Secret Thunder Part 35

"You can tell me where my brother is."

Baldric's mouth gulped air; he looked like a carp in a barrel, waiting for the cook. "I... I don't rightly know."

Luke turned to the boys. "He's all yours."

"Nay!" Baldric screamed as the boys crowded around. "I mean, I know what Orrik told Firdolf to do with him, I just-"

"What?" Luke demanded. "What were Orrik's orders?"

Baldric's throat bobbed. "Firdolf was to tie him up and gag him, and then dump him in the woods."

Luke swore harshly. With Alex immobilized, and smelling of blood from his head wound, he'd be irresistible prey for the forest predators. "I take it Orrik expected the wolves to finish what he started and didn't have the guts to finish himself."

"Orrik did say as how there wouldn't be much left of him come morning."

"Exactly where did Firdolf leave him?"

"I... I don't know, sire. He was to take him deep in the forest, where no one would find him till... till there was nothin' left to find."

Luke pressed the spike deeper into Baldric's throat; he gagged and choked. "Don't! Don't kill me!"

"You deserve to die." Slowly, Luke eased up on the pressure. "But I don't deserve to have my conscience sullied with the death of an insect like you."

"Oh, thank you, thank-"

"Felix," Luke said, flopping Baldric onto his stomach, "bring that rope over here. Bram, Alfrith, find me some rags."

Luke tied Baldric's hands and feet, then gagged him securely. "Mustn't have you drawing undue attention to yourself."

Taking the key off Baldric's belt, and retrieving his knife, Luke shooed the boys out of the storehouse and locked it, then hung the key on the door handle where it would be easily found.

"We'll stand guard over him," Alfrith offered.

"He doesn't need a guard," said Luke. "And I don't want Orrik coming back and finding you here. But you're not to speak of this to anybody, do you hear? I don't want any harm coming to you because you helped me."

They grudgingly agreed to keep mum.

"Did any of you see Firdolf take my brother away?"

The boys all nodded. "We all seen him," Alfrith said. "Everyone was watchin'. He trussed Sir Alex up and threw him over a packhorse and took him on down the road into the woods. Them two wenches, the twins-"

"Lynette and Leola," one of the older boys supplied with a dreamily lecherous grin.

"They run after him till they couldn't see him no more, then they just sat in the road and cried."

"Has Firdolf returned?"

"Aye," Felix said. "He come back around nightfall."

"Where does he live?"

"In that little hut by the fish pond, the one that's half belowground."

"You're brave and clever fellows," Luke said, "the lot of you."

"'Twas Felix who planned the whole thing," Bram said, "and talked us into goin' along with it. We reckoned if the runt of the litter" -he slapped his youngest confederate on the back- "had the ballocks for it, we did, too!"

Felix laughed along with the rest of them, his metamorphosis from pariah to comrade now fully realized. In fact, from all appearances, he'd fallen comfortably into the role of leader, despite his size and ignominious history.

"Excellent work, Felix," Luke said. "I'm lucky to have a man with your talents at my disposal."

Felix's chest expanded to twice its size. "Thank you, milord!"

Luke ordered the boys back to their own homes, watching as they dispersed to make sure none of them lingered around the storehouse to "stand guard." Letting Orrik get his hands on them would ill repay them for effecting his escape.

For a few long moments he gazed up at the shuttered windows of Faithe's bedchamber, wondering if it would ever be their bedchamber again. He actually took a step toward the house before drawing himself up shortly.

Luke wanted to see her-needed to see her-but now was not the time. Although he was fairly sure he could slip into the house undetected, Alex was out in the middle of the woods somewhere, bound and gagged and waiting for the wolves. They might even have come by now. Getting to him had to take priority over seeing Faithe.

Turning on his heels, Luke sprinted to the fish pond, keeping to the shadows and creating as little noise as possible, and located the sunken hut Felix had directed him to. Only the thatched roof and about two feet of wall were aboveground. Dim light filtered between the ill-fitting slats of wood with which the humble dwelling was constructed. He heard voices from within, and the jabbering of a baby.

Squatting down, Luke whipped aside the bearskin covering the doorway. A woman shrieked; the baby in her arms started crying; a dog barked. Half a dozen faces looked up from bowls of something-it smelled like peas-that they were eating around the fire pit. None of the faces belonged to Firdolf.

"Milord!" someone said-a man of middle years. Luke recognized him as Eldred Woodward, Firdolf's father. He grabbed the dog, an enormous black beast-as it tried to lunge for the doorway. Luke had taken a step down into the hut, but backed up swiftly; he'd stay right where he was.

"Where's your son?" Luke demanded, looking from Eldred to his wife, Meghan, busily unlacing her kirtle as she shushed the shrieking infant.

"Beggin' your pardon, milord," Eldred said as he struggled to hold tight to the rope around the snarling cur's neck, "but I thought you was locked up in the storehouse."

"Not anymore."

Eldred smiled and nodded, seeming perfectly satisfied with that answer. "That's a right ugly eye you got there, sire."

"Where's Firdolf?" Luke repeated.

"Dunno," Eldred said.

"I know he's been back."

"Aye, he come back," Meghan said as she withdrew a ripe breast and shoved the nipple into the babe's mouth, instantly quieting him. "But then his sweetheart come for him, and he went out again."

"She ain't his sweetheart," a young girl said with an elaborate roll of her eyes. "He just wishes she was." She snickered, and her siblings joined in.

"Are you talking about..." Which twin was it that Firdolf had taken a fancy to?

"Leola," the girl supplied. "She wears the one braid."

"Aye, that's the one." Meghan leaned over her suckling babe to spoon some soup into her mouth.

"When did she come for him?" Luke asked, s.h.i.+fting his weight as he squatted in the doorway.

"Right after he come back," Eldred said.

The dog writhed and growled, baring long, discolored teeth. It had yellow eyes, like a wolf. Luke thought about Alex lying in the dark woods, bound and gagged, and s.h.i.+vered.

"He up and left in the blink of an eye," the girl said, grinning.

"I would too, if she'd of come for me," Eldred muttered under his breath. Meghan lifted her skirt and shot a foot out, catching him in the s.h.i.+n. "Ow!"

"Do you know where they went?"Luke asked.

There came a flurry of shaking heads.

"He were gone just like that," Meghan said.

"Just like that," her daughter echoed.

Luke sighed. "Where do they live, the twins?"

"They've got a place all their own," Meghan said, on account of their parents is dead and their older sisters is all married off. Tis back behind Hauekleah Hall, near the punfold, where the stray animals are kept. They've got flowers growin' in a trough out front."

Luke retraced his steps swiftly, cursing every moment's delay in getting to Alex. He gave Hauekleah Hall as wide a berth as possible as he darted quietly among the house servants' cottages until he came to the one Meghan had described.

Through the cottage's open window he saw the twin with two braids, Lynette, stuffing bread and cheese and fruit into a satchel by the light of a lantern as she stood at a table.

He entered the cottage without knocking. Lynette squealed and dropped the satchel. "Oh, 'tis you, milord!" she whispered. "How'd you get out of the storehouse? Oh, look at your poor eye!"

"Where's your sister?"

She pressed a finger to her lips and cut her eyes toward a curtain stretched across the width of the cottage, dividing it in half.

"In there? Is he with her?"

"You mean Firdolf? Aye, but-"

Luke strode toward the curtain, but she grabbed him by the tunic.

"Let me go!" He twisted out of her grasp. "I'm going to make him tell me where he left Alex."

"Leola's already set herself to that task, milord."

A m.u.f.fled moan came from beyond the curtain, a man's moan. Bed ropes squeaked.

"Ah," Luke said.

"He didn't want to tell her what he done with Sir Alex, 'cause Orrik told him not to, and he's afraid of Orrik." She gazed up at him through lowered lashes. "But Leola can usually change a fellow's mind about things."

Feminine whispers floated through the curtain.

"Oh," Firdolf groaned. "Oh... oh G.o.d."

Lynette took a step toward Luke and reached up to gingerly touch the stinging flesh around his eye. "What a nasty thing to do to such a lovely eye," she cooed. "Does it hurt?"

"Nay," he lied, backing up until he felt the table behind him.

She made tsking sounds as she drew closer. "You mustn't deny it. I know how it must pain you. I'd dearly love to make it better."

Her hands stole up to rest on his shoulders. He took them and lowered them to her sides. "The Lady Faithe tends to my wounds. Just her."

Lynette smiled slowly. "How lucky for her," she murmured.

"Oh, yes!" Firdolf gasped. "Yes! Oh my G.o.d, Leola!" The squeaking quickened, keeping time with his harsh breathing.

Lynette continued to smile at Luke. He slid sideways to put some distance between them. Turning, he indicated the satchel full of food. "Do you mean to take that to Alex?"

"Aye, soon as we find out where he is."

"Hold still," Firdolf growled. "Yes... yes..."

"I should think you'll have your answer soon," Luke observed.

"What are you doing?" Firdolf explained in breathless outrage. "Come back here! Leola, for G.o.d's sake, I'm just about to-"

"I don't know, Firdy. I just don't feel right enjoying myself like this, knowin' Sir Alex is out there in the middle of the woods somewheres..."

Firdolf made a sound between a groan and a whimper. "Leola, please. You can't stop now."

"I wouldn't, if I knew I could go fetch him after we're done here, but I don't even know where to find him, and you won't tell me. Perhaps if you told me...

"He's in the woods to the southwest. In a clearing. I'll tell you how to get there, just please finish-" He sucked in a breath. "Oh! Yes..." The bed ropes set up a furious racket, and presently Firdolf let out an ecstatic howl the likes of which Luke had never heard before.

Moments later, the curtain flew open. Leola stood there, wearing a dressing gown that hid little, inasmuch as it was open down the front. On a large bed behind her, Firdolf sprawled naked, his eyes closed, his chest still pumping.

Leola smiled with delight when she saw Luke. "Milord! You got out!"

Firdolf bolted upright, gaping at Luke and clutching the sheet between his legs.

"You poor thing," Leola purred as she approached Luke. "Look at your eye."

Lynette cleared her throat and indicated her sister's open robe. "Leola, sweetie..."

"Oh. Right." Leola's movements were unhurried as she covered herself and tied the sash. "Good news. Firdolf's agreed to tell us where he put Sir Alex." She turned toward her bed partner, who continued to stare at Luke in abject terror. "Ain't that right, Firdy?"

The young man appeared to be nodding his head, but he might have just been shaking.

"Firdy?" Luke prompted.

"Right!" he croaked, bobbing his head up and down. "I'm sorry, sire, I was only doin' what Orrik told me. I didn't want to..."