Frankish Burgundy
716 AD
O
nly his faith carried him forward now. He had stopped as scheduled, but had only taken advantage of a meal, fresh provisions, and a fresh horse, a significant upgrade agreed to by the abbot when he informed him of his fear for the previous night’s guests hosted within his walls.
Yet a horse in the dark wasn’t nearly as swift as one during the day, at least not one with an inexperienced rider. While the horse could see, if his skittish master continually panicked rather than trusting the animal to find its way, the two could be injured. This had led to a far slower pace than he would have liked, but by the time the sun broke the horizon to the east, he had covered far more distance than he would have lying in a bed.
As he passed through a small town marked on his map, he knew the abbey his friends should be at was only a few hours ride from here. He made for a blacksmith with a stable and several horses visible.
He bowed to the proprietor. “Do you mind if I water my horse?”
The man regarded him for a moment. “Not at all, Monk. It would be my honor to feed him as well.”
Arledge smiled. “That would be very kind of you. I shall mention you in my prayers.”
The man chuckled. “Mention my wife, and I’ll feed you too.”
Arledge laughed, making the sign of the cross. “You shall both be mentioned tonight. You have my word, though I am in a hurry.”
A woman appeared, round with child, startled to see him in his robes. “You’re not one of the ones those unpleasant creatures are looking for, are you?”
He averted his eyes. “I should hope not, though I don’t know upon whom you refer.”
She pointed toward the road he had been traveling, in the direction he was heading. “About an hour ago, a group of men on horseback came through. Very rude, very rough. Began asking about a group of monks that might have traveled through here.”
Arledge’s heart thumped. “What did you say?”
“We said nothing, but others weren’t so tight with their tongues.”
The blacksmith eyed him. “You seem to know who she’s talking about.”
Arledge shook his head, scrambling for an explanation to his poor reaction. “No, I don’t, though I do know of
them. They stayed at the same abbey as I did last night. I guess they’re about a day ahead of me. Probably on a pilgrimage to Rome as I am.”
“A long journey.”
“Yes, it is, though to see the Vatican firsthand, to attend mass with the Pope and the thousands of faithful who have Jesus in their hearts…” He sighed. “It is something I have always dreamed of, and am lucky enough to have been permitted to undertake.”
The man chewed his cheek. “It seems odd, a simple monk being sent on a journey such as what you describe.”
Arledge controlled his panic at the challenge. “Yet you don’t question a group?”
The man grunted. “Those men were on a mission to deliver a fancy Bible. They were showing it to everyone. Fools.”
Arledge was happy to hear he wasn’t alone in his misgivings. “It does sound foolish.” He decided it was best to change the subject. He clasped his hands together and bowed slightly. “There was mention of a meal?”
The man laughed. “I’ll let my wife fill your empty belly while I tend to your horse.” He patted the beast’s neck. “A fine horse for a humble monk.”
Arledge nodded, escaping an explanation by following the wife inside. He would have to make quick work of his meal before too many more questions were asked. The stop had turned out to be riskier than he had expected, though nonetheless fruitful. His horse was being taken care of, he was being fed, but more importantly, he was only an hour behind his friends’ pursuers.
