Carack

Carack Ch12 p2

‘I have not seen him for many years, not since he went to Netherzoyland with Ignatius but he keeps in touch, sends me the odd item and a letter or two’. As Euny reached into the saddle bag once more. Meendhu growled ‘San never said he had a brother, he mentioned a sister, but never a brother.’ Meendhu growled. Euny glanced at him as a folded and crumpled piece of yellow paper was pulled out from the bag.

‘No? Well, sometimes, it can be best not to reveal too much, it can be used against you. Here you see, he sent me this on Widewithenday, which is why I was trying to find out if you were Hugh, you are Hugh aren’t you?’ Gerent nodded as he took the letter and read,

‘Euny, I see you are in the same town as my friends, they need your help, please go to the bear auction and find the one mentioned in the prphecy, Hugh. He’s there to get Meendhu and then go and save  the king to stop Madron and  the war. Please help him if you can. S.’ He looked up at Brunnstan, who had stood to look at the letter over his shoulder as he read.

‘Look’s like the mage’s hand to me, Lordling.’ Brunnstan said, ‘How come you didn’t know it was us when you saw us first?’ he asked Euny.

‘I have never seen a Brownie before, Sancret had never told me what one looked like, only said they wore brown, were in the castle and never left it, so I wasn’t even looking for a Brownie, besides you’re not dressed in brown at all.’

‘No, well, these are my travelling clothes,’ said Brunnstan who as still wearing the outfit he had adopted when he had pretended to be a warlock and which he had not left off since.

‘Are you going to help us?’ asked Gerent who was still somewhat suspicious of the knight and wondered why Sancret had not told Euny his real name but had called him Hugh in the note. Eunys reply was slow and measured. ‘I know not what you are to do, my brother’s information is, as you can see, limited. I am a knight loyal to the king and I have a feeling that this would conflict with your plans. I think Sancret would have given me more information if he thought I was not so loyal to the king. As it turned out you barely needed my help anyway.’

‘You rescued me from the bear seller,’ said Gerent, ‘but I was worried I had fallen into worse hands! Thanks for helping me then.’

‘You are welcome, I apologise for being short, as I am sure I was. It’s just that I was concerned that I had missed the one and I had had a hard afternoon in the lists prior to the auction.’

‘How did you do in the tournament?’ asked Gerent,

‘I was not disgraced.’ Euny bowed.

‘Just like ya brother, not disgraced!’ Meendhu snorted, ‘When all can see ya wear the purple ribbon!’ he pulled on the end of a ribbon, which just poked out from Euny’s sleeve before Euny could stop him.

‘What does that mean Meendhu?’ asked Gerent.

‘This king’s knight is the champion that’s all! Not disgraced, talk about understatement! A fine pickle we have here now, he knows we’re going ta Chun and he’ll be the one sent ta stop us, what now?’

‘Perhaps if you were to tell me what it is you plan to do I would choose to aid you. It may be that I would ride on and advise my king. But remember my brother is involved in this plot and so by this relationship I could be linked to it whether I warn my king or not. Tell me your scheme, let me decide’ said Euny. Gerent felt that this would be the best plan, the only way they had trusted each other in Widnbrea was to talk.

‘I think we should tell him Meendhu, Sancret would not have asked him to help us if he did not have an element of trust in his brother.’

‘Well I’m not sa sure, but as it looks like we would not be free of him if we don’t, ya go ahead.’ So, Gerent explained what had happened, how Sancret had worked out about the influence charm and created an antidote for the king. Euny listened to it all, seemed concerned about the threat to Sancret from Madron  and when Gerent had finished spoke again in a thoughtful voice.