Page 39 of Peregrine's Call
“I would appreciate that, sir,” she said primly. Having delivered the signal that Octavian would help, Robin turned to her supper.
The soup served was rich, smelling of beefstock and onions. After a sennight or so of rough living in the woods, such simple things felt like luxuries. After the soup came a course of mutton. Then a small plate of honeyed cooked apples was placed before her. Her wineglass was refilled by the servant who kept watch behind her seat. Robin barely took a sip before the glass was topped up.
Toward the end of dinner, Estmar, who sat at the end of the high table, spoke up.
“You’re a soldier,” Estmar said to Octavian. “I assume you have experience in battle and know something of tactics and strategy?”
“Some,” Octavian hedged. “I’ve seen my share of fighting. What is the question that’s troubling you?”
“There’s an outpost to the west—the farthest point that might be said to be protected by Willesden, in the sense that we could keep a small garrison there to watch for any unrest. The problem is that I’m not sure the previous owners built the outpost in the right place.”
Pierce put down his wine and looked over at his head guard. “What are you up to, Estmar?”
“My lord, we ought to take advantage of having an outsider’s opinion. I propose riding out tomorrow so Sir Octavian can look at the tower and tell me if he sees any problem with it, or how we might strengthen it. I know how seriously you take your role as protector, my lord.”
Pierce stared hard at Estmar for a long moment, but then said, “An excellent suggestion, Estmar.”
The guard was plainly surprised at Pierce’s acquiescence, and so was Robin. Why would Pierce want to send Octavian away for a day when he so badly wanted to talk with him?
But Pierce went on, “If Sir Octavian agrees, of course. But I would be interested to hear what you think, sir knight. Consider it a gesture of trust.”
Tav’s eyes flickered to Robin for a moment, and she held her breath. But then he said, “Certainly, my lord.”
“Well, that’s settled. Tomorrow you and Estmar ride to the outpost. I shall endeavor to keep Lady Robin entertained here.”
Chapter 16
Had Tav realized that theoutpost Estmar wanted him to look at meant he’d be gone from Willesden for more than a day, he’d have objected. Not that it would have made much difference. Tav remembered Pierce hinting that going along with Estmar would serve as a test of trustworthiness.
The sun was fully above the trees when Octavian and Estmar rode out of the gates and headed west. He was confident that he’d hold his own if the man tried to attack him. He only wished that he’d been told of the plan to camp overnight at the tower before they left.
In the late afternoon, Estmar pointed to a tower. The structure was perhaps four or five rods tall. On reaching it, Tav saw it was squared off with each wall facing a cardinal direction. Narrow windows that served as arrow slits were the only disruptions in the stone walls. A single door provided an entrance to the tower.
At the door, Tav turned around. About a hundred paces away, he saw a small stone building. The roof had caved in some time ago, and the stone walls were in disrepair.
“Is that the old barracks?” he asked. The tower didn’t have room to provide living quarters to the guards who would have been on duty here.
“It must have been.” Estmar looked at the building with little curiosity. “It’s been a long time since anyone kept guard around here. These are difficult times, sir knight. Many of the old castles built after the Conquest have fallen. Some had no more purpose, some never got the repairs they needed, and some just got abandoned.”
“How did Pierce know about Willesden? He can’t have had much warning when he had to leave Malvern.”
“Pierce has always had people who kept eyes on Malvern and all the country around. He paid well for any useful knowledge.” Estmar didn’t use the word, but it sounded as though Pierce had many spies.
They spent an hour or so riding through the area, scouting for places to hide in much the same way as an enemy would do. There were a few, but overall, the tower dominated the landscape and refortifying it would go a long way toward making the whole area safer.
Finally, Octavian looked up at the tower itself. “Well, we’ve come all this way. I’m going to go in.”
The interior of the tower was dark, clammy, and cold. Steps ascended to the left, so he took them all the way up to the top. Estmar followed along, his breathing more labored as they went.
Tav passed one room on the upper level, which was probably just a place for men to get out of the weather between shifts. He peered in, then climbed on to the top of the tower.
From this point, Tav had a magnificent view of the countryside. The sun was now dropping to the west, where a line of hills rose up, colored purple in the light.
Estmar climbed up and joined him, panting as he leaned against the chest-high wall. “Dee Valley is beyond,” he said, pointing toward the hills. “See the gap on the southern side over there? That’s said to be where some of the Welsh lead their armies through to reach England. And that’s where raiders come through as well.”
“If so, this tower is in exactly the right location,” Tav said. The more Octavian looked around, the more he thought that this whole excursion to examine the tower was a deliberate attempt to get Tav out of the way for a little while.
Estmar might have suggested the journey, but Pierce approved of it because he wanted to separate him from Robin. Was he interrogating her? Would he discover that Robin was connected to the de Vere family, who he undoubtedly hated?
