Free The Prince and the Pilgrim by Mary Stewart Page B

lord – to ride the bounds of the estate. In a curve of the river, where the water ran broken and shallow over smooth stones, they saw on the far bank a group of three armed horsemen apparently preparing to cross. These were strangers, and as Alexander pressed nearer, he saw that on the breast of one man’s tunic was a boar, the badge of Cornwall. Spurring forward, he hailed the man eagerly.
    It so happened that the Cornishmen, who were heading for Viroconium, had missed their way and, knowing that they were straying on some lord’s territory, were looking for a crossing-place which might lead to a farm cottage or the hut of a shepherd who could set them back on their road. But at Alexander’s shout they thought their crossing was being disputed. They halted, then the fellow with the badge, seeing what he took for a young knight accompanied by three armed men, shouted some sort of challenge in return, and drawing his sword, set his horse at the water.
    A moment of shock, a warning shout from Barnabas, and then it was too late. Alexander, young, ardent, and filled with tales of bravery and daring, had been spoiling for just such a moment as this. Almost before he had thought, Baudouin’s sword was in the boy’s hand, and there, in the middle of the dimpling waters of the Wye, Alexander struck the first blow of his first fight.
    It was a lucky one. It met the other’s blade, knocked it aside, and travelled straight and deadly fast into the man’s throat. He fell without a sound. Barnabas and the servants spurred forward to the boy’s side, but the fight, such as it was, was over. The dead man must have been the leader of the group, for as he fell the other two pulled their horses’ heads round and galloped away.
    Alexander, breathless with excitement and the shock of his first kill, sat, instinctively controlling his plunging horse, and staring down at the body sprawled in the shallow water. Barnabas, as white as he, caught at his bridle.
    “Why did you do that? See the badge! That’s the Boar of Cornwall! Those were March’s men!”
    “I know that. I – I didn’t mean to kill him. But he would have killed me. He drew first. Did you not see? I called out to know his business, that was all. But then he drew, and the others with him. Did you not see, Barnabas?”
    “Yes. I saw. Well, it can’t be helped now. You two, take the body up. We’d best get back and tell your lady mother what’s happened. This is a bad day, a bad day.”
    The horses splashed up out of the river, and the party rode slowly back to the castle.

11
    Anna was in the orchard, watching one of the gardeners pruning an apple tree. When Alexander began to tell her his story she took him by the arm and quickly led him aside, out of the man’s hearing, “Because,” she said urgently, “if these were indeed March’s men, there could be danger here.” And she would not let him say anything more until they were in her private chamber, and she had dismissed the maid who was busy there.
    “But Mother,” protested Alexander, “the men were trespassing on our land, and the one I killed – he attacked me. If you ask Barnabas, he’ll tell you how it happened. I saw the Cornish blazon, and I called out to greet them and ask their business, and the fellow drew on me. What else was I to do?”
    “Yes, yes, I know. There could be no trouble because of that. But the others – when they get back to Cornwall – you say you and Barnabas had two of our men with you? Were they close? Close enough for March’s men to see their badges?”
    “Certainly.” The boy was impatient. “And they would surely know from them that they were on our land, but even that did not stop them.”
    Anna was silent for a moment, then, with a little sigh , she turned and walked slowly over towards the window. A chair stood there, with her embroidery frame beside it. She pushed the work aside, and sat down to stare, chin on hand, out of the window. One of her white doves,