XXII.
"That there's the manor of my friend, Lord Edward. He's a nice guy, but the manor's the only part left of his lands...one of the other lords attacked him last month and they haven't been able to rebuild much yet. Everyone lives in the manor house." Arthur explained, pointing at a very dilapidated looking stone building surrounded by what looked like a garden wall. There were twenty or so outlines where houses used to be, scorched brown earth surrounded by lots of hoof prints and broken arrows. It seemed that it might have been a surprise attack.As we rode through it all, I noticed that all the arrows seemed to have a color other than the one flying. Arthur noticed. "Oh shit. Looks like old Eddie might have lost a bit more than these buildings." We all looked over the edge of the wagon at the scorched structures. There weren't any bodies, but that didn't mean that someone hadn't come to take care of them yet. "Well, I saw one of his stewards in London a few days ago, so I guess Eddie's still alive and kicking." But his voice shook and I wondered if he believed that.
Inside the manor compound everything was quiet. I noticed the pile of wrapped bodies next to the remains of a small chapel. Had their priest died as well? Arthur hopped out of the wagon and gestured for us to follow. "Come on! Only way we'll find out if this place has been taken over by ghosts is to knock on the door!" he called.
Jay eyed him skeptically, but he got out anyway. He turned to help me, and I, not used to the skirts, chemise, and wimple, promptly fell into his arms. I got the impression that he would have made some smart comment if he hadn't been staying mute. Bobby made up for it. "Geez Paige, been walking long?" Then he practically fell out.
"I don't know, have you?" I snapped back. Arthur was examining the wrapped bodies.
"None of them look like they're Eddie's size...but that doesn't mean that..." he sighed. Then I heard this odd moaning noise, almost like some spirit sobbing for release.
"What the hell is that?" Bobby whispered, walking closer to Jay. "Do you think it's a demon?" Jay shook his head slowly. We stood and listened as it got louder and louder, until it seemed to fill the courtyard.
"Come on Arthur, just go and knock on the door!" Bobby said, pushing Arthur towards the manor. "I don't want to be here when the demon comes." Arthur shivered and walked up towards the door, raising his hand to knock.
The door flew open and Bobby screamed and grabbed onto Arthur. A man poked his head out. His forehead had a small wound on it and one of his arms was bandaged to his side. He stared blearily at us, then his eyes widened as he looked at Arthur. "Arthur? Is it you?" he whispered.
Arthur swallowed and nodded, hugging the man gently. "I'm so glad you're okay Luke. Is Lord Edward in?" he asked. Luke nodded and grimaced.
"Yes, but he is comforting Lord Ryan." The moaning suddenly grew very recognizable. Oh shit. Bobby and I exchanged a disgusted glance. "I shall inform him of your presence as soon as he...finishes his interview. Come inside." He opened the door wider and revealed a large manor hall.
The tables had been pushed to the side and the tapestries placed over the window. A large fire was burning in the fireplace, and a small circle of huddled forms sat around it. I caught the familiar smells of death and sickness. Their groans were drowned out by Ryan's screams of ecstasy. "Do you require any food or drink?" Luke asked.
"Well, do you have enough to go around?" Arthur asked.
Luke's eyes turned darker. "If there is one thing we have an abundance of, it is food." My thoughts were drawn back to the wrapped bodies in the courtyard. "They poisoned one of the wells, but that is of little consequence. There is another one they didn't know about."
"Who attacked you?" Bobby asked.
"I'm not exactly sure. It was one of the Lords from around here, someone who didn't like Lord Edward's lenient policies towards peasants. We held them off." He replied wearily, sitting down on one of the benches. "But they did manage to burn down all of the peasants homes. Rebuilding will have to wait until we are healed."
Then there was a flurry of deep red as a form entered the room. "Arthur!!" a jolly voice yelled. It was a somewhat large man with hair about the same shade of red as Arthur's. He was wearing a rather ratty tunic that was stretched tightly over his barrel form. "I was wondering when you'd be by again! Luke, you didn't tell me that Arthur was here!"
"My lord, if I may beg your forgiveness, I was under the impression that you and Lord Ryan were still discussing matters of great importance." Luke said, bowing slightly.
Edward laughed it off. "Ah, yes, Lord Ryan." He winked at me. "Came here all saddened by his lovelies death, then he wanted me to show him who was boss. Well, speak of the devil." he said, turning to the thinner form that followed him into the room. Jay and I instantly pulled our wimples so that they shadowed our faces. "Lord Ryan, feeling better?"
Lord Ryan was still in a post orgasmic haze and smiled dumbly. "Some ale would be nice." he said. Luke limped off to get some. Ryan's eyes were red and swollen, as if he had been crying for days. I sensed Jay stiffening up beside me, and I bumped his hand with my own to try and comfort him.
Edward laughed and slapped Lord Ryan on the back. "After my wife died, that was the only way I could forget. You remember, don't you?" Lord Ryan nodded, sighing heavily. "Don't worry, it'll get better. Just stay here for a while." Then he turned his attention to Arthur. "Lord Ryan, this is my merchant friend Arthur. He comes through every few months on his way to sell trinkets to the Scottish." Arthur bowed.
Edward peered closely at us. "Who are these people with you?"
Arthur blushed and nodded his head towards Jay. "I got married. She didn't want to be without me for our first year together, so I decided to take her along. Her brother and his wife wanted to come too." Edward smiled, and stepped forward to pinch Jay's cheek. Jay giggled slightly, slapping playfully at his hand. When Edward looked away he glared at him.
"Nice one you got there." Edward said. "Wouldn't you say Lord Ryan?" Lord Ryan nodded without looking up. "Anyway, I must insist that you spend a few days with us! It would do the peasants some good to have new faces to look at that aren't trying to kill them!" he laughed.
Arthur nodded. "I imagine it would."
It turned out that Lord Ryan was planning to stay for a while as well. I wondered who was running our village in his absence. Probably Bobby's mother.
Edward fixed a veritable feast for dinner, all of the peasants got excited and involved. It seemed that Edward treated them more like members of his own family than the people who filled his coffers. Jay and I were drafted to help cook, which enabled us to escape Lord Ryan's direct scrutiny for a while.However, at dinner we were seated at the head of the table, Jay next to Arthur, and I next to Bobby. We were close enough that if Lord Ryan had wanted to he could have found out who we were. Bobby was shaking so much that he eventually excused himself from table, leaving me alone. I tried to act confident and eat, but it seemed like every time I looked up, Lord Ryan was staring at me.
Edward laughed and joked with Arthur all through dinner, seemingly oblivious to the very real tension that wound itself around us. Jay ate a small piece of meat and ignored my motions for him to eat more while we had the chance. Finally dinner was over and the tables were cleared and put back against the walls.
"I'm sorry, I don't have any spare rooms to lend to you. The wounded who can't be moved have to use them for right now. You'll have to sleep with the peasants near the fire." Edward said.
Arthur nodded. "I understand. You don't have to make excuses. I've slept on worse."
Edward smiled. "Don't let that stop you enjoying your honeymoon, eh?" he said. Jay managed a weak smile.
The night was remarkably silent. The only noises were the inevitable couplings of horny peasants and whispered gossip about said peasants. I wanted to take off the wimple, my hair was starting to get into my eyes and it felt like my head was on fire. But I couldn't, because one of the women would be sure to notice. Still, sleep came quickly."Paige!" The word woke me, and I turned to see who was talking. It didn't sound like Bobby or Arthur...Jay?! Instantly awake and looking for him. Shit, he hadn't stayed next to Arthur, where the hell was he? "Paige!" again.
I got up and found my way to the hallway. The fire shot shadows of demonic proportions to the walls. Damn Jay, where the hell did you go?
"Paige!" closer now. Turned a corner and there he was, trying to hold Lord Ryan back. Lord Ryan had him by the collar and was holding a knife under his throat. Jay glared at him defiantly.
"Demon! You murdered Amir." Lord Ryan snarled. "You thought that you could hide from me behind your feminine illusions, but I'm no idiot. Now you're going to pay for your sins." The knife raised.