Child of Flame
“What happened to your wife, then?”
Grief still chafed him as bitterly as any chains. “My wife is gone.”
The sergeant softened, looking back at the infant. “May the Lord and Lady watch over you, friend. Need you an escort? There’s another sentry post some ways up the road, nearer to the palace, and then the palace fortifications to talk your way through. I’ll send a soldier to vouch for you.”
“I’ll take one with thanks. If you’ll give me your name, I’ll see that it’s brought to the king’s attention.”
The sergeant chuckled while his men looked at each other in disbelief. “You’re as sure of yourself as the rooster that crows at dawn, eh? Well, then, when you take supper with the king, tell him that Sergeant Cobbo of Longbrook did you a favor.” He slapped his thigh, amused at his joke. “Go on, then. Matto, be sure you escort them all the way to Captain Fulk, and give him over to none other. The captain will know what to do with them if they’ve lied to us.”
“I’ve been with the king’s court for fully six months now,” he confided. “They put me to work as a stable hand at first, but even Sergeant Cobbo says I’ve got a knack for weapons, so I was promoted to sentry duty three months ago.” He glanced back toward Sanglant’s mother, perhaps hoping she’d be impressed by his quick rise, but nothing about humankind interested her, as Sanglant had discovered.
“You’ve got a hankering to see battle, haven’t you, lad?” Sanglant felt immeasurably ancient riding alongside this enthusiastic youth, although in truth he wasn’t even old enough to be the lad’s father.
“So I have.”
“Truly.” Sanglant changed the subject before Matto discovered that he hadn’t the least idea what disaster had befallen Theophanu’s expedition in Aosta. “Why so wide a sentry net?”
Matto puffed up considerably, proud to know something his companion did not. “The court attracts petitioners, and petitioners attract bandits.”
“Aren’t these Duke Conrad’s lands? I’d have thought he’d have put a stop to banditry.”
“So he might, if he were here. He hasn’t even come to the king’s feast and celebration! The Eagle sent to his fortress at Bederbor said he wasn’t in residence. No one knows where he’s gone!”
“What’s your name?” Matto blurted suddenly.
She looked up at him, and he blanched and stammered an apology, although it wasn’t clear what he was apologizing for. Her reply was cool and clear. “You will call me ‘Alia.’”
Sanglant laughed curtly before reining Resuelto around and starting down the road again. ‘Alia’ meant ‘other’ in Dariyan.