Here Be Dragons - 1 by Sharon Penman (best ebook reader android TXT) 📗

eyes alight in amused understanding. "Now that ounds more like you," he said, as Walter found his voice."You truly mean to let me go?" Walter sounded more suspicious than relieved, for magnanimity to an enemy was an alien concept to him."Yes, I do, but I rather doubt you'll thank me for it. For I mean to release your men, too. I should think they'll have a most interesting tale to tell Montalt. You've hardly endeared yourself to them, have you?"Walter opened his mouth, shut it abruptly, but he was unable to keep his eyes from shifting toward Godfrey. Llewelyn saw, smiled."Of course you will have time to think up an explanation for your appalling ineptitude ... on your walk to Rhuddlan. For although you are free to go, we'll be keeping your horse and armor. Spoils of war . . . remember?"Five minutes ago, Walter would have bartered anything on God's earth for his life and not counted the cost. But his were now the changed priorities of reprieve, and he gave a gasp of dismay. "If I do reach Rhuddlan like thatnaked, alone, on footChrist, I'll be a laughingstock!""Yes," Llewelyn agreed. "I know." And signaling to two of his men, he said, "Strip him of his armor."Walter scrambled to his feet, began to back away. In that instant his fear of humiliation was greater than his fear of death, and his eyes darted to the dagger in Llewelyn's belt. For a mad moment he saw himself lunging for it, plunging the blade into Llewelyn's chest, and racing for the woods.But his was an easy face to read. Llewelyn felt a sudden surge of excitement."It is your choice, Walter," he said softly, almost encouragingly.Walter's throat muscles contracted; he had not enough saliva to swallow. The realization that Llewelyn wanted him to go for the knife was a lifeline back to sanity. Appalled by what he'd almost done, he sagged against the nearest tree."I swear by all the saints that you'll regret this day," he said, choking on his hatred, and Rhys lost all patience. In three strides he'd crossed the clearing, had his dagger poised at Walter's throat."Are you so eager to die, English?" he demanded. "Think you that we need an excuse to claim your life?""He does not speak Welsh, Rhys," Llewelyn said, amused, and Rhys smiled grimly."Mayhap not, but he understands me well enough."

66Walter had lost all color; a vein showed at his temple, throbbing wildly against skin damp with sweat."Yes," Llewelyn conceded. "I daresay he does!" Glancing up at the darkening sky, he realized that they'd already tarried here too long, and he moved toward Walter's men. "You understand what was said?"Godfrey had been staring at Walter de Hodnet, eyes glittering. Now he looked up at Llewelyn, nodded, and then grinned. "Mem," he said, and then gestured toward Walter, adding something in English which Llewelyn did not understand;he caught only a name, Giles.But time was on his uncle's side; some of the fleeing soldiers might have reached Rhuddlan by now. He still held Chester's dispatch. Unsheathing his dagger, he slashed at the parchment until it hung in tattered ribbons. Handing it to the wide-eyed Edwin, he said in slow, deliberate French, "Here, lad.Give this to Montalt. And tell him that Llewelyn ab lorwerth has a message forChester: Stay out of Wales."Edwin could not envision himself ever giving a message like that to a Norman lord, and he was much relieved when his cousin said, "I'd like nothing better, my lord!"Edwin released his breath, clutched the shredded parchment to his chest.Godfrey would keep faith with the young Welsh lord, and he was glad, for they owed this man their lives. He doubted that the Earl of Chester would heed the warning, would stay out of Wales. But he would, he thought, with sudden resolve. He was going home. Home to Aldford.LISIEUX, NORMANDYMajj 1194LJ.N January 1194, Queen Eleanor reached Germany with the one hundred thousand silver marks demanded as ransom for her son's freedom. Richard was finally released on February

67one year and six weeks after he'd been taken captive in Austria. By ' ^j, he was once more upon English soil, where he set about exri guishing the embers of his brother John's rebellion. John's castles of TickhiH and Nottingham fell to him within a fortnight, and on March 31 . sUJnrnoned John to appear before his great council. John was given forty days to answer the charges of treason.He defied the summons, did not appear, and on May 10 he was outlawed, declared to have forfeited any claims to the Angevin crown, and then stripped of the earldoms of Gloucester and Mortain, of his castles, estates, and manors inEngland and Normandy.Two days later, Richard and Eleanor sailed from Portsmouth. Landing atBarfleur, they headed south into Normandy. After lingering a few days at Caen, they moved on to Lisieux, where they were greeted with excessive affability byArchdeacon John de Alengon, Richard's vicechancellor, and there joined byJoanna Plantagenet, sister to Richard, daughter to Eleanor, young widow ofWilliam the Good, King of Sicily.". . . AND after I set up a gallows before the walls of Nottingham Castle, hanged a score of John's men, and left them for the ravens, the others lost their taste for treason, moved out even faster than the ravens moved in!""What of Johnny, Richard? Have you any word as to his whereabouts?""Oh, I know exactly where John is, Joannaskulking about the French court. He fled to Paris months ago, after Philip sent him warning that my release was imminent. 'Look to yourself; the Devil is loose,'" Richard quoted with relish, and then laughed.Joanna laughed, too. "This has not been one of Philip's better years, what with your return and his troubles with the Pope.""What is the straight of that, Jo? The garbled account I heard did not seem likely to me, that Philip sought to repudiate his Queen the day after their marriage.""Likely or not, it's true enough. They were wed at Amiens last August, and