Nobody's Child (complete)

Chapter 10 - The King's Guard

Chapter 10 - The King's Guard ©2018CarolynAnnAish 

The beauty of the day; the thrill of the swifter downstream journey spurred on by Boy's furious rowing; all was lost in the lad's overwhelming fears. He didn't slacken his tension on the oars, or begin to calm down until the dinghy reached the calmer waters of Swan Lake. Expecting to be followed by a fleet of soldiers, he rowed quickly across to the bay and demanded the alarmed couple to help him move the boat out of the water and into concealment.

"They ... are likely ... to come ... here." Boy was breathless.

"Who?" Blade questioned.

Boy stared at his enemy-friend. The man had recovered greatly and shuffled upright, quite quickly, aided by a crudely-formed crutch. The baby slept contentedly in the shade of their shelter.

"Brandish soldiers."

Hiding the boat was no small task. Boy was thankful for the long thick rope he had purchased. He had to anchor the rope around a tree and all three heaved and heaved, securing the rope each time the heavy vessel moved an inch or two, until it was up on the bank. Dragging and pushing, they moved it under the bushes.

Kicking the fire out, and throwing sand on it and around the area, Boy helped gather the breech-cloths that Felicia had laid on rocks to dry in the sun. He wanted no signs left that could betray them. Next, he broke fresh green branches off bushes and pushed them into the muddy bank until the drag marks, made by the boat, were hidden. He even jumped into the lake and pushed out a way, to view his hand-work from an enemy's perspective.

"They're looking for me." Boy said as he dropped on the grass beside Felicia. He read the questions in her eyes. "Yes," he said, "I registered all the papers before I was recognized. The documents regarding your marriage and your claim to your son's property will be in the hands of the Shrieve of Brandenburg, the Shrieve of Wittenburg and just after I left, the Shrieve of Eberswald. I made the claim in both your names ..." He stared at Blade and realized a new fact which he verbalized, "They will know that you, Gathius, the new husband of Felicia, are connected to me, now."

Boy recounted his visit to Eberswald and was listened to with deep silence. Sucking in his bottom lip, he then said, "I have spoilt everything. I thought I was helping, but now you'll be labelled with me. I'm so sorry, Felicia."

"This notice, on the board," Blade asked, "how much are they offering for you?"

Boy lay back, on the soft grass, wet and exhausted. This was the question he had dreaded Blade would ask. He couldn't answer. The silence stretched out to greet the clear blueness of the sky and his muddled thoughts swam; he had a struggle to swim out, beyond the tears threatening to run, to remind himself that Blade could not be trusted, no matter how much he, Boy, had helped him. Once a betrayer, always a betrayer,he reminded himself.

After a while he sat up and said, "It will be a good wedding present for you ... five hundred gold pieces."

"Five hundred?" Felicia's voice was shrill. She repeated, "Five hundred gold pieces! They never give that much for a criminal!"

"Only he ain't a crim," Blade said. "He ain't no crim!" He stared at Boy and asked, "They didn't have no sign for me?"

Boy shook his head, muttering; "They must think that the man, Blade, is dead." He then said, "They have no way of connecting Gathius to the dead man known as 'Blade', but it would be better to wait a few of days before you go and make your claim."

"What claim?" Felicia asked, her eyes upon her husband.

Boy answered, "For your land. It will give the Shrieves time to confer and it will give the Shrieve at Eberswald time to inform Sheldon that there's no hope of your son's inheritance for him." Boy paused, then said dolefully, "And you can claim the five hundred, for me."