A Man Called Will Scarlett - Ch. 2

CHAPTER TWO




"Cedric, where is my son?" Phillip asked, his rage barely concealed.


"My Lord, I am not sure. But," he started before his lord could begin to fume, "Stablemaster Otto syas he left on Gnash on a northernly course, this was confirmed by some of the guards who were on the wall at the time.


Phillip glared at the gallic boy, He was fumming when he came back from his meeting with Lord Guido of Guisbourne, the Sheriff's cousin, and his son hadn't been there waiting, and no one could find him. " Send out a search party."


"Yes, my lord," Cedric replied subserviently, before quitting the room. Quickly he gathered all the servants who could ride horses; Otto, Nold, Frederick, Tam, and five of the guard. When they were in the courtyard, with horses saddled for all, Cedric told them what they were to be doing. "Men, Lord Phillip's son, Will, left here this morning with a course to the north, and hasn't yet returned." When Cedric paused here, Tam, Nold, Otto, and Fred shifted uneasily. Cedric knew why, Master Will was well liked among the peasantry and helped them when he could, he made their lives better and they were thankful for that. "We are to search until we find him, or his corpse," Cedric wasn't sure why he'd added the morbid bit about a body on, but it seemed more likely that they would find a body in this violent storm that was brewing.


As they set out into the sprinkling rain, they all had grim, hard faces. Soon they were all soaked through, and couldn't see far from the road through the pouring rain. After they had been riding for several hours and the sun had gone down - not that it'd been that much help anyway - they came across Huntington Castle.


"We stop here," Cedric shouted over the over the din of the rain. He wanted to stop and see if any of the guards had seen William, and if they would help.


As they drew closer, Cedric and all of the men began to feel a bit intimidated by the size of the castle, that was its purpose obviously. When he dismounted from his horse in front of the gate, he shivered, this cold, wet wasn't good for them so it definetely wasn't good for William, wherever he was. He turned to look at the other men who were shivering in their soaked cloaks. Then he turned to the large, wooden gates and pounded on them with his fist causing them to shake. After a few moments the gate was opened by a very annoyed looking steward. He glared at Cedric, his lip curled up in a sneer. "Yes," he said in a condescending tone.


Cedric cleared his throat before speaking, "We are searching for our master's son, William. We wish to know of he passed by this way. And, also, if your lord, the earl, would lend us some of his men to help search."


The steward glared a bit more, as he glanced around at his party. "You might as well come in out of the rain," he said with a look of distaste.


Cedric nodded, then gesturedd for ht emen to follow him as he led his horse into the courtyard of the castle courtyard. There the rest dismounted adn they followed the steward into the entrance hall of the castle. The steward looked at them, "Wait here," he ordered.


The dripping men stood uncomfortalbly waiting for the surly steward to return with his master. The huge hall echoed with the shuffling of their booted feet and the clink of the men-at-arms weapons and armor.


Several minutes later the steward returned with a tall youth. The young man had a long shock of pale hair, dark brown eyes, and an utterly blank, controled expression.


"I'm sorry," he said, his voice expressionless, "My father is not here, neither are my elder brothers, Richard and Benjamin. I am Robert, and I will allow you to take twenty of my fathers guards to aid you in your search, I will also join you."


"You are very generous, milord," Cedric said with a bow, "But it isn't necessary for your lordship to accompany us."


"No, it's not," Robert said in his empty voice again, "But I will."


Cedric bowwed and led his party back into the wet courtyard to wait for Robert Huntington adn his men to join them. Within moments Robert was among them, after donning on a cloak. He looked at the small party from Scathlocke Manor. "We'll split into three groups, ten men to each, to search. One going south, one continuing north, and one to the north," Robert shouted over the howling of the wind and the pounding of the rain. He hadn't asked if he could take control, he just had. And a part of Cedrix was thankful and relieved, he now felt they had a better chance of finding Will.


Cedrix knew that Robert was newly returned from the Crusade, he'd led men and knew search tactics that a young gallic servant could never know. Cedric found himself in Robert's group going back south on a different road. The fields around tehm were of tall grass. After a while, Cedric could see a manor off in the distance through the misty haze. Then Robert pulled his mount up short. Cedric rode up next to him, "What is it, milord?"


Robert pointed to a dark shape lying on the road in front of them. The figure was wearing a scarlet cloak. "Master William!" Cedric cried out as he lept from teh saddle rushing towards his lord's son. He skidded to his knees in teh mud beside William. As he checked the young man's pulse, he heard Robert's footsteps behind him adn the flickering torchlight meant that Nold who'd been carying the torch was also approaching. Robert knelt beside Cedric. He looked carefully at Will's arm, which was bent awkwardly, then gently felt his ribs.


"Broken arm, and some ribs," he said succintly. Cedrics face immediately belyed he worry. "It's a clean break, " Robert said to allay the gaul's concerns. Robert then stood and began directing the men how to construct a litter with a few cloaks.


"Where are we taking him, sire?" Cedric asked as he helped move William's limp body to the litter hung between two horses.


"My uncle's lands are just there," Robert said pointing, "We'll take him there."


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Robert stood before a roaring fire with his uncle, Henry Montificent. Henry was his mother's brother, and they'd always been close adn had always understood one another. Henry understood what his nephew had gone through in the Holy Land and why he was much changed and more guarded than before. Montificent had let the pary in without question and without word except to send one of the men to fetch a healer-priest from Fountain's Abbey. The unconscious boy was in bad shape, he could tell that from Robert's face.


"Robert," Henry said kindly, "What happened to the boy?"


His nephew continued to stare into the fire, his blue eyes reflecting the fire light. Montificent was considering repeating himself, when Robert stirred, as if he had just heard. "I don't rightly know. The gaul, Cedrix, said that the boy, William, had been riding a beast that was too wild for even their best rider to ride. From teh extensice bruising on his back and chest and the other injuries, I believe he was thrown, and the horse rolled on him a bit," Robert said slowly, never taking his eyes from the rippling flames.


Henry nodded then left Robert to go see how the boy was doing.


William had been placed in his son, Stutely's room. The door was open an a fire was raging in the fireplace. His wet clothes had been removed and spread before the fire. He was wearing a pair of loose fitting trousers of Stutely's that Henry had given them permission to use. The boy lay on top of the covers - still unconscious - and Montificent could see the sever bruising that Robert meant on the boy's pale skin.


The only other person in teh room was Cedric, the young man's servant. The tall gaul stood by the bed side; his thick, blonde hair was pulled back and his beard closely trimmed, his face was belying the worry that he was trying to conceal, his fist pressed to his lips. Henry lay his hand on Cedric's shoulder, and felt the tall youth jump beneath his touch. "He'll be okay, I sent your man, Nold, for Brother Gwydion, he should be here soon," Henry said, trying to soothe the lad.


Cedric only nodded his head, never taking his eyes from Will.


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William was heavy with fever, his mind wandering heatedly through half-forgotten memories. He was reliving many of the bad ones . . .


He was eleven-years-old again in the forest with Reynold deLacey and Robert Huntington. Will had been walking on the fringes of Sherwood when Robert and Reynold - who were fifteen at the time - had ambushed him, pulled a sack over his head and dragged him to a secret spot in the woods. He kicked out, trying to escape, but all he got was a hard cuff over the back of his head that brought tears to his eyes. He shouted out only to receive a blow to his gut that doubled him over. Through the rough, brown cloth he heards some cruel laughter as he groaned in pain. He let out a yelp when the sack was ripped off his head along with some hair. He was on his knees, his arms wrapped about his stomach. He starred at the two pairs of booted feet in front of him. His raised his eyes to look at his two tormentors.


"The saxon filth dares to look at us, Rob," Reynold sneered to his blonde companion. Then before William could move out of the way Reynold kicked him in the jaw sending him spread-eagled on his back. He brought a tentative hand up to his face; his lower lip was split and crying blood, and his nose was also gushing blood. Then Reynold planted his heel into Will's sternum causing him to gasp. He rolled over to his side, gasping; and he saw another foot coming in for a kick, he looked up into Robert's eyes . . .


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William came to with a scream of pain, jerking to try and sit up. Everything hurt, everything burned, he wanted desperately to get away. He tore at was holding him. He heard someone mutter a curse through clenched teeth. Pain was burning through his left arm, and the left side of his chest. He arched attempting once again to escape whoever was holding him down.


Robert and Henry were holding Will's shoulders down, while Cedric held his legs. Brother Gwydion had just set the bone in William's arm. As he bound and splinted it the men loosened their grip. Will opened his green eyes to look about, he was in a strange room surrounded by people he didn't recognize. Ced was at his feet and the man tending to his arm was a man of the cloth. The man on his right had grayish blonde hair and hazel eyes and the man by he left, next to the good friar was . . . ROBERT HUNTINGTON. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the once bully. Robert must have felt the malevolence in his gae because he looked him in the eye and left.


'Why is he here?' William snarled to himself. He remembered what had happened before it'd gone black. Gnash was gone, he didn't care, the beast could be dead for all he cared. He didn't know where he was but his body was too relaxed to ask where he was. He could hear the friar saying something but he couldn't understand. Then he began probing Will's ribs. Will gasped in pain when the brother pressed on his lower ribs, then he slipped into darkness again.