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the older man and managed a smiled, but couldn’t help wondering if she would tell her father of what had happened with Egan or not. “Nay, Alden, not much this day. I’ve brought ye more to ba rter, and a small keg of ale.”
“Ah, ye know well how to drive a man to bargain with ye! And what is it ye want of me this day?”
“Two chickens and a rooster.” He finally smiled. “The men have a taste for eggs.”
The older man just laughed. “We shall see.”
An hour later the man bid them good day at the edge of the village and turned to go back towards his farm again. Phillip glanced over his shoulder with worried eyes as they rode on. “Did ye see Egan and the other men?!”
I did, but Alden has yet to discourage us from coming.”
Phillip frowned and looked to his friend’s profile. “So—we shall return again?”
“Aye, we shall return.” He was sure that neither Phillip nor Thomas knew how important it was that they gain an ally in the occupants of Chadwick. If they were to remain in this place, they need not fear those who lived around them. And, if he ever intended for those who had fled Glenton Moor to return he needed to prove himself trustworthy—and this was the only way he knew how to accomplish it! He said nothing more to Phillip, though his thoughts were of Chadwick... And yet, somehow they wandered to Alden’s daughter and Egan Wallace. He shook his head, silently reminding himself that what happened in Chadwick was none of his business; but even as he tried not to think of it, he just couldn’t stop himself either.
Miranda sat in their house watching the men from a small crack in the shutters.
“Miranda, ’tis rude to watch them like that!”
“I know it is, but he cannot see me. I just find the Englishman interesting. Don’t ye ever wonder where he came from? He has yet to say…”
“I do not. I only wish him gone—though, I d o not wish ill to befall him.”
Miranda peered through the crack again, knowing that if she could but choose a husband of her own she would choose a man like that... She watched them both clasp hands with her father, then settle up on the cart again before they turned to leave and yet her eyes followed them.
T hey had only gone but half way home, when William pulled the cart over to the side without a word.
Phillip glancing around them; his hand already on the hilt of his sword—worried that he had not seen the threat as he turned to William with concerned eyes. “What?! Why have we stopped?!”
“’Tis—nothing really, I—I seem to have a headache… I just—need to lie down in the back…” William stood weakly, nearly stumbling off the seat as he eased himself down; somehow managing to catch himself before he fell to the ground.
Phillip jumped down and ran up behind him with a steadying hand on his friend’s back, before he put an arm around his waist as he took him to the rear of the cart. He pushed the crates to the side before he helped William up. “Are ye sure ye are well?”
William didn’t answer, didn’t opened his eyes; his jaw clenched tightly against the pain as he felt his friend push him down onto the rough wooden planks and settle his cloak under his head as a pillow.
“ William ?!”
He struggled for words , only managing a choked reply. “ Go—home …”
Phillip spared him but a glance before he jumped to the seat, praying all would be well—and that none from Chadwick would fol low them this day! The bumpy road slowed their retreat as he glanced at his friends jarring body knowing he could go no faster without causing him more pain. His face was pale, his lips tinged with blue, his jaw clenched tight against it… And Phillip prayed…
Thomas turned from his work at the sound of the cart only to see Phillip motioning for him urgently before he ran to meet them. “ Shhh… I think he sleep, help me get him in the
“Ah, ye know well how to drive a man to bargain with ye! And what is it ye want of me this day?”
“Two chickens and a rooster.” He finally smiled. “The men have a taste for eggs.”
The older man just laughed. “We shall see.”
An hour later the man bid them good day at the edge of the village and turned to go back towards his farm again. Phillip glanced over his shoulder with worried eyes as they rode on. “Did ye see Egan and the other men?!”
I did, but Alden has yet to discourage us from coming.”
Phillip frowned and looked to his friend’s profile. “So—we shall return again?”
“Aye, we shall return.” He was sure that neither Phillip nor Thomas knew how important it was that they gain an ally in the occupants of Chadwick. If they were to remain in this place, they need not fear those who lived around them. And, if he ever intended for those who had fled Glenton Moor to return he needed to prove himself trustworthy—and this was the only way he knew how to accomplish it! He said nothing more to Phillip, though his thoughts were of Chadwick... And yet, somehow they wandered to Alden’s daughter and Egan Wallace. He shook his head, silently reminding himself that what happened in Chadwick was none of his business; but even as he tried not to think of it, he just couldn’t stop himself either.
Miranda sat in their house watching the men from a small crack in the shutters.
“Miranda, ’tis rude to watch them like that!”
“I know it is, but he cannot see me. I just find the Englishman interesting. Don’t ye ever wonder where he came from? He has yet to say…”
“I do not. I only wish him gone—though, I d o not wish ill to befall him.”
Miranda peered through the crack again, knowing that if she could but choose a husband of her own she would choose a man like that... She watched them both clasp hands with her father, then settle up on the cart again before they turned to leave and yet her eyes followed them.
T hey had only gone but half way home, when William pulled the cart over to the side without a word.
Phillip glancing around them; his hand already on the hilt of his sword—worried that he had not seen the threat as he turned to William with concerned eyes. “What?! Why have we stopped?!”
“’Tis—nothing really, I—I seem to have a headache… I just—need to lie down in the back…” William stood weakly, nearly stumbling off the seat as he eased himself down; somehow managing to catch himself before he fell to the ground.
Phillip jumped down and ran up behind him with a steadying hand on his friend’s back, before he put an arm around his waist as he took him to the rear of the cart. He pushed the crates to the side before he helped William up. “Are ye sure ye are well?”
William didn’t answer, didn’t opened his eyes; his jaw clenched tightly against the pain as he felt his friend push him down onto the rough wooden planks and settle his cloak under his head as a pillow.
“ William ?!”
He struggled for words , only managing a choked reply. “ Go—home …”
Phillip spared him but a glance before he jumped to the seat, praying all would be well—and that none from Chadwick would fol low them this day! The bumpy road slowed their retreat as he glanced at his friends jarring body knowing he could go no faster without causing him more pain. His face was pale, his lips tinged with blue, his jaw clenched tight against it… And Phillip prayed…
Thomas turned from his work at the sound of the cart only to see Phillip motioning for him urgently before he ran to meet them. “ Shhh… I think he sleep, help me get him in the
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