Godfreys family, the St. Omer clan, held great estates in Picardy, and Godfrey had spent almost half his boyhood there, usually the winter months each year, obediently but under protest, since he was by far a younger son, fifth in line to inherit. He much preferred the other half of his life, where he spent the long summers in his mothers domain, which was close to Payens and the residence of her favorite cousin, Hughs mother, and the friendship between their mothers had made it almost inevitable that the two boys should be friends, too.
Godfrey, much like Hugh in many things, was the perfect foil to him in others. The two were of an age, a mere ten months separating their births, with Godfrey the elder, and there was not a single item of physical similarity between them to indicate that they might be related to each other. Godfrey, with bright golden hair, had always appeared, at least from a distance, to be the more comely of the two youths, but on closer view, his blue eyes were set perceptibly closer together than were Hughs brown ones, and although both lads had open, friendly countenances, the few girls of their acquaintance seemed to prefer Hughs dark, saturnine appearance to Godfreys sunny, golden one. The sole exception to that rule, as might be expected, was Hughs younger sister, Louise, who had never had eyes for anyone other than Godfrey St. Omer since she grew old enough to recognize him from a distance. Godfrey, for his part, saw nothing out of place in that and was happy to return her high regard in equal measure.
Perhaps because of their close association with each other since childhoodGodfrey felt closer to Hugh than he ever had to any of his own brothersthey were equally skilled with weapons, although when he had to, Hugh could usually outfight Godfrey with swords. With the crossbow, however, a controversial weapon at the best of times since its distant and impersonal lethality seemed inconsistent with the spirit of chivalry, Godfrey always performed dismally and therefore tended to dismiss it contemptuously as being a weapon for old men and cripples. He was also as literate and well read as Hugh, thereby sharing an attribute that was viewed with deep suspicion by their fellow knights, most of whom were as ignorant as fence posts and regarded literacy as a clerical vice on a par with self-abuse and homosexuality. But where Hugh tended to be serious and single-minded to the point of sometimes appearing rigid and aloof, Godfrey was mercurial, with a sparkling wit, an irreverent, endearing, and never-failing sense of humor, and an inexhaustible willingness to see another persons point of view. He could cut through a conversational impasse or an awkward moment with a single barbed comment that usually brought laughter and averted unpleasantness.
The third and eldest member of their triumvirate, as they liked to call themselves, was Payn Montdidier, another Friendly Families scion and related somehow to both of them, although none of them ever bothered to inquire into the complexities of the cousinship; they were friends and that was all that mattered to any of them. Payn, like Hugh, was native to the County of Champagne. His father, like Hughs own, was a senior and highly respected officer and tenant of Count Hugh, and Baron Hugos wife was a Montdidier. Payn was a couple of months older than Goff and a year older than Hugh, and he had everything the others lacked in personal appearance and appeal. He was tall and slim, long legged, broad shouldered and narrow waisted even as a boy, and he had grown to manhood without losing any of his boyhood charm or his winning, affable ways. The tallest of the friends, a full head taller than Godfrey St. Omer, Payn had shoulder-length light brown hair, streaked with blond, and startling, amber-colored eyes that had frequently wrung sighs from the young women in their community.
Fortunately for everyone, Payn was genuinely unaware of his attractiveness, and his easy, informal friendliness and ready smile made it a simple thing for him to weave his way effortlessly through and around all the amatory threats that surrounded him constantly, without once giving serious offense to any of his disappointed lovers. Equally fortunately, for Payn himself, his fighting and riding skills set him sufficiently far above his more sullen and jealous rivals to ensure that he was never bothered by petty squabbles. He was a sound, solid friend, infinitely dependable, and Hugh and Godfrey felt deprived whenever he was not with them. In the year that followed Hughs Raising, the three young men enjoyed what would be the most carefree time of their entire lives, and although much of their day, every day, was dedicated to duty and responsibilities, they nevertheless contrived to find ample time to enjoy themselves.
There was one more member of their groupone might have called him the fourth in the triumvirate, if such a thing were not logically impossible. As Sir Hugh de Payens, Hugh had an associate called Arlo, who was nominally and by birth a servant, but the two had been together for so long that Hugh simply accepted Arlo as a constant presence in his life, sharing most of his thoughts and activities first as a childhood friend and companion, then later as a classmate in learning to read and write, and later still, as both boys grew towards manhood, as his assistant, squire, bodyguard, and companion-at-arms.
The two of them were even closer to each other in age than Hugh was to Godfrey and Payn, and Arlos father, Manon de Payens, had served Baron Hugo all his life. His eldest son, Arlo, had been born within three months and two hundred paces of young Hugh, and from the day of his birth it had been understood that Arlo, who also called himself de Payens because of his birth within the barony, would serve the future Sir Hugh as his father had served Baron Hugo. Since then the two had been inseparable as boys and as men, sharing from the very outset of their lives that unique relationship, based upon total trust and mutual loyalty, that sometimes springs up between master and retainer. They had grown to know each other so well that frequently they had no need even to speak to each other, so close were they to thinking as one.
The Order of Rebirth was the sole topic proscribed among the four, never mentioned by any of the others in Arlos hearing, and that had been an unforeseen development, starting at the moment of Hughs first encounter with the Order. It was the only aspect of his new status that he did not enjoy wholeheartedly, since it meant that, after eighteen years of sharing every aspect of his life openly and fully with Arlo, he now found himself constrained to keep secrets from him. That he could understand and even justify the need for such secrecy did nothing at all to lessen his regret, but he had no other option than to accept that Arlo was not, and could never be, a member of the Order.
His dilemma resolved itself in a way that he could never have anticipated. He had been convinced that Arlo suspected nothing of what was going on, but there came a day when, for one reason after another, Hugh had had to shut Arlo out not merely once but three times in a single afternoon, and he grew angry at himself for not being able to do so less obviously, for it was clear that Arlo knew something untoward was going on. That night, however, in the period after dinner and before lights out, Arlo himself brought the matter up, in his own blunt, straightforward manner. It was a cool evening and they were outside, sitting alone by a well-established fire close to the stables, sharpening blades, Arlo with Hughs sword and Hugh himself with a long, pointed dagger.
Had a busy afternoon, today, didnt you? Arlo spoke without raising his head from what he was doing. You were scuttling around like a mouse in a millers storehouse, frowning and biting your tongue all day.
Hugh stiffened as he wondered what was coming next.
Days like that come and go, for all of us. Arlo straightened his back and laid the hilt of the sword against his knee before turning to look at Hugh.
Youre grumpy and youre upset. I can see that Everyone can see it. But youve been getting worse, that way at least, ever since you attended that big Gathering a few months ago. He held out the sword and squinted at the blade, looking for rust spots. Dyou know why I didnt attend that Gathering? He glanced back just in time to see Hugh blink in astonishment at hearing such a question even asked. Course you do. I wasnt invited, thats why. And was glad to have it that way or I would have been glad, if Id thought about it. It just isnt my place to attend such things. I wouldnt feel right, sitting there gawping among all you knights in all your fine clothes. Just the same way as you wouldnt feel right sitting around the kitchens with the scullions and the rest of us, eating the food we sometimes eat.
Hugh was frowning at him. I am not sure I understand what youre saying, Arlo.
Why not? Its plain enough. Arlo expelled a breath. You and I are friends, Hugh, but before anything else, were also master and servantyou the Barons son, and me the Barons servants son. I never lose sight of that, but sometimes you do, and you shouldnt. Not ever. So now youre a man and you have new things to think about, things to which I cant be privy. I can sometimes see you fretting over it, like today. Well, you shouldnt, because I dont fret over it and I dont want to know whatever it is that keeps you so agitated. Its not my place to know about such things, and that pleases me. He looked Hugh straight in the eye. Im quite happy doing the things I have to do. I have enough of them to keep me occupied, I know how to do them all, and I can do them in my sleep if I have to. Dyou hear what Im saying to you?
Aye. Hugh had begun to smile. You are telling me to mind my own affairs and keep them to myself, and to leave you to yours. I hear you.
Good, because youre going to cut a finger off there if you dont start looking to what youre about.
WHEN THE TIME FINALLY CAME for Godfrey to marry Hughs sister, LouiseGodfrey was almost twenty-one years old by that time, and tardy in taking up his spousal dutiesthe event had been so long awaited, its inevitability accepted, that it barely occasioned comment from Hugh and Payn; Louise had always been more of a friend than a sister to Hugh, and her relationship to Payn had been remarkably similar, in that they, too, were like brother and sister, so both men knew well that Godfreys marriage to her would make little difference to the closeness they shared with him.