Aelric had been at the centre of the knot, a set of pipes to his lips and his red-blond hair falling into his eyes. He had paused his tune as he spotted her watching and threaded his way through the circle towards her and held out his hand. When she indicated the stick she leaned on his expression hadn’t been one of pity or ridicule like she was used to, but regret. Instead of turning immediately back to the dance he’d taken her hand and bowed, then walked with her through the marketplace, leaving his friends behind.
She’d fallen a little bit in love with him at that moment and now his touch was in danger of awakening something long dormant.
‘Constance! What are you doing?’ Aelric muttered angrily in her ear, bringing her sharply back to the present.
She realised she had stopped walking again. Disconcerted that she had been thinking of such things, she shook herself free of his hold only to find her hair tangling in a low branch. She reached her hands up, flailing around her head.
‘This is too hard,’ she complained. ‘I keep catching my feet and tripping. You’ll have to let me see where I’m going.’
He spoke rapidly in a language she did not understand, but from the tone of the throaty, lyrical words he was swearing.
‘When will you cease trying to push my tolerance? I’ve told you no and I’ve told you why.’
Constance stamped her good foot in frustration.
‘Unless we’re in the centre of Hamestan itself I doubt I’ll recognise where we are,’ she snapped, and then as an afterthought, added: ‘In fact, I probably wouldn’t recognise Hamestan either. I haven’t been there for seven years.’
There was silence, then the cloth was pushed back from her eyes by callused hands. Even dusk seemed bright after the blackness she had been subjected to. She stared around. Aelric need not have feared that she would be able to lead anyone to them. The trees were broad trunked and towered over them with no sign of a pathway and every direction looking identical. They could have been anywhere.
‘Thank you,’ Constance said. She risked a smile, but Aelric remained stern faced. His eyes flickered to the side and she followed his gaze. The two other men were watching them suspiciously. Her stomach clenched as she saw the large man was carrying the body of his son. Unbidden her lip trembled. She held her hands up in front of her and raised an eyebrow at Aelric questioningly.
‘I’ll give you your sight, but your hands will remain bound,’ Aelric said.
‘Why?’ Constance asked. ‘I’m not going to run. I can’t and even if I could your friends would cut me down quick enough.’
She raised her chin and looked at him disdainfully. ‘That would solve your dilemma, wouldn’t it? If I died and it was nothing of your doing, your conscience would be clear!’
Aelric bared his teeth. He reached for the dagger at his waist and she feared she had gone too far, but he cut her bonds. Blood rushed into her hands and she rubbed her wrists vigorously until they stopped stinging.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
Aelric ignored her. He whistled and the older man threw Constance’s stick to him. Aelric pushed it into her hands, nodding curtly. ‘No more delays.’
He held out a hand for her to pass by and she walked in front of him to where the other man beckoned her. Though she had to grit her teeth in determination not to show the discomfort she was in she could not prevent a wave of relief cresting inside her. Aelric had done as she asked. It was a small triumph, but it was a victory nevertheless and for the first time hope stirred inside her.
‘When we stop I’m going to blindfold you.’
They had been walking in silence for at least an hour so when Aelric’s voice came, low in her ear, she jumped in surprise.
‘Have I done something to anger you?’ she asked. She tried to keep her voice steady, but the fear of being subjected once more to the helplessness of the dark caused hands of terror to grip her throat. She could think of no way in which she had disobeyed him. She had walked as fast as she was able and had given no indication she was hoping to escape. As they wound their way deeper into the forest she had given up all intention of that. Better to remain a captive than die lost in the woods.
Aelric gave her an appraising look. ‘No, you’ve behaved as I asked, but we’re closer to my camp now and there are landmarks I would rather you didn’t see.’
He walked ahead, leaving her in the charge of the older of his two companions while he joined the huge man who carried the body of his son. As they walked they conferred in low voices, occasionally pausing to look back towards Constance. Once or twice Aelric offered to take the body of the boy, but the father clutched his burden tighter to him.
She glanced surreptitiously from side to side as they walked, not wanting to draw attention to the fact she was doing so. The trees were still as dense, but they had been climbing gently uphill for a while. She did not think they could be close to Hamestan and wondered where they might be that Aelric was worried she could recognise. She had given up the slight hope that she might still have a chance for freedom, but perhaps the information would come in useful in the future.
When they reached a small clearing Aelric returned to her side.
‘Sit down and rest. We’re going to wait here for a while. Gerrod and Ulf are returning ahead of us to take Wulf’s body to his mother.’
‘His mother?’
Aelric frowned. ‘That surprises you?’
She nodded. She had imagined it to be just the five men who had attacked her party. She lowered herself to the ground, leaning back against a tree and stretching her legs out.
‘Rollo, my bodyguard, said the forests were full of wild men but I thought there would be just men,’ Constance said.
‘Your bodyguard was right. There are fugitives and outlaws living all over the country, but there are women and children, too. Families without anywhere else to live.’ He stared at her and his face flushed with anger. ‘Did you think your brother was the only one to take the homes from people? They had to go somewhere.’
‘My brother-in-law.’
Constance spat the correction instinctively, glaring at him. Aelric raised his eyebrow. It was possible that the only thing keeping her alive was Aelric’s belief that Lord de Coudray would care about her safety. She wondered what her brother-in-law would say when he discovered her abduction. What of Jeanne? Surely her sister would beg Robert to act to ensure Constance’s safe return?
‘You say you haven’t been to Hamestan for seven years?’ Aelric said suspiciously. ‘I think you’ll find it much changed.’
‘Have you been here all along?’ Constance asked.
‘No. I come and go. Staying in one place isn’t wise. I’ve been to Wales and Gloucester. Colchester, too. I even saw the coast of France one time.’
Constance felt light-headed. He must have travelled almost past her doorstep to reach Gloucester, not knowing that she lived close by, spending her friendless days in misery.
Homesickness for the land she had left so long ago filled her and she gave a sniff of sadness. Caddoc looked at her strangely, then pulled his hood over his face and sat down beside her in silence until Gerrod and Ulf had vanished among the trees. No birds called in this part of the wood and the wind had stilled.
‘Why aren’t we going with them?’ Constance asked.
‘I want to keep your presence hidden if I can, so I’ll take you into the camp