Warlock - The Warlock Enraged Part 18

"Oh, nice." Rod grinned. "Go knock on the door while the army's out waiting for you." His opinion of Duke Romanov went up a notch. No matter; it had plenty of room.

"The sorcerer did not appreciate his wisdom," the d.u.c.h.ess a.s.sured Rod. "He marched his men posthaste out into the plain, to once again block my lord's path, and more men than had bestrode the road, burst from the trees and rock."

116 "Of course. Your husband knows an ambush point when he sees one-and it is nice to be proven right now and then, isn't it?"

The d.u.c.h.ess exchanged a wifely glance with Gwen.

Rod hurried. "I gather they did manage to cut him off."

"They did indeed; yet my lord's troops were drawn up in battle array, and fresh, whiles the sorcerer's straggled hard from a chase. Then they met, with a fearful clash of arms and a howling of men, that I could hear clearly over the leagues. And, at first, my lord's forces bore back the sorcerer's. Little could I see from my tower; but the coil of men did move away, and therefore did I know that the sorcerer retreated, and my lord did follow."

"Delightful! But I take it that didn't last?"

"Nay." She spread her hands. "I cannot tell why, or what did hap to change the tide of battle. I only know that the coil began to grow again, and swelled far too quickly. Thus I knew that my husband's forces did flee-in truth, that I did witness a rout. I stayed to see no more, but flew down to gather up my boys, and bundle them into the coach. I bade them keep the curtains close, and lie upon the floor; then turned I to old Peter, the groom, and I did cry, "The coachman hath gone to fight by my lord's side! Up, old Peter, and aid us in our flight!' Yet he did not stir; he only glowered up at me, and spat at my feet. 'Not I,' he growled.

'Ne'er again shall I serve a lordling!'"

Rod didn't speak, but flint struck steel in his gaze.

Gwen saw, and nodded. "'Twas even so. The sorcerer's spells had reached out to entrap his mind."

"What did you do?" Rod asked the d.u.c.h.ess.

"I fled," the d.u.c.h.ess said simply. "I did not stay to seek another coachman, lest old Peter's surliness turn to malice.

I had no wish to have spellbound creatures seek to drag me down. Nay, I sprang up on the box myself, and seized the whip. I attempted to crack it over the horses' heads, but it only whistled past them; yet that was enow, and they trotted forward. Through the gates and over the drawbridge I drove, with my heart in my throat, for fear the team would seize the bits, and run wild away; yet they trotted obediently, and I found that I had moved in barely ample time. For even as my coach's wheels roared onto the drawbridge, the port- .

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cullis shot down behind me with a crash, and the bridge beneath me began to tremble. As soon as I was clear, I did look back, and, surely, did see the bridge begin to rise."

"Yet thou wast free!" Gwen breathed.

The d.u.c.h.ess shook her head. "Nay, not yet. For as I raced away from the castle, I did see my lord's soldiers charging towards me with the sorcerer's men-at-arms hot on their heels. I knew I must pa.s.s near to their flight ere I could win free to the southward road; I prayed that our faithful men, seeing me, would turn to fight, and gain us that last vital moment in which to escape. Yet were my hopes dashed, for as they came nigh me, fire kindled in their eyes, and a dozen of them ran to catch my horses'

reins, howling for my blood and my children's heads- they, who but minutes before had fought in our defense!"

She buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Gwen wrapped an arm around her, and murmured, "They did not know. I have broke this spell from two bands of men now, and thus can tell thee how it is: Their minds are put to sleep, and the thoughts that float above that slumber are not theirs. The men themselves, who swore thee faith and served thee well, do keep the faith they swore! If they are waked, and learn what their bodies did while their minds slept, they will be heart-struck, even as these." She nodded toward the soldiers gathered under the tree.

"Heart-struck, as am I!" the d.u.c.h.ess sobbed. "For when they are waked from their enchantment, what shall I say to them? "That scar upon thy cheek is my own doing, but I did not truly mean to do it?' For, look thee, as they threw themselves at the horses' bits, I struck out with the whip, and scored them wheresoe'er I might-on their hands, then- arms, their chests or, aye, even their faces! And they fell back, then they fell back..." Her voice dissolved into weep- ing again.

"You had no choice." Rod's voice was harsh.

"No choice, in truth!" Gwen cried. "Wouldst thou have let them drag thine horses to a halt, wrench ope thy carriage, and drag out thy baims, to take to Alfar?"

The d.u.c.h.ess shuddered. "'Tis even as thou dost say."

She caught her breath, swallowed, and nodded. "'Tis even so. I could not let them triumph."

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"But Alfar did?"

"Oh, aye, of that am I certain-and my lord doth lie in the sleep of death! Or, if I am blessed, only battered and b.l.o.o.d.y, but alive in a dungeon! Ah, how shall I look into his eyes again, if ever he is freed, if ever we do meet again?

For which, pray Heaven! Yet what shall I say? For I was not there to hold his castle against his return!"

"He was probably in chains before he came anywhere near home." Rod carefully didn't mention the alternative.

"If I know Duke Romanov, he probably didn't even start the return trip."

Gwen nodded. "All the land doth know that thy husband would sooner die than flee, milady. Belike they dragged him down fighting, and bore him away to prison."

"Aye." She took a deep breath, and squared her shoul- ders. "Aye, that is most likely. He would not have even known his men had fled. And they would seek to capture him, no matter the cost-would they not? For surely, an imprisoned Duke is a mighty weapon! Yet I did flee."

"And thus he would have bade thee do!"

Rod nodded. "Yes, he would have. If he'd thought you might have stayed to fight against an enemy like that, he'd have been in a panic-and a less effective fighter for it; his fear for you would have shackled his sword arm." He shook his head. "No, knowing that you'd do everything you could to get the children to safety, if he lost the battle, was all that gave him a clear enough mind to fight the battle."

The d.u.c.h.ess sat still, head bowed.

"'Tis even as milord doth say," Gwen murmured, "and thou dost know it to be true. Thou art thyself the daughter of n.o.blemen."

Slowly, then, the d.u.c.h.ess nodded. "Aye, 'tis true. I have done naught but my duty."

"And your lord will praise you for it," Rod a.s.sured her.

"Bewail his loss-but don't bewail your own conduct. You know you did exactly as you should have."

The d.u.c.h.ess sighed, straightening and poising her head.

"Indeed, 'tis true-yet I did need to hear one speak it anew. I thank thee. Lady Gallowgla.s.s-and thou. Lord Warlock." But her eyes were on Gwen's when her sudden smile showed.

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Rod heaved a sigh of relief. "I take it you've been driving without a rest."

"Aye, the poor horses! Though I slowed to a walk as often as I dared-yet are the poor beasts near to founder- ing."

"They lasted." Rod turned to glance at the horses grazing.

A couple had already dozed off. "It's a wonder, though- they must've been going for a whole day and night."

The d.u.c.h.ess nodded. "Less a few hours. We began our flight late in the afternoon."

Gwen caught Rod's eye, with a covert smile. He didn't hear her thoughts, but he didn't have to; they no doubt would've been something along the lines of: Subtle as a nuclear blast.

"Papa! PapaPapaPapaPapaPapa!"

Rod looked up, glad of the reprieve.

The children came pelting across the meadow-or at least, the d.u.c.h.ess's two did. Rod's brood behaved more like spears.

"Papa!" Javelin Geoffrey struck into him, and clung. Rod staggered back a step, caught his breath, and said, "Yes.

What's so important that it can't wait a second?"

"Illaren's papa!" Geoffrey crowed. "We saw him!"

Illaren, the elder of the d.u.c.h.ess's children, nodded ea- gerly.

His mother sat galvanized.

"You what?" Rod caught his son under the shoulders and held him at arm's length. "Now, be very careful what you say, son. Remember, you could hurt people's feelings very badly, if you're making a mistake.... Now. You don't mean to tell me you just saw Duke Romanov here, do you?"

"Oh, no. Papa!" Geoffrey cried in disgust; and Magnus exploded. "'Twas last night. Papa-when we chased the warlock!"

v "The nasty one, who threw rocks," Gregory chimed in.

"Art thou mindful, Papa, of when he took thee to the dun- geon?"

"Yes, I remember." Suddenly, vividly, in his mind's eye, Rod saw the prisoner shackled to the wall again. "You mean ... the man in chains... ?"

"Aye! Wouldst thou not say, Papa, that he was..." He 720 turned to Illaren, nose wrinkling. "How didst thou picture thy father?"

"A great bear of a man," Illaren supplied.

"Aye!" Geoffrey whirled back to Rod. "With hair of so dark a brown 'twas near to black. And richly clad, with gilded armor!"

Rod nodded, faster and faster. "Yes... yes! Yes on the armor, too-what there was left of it, anyway."

"But that is Father!" cried the younger boy.

"Art thou certain!" The d.u.c.h.ess came to her feet, stag- gering, Geoffrey stilled, staring at her, eyes huge. "In truth, we are."

"Dost thou truly mean..."

"They're right." Rod turned a grave face to her. "I didn't recognize him, at the time-but I should have. It was your husband, my lady d.u.c.h.ess. I'm sure of it."

She stood rigid, staring at him.

Then her eyes rolled up, and she collapsed.

Gwen stepped forward, and caught her in an expert grip.

"Be not affrighted," she a.s.sured the two boys. "Thy mother doth but swoon-and 'tis from joy, not grief."

"But Illaren's papa is sorely hurted. Papa!" Magnus re- minded Rod.

"Yes." Rod fixed his eldest with an unwavering stare.

"He was hurt-and imprisoned. Remember that."

Magnus stared up at him, face unreadable.

"A Duke." Rod's tone was cold, measured. "With all his knights, with all his men-at-arms, with all his might, he was sorely wounded, captured, and imprisoned." He turned his head slowly, surveying his children. "Against a power that could do that, what could four children do? And what would happen to them?"

"But we are witches!" Cordelia cried.

"Warlocks!" Geoffrey's chin thrust forward.

"So," Rod said, "are they."

"They have come against us," Geoffrey cried, "and we have triumphed!"

"Yes-when there were six of us, and one of them.

What's going to happen if we meet all of them together?"

He stared into Geoffrey's eyes. "As the Duke did."

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"We will no? go back!" Cordelia stamped her foot.

Rod stiffened, his face paling. "You... will... do... as ... I... tell you!"

Magnus's face darkened, and his mouth opened, but Gwen's hand slid around to cover it. "Children." Her voice was quiet, but all four stilled at the sound. Gwen looked directly into Rod's eyes. "I gave thy father my promise."

"What promise?" Cordelia cried.

"That if he did insist, we would go home." She raised a hand to still the instant tumult. "Now he doth insist."

Rod nodded slowly, and let his gaze warm as he looked at her.

"But, Afama..."

"Hush," she commanded, "for there is this, too-these horrors that the d.u.c.h.ess hath spoke of to me. Nay, children, 'tis even as thy father hath said-there is danger in the North, horrible and rampant. Tis no place for children."

Cordelia whirled on her. "But you. Mama..."

"Must come with thee, to see thee safely home," Gwen said, and her tone was iron. "Or dost thou truly say that I have but to bid thee 'Go,' and thou'It return to Runnymede straightaway? That thou wouldst truly not seek to follow thy father, and myself, unseen?"

Cordelia clenched her fists and stamped her foot, glaring up at her mother with incipient mutiny, but she didn't an- swer.

Gwen nodded slowly. " 'Tis even as I thought." She lifted her gaze to Rod. "And there is this, too-I do not believe the d.u.c.h.ess and her sons are safe yet."