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Authors: Patricia Werner
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hall, warmed by a fire blazing in her stone fireplace. She shooed Jaufre into another room to wait with her husband while she got Allesandra out of her wet clothes by the crackling fire.
"You are very kind," said Allesandra as the woman took her boots and tunic and set them aside.
"Ah, 'tis nothing. When we heard your plight, we were only too glad to help. My husband had seen the horses scatter after the battle and was able to help your man get a few of them. You're a brave lady to be wanting to ride home in the dark and with the pope's soldiers everywhere. I fear for you if you're caught."
Allesandra had the wet leggings and shirt off and accepted the towel the woman handed her to dry her clammy skin.
"There, stand close to the fire and warm up, then put these on."
In moments, Allesandra felt dry and warm again and was dressed in clothing she was beginning to feel belonged to her. For it was still safest to ride garbed as a man in case they were stopped.
"How far is your castle, my lady?" asked the forester's wife.
"Fifteen leagues," she answered. "I should never have left there for all the good I did at Muret."
The woman shook her head and said bitterly, " 'Twas a terrible day. Even this far we heard our lads being cut down like so many trees in a forest. Wolves, those French, tearing open the throats of the sheep, lapping up their blood. The county of Toulouse will not forget or forgive."
Allesandra paused in brushing out her tangled hair so as to twist it under a hood. She grasped the woman's arm and held her plump hands, while looking her in the eye.
"Nor will I forget or forgive. I have taken a vow to help overthrow the French in these lands."
The woman's soft gray eyes looked hopefully into Allesandra's violet ones, taking courage from the brave young woman.
"I believe you, my lady. Those French have no right to disturb our way of life here." She tightened her jaw before she spoke again. "We don't need those rich bishops to tell us how to pray."
Allesandra trembled as she dropped the woman's hands. No doubt the forester and his wife were Cathars, but she asked no more. The less she knew, the better.
"I thank you for your help. Please accept these coins to help repay your kindness."
The woman shook her head. "Kind of you, but I want no money. We must help each other here."
But Allesandra pressed the coins into the woman's hand and closed her fingers over it. "For the believers, then."
The woman looked at her hand and then up at Allesandra, saying no more. Allesandra knew that the money would go to support the Cathar believers and their parfait, most likely now in hiding since they could no longer meet openly.
She and the woman exchanged a meaningful look and then she turned and fastened the dagger by its scabbard to her girdle, covering it with her short tunic. "Jaufre," she called softly. "I am ready."
Her retainer came into the room followed by the brawny forester. She thanked the man for his help, and then he wasted no
time leading them outside and behind the byre where the horses were waiting.
Jaufre had not lied when he'd told her the horses he'd caught were tall, big-boned chargers, the sort men rode into battle. Her roan had a thick mane, massive chest and withers. But Allesandra did not hesitate to step onto the mounting block and then into the saddle, her thighs stretched over the awesome horse.
"He's bigger than your mares," said Jaufre as he mounted a dapple gray of the same great size. "But gentle enough. Do you think you can handle him?"
She patted the horse and spoke to it, and its ears pricked. She was a good horsewoman, and felt confident that she could master the war horse.
"We've fifteen leagues to get acquainted," she said. "He seems a good steed."
The forester led them to the gate and made them wait until he walked out a ways to make sure they were alone. Allesandra and Jaufre waited on their horses, ears straining to catch the sounds that came to them on the night breeze.
"You are very kind," said Allesandra as the woman took her boots and tunic and set them aside.
"Ah, 'tis nothing. When we heard your plight, we were only too glad to help. My husband had seen the horses scatter after the battle and was able to help your man get a few of them. You're a brave lady to be wanting to ride home in the dark and with the pope's soldiers everywhere. I fear for you if you're caught."
Allesandra had the wet leggings and shirt off and accepted the towel the woman handed her to dry her clammy skin.
"There, stand close to the fire and warm up, then put these on."
In moments, Allesandra felt dry and warm again and was dressed in clothing she was beginning to feel belonged to her. For it was still safest to ride garbed as a man in case they were stopped.
"How far is your castle, my lady?" asked the forester's wife.
"Fifteen leagues," she answered. "I should never have left there for all the good I did at Muret."
The woman shook her head and said bitterly, " 'Twas a terrible day. Even this far we heard our lads being cut down like so many trees in a forest. Wolves, those French, tearing open the throats of the sheep, lapping up their blood. The county of Toulouse will not forget or forgive."
Allesandra paused in brushing out her tangled hair so as to twist it under a hood. She grasped the woman's arm and held her plump hands, while looking her in the eye.
"Nor will I forget or forgive. I have taken a vow to help overthrow the French in these lands."
The woman's soft gray eyes looked hopefully into Allesandra's violet ones, taking courage from the brave young woman.
"I believe you, my lady. Those French have no right to disturb our way of life here." She tightened her jaw before she spoke again. "We don't need those rich bishops to tell us how to pray."
Allesandra trembled as she dropped the woman's hands. No doubt the forester and his wife were Cathars, but she asked no more. The less she knew, the better.
"I thank you for your help. Please accept these coins to help repay your kindness."
The woman shook her head. "Kind of you, but I want no money. We must help each other here."
But Allesandra pressed the coins into the woman's hand and closed her fingers over it. "For the believers, then."
The woman looked at her hand and then up at Allesandra, saying no more. Allesandra knew that the money would go to support the Cathar believers and their parfait, most likely now in hiding since they could no longer meet openly.
She and the woman exchanged a meaningful look and then she turned and fastened the dagger by its scabbard to her girdle, covering it with her short tunic. "Jaufre," she called softly. "I am ready."
Her retainer came into the room followed by the brawny forester. She thanked the man for his help, and then he wasted no
time leading them outside and behind the byre where the horses were waiting.
Jaufre had not lied when he'd told her the horses he'd caught were tall, big-boned chargers, the sort men rode into battle. Her roan had a thick mane, massive chest and withers. But Allesandra did not hesitate to step onto the mounting block and then into the saddle, her thighs stretched over the awesome horse.
"He's bigger than your mares," said Jaufre as he mounted a dapple gray of the same great size. "But gentle enough. Do you think you can handle him?"
She patted the horse and spoke to it, and its ears pricked. She was a good horsewoman, and felt confident that she could master the war horse.
"We've fifteen leagues to get acquainted," she said. "He seems a good steed."
The forester led them to the gate and made them wait until he walked out a ways to make sure they were alone. Allesandra and Jaufre waited on their horses, ears straining to catch the sounds that came to them on the night breeze.
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