The constable of Spalding and the village priest arrived just as the morning meal was being cleared. He bowed low to his lord's wife, and asked her permission to start an inquest into the extraordinary events of the past day. Beatrice encouraged him. Most of the people involved were in the room already. Those at the head table moved down to the benches in front of it, and the Constable and the Priest replaced them at the head table.
The priest unrolled a scroll and prepared his pen and ink. He listed the names of the wealthy people present, and then started to record the important points that tracked the attacks on the lords from the Karvi at sea until the fight in the manor. Most of the men in the room had not realized how close the Earls had come to death.
Once the main story had been recorded, the constable, the priest, the Countess, and the Earls went to inspect the bodies laid out in the stables. Their names were also recorded and the assailants distinguished from the defenders.
In the hall again, anyone who wished to speak was encouraged to.
Through the whole of the proceedings Margaret sat close beside young Raynar, her body touching his. When it was her turn to speak she stood and spoke in a shaky voice. "I woke when Raynar was whispering to Klaes. When he left, Klaes took his place at the door. Beatrice was also awake and she threw on a cloak and followed Raynar. Klaes went with her.
I lay there mere moments and decided to follow Raynar as well. I remember clasping my cloak as I got to the door, which was open. One of the guards pushed me back into the room and I opened my mouth to scold him for his roughness, and instead he grabbed me and smothered me with is hand. I kicked him and tried to break his grasp, so he punched me here," she pointed to her upper stomach, "and I could no longer breathe or talk.
I wanted to scream but I had not the breath. I fell over the end of a bed, and it must have been Morcar's bed because I remember seeing Morcar swinging his arms like a wild man and calling for help. Then everyone was fighting. I saw Edgar holding two men off with a stave, so I crawled along the ground and rolled into the back of their legs to try and trip them. One tripped over me, and he got up and grabbed Lucy. I grabbed her too so he grabbed my hair and dragged us away from Edgar. Then he seemed to jump sideways and then he dropped to the floor. He left go of my hair and was pulling at an arrow that had pinned his arm to his chest. The rest was as it was as has been told already."
Once there were no more speakers, the Constable asked, "Did anyone overhear, or suspect these men of planning this attack on their oath lord?" No one responded. "Then I have one witness to add to these proceedings." He waved to his man at the door, and a prisoner was dragged forward to the deputies' bench. "This man was caught by some village men yesterday while trying to steal a pig. He was not known to the men, and at first they thought he was with one of your ships because he was dressed for the sea."
The prisoner was pushed to his knees. He moved stiffly and in pain. His face was bruised and crusted in blood. "I have questioned the prisoner, and he has admitted that he was crew on the Karvi that attacked the Earl's ship, and that the same crew had planned to shoot fire arrows at the manor. He was caught before dark, so he was not party to that attack." He looked down at the prisoner. "Do you confirm that this is a true statement?"
The prisoner said, "It is true, sire."
"This means that the attack on the ship and the attack on the manor are parts of the same attack. Does anyone have any questions for this man?" He looked to the Earls first. "Lord Edwin, you may begin."
Edwin had many questions, but the man knew nothing. He was just a seaman following his captain's orders.
Once everyone had asked their questions and had their say, the Constable had the last say. "A plot to kill Prince Edgar has been discovered, and other than knowing of the plot, we know nothing else. I will not speculate on who planned or paid for the plot, other than it was from London, as the prisoner has told us that the Karvi followed the Cog down the Thames on the same tide.
We must all be satisfied with the knowledge that the plot has failed, the assassins with access to the Prince are now dead, and the raiders that tried to fire the Manor must have fled when the firing did not work. Each of the Earls has sword cuts from the fight, but none deep. Lady Margaret was beaten, but has no cuts."
The constable looked around for comments. There were none. "I will have this scroll copied and sent to my lord Thorold in Lincoln. He will be duty-bound to forward it to the King. The King will not be pleased. First one of his sheriffs falls to an assassin in Peterburgh, and now three of his Earls have fought off multiple assassins in Spalding."
Raynar did not look at the constable and hoped he was not looking at him. He stayed in the hall until the Constable had said his goodbyes and was leaving the gate. Margaret stayed with him. She whispered into his ear, "Hereward has warned me to stay away from you. He says you are a king-killer on a quest. He told me that you killed King Harald of Norway, and that you will die young trying to avenge Harold of Wessex."
"I cannot deny it, but he should not have told you. Promise me to keep my secret until you hear that King William is dead." He looked into her eyes until she responded.
"I will keep your secret, even from my brother." She sighed. "Please come north with us in the Cog. My brother would pay you well to protect us. We can be together, we can be as one. There, I have said it."
Raynar held her hand gently. "You would cause Edgar to have me killed. You refused a convent because of your womb. You must refuse me for the same reason."
She buried her face into his neck and sighed. "You sound like my mother. All my life I have known that my role is to be married for political gain, and then to pump out lordlings. I fled to a convent to escape such a marriage. I would rather be your peasant wench, than the wife of a noble pig."
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The Hoodsman - Frisians of the Fens by Skye Smith Copyright
2010-13