“Hurry up, Mary,” Katherine called. “They’ll be here any minute!” The girls darted between rows of soldiers marching across the courtyard.
“Where are we going?” Mary panted as they neared the wall.
“Up there!” Katherine said, pointing to the guard tower directly above them.
Mary slowed her pace. “Isn’t that for the guards?” she asked, clutching Katherine’s arm.
“Usually!” Katherine laughed. “Now, don’t be a goose. Let’s go!”
Mary planted her feet.
“Look,” Katherine said impatiently, “Master Rhoop gave his permission. Now hurry up or we’ll miss them!” She grabbed Mary’s hand and began to drag her up the stairs. “Philip and I watched the army assemble and march away from here. I know it will be the best place to watch them return.”
Mary said no more. It was useless trying to dissuade her headstrong friend. Besides, her own curiosity had been roused. She wanted to see John Stafford, and though she knew Bill was dead, there might be someone else she recognized.
They raced up several flights of steps to emerge upon a small parapet where a lone sentry stood on duty. Below them swept a vast array of banners stretching from Sebring to Waterfront. Barges and rafts had been lashed together across the river, making it look like one continuous city. Thousands of people lined the Greenway.
Though Master Rhoop had orchestrated a massive celebration for the return of John Stafford and his victorious men, the soldiers’ mothers, fathers, wives, and children needed no encouragement to turn out today. Pressing close together, they all hoped to catch a glimpse of their loved ones marching home.
Mary thought about the way she and Bill had parted. She was sorry for the anger and resentment she had displayed. She felt her face grow warm with the memory. Here were thousands of people, all watching, waiting, and hoping to see their loved ones return. If only I could do this over, she thought. I would have sent Bill off so differently. I wish I could see him one more time to let him know how sorry I am and how much I love him.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the distant sound of singing. A dull white cloud billowed on the horizon, marking the arrival of Stafford’s men.
Mary’s heart leaped into her throat as the first riders came into view. A roar issued from the crowd, and cheers swelled as long columns of men marched into sight. Rose petals were tossed into the breeze and fluttered to the ground.
“Is that Lord Stafford and his sons?” she asked, grabbing for Katherine’s arm but finding no one there.
“It is,” a deep voice rumbled.
Mary jumped. She glanced at the sentry, and her face grew hot. “I—I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I thought my friend was here.”
“No, ma’am. She left as soon as you arrived.” The sentry smiled.
Mary glanced at the door to the staircase.
“It’s all right, ma’am,” the guard reassured her. “I’ve received orders to let you stay.”
Mary smiled and nodded her thanks. Katherine had left no stone unturned. She couldn’t help but think how kind the young man seemed. He reminded her of Bill somehow, and that thought made tears spring to her eyes. No! she told herself firmly. I just have to get through today. There will be time for crying later.
Grateful, she stepped back to the railing. This was a wonderful location. She could see everything from its lofty height, yet she wondered where Katherine had gone.
The men had been marching quickly, and to Mary’s surprise, the three leading horsemen were already near the tug.
Glancing down to the ramp leading to the river, Mary suddenly spied Katherine. Of course, she thought to herself. That is exactly where she should be. I hope I would have done the same if I were in her shoes.
“Company halt!” someone shouted.
Mary watched as thousands of men, moving as one, came to a halt and stood rigidly at attention. It was a breathtaking sight. The crowd grew quiet.
Thomas stood in his saddle’s stirrups and began to address the crowd. “It is good you are here today to join us as we thank the Lord of heaven and earth for His deliverance. Many of your loved ones are finally home. Some still serve Lord Hesketh of the Gray Lands, and others have paid for our freedom with their lives and will never return.”
Men and women began to peer anxiously into the rows of soldiers, hoping to catch a glimpse of their own loved ones.
“The Lord has seen us through this peril,” Thomas continued. “All things are in His hands: life, death, joy, sorrow, wholeness, and healing. We once again commit ourselves entirely into His care.”
Thomas turned to his men. “You have served with honor and have fulfilled your obligations. You need to report to the armories tomorrow morning to check in your weapons, but for now, you are dismissed!”
A reaction started among the soldiers and spread to the surrounding crowd as hats flew into the air and cheers rocketed toward heaven. The war was finally over! Chaos reigned as men sought reunion with their families.
Three men turned away from the chaos. Silently and without fanfare, they boarded the tug. Slowly, strong ropes pulled the men toward Stonewall’s side of the river. Mary watched Katherine leap over the last bit of water to be caught in Philip’s strong arms. As happy as Mary was for her friend, she could not help wishing Bill had also been on that ferry. Oh how she longed to feel his arms around her again.
Philip had only been home a few days, and already Mary was decorating the old house for a wedding. Katherine hurried into the chapel and pulled Mary away from the cedar boughs she was twisting around a stone column. “Mary, you have to meet the family. I know everyone is just dying to meet you.”
Mary was reluctant to meet these famous people, though at one time in her life she would have jumped at such an opportunity. What should I say? she thought. How should I act?
“Don’t be a goose!” Katherine exclaimed. She had been pulling Mary the entire way, and both women were showing signs of fatigue before they reached the library.
“Are they in the library?” Mary asked.
“Yes, silly!” Katherine responded. “I think every other room in Stonewall is being prepared for our wedding tomorrow.”
How well Mary knew. The last few days had been wild with preparations. She still did not understand the urgency, but whatever Katherine and Philip wanted was fine with her. However, she did wonder what she would do after they were married. Until now, she’d been able to avoid thinking about that, as both women had thrown themselves into decorating the old gray stone house.
Many rooms in Stonewall were still filled with refugees and recovering soldiers, but flowers graced the walls and hallways. The chapel was a sight to behold. Candles and greenery adorned every arched window. Vines were wound around the rough wooden benches lining either side of the center aisle. Mary’s fingers were sore from rose thorns and cedar boughs.
Katherine gave Mary no chance to break away as she threw the library door open and shouted, “Here she is!”
“Katherine!” someone cried merrily. Mary instantly recognized Philip. He was not much taller than she was, but he was broad and solid. His face was clean-shaven, and blond hair swirled about his ears and neck.
Off to one side, an aging likeness of Philip rose from his chair. John Stafford’s smile and youthful bow could not belie his failing health.
Beside John, Mary spotted Master Rhoop. The old man greeted her with a twinkle in his eye, and Mary smiled. She’d grown to love Rhoop as if he were her own father. Together they had planned much of Philip and Katherine’s coming wedding.
Mary glanced about the room, searching for the now-famous Thomas. So much had been said of him: “He has changed. Looks right through you, he does. He gives me the creeps!” She wondered how one man could evoke such varied sentiment.
Thomas sat near the fireplace as if he were warming himself, though no wood crackled upon the grate. When their eyes met, Mary gasped. In her mind, she was transported back to a world filled with darkness and terror, but light had come into that darkness. Light, life, and hope had come into her heart through faith—and this man had held the key.
Mary looked deeply into Thomas’s eyes and realized he also remembered. “It was you!” she whispered.
Thomas nodded. “I have often wondered where you went.”
“Faith set me free, but you held the key,” Mary responded. “Thank you!”
Everyone in the room watched the exchange with growing surprise. “Mary!” Katherine exclaimed. “I thought you said you had never met Thomas!”
As Mary curtsied low before Thomas, she said, “I was wrong, Katherine. We simply had not been introduced.”
Thomas smiled broadly and bowed low to Mary. “And now we have!”
The following morning, Rhoop led Philip and Katherine in their marriage vows. The chapel was filled with wounded soldiers and refugees, and thousands waited in the courtyard outside to wish them well.
Mary had feared that Katherine’s marriage would leave her bereft and searching for a place to go, but Thomas needed someone to go to Gray Haven to bring his fiancée back to Stonewall. Philip, Katherine, and Mary were chosen, and they were to leave early the next morning.
Mary placed a neatly folded garment in a small traveling bag and looked around the room. A knock at her door caused her to jump, and she called out, “Who is it?”
“It’s me!” Katherine called. “May I come in?”
Mary rushed to the door and curtsied as Katherine swept into the room. “My lady!” she teased.
Katherine scowled menacingly and then burst out laughing. “Oh, Mary,” she said, “what would I have done without you these last few days? You’ve kept me from going insane!”
Mary returned her laugh and then grew serious. “Thank you for taking me. I didn’t know what I would do after you and Philip were married.”
“Mary, I could never leave you! You have become my very best friend—besides Philip, of course.” Katherine spoke seriously. “Are you nearly ready?”
“I think so,” Mary said.
“Good! Philip wants to leave tonight,” Katherine warned.
“Tonight?” Mary asked. “Why so sudden?”
“I’m not sure,” Katherine said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “But I know Thomas wants to keep our trip a secret. After all, we are going to meet his future bride. No one knows what might happen if Jabin should learn of our plans.”
Mary suddenly shivered. She had not realized that they might be moving into Jabin’s path.
Katherine grasped her hand. “Don’t worry, Mary. We won’t be alone. Thomas is traveling with us to Green Meadow, and Philip will stay with us until we reach the Gray Lands. We will be safe enough with Lady Helsa while Philip travels on to Endor.”
“You mean Philip is going to leave us alone in a foreign land?” Mary was thunderstruck.
“We’ll be fine, Mary!” Katherine exclaimed. “Just think of all the fun we’ll have together. This is going to be such an adventure!”
“I hope so,” Mary whispered.
Mary’s heart pounded as Thomas led their cart onto the tug. She was no longer sure whether to be grateful or angry at having been chosen to embark on this adventure.
The lights of Waterfront calmed her fears, but all too soon the travelers were out of town, and Mary was startled by every shadow. She was indeed grateful not to be alone when they passed the lonely mounds at Battle Creek and her own half-burned cabin.
It was still an hour before dawn when they reached the outskirts of Capri, but even in the darkness, Mary was shocked by the destruction. Little of what she remembered had survived. She wondered about her mother’s home and the graveyard where her infant son was buried.
On impulse, Mary whispered her desires to Katherine, who in turn spoke to the men. Both men nodded and turned the cart northward along Orchard Creek. Traversing the once paved street, Mary saw to her dismay that everything had changed. The trees were gone, and few houses remained.
Nearing the north edge of town, Mary stared in disbelief. In the block of homes where Dolly’s store had been, the neighbor’s house was standing, though flames had charred the north wall. Next door, the butcher shop seemed unscathed, its thatched roof looking exactly as Mary remembered it. Farther down the street, other homes remained intact, but her mother’s store was gone, burned to the ground. Nothing remained except the stone front. She closed her eyes and recalled so many memories.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Philip asked.
“No,” Mary said. “There is nothing here. Could we visit the cemetery?”
The paving stones had been torn from the street, and it required some effort to turn the cart around in the soft clay, but soon they were jolting on through the city. Philip stopped beside what once had been a lovely little cemetery. Broken trees lay strewn about, and grave markers were missing, but Mary slipped from the cart and made her way to a location permanently fixed in her mind. The others followed at a respectful distance.
Kneeling beside two mounds of earth, Mary reached inside her heavy cloak and produced two small roses. When she had plucked them from the gardens of Stonewall, she had never dreamed she’d be able to leave them here. Gently patting the moist black soil, she turned and rose to leave.
“I’m sorry,” Thomas said as he helped her onto the cart.
Mary nodded, not trusting her voice. Eventually she whispered, “Thank you for stopping.” She settled onto the seat and looked away. She couldn’t cry now. There would be time enough for crying later.
It was nearly dawn as Bill strode down the road. He didn’t really know where he was going, but he felt certain he needed to hurry. It had been hard to leave Larry and Ella, but the corrals were repaired and the house mended, and Larry had proven he could do the chores by himself.
Bill felt restless and needed a change. His mind had been so busy that he was surprised to find himself in front of Dolly Trumbell’s burned-out shell of a house. Why did I come here? he wondered. It hasn’t changed since I was here last. I’ve already sifted through the ashes.
Turning back to the street, he suddenly stopped. In the soft clay of the road, cart tracks had turned around right in front of Dolly’s building. The tracks were clearly fresh, for traffic had not yet flattened them.
Why would anyone turn around right here? he wondered. There are easier places to turn around. From the signs in the road, he could see that the cart had been small, pulled by a donkey and led by two men. He decided to follow these tracks as far as he could, if for no other reason than to hone his tracking skills.
The tracks led him to a small cemetery. A depression in the rut signaled that the cart had stopped in one spot for a while. Dropping to one knee, he studied the impressions in the soft soil. There had been two women on the cart, and one of them had led the others across the cemetery.
Bill’s heart beat faster. The footprints led directly to the graves of Dolly Trumbell and his own infant son. He only knew this because Captain Armonson had pointed them out to him earlier.
Two red roses lay upon the earthen mounds. Is Mary alive? Bill shook his head. Not likely, but who else would place flowers here?
Quickly he raced back to where the cart had stopped. Could he follow its tracks through the city? Would he be able to catch up with the cart? Was this why he’d felt such an urgency to leave Ella’s this morning?
Bill pressed his body against the one remaining wall of his cabin. It was little protection from the cold night air, but he was tired from his fruitless search. He had asked everyone he’d met, and he’d searched Capri high and low, but he had failed to find the cart for which he looked.
Now he began to consider his options. He could rebuild his cabin in this very location, but without Mary, that seemed pointless. This had been their spot. Thomas’s invitation to Stonewall kept coming back to his mind, time and time again.
As morning light filled the eastern sky, Bill walked to the Greenway and looked back at the charred remains of what had once had been his home. Turning away, he began the long walk to Stonewall.
Bill stood, dejected, in Stonewall’s ancient hallway. For two weeks he’d presented himself to the steward, only to hear, “Come back tomorrow. Master Thomas should be back any day now.” Bill considered the last two weeks. The wait had not been horrible, for he had slept in the barracks with other refugees and had eaten their fare. But he felt the need to move on with his life.
Another day of waiting, Bill thought. Maybe I should just go home, but where is that? I don’t know where else to go.
“Bill Cotton!” a familiar voice shouted. Bill turned to see Thomas Stafford hurrying down the hall to greet him. They hugged, and Thomas stepped back to examine his friend. “So, you’ve come?” Thomas asked, the joy in his eyes clouding. Bill nodded, and Thomas shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s like that all over Amity. But come. I have just returned, and I’m glad to see you!”
Bill tarried, and Thomas turned to look at him. “Is something wrong, Bill?”
“I don’t want to burden you, sir,” Bill ventured.
Thomas laughed out loud. “You, a burden? I should say not! In fact, I need a person I can trust to run some errands for me. First thing I need you to do is to meet with Master Johnson of Capri. There are several things we need to discuss with him.” Thomas began to recite a never-ending list of jobs as he ushered Bill into Stonewall’s great house.
Nights were growing long, and days were growing cold when Philip, Katherine, and Mary arrived at Gray Haven. The women bonded with Helsa immediately, and Levi was grateful for their company. Philip hurried to Endor to offer Seagood assistance, and the women began knitting mittens for the servants’ children. It was not long before frozen talons of snow gripped the earth, and the north wind howled through the towers.
Sitting near the hearth one evening, Levi watched as the ladies chatted amiably. This is how life was meant to be, he mused. I wish it could last forever. Christmas was just around the corner, and Philip would bring his report about Hesketh and Endor.
Days passed, and Philip did arrive for Christmas. His presence cheered Katherine, but his report about Endor dampened everyone’s spirits. Jabin had regrouped in the northlands and had returned with thousands of men. Endor was under siege. Philip doubted that war would spread to Gray Haven while winter remained, but with the coming of spring, no one knew whether the Watchers or Seagood’s army could hold Jabin back.
When Philip returned to Endor, the castle at Gray Haven seemed much too cold and confining. Despite the fear of war, everyone longed for spring.
Warmer weather finally came to the Gray Lands, and one bright morning Helsa convinced her uncle to let the ladies out to search for flowers.
“I hope the crocuses are still blooming,” she said brightly to her companions. “I was beginning to think Uncle Levi would never let us leave the castle!”
Mary bent to smell the wild roses along the path. “You know, it’s the fear of Jabin that makes your uncle so careful.”
“I know,” Helsa chirped, “but the courtyard is much too small and stuffy on a beautiful day like this!”
Everyone agreed. The day was beautiful. Sprays of color dotted the normally barren hillsides, and the air was awash with the sensuous, almost pungent odor of moist earth warming in the sun. It was heavenly.
“Poor Robert!” Helsa addressed her bodyguard. “I doubt very much that you wanted to pick flowers today.”
The big man turned quite red and cleared his throat. “This is fine, Lady Helsa,” he said stiffly. Robert McCloskey was in charge of twenty men assigned to protect these ladies on their outing. He had not balked when receiving his orders this morning, but now he dared not let on.
“I doubt it was necessary for you to come,” Helsa continued. “But Uncle Levi is so …”
“Protective of you,” finished Katherine. “Helsa, you know Levi loves you like a daughter.”
“I know.” Helsa sighed. The bright sun and the intoxicating smell of the flowers soon drove grumpy thoughts far from everyone’s mind. The girls lingered over one group of flowers and then another.
Though McCloskey had not hesitated to come this morning, something now made him uneasy. There had been no reports of enemy movements on this side of the river, but his unrest grew with each passing moment.
“Oh, look!” Helsa cried, peering over the rim of the mesa. “The best flowers are down here!” Like ducklings following their mother to water, Katherine and Mary followed Helsa over the edge of the mesa and disappeared from view. They found the steep hillside cluttered with rocks, scattered tufts of grass, and a vast assortment of wildflowers.
“Don’t stray far!” McCloskey called. He could see most of the depression and the valley road beyond. Although everything looked all right, something felt wrong.
The ladies scattered from one flower to the next with little regard for time, distance, or each other. Clearly their minds were occupied elsewhere, drinking in the beauty of the day. Helsa strayed farthest.
McCloskey watched the girls and stifled the urge to call them back. There was no appearance of danger. In fact, everything was too quiet. Mentally he reviewed the scene and then stopped short. There was no wildlife. On a fine spring morning like this, he should have seen several ground squirrels or at least a rabbit. Something was wrong.
A movement among the rocks caught McCloskey’s eye. Forgetting the need to take cover, he stepped forward to warn the girls, but his warning never came. His large body, outlined on the rim of the mesa, made a good target, and one arrow pierced his throat as three more struck his chest.
Just as Helsa bent to pick a daisy, she saw a swarthy little man leap from behind a rock. A large animal skin flew over her head, and she was instantly wrestled to the ground. Paralyzed with fear, she presented little challenge as several men bound her hands and feet. Mary fared little better. Only Katherine moved quickly enough to evade her attacker’s assault. She turned on her assailants with the fury of a tiger, and her screams brought the remainder of the royal guard on the run.
Unable to see, and nearly suffocating beneath the animal skin, Mary knew she was being carried swiftly down the slope. When she heard Katherine’s screams, she fought and twisted like an eel. Slipping from her captor’s hands, Mary fell, her head striking something hard, and she knew no more.
“She’s coming around.” Mary heard the words but had no idea who had spoken or what they meant. Cautiously, she opened her eyes.
“Can you hear me?” Philip asked.
Mary tried to nod, but the movement sent shards of pain streaking through her body.
“Don’t try to move,” Philip warned.
Mary closed her eyes and tried to think where she was. Suddenly she gripped Philip’s arm. “Helsa and Katherine!” she whispered. “Are they all right?”
“They’ll be fine,” Philip said, patting her hand reassuringly. “Katherine took a few knocks before we got to her, but she is young and strong, and she will recover quickly. Helsa wasn’t hurt so badly, but she is frail, and the shock of the ordeal has dealt her a terrible blow.”
A worried expression crossed Mary’s face, and she struggled to get up. “Please take me to them,” she whispered.
“Dearest Mary,” Philip soothed, “we might let you see them tomorrow, but you need to rest today. Everyone is being well cared for in your absence.”
Mary smiled and closed her eyes. Releasing Philip’s arm, she sank beneath the covers and relaxed. It wasn’t until late in the night that she awoke with a start and realized Philip had not been at Gray Haven for months. Why was he here now?
“Philip says we must leave soon,” Katherine said quietly. “The roads may soon be held against us.”
A chill ran up Mary’s spine, and she glanced at Helsa. It seemed the gracious Lady of Gray Haven would never recover. Lady Helsa’s innocence was gone. A man was dead because she had wanted to pick flowers. Her guilt had driven her into withdrawal. Mary glanced at Katherine and whispered, “What about Helsa?”
Katherine shrugged and turned to Helsa. “Has Philip spoken to you about our plans?”
Helsa nodded. “You know, I’ve waited for this day so long, but now that it’s here, I feel so unsure. I still love Thomas, and I want to go to him, but these are my people. Uncle Levi has been so dear to me, and I don’t even know how my brother fares in his battle with Jabin. Is it right that I should run when my people are facing war?”
Mary reached for Helsa’s hand, but she had no words of comfort to offer. It was Katherine who spoke. “You will not be running from danger by leaving with Philip,” she said. “The roads may be held against us.”
“I suppose everyone who is near me will share the fate of poor Robert,” Helsa bemoaned.
Mary and Katherine glanced at each other. They knew Helsa felt responsible for McCloskey’s death.
“No one knows the future,” Katherine said, “but we are not taking an army. Philip will take only one escort for each of us.”
“Why so few?” Mary asked in alarm.
“We have more need of speed than protection,” Katherine said.
“If haste will save lives,” Helsa said firmly, “then let us go. Tell Philip I’ll be ready when he calls.”
Later that night, Helsa and her companions were escorted quietly to the gates of Gray Haven. Without fanfare or ceremony, six horses bore their riders into the darkness.