The Paths of the Air

Eighteen

‘ So just who is it,’ Josse demanded, ‘these Frankish mercenaries whom you fear so much wish to find?’

John Damianos looked into his eyes. ‘She is the daughter of Gerome’s kinswoman Aurelie and her husband, Count Hugo of Tripoli. She was betrothed to a man who regarded her already as his wife and whose men, if they find us, will kill me and take her back to Outremer and to the very worst sort of captivity.’ He paused, then added softly, ‘Her name is Paradisa.’

Several pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Josse said, ‘So, in addition to the other reason for your flight from Outremer — to take your prisoner to safety and deliver up the treasure to whoever you thought should receive it — you also had to ensure that this Paradisa escaped from her would-be husband.’

‘Correct,’ said John Damianos. ‘I love her,’ he added.

Josse grinned. ‘So I imagine.’ Then — for this was no time for levity — ‘Where is she?’

‘There is an abandoned house deep in the Great Forest,’ John replied. ‘We came across it when we were making for Hawkenlye Abbey, where I had to go because — where I was hoping to have my wound treated.’ Josse was sure he had been on the point of saying something else but he did not press the matter. ‘We found a key and let ourselves into the undercroft. We knew we were doing wrong and had no business living in someone else’s house, even in the undercroft, but we were careful and we kept it very clean and tidy. We intend to-’

‘When did you last see Paradisa there?’ Josse interrupted.

‘Three days ago,’ John replied. ‘I left her while I sought another hiding place — this place — and I told her I’d return as soon as I had found somewhere.’ There was sudden anxiety in his eyes. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘I have been to the house in the woods,’ Josse said. ‘I followed Akhbir there early in the morning the day before yesterday.’

John Damianos shot to his feet and grasped Josse by the collar. ‘You let Akhbir escape? How could you be so careless? Dear God, but I must get to her-’ He lunged out of the shelter but Josse grabbed his arm and held him tight.

‘Wait, John!’ he cried. ‘Listen. Akhbir knew where the house was. Either he followed your tracks or he had already discovered it. Anyway, he was striding up to it when he was shot and killed by a bolt from a crossbow.’

John had subsided. He looked at Josse, his eyes wary. ‘He’s dead? You are absolutely sure?’

‘Aye, I swear it’s true. I returned the next day and discovered someone had buried his body in the woods. I too found the key but the undercroft was empty. The hearthstones were still warm so whoever had been there cannot have long gone.’

John said nothing.

‘John, you must tell me what has happened!’ Josse cried, exasperated. ‘Who shot the crossbow bolt? I am quite prepared to believe it was in self-defence, or rather in defence of Paradisa, but who is it that’s such a deadly shot? He was confident enough in his skills to fire a couple of warning shots that landed far too close to me for comfort.’ Still John did not speak. ‘Tell me! Who is guarding Paradisa while you are away?’

John raised his face and looked straight at Josse. ‘Nobody. It’s just the two of us, as it has been all the way from Constantinople.’

‘Then who fired the shots?’

‘Paradisa.’

‘But she — she’s a woman!’

John smiled suddenly. ‘Indeed she is,’ he murmured.

‘Women can’t fire crossbows! It’s unheard of!’

‘You might not have heard of it, Sir Josse. Paradisa was born into a family that longed for sons and she was encouraged in activities traditionally reserved for boys. Her father bought her a falcon and she was taught how to fly it. She also wields a knife very effectively and a foot soldier who came out with the crusaders was employed to teach her how to use the crossbow.’

Josse was shaking his head in disbelief. ‘She killed Akhbir,’ he muttered. ‘Killed him stone dead with a bolt through the heart!’

‘Good for her.’ John Damianos’s tone was rough. ‘He would have killed her, had she not fired the first shot.’

‘Aye, I realize that,’ Josse said hurriedly. ‘I do not question the action, John. It is merely that I am staggered to learn whose hands performed it.’

‘She is strong,’ John said, his tense face relaxing into a smile. ‘In many ways any man’s equal. But we must find her, Josse!’ He leapt off in the direction of the horses. ‘She is probably back at the house,’ he called back, ‘but I have been away from her much too long. Come!’

As they rode, Josse turned over in his mind where this woman with the romantic name might have gone if — as he strongly suspected — they did not find her at the house in the woods. She will have fled, he thought, because she’ll reason that if Akhbir managed to find her there, then others — specifically, the Frankish mercenaries so dreaded by John Damianos — might do so as well. She may have made her way to Hawkenlye Abbey, he thought hopefully, encouraging Horace to a fast canter as he pounded behind John Damianos. She’d have known of its existence because John obviously did: he went there to have his wound treated. What terrible conflict caused that frightful burn? Josse had no idea. Had there been an attack by one of the pursuing parties? He could not imagine how such a wound could be inflicted…

Paradisa would know she would be safe at the Abbey. Even if she had learned that the Knights Hospitaller were in the infirmary, surely she had nothing to fear from them? It was their runaway monk they were concerned with, not her. Anyway, she would be aware of the rules of sanctuary. If she hid in the Abbey church then the Abbess and the Hawkenlye community would uphold her right not to be taken away.

So she might have gone to the Abbey. But there was another possibility: on her way there, Paradisa might have encountered the forest people. They would have been aware of her — they always knew when Outworlders were in the forest — and might have offered to help her and take her in. Josse was trying not to be specific about just which forest dweller it might have been who had acted so kindly. He was all too aware that such an action was typical of Joanna.

They reached the forest fringes and rode in under the trees. John Damianos appeared to know a different route to the old house. It was the slightest of paths, heavily overgrown, and Josse, following him, had to lie right down against Horace’s neck to avoid being clawed out of the saddle by low branches.

They reached the clearing and rode up the rise to the house. John swiftly dismounted and ran to the undercroft. He reached up for the key, turned it and, pushing the door open, looked inside. Almost instantly he closed and locked the door again, replacing the key. Then he ran round to the outbuilding and quickly reappeared.

‘She’s gone,’ he said. Then, in a tight voice suggesting he was controlling his emotions only with great difficulty, ‘Where is she?’

‘She may have gone to Hawkenlye Abbey,’ Josse said reassuringly. ‘She would not have felt safe here after Akhbir came to the house and she would have realized the Abbey was a place that you knew too and where you might reasonably expect her to go.’

‘Yes, that makes sense,’ John agreed. Mounting up, he said, ‘Is there a way through the forest?’

Josse hesitated. There was a way and he was fairly confident of finding it; he knew the forest better than most Outworlders. But the forest people did not like people tramping through their territory, and for personal and very good reasons he did not wish to offend them.

But a young woman’s life could be in danger.

‘Aye, there is,’ he said decisively. ‘Follow me.’

It was difficult riding through the heart of the forest, although progress was easier than it would have been when the trees were in full leaf. The sense of trespass — of assault — was increased by riding a large horse through the secret, sacred groves. Josse’s senses were heightened. Very aware that the forest people knew he and John Damianos were there, he maintained a careful watch ahead, around and, at first, behind him. Then John, obviously realizing the need for caution even if he did not understand the reason, said very quietly, ‘I will guard our rear.’

They rode on.

They were deep in the forest now, riding a path where nobody went save the forest dwellers. Joanna’s hut was away to the left.

Josse wondered if she was there. Did she know he was there, riding stealthily through her domain on a mission in which a young woman’s life was at stake? He spoke to her silently. Help us, Joanna. We do not come here for any frivolous reasons but to look for Paradisa. If you find her, look after her. Please, Joanna, help us all. Do not let any harm come to us.

And he thought he heard her voice. She said, Ahead, on your right!

He jerked Horace’s head to his left, and the arrow that would have pierced Josse’s throat embedded itself harmlessly in a birch tree.

Josse slid off Horace’s back and ran for the meagre shelter of the stand of birches, drawing his sword as he ran and yelling out to John, ‘Enemy on the right! Arrow fire!’

John was already off his horse and crashing through the undergrowth to join him. ‘Get behind me,’ he panted, ‘it’s me they want, not you!’

But Josse had scented the fight and would not stand down. ‘We’ll face them together,’ he replied.

John gave him a quick, flashing grin and then side by side they turned to face their enemy.

It would be a fight to the death: Josse knew it instinctively. There were only two men who would have attacked them there in the forest and he knew who they were before a glance at the arrow confirmed it.

‘William and Tancred,’ hissed John. He pointed to two dark, cloaked outlines, just visible through the trees. ‘William is on the right — he is the taller and the better shot.’ Two more arrows came whistling towards them. ‘They are pinning us down,’ John said softly. ‘They are probably unsighted, merely making sure we stay where we are.’

‘What weapons have you?’ Josse asked.

John held up his sword. ‘This, and my knife. You?’

‘The same. No bow, unfortunately.’

They waited.

They could hear the sound of stealthy movement. The Frankish mercenaries were coming closer.

Josse moved very quietly until most of his body was sheltered by a birch tree; John did the same. ‘Keep them in sight,’ Josse said, ‘and keep the tree trunk between you and them. If we can frustrate their attempts to kill us by arrow shot, eventually they will have to close in and then we shall have our chance.’

It was dreadful, he thought, to listen to arrows fly past. The narrow birch trunk was not as wide as his shoulders and he tried to stand sideways. An arrow grazed the top of his arm; almost instantly the blood began to flow. He made himself ignore the sudden burning pain. The Franks were closer now. Did they know exactly where he and John were? Had they lined up their sword points on the very two trees behind which they were hiding?

He leaned forward very, very cautiously and looked.

The shorter of the two Franks stood ten paces away. He was not looking at Josse’s tree; he, like his companion, was closing on the one John stood behind. Both had drawn their swords.

They are going for him, Josse thought. They know precisely where he is and they will lunge at him, one on each side, and he will not stand a chance.

He let the two men come closer. Closer. He did not dare keep a constant watch in case they saw him, for then he would lose the advantage of surprise.

Six paces away now. Five. Four.

With a yell Josse leapt out from behind his tree, his sword in his right hand and his long dagger in his left. The two Franks spun to face him and as his weapons met their swords John rushed out and leapt in to the attack.

They were wrongly paired, Josse thought. He was the heavier and slightly taller man and should have taken on the bigger of the two Franks, but it was too late now. John must look after himself; very soon Josse realized that he had more than enough in his hands with the smaller Frank. He knew he was matched with a swordsman who was at least his equal.

Again and again Josse defended himself from the savage swipes. There just did not seem to be an opportunity to turn defence into attack. Josse felt his enemy’s sword slice into his arm just below where the arrow had scorched it and hot agony shot through him. He was losing blood fast now and he could feel himself weakening… Then, lunging forward for the kill, the Frank trod on the end of a dead branch and flipped its oppos ite end up into his face; it did no more than halt him for a split second, but it was enough. Josse dropped his knife, took his sword in both hands and, raising it high in the air, brought it down on his opponent’s head.

The skull sliced open under the huge assault and the Frank fell dead on the ground.

Swiftly Josse turned towards John. He was hard-pressed, but he was skilled and he was fighting like a bear. Steadily he pushed his adversary back.

The Frank risked a glance over to where his companion had been fighting. His eyes widened as he took in the dead body and the ghastly wound to the head.

Then, with a howl, he turned and ran.

‘We must run after him! Come on!’ shouted John. Josse had slumped against a tree; John tried to pull him up.

Josse looked up at him. He had a long cut above his left eye and blood was pouring down his face. He had also taken a wound across the front of his right shoulder and that too was streaming blood. Already his face was ashen.

Josse felt in no better shape. He was intensely grateful that their opponent had not appreciated how weakened both of them were, for he knew that neither he nor John was capable of fighting even one determined assailant.

And he also knew that he couldn’t run anywhere.

He clutched at John’s wrist as the young man attempted to get him to his feet. ‘No,’ he said. ‘No, John. We are both hurt and we must seek help before we hunt for him.’

‘He will go after Paradisa! We have to find him before he gets to her!’ John shouted.

‘Aye, I know that and we will go after him, you have my word, as soon as we stop bleeding.’

John’s pallor had increased and suddenly he sat down beside Josse. He put up a hand to wipe his face and then looked in amazement at it; it was covered in blood. Then he glanced down at his tunic, saturated with glistening red. ‘Oh, God,’ he muttered.

‘Can you mount your horse?’ Josse asked.

‘Yes.’ John sounded determined.

‘Very well. Come with me. I know someone close at hand who will help us.’

They went slowly over to the horses. Horace and the chestnut stood together, pacing nervously, ears laid flat against their heads. Josse was not sure which out of him and John was supporting the other. They managed to clamber onto their horses’ backs and then, praying that she would not only be there but be prepared to treat them, slowly Josse led the way to Joanna’s hut.

Sometimes he had trouble finding it. Sometimes he could not locate it at all. But today perhaps she felt his desperate need and helped him, for he rode straight to it.

He drew rein in the clearing and fell off Horace’s back, and she was there to catch him. He sensed her helping him as he collapsed to the ground and then she went to John and held out her arms to him.

It was odd, but Josse thought he saw a look of recognition on her face as she looked up at John Damianos. Perhaps she knew he was on his way, too, he thought dreamily. He would not have been surprised if she had seen both of them in her scrying bowl… He closed his eyes.

But there was no rest yet. All too soon she was back, pulling and dragging at him, saying breathlessly that he and his friend must come inside before shock combined with the wet ground and the cold made them even more unwell than they already were. And, although movement was agony, he knew she was right.

She laid them on the floor of the hut beside the central hearth. Where was Meggie? Josse wondered. He looked around for his daughter and saw her peering down from the bedding platform above his head. She whispered joyfully, ‘Josse!’ and he said, ‘Hello, little Meggie.’

Joanna must have decided that John’s wounds were the more serious for, having given both men some hot, herbal-smelling drink that she had hastily prepared, she turned her attention to him. Josse was quite content to lie there in the warmth of the fire with a blanket over him and a soft pillow under his head. The pain in his wounds was already lessening — bless Joanna for her magic remedies! — and he was feeling relaxed and muzzy. When Meggie took advantage of her mother’s preoccupation with her patient and crept down the ladder to cuddle up to her beloved father, his happiness was complete.