Carack

Carack Ch11 p4

Once they had left the town a little way behind the knight spoke again.

‘Where are you to meet your colleague?’ Gerent did not reply and the knight continued, ‘Come now I know you were not turned into a bear, it was a trick. Where are you to meet your colleague? Why you would want that particular bear intrigues me, as does the little one. Western child I could do a lot worse to you than just hold you prisoner, speak up now, where are you to meet?’ Gerent did not reply but hung his head he was desperately trying to think of a way to escape the knight and the self-tightening cord.

‘I see, you have become mute, hmm, a mute bear boy. People would pay good money to see that. Come along animal, let’s see if Meagor still wants you, I might sell you to him at a knock down price.’  The knight wheeled the horse around and jerked on the cord, pulling Gerent into step alongside the mare starting back in the direction of the town.

‘No!’ said Gerent and the knight reigned in and looked down at him,

‘Well?’ the knight enquired, but Gerent shook his head, he would not betray his friends no matter what it meant for himself.

‘Come then!’ the knight spurred the mare forward and Gerent was brutally forced to follow along side. They trotted along in silence for about five minutes, all the while Gerent was growing more apprehensive about his fate, and then the knight pulled up again, with the edge of town visible across a field in front of them.

‘Release!’ said the knight and Gerent felt the cord slip from his neck, he looked up at the knight fearing what would come next.

‘Go,’ said the knight, ‘Go, before I change my mind, I have enough to contend with, without dragging a dumb boy around with me. You are stubborn enough not to speak and I do not have time to waste further on you. I no longer believe you are he whom I seek, I must press on, Go!’ the knight shouted and pointed back the way they had come. Gerent, still fearing the knight might chase him, took to his heels and ran toward a nearby copse, once within the trees he turned and watched the knight riding slowly back along the road into Ludlowston. He wondered what the knight had meant about ‘enough to contend with’, and although he watched the knight out of sight he set off in the opposite direction than that of the spot where he was to meet Meendhu and Brunnstan, until he was sure he was not being followed. Then he cut across the fields as fast as he could heading straight towards the riverbank. He headed away from town to find the place where the large willow grew, which Meendhu had told him could not be missed once you found the river. It was getting towards twilight when Gerent reached the spot to find a very agitated and concerned pair, with the two ponies, trying to decide whether to go back into town to look for him or not.

‘It’s all right I’m here!’ he cried, finding them by the sound of their voices and pushing through the trailing leaves of the willow to join them.

‘Hoorah Lordling!’ shouted Brunnstan, jumping up and down, Meendhu looked stern.

‘What happened ta ya?’ Gerent explained what had happened with Meagor and the knight.