‘No, I didn’t kill them.’
‘Oh, Jaim, you idiot. Now they’ll be coming for you and Kaelin. What were you thinking?’
‘I was thinking that I am a Rigante, not some murdering Varlish. The boy has already killed two men. And he was willing, Maev. He was even eager to add to that tally. Two prisoners. He would have shot them down without a thought. That’s not right.’
‘Better them than us, Jaim.’
‘We’ll have to agree to differ. I have killed men. You know that. I carried rage in my heart and I slaughtered the enemy wherever I found him. I regret every one of those dead now. Even the bad ones. Had we killed Huntsekker and his man, we’d likely have had to go back into the undergrowth and kill the other three. Then we’d have been forced to bury them in unmarked graves, hoping no-one would ever stumble upon them. Dal Naydham and Vinton Gabious have children, who would never know what happened to their father. Bass and Boillard Seeton care for their elderly mother, who is blind now. Aye, maybe Huntsekker would be small loss to the world. I can’t say for sure. But the day will never dawn again when I cut down defenceless men. Not ever, Maev.’
Maev walked to the window, staring out at the distant mountains. ‘We must bring the plan forward,’ she said. ‘You and Kaelin will leave today for the north. Find him and take him to the cave. Send Banny back here. Tomorrow at dawn be at the fork in the Great North Road. I will be there with a wagon.’
‘We don’t need a wagon, Maev. It will slow us down.’
‘The wagon will be carrying much of my wealth, Jaim. I need to get it away from here. You will take it to my farm in the north. Once there you will remove the gold and bury it in the woods behind the main house.’
‘Gold? How much gold?’
‘Two thousand pounds.’
‘Is there that much money in the world?’ he asked, astonished.
‘Why in heaven’s name did you get drunk last night, when you knew I’d be worried sick?’ she countered.
‘I stopped off at the tavern for a quick one. My bones were cold through. While I was there I heard that an old friend of mine was hanged south of the border. Public execution, Maev. Hundreds of clansmen and women gathered to watch him dance on the rope. I wish I had known.’
‘What difference would it have made?’ she asked.
‘I’d have taken my glave, and marched down the main street, and cut him free.’
‘There are usually two squads of soldiers at every execution. Twenty men, Grymauch.’
‘I know,’ he said sadly.
‘So what you are saying is you’d have thrown away your life.’
He suddenly grinned. ‘Not at all. I’d have hacked a path through the soldiers and freed him anyway. After all, what are twenty Varlish to a man of the Rigante?’
‘A pet bear would be less trouble,’ she said.
‘What?’ he asked, mystified.
‘Never mind. Find Kaelin and be at the fork at dawn.’
The black lacquered coach, bearing the crest of the Moidart, stood waiting, the matched black horses standing patiently. Behind the coach ten lancers also waited in lines of two. The driver, dressed in a heavy double-shouldered coat, sat hunched, the reins in his hands.
A white-wigged Gaise Macon, his long pale blue cloak flaring in the breeze, walked back and forth, occasionally staring towards the gates of the castle. It was nearing noon and there was no sign of Mulgrave. At last Gaise removed his cloak, opened the door of the coach and climbed inside. The seats were of polished hide, and embroidered cushions were scattered upon them. Gaise tapped twice on the front panel. The driver flicked the reins and the coach rumbled over the cobbles, and out onto the hill road above Eldacre.
Gaise was disappointed that he had not been able to say farewell to his mentor. Mulgrave had been a good friend these past few years. Lifting his booted heels to the seat opposite Gaise leaned back. It would be a long journey to Varingas, the capital. Eight days of mind-numbing boredom. It would have been so much more satisfying to ride the palomino, and to camp beside streams. But this was inappropriate for the son of the Moidart. No, his journey to the capital had to be made in style, with a ten-man escort, and not even a farewell wave from his closest friend.