Perseus away:
’If this danger were
danger to ye,
yer small ear would
attend my words.
But I tell ye sleep, my
baby, and let the sea sleep,
let our trouble sleep;
let some change appear
Zeus, father from ye.
This bold word and
beyond justice
I speak, I pray ye,
forgive it me.’”
The fire crackled in the center of
the small group, the only sound heard. Paris was stunned into silence with the
beauty of the words and the meaning he saw in them. The other three knights
seemed equally sedate. Jordan glanced up from her trance, smiling weakly at
him.
“I think he was telling me not to
fear my future, and to forgive him his decision,” she said softly.
Paris managed a nod. “Aye,” his voice
was strangely quiet. “My assumption as well.”
Paris was a great admirer of the
Romans and the Greeks, and was amazed at this woman’s intelligence. The words
she spoke had been flawless; he knew the passage. He was suddenly seized with
determination to know everything about her.
“What else did your father read of?”
he asked.
She blinked thoughtfully. “He read
to us the story of Jason and the Argonauts. And he is a great admirer of
Alexander the Great.”
“Holy Jesus, Joseph and Mary,”
Deinwald muttered and shook his head. “A laird who would be emperor.”
The hostile young knight made her
uncomfortable again, breaking the pleasant spell. Paris didn’t look at him; his
eyes were fixed on Jordan’s sad face.
“One more comment, Deinwald, and I
cut your tongue out,” he said icily. “‘Tis Lord de Longley’s future
father-in-law you speak of. Bank your mouth, although I know how difficult it
is for you.”
Jordan felt a little better with the
blond knight defending her against Deinwald. They sat together a few moments in
silence, Jordan staring at her hands and reluctant to say anymore. Paris could
see how nervous she was and having Deinwald airing his views did not make her
feel better. He felt a stab of pity for his lord’s beautiful new bride. Better
to keep her talking and relieve her and, he decided.
“My lady, allow me to introduce you
to three of Northwood’s finest.” He indicated the other knights, the dark blond
and then the brunette. “That bear of a man is Sir Kieran Hage, and that tall
tree is Sir Michael de Bocage.”
Jordan turned out of politeness to
greet the knights and was not surprised when they both smiled openly and bowed
gallantly. She could only manage a slight nod of her head in their direction,
mostly looking at the man with the thick neck; Sir Kieran. Her instincts told
her that he was a man with character such as William, although she knew not
why.
“And that,” Paris cocked an eyebrow
at petulant young knight with the curly locks, “is Sir Deinwald Ellsrod. Now
that you have been properly introduced, please feel free to insult him as
harshly as you can muster. ‘Tis become a sport with us.”
Deinwald glared at her before
turning away and looking back over the camp. Paris would have liked nothing
better than to slug him. He brought his gaze back around to see Jordan looking
at him.
“You have not told me your name, sir
knight,” she said.
He smiled a sort of cocky grin. “Paris
de Norville, my lady. Second in command of Northwood’s army.”
He was a handsome bugger, obviously
so. The type women swoon over, and she could furthermore see that he knew his
own charm. But his smile was genuine and he had been more than kind to her.
“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Paris,”
she said.
He raised an eyebrow. “I assure you,
the pleasure is mine. Now, tell me; do you know much of Alexander, Lady Jordan?”
“Aye,” Jordan looked up timidly from
her lap. “He was a great warrior, not only to the Greeks, but to the Egyptians
and the Persians and the Syrians. He actually ruled his empire from Babylon,
but it was so vast he could have ruled from anywhere in the civilized world.”
Paris was pleased. Alexander the
Great was his hero, and he was
’If this danger were
danger to ye,
yer small ear would
attend my words.
But I tell ye sleep, my
baby, and let the sea sleep,
let our trouble sleep;
let some change appear
Zeus, father from ye.
This bold word and
beyond justice
I speak, I pray ye,
forgive it me.’”
The fire crackled in the center of
the small group, the only sound heard. Paris was stunned into silence with the
beauty of the words and the meaning he saw in them. The other three knights
seemed equally sedate. Jordan glanced up from her trance, smiling weakly at
him.
“I think he was telling me not to
fear my future, and to forgive him his decision,” she said softly.
Paris managed a nod. “Aye,” his voice
was strangely quiet. “My assumption as well.”
Paris was a great admirer of the
Romans and the Greeks, and was amazed at this woman’s intelligence. The words
she spoke had been flawless; he knew the passage. He was suddenly seized with
determination to know everything about her.
“What else did your father read of?”
he asked.
She blinked thoughtfully. “He read
to us the story of Jason and the Argonauts. And he is a great admirer of
Alexander the Great.”
“Holy Jesus, Joseph and Mary,”
Deinwald muttered and shook his head. “A laird who would be emperor.”
The hostile young knight made her
uncomfortable again, breaking the pleasant spell. Paris didn’t look at him; his
eyes were fixed on Jordan’s sad face.
“One more comment, Deinwald, and I
cut your tongue out,” he said icily. “‘Tis Lord de Longley’s future
father-in-law you speak of. Bank your mouth, although I know how difficult it
is for you.”
Jordan felt a little better with the
blond knight defending her against Deinwald. They sat together a few moments in
silence, Jordan staring at her hands and reluctant to say anymore. Paris could
see how nervous she was and having Deinwald airing his views did not make her
feel better. He felt a stab of pity for his lord’s beautiful new bride. Better
to keep her talking and relieve her and, he decided.
“My lady, allow me to introduce you
to three of Northwood’s finest.” He indicated the other knights, the dark blond
and then the brunette. “That bear of a man is Sir Kieran Hage, and that tall
tree is Sir Michael de Bocage.”
Jordan turned out of politeness to
greet the knights and was not surprised when they both smiled openly and bowed
gallantly. She could only manage a slight nod of her head in their direction,
mostly looking at the man with the thick neck; Sir Kieran. Her instincts told
her that he was a man with character such as William, although she knew not
why.
“And that,” Paris cocked an eyebrow
at petulant young knight with the curly locks, “is Sir Deinwald Ellsrod. Now
that you have been properly introduced, please feel free to insult him as
harshly as you can muster. ‘Tis become a sport with us.”
Deinwald glared at her before
turning away and looking back over the camp. Paris would have liked nothing
better than to slug him. He brought his gaze back around to see Jordan looking
at him.
“You have not told me your name, sir
knight,” she said.
He smiled a sort of cocky grin. “Paris
de Norville, my lady. Second in command of Northwood’s army.”
He was a handsome bugger, obviously
so. The type women swoon over, and she could furthermore see that he knew his
own charm. But his smile was genuine and he had been more than kind to her.
“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Paris,”
she said.
He raised an eyebrow. “I assure you,
the pleasure is mine. Now, tell me; do you know much of Alexander, Lady Jordan?”
“Aye,” Jordan looked up timidly from
her lap. “He was a great warrior, not only to the Greeks, but to the Egyptians
and the Persians and the Syrians. He actually ruled his empire from Babylon,
but it was so vast he could have ruled from anywhere in the civilized world.”
Paris was pleased. Alexander the
Great was his hero, and he was
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