‘None. Seems the Lord High Bad Man is staying close to the Emerald Bitch.’ Jadow scratched his chin. ‘This is a pretty messed-up invasion, my friend, if you see what I mean.’
‘I see exactly what you mean.’ Erik said, ‘Go get some food and when your men are in billets, take a night of rest. I want you and your company to pull back and see what you can do in the next town, Wolverton. The enemy should come right through it, so see if you can come up with some nasty surprises for them, so they might slow down a little.’
Jadow grinned. ‘Nasty surprises are my specialty. Captain.’
‘When you’re done, get back here. I need you to supervise the flying company on the northern flank.’ Erik saluted, and Jadow and his sixty men rode off.
Erik returned his attention to the matter at hand, but part of his mind was preoccupied with his family, particularly with his young wife, who was only a ten-minute ride away.
The inn was crowded, so Milo, the innkeeper, put Roo, Karli, Helen Jacoby, Erik and Kitty in the kitchen, all of them packed in around the table used to prepare meals. The children had already been fed and sent off to bed. Even without them, things were so tight Kitty sat upon Erik’s knee, a condition neither seemed to mind much.
Erik ate hungrily, his first hot meal in days, and his mother’s cooking to boot. Milo had opened several bottles of his better wine and was pouring rounds.
Robert d’Lyes was bunking in with Gunther, Nathan’s apprentice, and Milo was at a loss over where he was going to put everyone. Freida said, ‘The children can have our room for the night.’
Nathan said, ‘Milo’s got them upstairs.’
‘Not Roo’s children, I mean Erik and his wife.’
Erik blushed and Nathan laughed. ‘He’s hardly what I’d call a child, dear.’
Freida said, ‘He’s my boy, and that’s little more than a slip of a girl. Anyway, they need some privacy.’
‘Well,’ said Nathan, ‘I’m going to be at the forge all night, anyway, so you’re the one who’s going to have to find another place to sleep.’
‘I’ll just throw a quilt under this table and sleep here. I’ll have to be up early, too, for we’ve got hungry mouths to feed again.’
Erik knew that Nathan and his mother lived in a small building just outside the smithy, and while it had once been little better than a dirty shed when Tyndal, Erik’s first master, had lived there, Nathan and his mother had turned it into a tidy little bedroom.
Milo said, ‘Erik, do we have to leave?’
Erik nodded. ‘First light, day after tomorrow. A couple of days after that, we’ll be fighting a battle here. We have to hold them outside of town while the northern ‘and southern flanks withdraw. Then they hold while we pull back, and if all goes according to plan, we break them at Darkmoor.’
Milo sighed. ‘This inn is all I have.’
Erik nodded. ‘I have some money. When this war is over, I’ll help you rebuild.’
Milo didn’t seem convinced, but he accepted that at face.
Erik said, ‘How are Rosalyn and the baby?’
‘Fine,’ said Milo, a pleased expression on his face. ‘She and Randolph had another, a boy they named after me!’
‘Congratulations,’ said Erik.
‘I sent word to them you were back, though how they could not know with all these soldiers running around calling your name would be a mystery. I’m a bit surprised they’re not here yet.’
Erik said, ‘Well, Randolph and his family have the bakery to dismantle and move.’
‘That’s true. Still, I expect they’ll want to see you before they evacuate.’
Erik said, ‘I need to talk to them.’
Kitty kissed his cheek. ‘Talk to them tomorrow.’
Erik grinned and blushed again. ‘Very well,’ he said softly. Then, looking around the table, he said, ‘Well, I’ve got to be up early tomorrow.’
Everyone laughed. Erik’s blush deepened, and he took Kitty’s hand and they left the kitchen.
After they were gone, Nathan said, ‘Roo, you’ve done well.’
Roo blew out his cheeks in an exaggerated sign of relief and said, ‘Now that I know I’m still alive, yes, I’d say I have.’
The others laughed, and they began catching up with one another, letting the familiar surroundings lull them into a momentary illusion that trouble was far away.
At dawn the next day, Roo sat on the wagon box, his wife at his side. In the bed of the wagon, Luis rode with Helen and the children. Roo smiled as he asked, ‘See you soon?’
Erik nodded, astride his horse. ‘But not for a while, if you’re smart. By the time I’m in Darkmoor, you should be halfway to Malac’s Cross. Besides, don’t you have some estates or something in the East to keep you busy?’
Roo shrugged. ‘I have enough to keep me afloat if we get through all this. But in a funny way, I hate to miss what’s coming.’
Erik grinned. ‘No you don’t.’
Roo grinned back. ‘You’re right. I’m taking the children to someplace they can play and eat and get fat.’