Ester rode like the wind. Her destination would have normally taken three hours, but luckily she knew how to cut short her travel time, having gone to the cave on numerous occasions. She had told the stable master that she needed to find the Healer, since Lady Edeline was seriously ill. Once he received confirmation from Lady Clarisse, the stable master gave her little trouble. The fear and panic on her face must have convinced him to saddle up a fine palfrey and not just an old workhorse. Ester had learned how to ride a packhorse when she was young, so she assumed that riding a palfrey would be similar. From overhearing the castle ladies, she learned that palfreys were a fast breed of horses that didn’t tire easily. That was exactly what she needed if she wanted to reach Mistress May in time.
The horse took to her instruction, and she urged it through the thick tangle of trees and undergrowth, pausing briefly to make sure that she followed the appropriate landmarks. Then she started off again.
With the image of Lady Edeline firmly entrenched in her mind, she made good time. The life of her lady was in thin balance, and Ester was the one link that could save her life. She had no doubt that once she brought Mistress May back to the castle, the Healer would know what to do.
Ester urged the horse even faster.
It was with great relief that she saw the familiar boulder up ahead. She remembered it because that particular rock was shaped like a man with a hook nose. Every time she came here with the Healer and her daughter, she had commented upon it.
Her eyes scanned the cliff until she saw a line of a half-dozen trees that grew wild and thick. The trees blended in with the natural landscape, looking as if a mythical forest guardian had planted them there. But Ester knew better. The mistress had grown those trees several years ago to deter any man or beast from stumbling into the cave and sheltering in it. And the tree cover worked well as no one had yet to discover the cavern.
Personally Ester would never live in an area like this. It was in the middle of nowhere, with no signs of civilization except rocky terrain and overgrown trees. She glanced nervously around her. And there were probably gray wolves and wild boars roaming loose, animals she wouldn’t want to encounter during the day or night.
She walked the palfrey to the side of the incline where there was a perfect spot to hide the horses, or anything else that couldn’t be brought up to the cave. When she rounded the corner, she paused slightly at the sight of four horses already there. Mistress May had visitors, which didn’t surprise her too much, considering that Lord Stanbury was in the Healer’s care.
After leaving the palfrey in the nook, she then made the slow and dangerous climb up the rocky slope. A few years ago she might have made the climb with ease. Her legs then were young and had youthful strength. But this time around, the ascent seemed steep and more precarious. However she pushed herself onward, grabbing onto branches and rocks, propelling herself higher. Now was not the time to give into her aging body. Fixing her eyes on the apex of the cliff, the distance seemed to stretch toward infinity. Unable to help it, she glanced down behind her to assess her progress, and almost lost her footing at seeing the drop. Bad move, she scolded herself while taking in a huge gulp of air. She knew better than to look down.
Finally, her fingers gripped onto one last jagged stone and with one strong heave, she pulled herself over the top. For a second, she lay there on the ground, gasping and trying to catch her breath. And then, even though the climb tired her, she forced herself to her feet, knowing that Lady Edeline’s life depended on her help. She took a few more steps when she met with a set of thick shrubs. And then reaching over, she parted the branches wide enough so that she could squeeze her old body through.
The mouth of the small cave was now within sight, and she stumbled toward it.
When she burst into the cave a moment later, the pungent smell of mushrooms and various dried plants assaulted her senses. She placed a hand to her chest, trying to tame the breath that came out hard and fast. Soon her eyes became accustomed to the dim interior, and she searched for the Healer’s familiar figure. Almost immediately, her gaze alighted on the woman crouched next to a small fire.
“Mistress!” she cried. “We need you at the castle!”
The Healer rose to her feet, instantly recognizing her. “What is all this commotion, Ester?” she asked, her voice sharp.
“Lady Clarisse sent me to get you —” she said, taking in several gulps of air. She clutched tighter at the fabric of her woolen tunic.
“Why would Clarisse send for Mistress May?” a voice demanded.
Ester turned her head and saw Lady Amelie. “My lady,” she gasped. “I — I didn’t know that you were here.”
She scanned the dimly lit cavern and saw the king’s representatives, Lord Stanbury, the Healer’s daughter, and Alfred, one of the Healer’s servants — all the people she had initially missed when she first burst into the shelter. They stared at her as if she had just intruded in on their most important and exclusive meeting.
Pulling at her tunic nervously, she twisted the coarse material in her hand. “’Tis Lady Edeline…”
“Why are you being so hesitant? Out with it,” Amelie said, frowning. “Has my mother fallen ill again?”
“My lady has taken a turn for the worse,” Ester quickly nodded her head. “I fear that she might be —” Dying. She closed her mouth, unable to utter the word. But the dreaded word hung in the air as if she had said it out loud.
Lord Stanbury made a strangled sound in his throat and he struggled to raise himself from his pallet.
“My lord, do not get up,” the Healer ordered sharply.
Ester watched wide-eyed as Lord Stanbury ignored the Healer’s command. Until now, she had never seen the lord in such a weakened state. Even when he returned to Stanbury with battle wounds, the man seemed to exude power and strength. But this man was altogether foreign to her. He had been missing for less than a month, yet he appeared to be gone for much longer than that. Even through his beard, Ester could see that his face was gaunt. He wore no tunic, although there was a white linen swathe wrapped across his chest.
“You said that things have worsened for Lady Edeline,” Lord Stanbury said, his voice tense. The lord shook his head as his daughter reached to help him up. He grabbed onto the craggy wall beside him and pulled himself from the ground. Then when he managed to stand, he leaned heavily on the wall to steady himself. “Tell me how.”
“My lady started convulsing today, my lord,” Ester responded with successive nods. “On and off, on and off she would shake. Lady Clarisse feared that the physician won’t be able to help her and ordered me to fetch Mistress May.” Now remembering her task, she clasped her hands together at chest level, and looked imploringly at the Healer. “Please, Mistress, we need you to go to the castle and help my lady.”
The Healer nodded, and said briskly, “I will need to stop off at my cottage and gather my medicinal bag.” She looked over at her daughter and the servant. The young girl and servant obediently rushed to her side. “Alfred, put out the fire, and you, Gena, gather my things.”
“Aye, Mistress,” Alfred said. Taking a small bucket of water that sat by the wall, he poured it into the pot and giving it a quick scrub, he then tossed the dirty water into the fire pit. Sizzling and hissing filled the silent cavern as the ash and smoke curled up into the air. Meanwhile Gena hurried around the enclosure, stuffing blankets and other articles into a burlap sack.
“Alfred,” the Healer said, pausing in her task of gathering the dried mushroom from the straw pallet. “I need you to do one more thing. I want you to take Gena back to town with you, and have her stay with your sister.”
“But Mum, when will you return for me?” the girl asked, her large blue eyes wide with fear.
“I will return for you once I see to Lady Edeline,” she answered. “It should not take too lon —”
But her words were cut off abruptly when a man stumbled into the cave, almost careening into Ester in his haste to get inside.
Alfred stopped kicking dirt into the fire pit and looked bug-eyed at his friend. “Lester,” he demanded. “What the devil has gotten into you?”
“King Edward’s men,” Lester said, panting and trying to speak and catch his breath at the same time. He placed a hand on the side of his ribs. “The king’s men are making their way to Stanbury Castle! The troop is being led by the Lord High Steward himself.”
“Roldan is heading to Stanbury Castle?” Lord Stanbury asked incredulously. “How do you know this?”
“I — I retraced my steps back to Wykeham, and came across a small group of royal guards there. The king’s men were rowdy, and made a spectacle of themselves by accosting a poor milkmaid. And I wanted to tell them to leave her alone. Only when I got near them, I overheard one of the men talk about going to Stanbury. And before I had a chance to question them,” his eyes widened even more if that was possible, “the Lord High Steward stepped out of the Fox Trail Inn.”
Sir Derrik moved forward into the light. “You’re certain that ‘twas the king’s advisor?”
“Aye, very certain, sire,” Lester said. “He was garbed in the fine royal attire, which no commoner would dare try to wear. And the fact that the guards addressed him as Your Grace confirmed his identity.”
Lord Stanbury pushed away from the wall and walked to the middle of the cave. The color was back in his face, his spine erect, and he spoke in a voice that no longer sounded weak. “I will go to my lady wife. I need —”
“Nay, you cannot go back, my lord,” Sir Derrik said, interrupting him. “It will not be wise for you to return to Stanbury, especially if your brother is making his way there.” He looked at the lord grimly. “I have a plan.” He scanned the ground and found a stick. With quick strokes, he drew a map on the dirt floor. “There is a remote farm three hours north-west of here. Take one of the horses and ride to this place.” He traced a strong line and tapped at the ground with the stick. “While the Lord High Steward and his men make their way to Stanbury, you will go in this direction where you will find a small farmhouse. When you get there, tell Sir Gareth de Mowbrey that I sent you.” Tossing the stick aside, he turned to Lester. “Did you remember to cover your tracks so you wouldn’t be followed?”
“I forgot.” Lester closed his eyes and groaned. “In my hurry to get here, I neglected to look if anyone shadowed me.”
“Again?” Alfred interjected with disbelief.
“Look,” the other man said, his plump face becoming red. “’Twas your idea to bring —”
“Enough,” Sir Derrik cut in. “Whether or not anyone followed Lester, this cave will eventually be discovered. We’ll leave now while we still can.”
He looked briefly over at Lady Amelie. “The three of us will go back to the castle with the servant.” His gaze then met Lord Stanbury’s. “And you, my lord, will go to the farmhouse.”
The lord frowned, clearly not liking the idea of leaving his wife and child unprotected, and at the mercy of his brother.
“’Tis certain that I need to return and assist my mother. But perhaps you should escort my father to this farm,” Amelie suggested, throwing a worried glance at her father. “Lord Stanbury is in a weakened state, and will not be able to defend himself against outlaws or my uncle’s men, if they decide to follow him.”
“This passage to Sir Gareth’s farm is safe,” Sir Derrik said. “The man has made sure that no outlaw or cutthroat would ever think to venture near his home. As to why I should go back to Stanbury… I need to be there, otherwise the Lord High Steward will be needlessly alarmed.”