"Williamis my liege lord. His shame is mine. Searle says I must forget what I saw, thathe will work to convince himself that William was but caught in the wild,unthinking bloodlust of battle. He told me to do the same."
"Wisewords. Heed them and do as he says as quickly as you can. William will now beking. It could cost you dearly if he knew what you thought of his killing ofHarold. If it aids you, then remind yourself that Harold's death was fated.There could not be two kings upon English soil."
Drogonodded, kissed the top of her head, and settled himself more comfortably ontheir sheepskin bed. "How did Hilde die?"
Thequestion was asked so quietly and so abruptly Eada replied without thought."She cut her wrists and bled her life away in Sir Guy's tent."
"Suicide?Ivo said you had a priest tend her."
"Itold the priest she died of grief. It was the truth. Let God decide if shesinned. Let Him punish or forgive her. We have told no one, not even herchildren."
"Thereis no need for anyone to know," he agreed, smiling when she hugged him ingratitude for his compliance.
"Whathappens now, Drogo?"
"Wewait for the English nobles to come to William, to accept him as their newking."
"Theywill not come."
Hesighed with resignation, not questioning her certainty. "Then we willmarch to London and I will pray every step of the way that I do not see anotherday like this."
Thirteen
"No!I will not listen to you!"
Eadacovered her ears. When that did not silence the cry she heard, she wriggledbeneath the blanket and put the pillow over her head. Drogo had left her tosleep while he went to meet with William. After a long night of lovemaking andthe exhausting trial of waiting a full day to find out how the battle hadended, she had heartily welcomed a lazy morning spent curled up in bed. Shedeeply resented the voice keeping her from her much-needed rest. She also knewthat her attempts to silence it were useless, even foolish. The cry did notcome from without but within, and the only way to stop it was to answer it. Eadathrew the pillow off angrily and sat up.
Cursingsoftly, she rose and dressed. The voice in her head pulled her toward thebattlefield, the very last place she wished to go. She knew she would find onlyhorror there and that nothing could ever prepare her for what she would have tosee. Angrily, she pulled her hair back and secured it with a leather thongthen, grabbing up a small bag she had filled with bandages and healing balms,she marched out of Drogo's tent.
Ivoand May were nowhere in sight, and Eada cursed again. She knew Drogo would beangry if she went alone, but there was no one in camp to take her and she couldnot wait. The cry in her head was too desperate, too demanding.
"Youcan cease now," she muttered as she started to walk toward thebattlefield. "I will find you soon." Although she wanted the voice tobe silent, the pain and the fear in the cry deeply affecting her, Eada alsohoped that she did not have the skill to send a message as well as receive it."I just pray that I can return before Drogo discovers what I havedone," she said fervently as, after checking to be sure that no one wouldtry to stop her, she walked away from the soldiers' camp.
Maygasped softly, grabbed Ivo by the arm, and pointed at Eada, who was already toofar away to call to. "Look there, Ivo, Eada has left the camp—alone."She cursed when she realized that, since Ivo could not understand English, allshe had done was draw his attention to what looked like an attempted escape."Wait," she cried, tightening her grip on his arm when he tossedaside the kindling they had gathered and started after Eada.
"Drogosaid Eada must stay in camp," Ivo said, frowning down at May buthesitating in his pursuit of Eada.
Eadahad not had enough time to teach her much French, but May began to strugglewith what little she did know. To help May to make herself understood asquickly as possible, Eada had stressed simple commands, the words for commonobjects, and a few select verbs. May was finally able to get Ivo to understandthat he was to just follow Eada, staying near enough to help her if shestumbled into any trouble, but not to just drag her back to camp. As shewatched Ivo go after Eada, May prayed she was right in thinking that Eada wasresponding to some sending or vision. She refused to even consider thepossibility that Eada was plotting some treachery or was trying to escape. Thatwould only bring them a great deal of trouble.
* * *
Eada'sfirst sight of the battlefield nearly brought her to her knees. She pressed herhands over her mouth, altering her cry of horror into a smothered groan ofpain. The dead were everywhere she looked. Norman bodies were being carriedfrom the field to be buried, but the Saxons were left where they fell. Only afew Saxons wandered in the field in search of their kinsmen. The mutilationcaused by swords and battle-axes caused bile to sting the back of her throat asshe fought back a choking nausea.
Thevoice in her head pulled her free of the shock which held her motionless. Shecursed when she realized she would have to walk the length of the battlefieldto the forest beyond. As she walked, she tried to keep her gaze fixed upon thetrees and not look at the devastation she passed.
Whenshe entered the wood, her sense of urgency grew and she tasted fear, yet sheknew it was not her own. Whoever drew her to him was desperate and terrified.She came to the bank of a small river, the dead thick upon the ground, and knewshe had reached her destination, yet she saw no one alive. For one briefmoment, she wondered if she could now hear the voices of the dead then hastilycalmed herself. Someone needed her help but was too afraid to show himself.
"Iam here," she called, her voice trembling as her own fears grew, born ofstanding in the midst of so many dead. "I cannot help you if you do notlet me see where you are.”
"Youwould see me if you would but look down," said a deep male voice from veryclose by.
"Thereare only dead men upon the ground," she replied as she fought for thestrength to look at the corpse-littered ground surrounding her.
"Itshould now be clear that not all of us are dead."
Tremblingslightly, Eada looked at the dead, idly noticing that most of them wereNormans. At least in one place, her people had clearly won. Just as she beganto wonder if she were losing her mind, had not really heard anyone at all, shesaw movement in what looked to be a pile of dead Normans. She grit her teethagainst a rising nausea as she moved closer, then, seeing that one body at thebottom of the pile was dressed as a Saxon, she began to push and pull aside thedead Normans. She gasped with surprise when, after heaving aside a body, shefound a filthy, blood-soaked Brun staring up at her.
"Youhave decided that you are tired of killing Normans?" she asked as shepulled him away from the dead.
