Hear that, lass? the captain said. Not one word out of you on the way back.
Mae nodded, her big blue eyes as solemn as a childs when its been let into a secret. Galrion ushered her inside and barred the door behind them. Mae took off her cloak, revealing a loose, flowing dressloose enough, Galrion thought, to fit his shoulders nicely. Hed chosen her deliberately because she was tall for a lass.
Ive had the page bring us mead. Sit and drink with me awhile.
Youre always so gallant, my prince. It aches my heart to see you out of favor.
My thanks. And what about my marriage? Does that ache your heart, too?
Mae merely shrugged and followed him into the bed-chamber. Galrion handed her the drugged goblet, then took a sip from his own, a gesture that automatically made her sip hers. They sat down together on the edge of the bed.
Ah, well, weve had our good times, and a prince marries where the kingdom needs him to. Mae grinned, winking. I only hope your new wife never hears of me.
Oh, hereyou must have a new man to be so agreeable.
Mae had another long swallow of the mead and winked again.
Maybe I do, maybe I dont, but no one will find out where Ive been tonight, and so what if he does? He wont be arguing with the prince, Ill wager, even if you are out of favor for now. She had still another sip. These bad times will pass, my prince. Your mothers ever so upset, but shell talk the King round.
So I hope.
Mae yawned, shaking her head, then had a sip of mead.
This mead tastes so sweet, she said. Its awfully good.
Only the best for you. Drink that up, and well have a bit more.
A bit more proved unnecessary. By the time she had finished that first goblet, Mae was yawning, shutting her eyes, then forcing them open. When she leaned over to set the goblet on the table beside the bed, she dropped it. Galrion grabbed her just as she fell forward into his arms.
Galrion undressed her, tucked her up comfortably into his bed, then got out the packet of herbs and left it by her goblet to make it clear that shed been drugged, an unwilling accomplice. He paced restlessly round, letting enough time lapse to satisfy the guards. When he could bear to wait no longer, he changed into her clothes, drew the hood of the cloak around his face, and slipped out into the hall. Suspecting nothing, the guards gave him a leer and a wink, then escorted him along the dark corridors. At the door of the womens hall, the captain gave him a friendly pat on the behind, told him that he was a good lass, and gallantly opened the door for him.
Dim moonlight filtered through the windows of the silent room. Galrion found the table, his clothes, and a dagger in a sheath, left under his brigga. Thanking his mother in his heart, he changed into his clothes and settled the dagger inside his shirt. When he looked out, the ward below lay empty. Carefully he edged out onto the window ledge, turned precariously, and started down the rough stonework. Praying that no one would walk by, he clambered down, his hands aching and bleeding on the stone, until at last he reached the ward.
Galrion ran from hut to hut and shed to shed until he reached the stables. Abutting directly on the wall was a storage shed that he could climb easily. He swung from the roof to the wall, then crawled on his stomach until he reached a place where an oak grew on the far side. He swung into the branches, climbed down, then lingered in the safe shadows. He could see down the long slope of parkland to the outer ring, where, against the starry sky moved the dark shapes of the night guards, patrolling the ramparts. The most dangerous part of the escape lay ahead.
Galrion circled the inner ring until he could see the road leading down to the outer gates. He crawled down-hill in the long grass until he was out of sight of the guard at the inner gates, then stood up and boldly walked down the road. When he came close to the guard station, he broke into a run.
Here! Galrion made his voice as high and unsteady as a lads. Open up! An errand for the cook.
Hold, lad. A guard stepped forward to peer at him in the darkness. Thats a likely tale.
Nerddas having her child, Galrion said. And its bad. The midwife needs the apothecary. Please hurry.
Thats the kitchen wench, another guard called out. Shes been heavy for weeks now.
Hardly daring to believe in his success, Galrion raced through the postern gate and kept running until he was well into the silent city. He crouched among some empty ale barrels behind a tavern and caught his breath while he considered his next move. Not the best trick in the world would get him past the guards at the city gates, but the river flowed through the arches in the walls without asking anyones permission. Cautiously he stood up and began slipping through the alleys behind the buildings. He was halfway to the river when he heard footsteps behind him. He flung himself into a doorway and crouched in the shadows as a pair of drunken riders from the Kings warband staggered past. They werent more than two yards beyond him when one of them burst out singing at the top of his lungs. Galrion cursed him and prayed that the city guards wouldnt come running to deal with the nuisance.
At last the riders were gone, and the street silent again. With a constant eye out for trouble, Galrion made his way down to the riverbank and waded out to the deep part of the channel. As he let the current take him, he saw, far above, guards pacing back arid forth on the city wall. Closer, closerthe river was sweeping him along fast to the point where they might look down and see him. He held his breath and plunged deep. In the murky water it was hard to see, but he thought he saw the darker stone of the arches sweep by him. His lungs ached, began to burn like fire, but he forced himself to stay down until the desperate pain drove him, panting and gasping, to the surface. He swung himself over on his back like a seal and barely swam while he breathed in the blessed air. The guards and city both lay far behind him, and no one else was out on the riverbank.
Galrion made his way to the bank and crawled out under a copse of willow trees. Free, he thought. Now all Ive got to do is get to Brangwen. Galrion wrung the worst of the water out of his clothes and put them back on damp. The sky told him that he had about five hours till dawn. His page wouldnt find Mae for about another hour after that, and there was bound to be another hours confusion before the Kings warband rode out to hunt him down. It wasnt much of a lead, but if he could only reach the wild forest, they would never find him. He knew the tracks through it, while the riders would be blundering around, making too much noise to surprise any kind of game.
Galrion set off across the meadows to the neighboring farms and the horse he had in mind to steal. It was an easy theft; hed often ridden this way and stopped to admire the sleek bay gelding, who remembered his kind words and pats. When Galrion approached, the bay came right up and let him take its halter. Since there was no lead rein and no time to steal one, Galrion tore a strip of cloth off the bottom of his shirt and prayed that it would hold. The bay was well trained, responding to the touch of this improvised rein along its neck. Galrion set off at a gallop down the east-running road. If the Kings messenger wasnt already with Gerraent, he would reach the Falcon on the morrow.
After a few minutes he slowed the bay to a walk to save its strength. Alternately walking and trotting in short bursts, they traveled all night and reached, just at dawn, the border of the Kings personal demesne. Galrion turned south, heading for the wild heath to avoid the well-traveled road. On this roundabout route, it would take longer to reach the forest, but he had no choice. By noon, the horse was weary and stumbling under him. Galrion dismounted and led it along until they came to an unkempt woodland on the edge of pasture land. He found a stream and let the bay drink. It was when the bay began grazing on the grassy bank that Galrion realized he was starving. In his hurry, hed forgotten to bring any coin, not so much as a copper. He could no longer ride up to a noble lords door and expect to be fed simply because he was a prince.
Im not quite as clever as I need to be, he said to the horse. Well, I wonder how you go about stealing food from farmers?
The horse needed to rest, and Galrion was weaving with exhaustion. Letting the improvised halter rope trail for want of a proper tether, he left the horse to its grass, then sat down with his back to a tree. Although he told himself that he would rest only for one watch of the day, when he woke, it was late in the afternoon, and he heard voices nearby. He jumped to his feet and pulled the dagger out of his shirt.
I dont know whose it is, a man was saying. A stolen horse, from the look of this bit of cloth.
Galrion crept through the trees and came upon a farmer and a young lad, who was holding the bay by the halter. When the horse saw Galrion, it nickered out a greeting. The farmer spun round, raising his heavy staff.
You! he called out. Do you claim this horse?
I do. Galrion stepped out of cover.
The lad started urging the horse out of the way, but he kept frightened eyes on his father and this dirty, dangerous stranger. When Galrion took a step forward, the farmer dropped to a fighting crouch. Galrion took another step, then anotherall at once, the farmer laughed, dropped the staff, and knelt at the princes feet.
By the sun and his rays, my liege, the farmer said. So youre out of the palace. I didnt recognize you at first.
Im out indeed. How do you know so much?
Whats better gossip than the doings of the King? Truly, my prince, the news of your disgrace is all over the marketplace. Everyones as sad as sad for your mothers sake, her such a good woman and all.
She is at that. Will you help me for her sake? All I ask is a bit of rope for this halter and a meal.
Done, but Ive got a bridle to spare. The farmer rose, dusting dead leaves off his knees. The Kings warband rode by on the east road today. The tailors daughter saw them when she went out to pick violets.
The farmer was even better than his word. Not only did he give the prince the bridle and a hot dinner, but he insisted on packing a sack with loaves of bread, dried apples, and oats for the geldingmore food, no doubt, than he could truly spare. When Galrion left at nightfall, he was sure that the Kings men would hear nothing but lies from this loyal man.