A Dishonorable Knight(38)

Enid approached Elena and wiping tears of mirth from her face said, "You are a jewel indeed, Elena. Please come and visit us again. I feel sure you could teach us a trick or two."

Elena forgot her mortification enough to smile at the Welshwoman. "I would enjoy that," she said, and meant it.

"Godspeed, my lady."

"Good bye Enid." Nudging her horse, Elena followed Bryant who sought to keep up with Gareth's galloping steed.

***

They kept up the grueling pace for three quarters of an hour until Cynan, his mirth long since dissipated, caught up to Gareth and yelled, "The horses cannot keep up this pace! We must let them rest!"

Gareth nodded grimly, angry with himself for not slowing earlier. They finally stopped near a stream and let the horses drink.

"Be there any demons chasing us Bryant and I don't know about?" Cynan asked Gareth who was standing upstream of the horses staring into the thick forest that surrounded them.

Turning to his friend with an apologetic smile Gareth said, "I'm just anxious to get this task over and done with so we can get to Aberystwyth quickly."

"Are you that committed to Henry Tudor's cause then?"

"You aren't?"

"I'm not speaking of my conviction. I've known for two years that I would support the Welshman's claim to the English throne over Richard of York's. You only decided two weeks ago to join us."

Gareth knew his friend was trying to help, but the last thing Gareth needed to be reminded of was that he was breaking his knightly vows less than a year after taking them.

"I'm committed to it. Two weeks or two years, Henry Tudor is the better man to wear the crown."

Cynan studied his friend and then looked over his shoulder to where Elena was seated with Bryant on a large rock. She was plaiting her hair, which the sun had turned to a glittering tumble of copper and Bryant was shyly watching her from beneath his lashes. Turning back to Gareth, he lowered his voice. "Perhaps you're not so anxious to give her up as you would have us think."

Gareth frowned. "What? Who--oh, her I don't know what you are talking about. I can't wait to get her out of our hair. She's a self-absorbed, whining--"

Cynan broke in. "Beautiful woman who--"

"Enough, Cynan. If this is what being married has done to you, turned you into a gossipy meddling old woman, then the day will come when I'll fall on my own sword before vowing 'I will.'"

Since they were children, Cynan had taken no greater joy than in teasing Gareth. But the true strength of their friendship rested in the fact that Cynan knew when to quit. Abruptly changing subjects, he said, "If this good weather holds, we should be able to reach Dinas Mawddwy in what? Four days?"

Gareth silently thanked his friend. "Yes," he said nodding.

"Perhaps we'd better get moving again before the horses drink so much they slosh when they walk!"

Gareth grinned at his friend, feeling much less tense than he had since Elena had kissed Rhys in the bailey. Tightening Isrid's girth strap, Gareth mounted and swung his horse back onto the road. They kept up a brisk pace until dusk when they stopped in an empty cottage.

"What is this place?" Elena asked as Bryant helped her down from her saddle.

"It's called a hafod. Herdsmen usually stay here during the summer while their sheep or cattle are grazing in the fields over that hill there," Bryant answered, gesturing west. "But this summer has been unusually dry and a few weeks ago a fire swept through the paddock. The men who were staying here barely got their cattle out in time and they've not been back since. It's rather crude," he said apologetically as he ushered Elena inside. "But at least you won't have to sleep on the ground tonight."

Gareth bought his saddlebags into the small shelter and glanced at the bed Bryant indicated. Thick ropes were laced back and forth across the rough frame which itself was only six or seven inches off the ground. Sitting on the low bed, Elena flopped back onto the ropes. It was surprisingly comfortable for being so crude, she thought as she stretched her arms above her head. With a chuckle, Bryant ducked out the door.

"The least you could do is help Bryant unload the horses," Gareth said curtly.

Elena turned her head until she could see Gareth standing in the doorway. When she remained silent, he said, "He's out there unloading the things from your horse. The least you could do is help him before you lounge about and wait for somebody to serve you."