ladies are in distress. Get you gone, you villains.”
Although there were four villains and he was alone, yet I could sense their fear. One of them was very close to me … and then in the space of seconds he had seized my horse by its bridle and started off, taking me with him.
I tried to stop, but there was nothing I could do. I was being taken along at a breakneck speed, my horse firmly controlled by my captor, while the other three came thudding behind us.
I screamed out my protests but they went unheeded. The three unencumbered riders passed us, for naturally I impeded the speed of the one who held me. Then I heard the horse coming up behind us. We were being followed and I knew by whom.
My captor was not going to release me easily. We galloped on and on. Colum Casvellyn shouted to the man to stop. He was close behind but he did not catch up. He shouted what he would do to the man if he did not release my horse but still I was firmly held.
It seemed that we galloped for a long time. We went across a plain and along roads. We had lost the three masked men; it was now just a race between the man who had taken me and Colum Casvellyn.
Then my captor made his mistake. We had turned into a road, galloped headlong down it and had come to a wood. Ahead of us the trees started to grow thick and we must either enter the wood or turn and go back. If we did the latter we should be face to face with Colum Casvellyn.
We went towards the wood. Our speed was slowing down. I was released so suddenly that I almost fell and only just managed to pull up my horse. Colum Casvellyn was beside me. The other had disappeared.
“That was a chase,” he said.
“I suppose I must thank you,” I muttered.
“It might be gracious to. I have saved you from that villain. One can guess what his intentions were. I recognize you, of course. You are the lady of the oaken bedchamber.”
“You have done me a service and I thank you,” I said.
“It makes up perhaps for my recent discourteous behaviour.”
“It does. And if you will take me back to my mother and the rest of my party, I shall be most grateful and so will they.”
“We can try to find them,” he said.
“So you will help me.”
“I am at your service.”
“Thank you.”
He brought his horse close to mine. “You are trembling a little. It was an alarming experience, was it not? The villain! Would to God I could have laid hands on him. I’d have soon had him whimpering for mercy.”
“He has gone now and his fellow robbers with him. My mother will be very, very anxious.”
“That is something we cannot allow. Do you feel ready to ride on now?”
“It is what I wish. I must rejoin my mother quickly.”
“We must try to retrace our way. ’Tis not easy. I did not note the way we came.”
“You were riding when you heard the scuffle? Could we go to where you were then?”
“I cannot be completely sure. I heard the shouting and came across country. But we will try. Come, let us start. We must go quietly for it would not do for me to lose you now, you know. How dark it is. Are you ready?”
I said I was. I felt sick with impatience. I imagined my mother’s horror when she saw me being dragged away. I wondered whether she would have recognized Colum Casvellyn. If she had, I did not think that would have given her much comfort.
It was growing darker. There was a dampness in the air. I was shivering but I was not sure whether it was with cold.
We rode on for a few minutes in silence.
Then I said: “Is this the way?”
“I believe it to be.”
“Let us hurry a little.”
“As you wish.”
On we went. The landscape had changed, there were more hedges, more trees. I knew we had galloped over a plain. Where was that?
I cried: “Are you sure it was this way?”
“I cannot be sure,” he answered.
“I think it be wrong.”
He pulled up.
“We are but a mile or so from Castle Paling,” he said.
“Your home?”
“My home,” he confirmed.
“Then
Although there were four villains and he was alone, yet I could sense their fear. One of them was very close to me … and then in the space of seconds he had seized my horse by its bridle and started off, taking me with him.
I tried to stop, but there was nothing I could do. I was being taken along at a breakneck speed, my horse firmly controlled by my captor, while the other three came thudding behind us.
I screamed out my protests but they went unheeded. The three unencumbered riders passed us, for naturally I impeded the speed of the one who held me. Then I heard the horse coming up behind us. We were being followed and I knew by whom.
My captor was not going to release me easily. We galloped on and on. Colum Casvellyn shouted to the man to stop. He was close behind but he did not catch up. He shouted what he would do to the man if he did not release my horse but still I was firmly held.
It seemed that we galloped for a long time. We went across a plain and along roads. We had lost the three masked men; it was now just a race between the man who had taken me and Colum Casvellyn.
Then my captor made his mistake. We had turned into a road, galloped headlong down it and had come to a wood. Ahead of us the trees started to grow thick and we must either enter the wood or turn and go back. If we did the latter we should be face to face with Colum Casvellyn.
We went towards the wood. Our speed was slowing down. I was released so suddenly that I almost fell and only just managed to pull up my horse. Colum Casvellyn was beside me. The other had disappeared.
“That was a chase,” he said.
“I suppose I must thank you,” I muttered.
“It might be gracious to. I have saved you from that villain. One can guess what his intentions were. I recognize you, of course. You are the lady of the oaken bedchamber.”
“You have done me a service and I thank you,” I said.
“It makes up perhaps for my recent discourteous behaviour.”
“It does. And if you will take me back to my mother and the rest of my party, I shall be most grateful and so will they.”
“We can try to find them,” he said.
“So you will help me.”
“I am at your service.”
“Thank you.”
He brought his horse close to mine. “You are trembling a little. It was an alarming experience, was it not? The villain! Would to God I could have laid hands on him. I’d have soon had him whimpering for mercy.”
“He has gone now and his fellow robbers with him. My mother will be very, very anxious.”
“That is something we cannot allow. Do you feel ready to ride on now?”
“It is what I wish. I must rejoin my mother quickly.”
“We must try to retrace our way. ’Tis not easy. I did not note the way we came.”
“You were riding when you heard the scuffle? Could we go to where you were then?”
“I cannot be completely sure. I heard the shouting and came across country. But we will try. Come, let us start. We must go quietly for it would not do for me to lose you now, you know. How dark it is. Are you ready?”
I said I was. I felt sick with impatience. I imagined my mother’s horror when she saw me being dragged away. I wondered whether she would have recognized Colum Casvellyn. If she had, I did not think that would have given her much comfort.
It was growing darker. There was a dampness in the air. I was shivering but I was not sure whether it was with cold.
We rode on for a few minutes in silence.
Then I said: “Is this the way?”
“I believe it to be.”
“Let us hurry a little.”
“As you wish.”
On we went. The landscape had changed, there were more hedges, more trees. I knew we had galloped over a plain. Where was that?
I cried: “Are you sure it was this way?”
“I cannot be sure,” he answered.
“I think it be wrong.”
He pulled up.
“We are but a mile or so from Castle Paling,” he said.
“Your home?”
“My home,” he confirmed.
“Then
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