The Hibernian Runaway

Chapter 14

“Halt, we need to follow them.” Will said, following his mentor down a spiral staircase. “We didn’t want to let them leave, and they left.”

“You’re right, Will.” Halt replied over his shoulder, keeping a hand on the inside curve to steady himself while he ran. “Which is exactly why I am going after them.”

 “But-” Will interjected. But Halt stopped him before he could finish his thought.

 “I didn’t finish. Will you will ride ahead to Redmont, to make sure that they don’t beat us back to Hibernia.” Halt finished. “Crowley, you’ll explain where we went to King Duncan.”

 Halt pushed open a heavy oaken door and stepped out into thecool night air. Will shivered, and nodded to his mentor. Halt slipped away into the shadows, headed towards the stables. Will turned and ran back inside to grab his cloak.

 In five minutes he was on Tug’s back and riding hard towards his home fief at the lope that Tug could keep for hours on end.

  

Will stopped at the top of the hill, gasping for breath the cold night air. He stopped and looked at the Castle for a moment before carrying on his wild ride. Tug galloped the last stretch of the run, as if he sensed the necessity of time. Will rode past the guards at the gate to Redmont at a staggering speed and pulled Tug into a circle to slow him down.

 "What's going on?" the gate master asked, the others at the gate warily watching the night for any signs of movement.

 "I need to speak with Baron Arald." Will said, "Immediately."

 "Will, what in the blazes is going on?" Arald asked, his shirt rumpled, hair awry. He had just climbed out of bed after a long day.

 "We just made a huge mistake. Somehow, five Hibernians from the envoy had slipped out from under our noses. Halt and Crowley didn't want them to leave, being suspicious of their actions, but they got away. I need you to have riders ride out to the ports and not let anyone leave, until we find them again."

 "I would like to help you, but I cannot." Arald said after some time. "I'm sorry, Will, but I cannot justly keep a person from leaving this country without evidence of them doing something wrong. Bring me that, and I will gladly help you."

 Will narrowed his eyes, "They'll be gone by then."

 "Then I cannot help you." Arald sighed.

 He got up and walked out of his office. Will followed, knowing that he would have to do this on his own. Soon, he heard a cry, something unusual this late at night.

 Baron Arald groaned. "That'd be our son." He quickly explained, seeing Will's confusion. "Lady Sandra and I have decided to adopt one of the children in the orphanage. His name is Daniel and his parents were murdered by the marauding bandits. Do you want to meet him? He seems to like people."

 Will smiled and nodded, following the Baron into his private quarters. He waited outside of the bedroom as the Baron came out with a little three year old in his arms.

 He was cute, with a little blonde cowlick that curled to the left in the middle of his forehead. His hazel eyes were aware, but sleepy behind drooping eyes. His right hand was in his mouth, his fist curled around a necklace chain.

 Suddenly, Daniel dropped the necklace. He stared at it for a second, then he began to cry again. Will stopped and picked up the glimmering silver chain.

 He was about to hand it back to the child when he noticed the heavy silver ring on it. He took the ring over to the nearest candle and inspected it in the firelight as best as he could. He gasped in recognition, then in realization.

 "Baron, you can't go back to bed just yet. You'll need to stop the Hibernians as if your life depended on it." Will said, still staring at the ring.

 "Will, I told you, you need to give me proof." the Baron sighed. Daniel had stuck his thumb in his mouth and was slowly falling asleep. Arald sighed and put the boy back to bed, then came back out to talk to Will.

 "This ring may be all the proof that we need." Will exclaimed. "This is a signet ring of the Princess of Hibernia, Lilly O'Carrick. Where did Daniel get it?"

 "I don't know," Arald said, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "He had it when we adopted him."

 "Who brought him to the orphanage?" Will pressed.

 "The lady who got him didn't remember her name or her face, just that it was a woman who explained to her that Daniel's parents were killed in a bandit attack. His name was Daniel Matthew." Arald said.

 "No." Will said, solemnly, "it was McMatthew, and it was Lilly McMatthew who took him there. Or should I say, Lilly O'Carrick."

 "What are you saying?" the Baron asked dumbfounded. "That Lilly McMatthew is actually a deposed princess on the run in Araluen."

 "That is exactly what I'm saying." Will finished.

Lilly cried out again as she was flung in the dirt. She ached all over, with bruises in a hundred different places. She watched boots walk over to her. Rough hands grabbed her by her shirt and lifted her onto her feet, keeping one hand on her collar.

 "I'll ask you one more time, where is it?" Gregory McKennel asked.

 Lilly spat blood in his face and winced with the slap that followed. She choked on her own blood for a minute,  then coughed to clear her throat. "I already told you. I don't know."

 Gregory roared in anger, and threw her at the feet of his men. He had met up with the small party of five on the way to Redmont. He immediately searched her for her signet ring, wanting to destroy it so she couldn't have any chance to prove her true identity. But when he didn't find it, he proceeded to beat her for the answer that he wanted.

 "Bind her and put her in the wagon. We'll just have to do with the lost ring. Josephine wants her alive, so she can kill her herself." Gregory shouted to the fifteen or so men standing around the clearing.

 The three men closest to her bent down and hauled her to her feet. She swayed between them as they walked her over to the horse drawn carriage. They lifted her up, the chains around her wrist clanking against the wood as they dropped her into the cart. Two of them jumped on in with her, and the other one grabbed the reins of the horse and started to walk. The other men had mounted their own horses and were waiting for Gregory to move out.

 "Let's go!" he shouted, breath fogging in the cold night air. "We'll find a farm and take it for the night."

 The rest of the men cheered at the prospect of a warm place to sleep and food to eat and they moved onward with new vigor.