Carack

Ch2 p5

‘Master Hugh!’ a familiar voice shouted across the water. ‘Master Hugh, be you alright?’

‘Yes Wampa!’ shouted back Gerent. ‘Except I think I have broken my arm and we are both very cold!’

‘That’s good Master, I don’t know what I would have done if you had drownded. We’m trying to get a boat to you. Stay put!’

‘Now where does he think we can go, eh?’ Gerent’s laugh turned into a cough, the girl knelt beside him.

‘You don’t look very well,’ she said gazing into his face. ‘You’re all pale and whisht. You saved my life, I would have drowned if not for you.’ She sat back on her heels looking at Gerent, her head on one side. ‘Are you- are you a lord or something? That man, he called you master.’

‘No, I am not a lord, he calls everyone master.’ Gerent gave a weak smile.

 ‘Oh,’ said the girl. ‘I hoped you were, I’ve never met a lord before.’

‘Neither have I. But I think I’ve met a lady I just don’t know her name.’

‘When did you meet her?’

‘Last night, on the moonlit bank of a meandering river, we took a midnight swim together.’ Gerent said looking at the thin girl who crouchd beside him.

‘Oh,’ the girl laughed. ‘Ia, my name is Ia.’

‘Well, pleased to meet you Lady Ia, I am Ger – Hugh, how are you feeling this morning?’ Gerent lay back down as he could see that the group on the opposite side of the river were waiting for something and rescue would not commence for some time.

‘I am cold Ger-Hugh,’ she replied. Gerent laughed.

‘No’ he said, ‘it’s just Hugh, not Ger-Hugh. I was confused because I’m so cold as well and my arm really hurts, you know?’

‘Why did you save me? You risked your life for me when even my father wouldn’t even come and get me on that bridge. Well, he’s not my father really, he tells me that often enough. But he wouldn’t even let my mum come and get me. Why did you?’

‘I don’t know, Lady Ia. I guess it’s second nature for me to put myself at risk for someone else! I seem to be making a habit of it.’ Gerent’s had a flash of memory in which he saw a car speeding towards Hugh and he diving to push his twin clear. He hoped Hugh was alright.

‘I like you Hugh, will you be my friend? I haven’t got any other real friends, mother won’t let me. She doesn’t like me going out on my own. I think she’s afraid of the bear getting me. I see a bear a lot you know. Mother says not to talk about it as it’s my imagination. But it’s not you know.’ Ia prattled on. ‘You won’t say I said will you? I can trust you can’t I? You saved me.’

‘Trust me Lady Ia. I will keep you secret and when you’re with me you’ll know you are safe, I won’t let anyone, or anything, harm you,’ replied Gerent.‘Now please tell me more about yourself.’ Gerent thought this would help keep both their minds off recent events and the cold. Talking would help pass the time as they waited to be rescued from their island.

Ia told Gerent how she did not know her real father and that her mother had very recently married her stepfather, Logan Treryn, who was a farm worker. She did not get on with her stepfather and admitted that she would argue with him until he got very angry with her.

‘I don’t mean to,’ she said. ‘I just can’t stop myself. Then mother has to step in and send me to bed or give me an errand to stop me getting a beating.’ She told how the cottage where they now lived in was owned by her step father’s employer, Lord Madron. It was close to the river and the rising water had nearly flooded it before they had managed to pack all they could into the wagon. Ia said she had never been to a ‘proper’ school but her mother had taught her to count, read and write, which her stepfather didn’t approve of. He had already arranged a marriage for her with the son of a neighbour but Ia was adamant that she was not going to accept this.

‘I don’t want to have to marry someone like Treryn and be his servant like mother. When I’m old enough I’m going to run away and – and – oh, I don’t know but do something exiting.’

Ia watched the activities on the far bank as she talked and Gerent lay falling in and out of unconsciousness. After a while she gave him a gentle shake.

‘They’re launching a boat over to us. It’s being rowed by my stepfather and they’ve got ropes n it so it can’t be swept downstream I suppose.’ Gerent lay still until he heard the voice of a man calling them to get in the boat. It took all his concentration to get up ignor the pain and get into the boat. Ia sat silent and with a bowed head beside him.

A sullen and scowling Logan rowed them across the tearing current. The water threatened to pull the small boat and its occupants away to destruction, but the straining ropes held firm. Once on the bank Gerent was helped from the boat and carried to the straw covered deck of one of the wagons. Wampa climbed in beside him.

‘Now don’t you worry master. We are going to the castle in here, you are in no fit state to’ ride now I reckon. Just you lay back and never mind the jolting,’ he said. Gerent groaned at the thought of the movement, but he knew this was the only way he would be able to get help. Wampa sat beside him and pulled a rug over him that had a strong smell of horse. The odour was so powerful that Gerent wanted to tell Wampa to take it off, but he needed its warmth. The cart started forward with a lurch and the movement caused his arm to ache so much that it was not long before he passed out. But just before he did he remembered that he had not said goodbye to Ia.