, stony and rutted, but it ran straight, and the narrow footprints that appeared here and there showed that Cluaran was still ahead.
Elspeth was glad to be on the move again.
When I get back to Dubris, I’ll go straight back to sea,
she decided.
And if this dragon that Edmund saw is still threatening the south coast, then I’ll take a ship to Northumbria, or even up to Hibernia.
But there was still so far to go – two kingdoms to cross. Theywould have to go near Venta Bulgarum, if not through it, and Elspeth knew this was dangerous. Whenever Aagard mentioned the town, her arm had tingled with that strange energy.
Elspeth frowned. The enchanted sword seemed to have some purpose of its own, quite outside her own plans. But Venta was a town like any other, she told herself, and her quickest route home lay through it. She would not be put off by omens from an invisible sword.
She glanced over her shoulder. Edmund was trailing behind, staring dismally at the dusty road beneath his feet. Perhaps she should make more effort to
Similar Books
