"Ihave decided that I do not want to die," he answered, his voice hoarsewith pain.
Eadanodded, and tearing a strip from her undertunic, she soaked it in the chill ofthe river and crouched by his side. "I am glad," she said, as shegently bathed his face. "I have seen enough Saxon dead this day to hauntmy dreams the rest of my life." She tried to unlace his jupon but foundthe blood-soaked ties stiff and hard to work with. "Are you badlywounded?"
"Twoclean sword cuts. One to my right side and one in my left leg. My right arm wasbadly beaten by a mace, but I do not believe it is broken. I have left a lot ofmy blood in this dirt."
Afterchecking the wounds he spoke of, Eada sat back on her heels and sighed. "Icannot tend these wounds here."
"Ihave come to take you back to camp now," said a deep voice.
Eadastared up at Ivo in openmouthed surprise. "You followed me?"
"SirDrogo said you must not leave camp," Ivo replied as he calmly disarmedBrun, who was struggling to reach his sword to defend himself.
"Thisman called to me. He has surrendered."
"Hecannot surrender to us. We are not knights. He must surrender to SirDrogo."
"SirDrogo is with William. It will have to wait, but this man's wounds can wait nolonger to be tended."
"SirDrogo will be angry."
Althoughshe was not sure what Ivo thought would anger Drogo, her coming to thebattlefield or adding another to those he was responsible for, Eada nodded. Shestared up at Ivo, saying nothing and waiting with a hard-won patience for his decision.Eada just prayed that Ivo would make that decision before they were discoveredby the Normans who collected the dead from the battlefield.
"Lookthere, Sir Drogo," called Sir Guy as he rode up next to Drogo and pointedto the wood at the far end of the battlefield. "Your little Saxon whorehas obviously tired of your lovemaking and flees."
Alreadyin a foul mood because he had had to endure Sir Guy's company as he rode backto camp, Drogo saw Eada disappear into the wood and struggled to subdue asudden rush of anger. He felt and heard his men draw closer even as he caughtsight of Ivo striding right behind Eada, and he turned his attention back toSir Guy. Sir Guy had a true skill for making everything Drogo said or did carrythe taint of treachery, and he wondered how the sly little man would twist thisinsignificant incident. Drogo knew that was not Eada's fault, but he could notfully suppress his irritation that she might have given the treacherous,hateful man one more thing to whisper lies about.
"Myman Ivo is with her," Drogo said, his voice cold and hard as he struggledto remain courteous to a man he knew would stab him in the back if given halfthe chance. "She is probably searching the field for her kinsmen orfriends, just as others do."
"Ofcourse. We must see if we can assist her in her search."
Drogocursed as Sir Guy and his two equally treacherous companions turned theirmounts and started to follow Eada. "Tancred, you stay with me. The rest ofyou can return to camp. This should not take long."
AsDrogo hurried to catch up with Sir Guy, Tancred close by his side, he silentlyand viciously cursed the man. In the meeting with William, it had becomeblatantly obvious that Sir Guy intended to do his utmost to discredit Drogo. Hewas too much the coward to make any open accusations but indulged in anunrelenting campaign of whispered lies and innuendo. Drogo doubted that hecould even relieve himself without Sir Guy trying to twist it into somethingsuspicious or some insult to William. At the moment, it did not appear that theman was gaining any believers except for the few who had always followed him.It worried Drogo, however, for these were troubled times and the men whotenuously held the power were often quick to scent treachery, real or imagined.
WhenDrogo first saw Eada by the murky river, he discovered that he too could have asuspicious mind. She knelt by a young, handsome Saxon, tenderly holding theman's hand in hers. Drogo had to battle a surge of jealousy when, as Sir Guyand his companions dismounted, swords in hand, she moved to protect the youthwith her own body. He slowly dismounted and cautiously approached her.
"So,you found one of the dogs still alive," said Sir Guy. "Move away,woman, and let me end his miserable life."
"No,"Eada cried, and she looked pleadingly at Drogo as he reached her side. "Hehas surrendered."
"Weare not troubling ourselves with prisoners, certainly not from amongst thosewho raised their swords against us," Sir Guy snapped. "This foolchose to fight with Harold. Let him die with his king."
"No,he is a kinsman," she cried, trying to protect Brun even as she shifted outof the way of the sword Sir Guy poked at her.
Drogodrew his sword and thrust it between Sir Guy's and Eada and the helpless youth.He was furious that he was placed in the position of stopping Sir Guy fromkilling one of the enemy, but he had seen enough of the helpless slaughtered.Neither did he believe it was right to kill a man who had offered up his swordin surrender. As he met Sir Guy's glare with an icy calm, he found himselfthinking petulantly that, if Eada were determined to save Saxons, she couldfind ones who were not so handsome.
"Putyour sword away, Sir Guy," he said. "He is but a wounded boy."
"Heis a Saxon," Sir Guy protested angrily, but after one long look at Tancredand Ivo, who stood firmly behind Drogo, he sheathed his sword and curtlysignaled his companions to do the same. "You are very kind toward ourenemies."
"Whenthat enemy is wounded, unarmed, and has surrendered—yes. He threatens no one,and he is my woman's kinsman."
"Yougather around you an increasing number of useless Saxons. One might begin towonder why."
"Sincethey are useless as warriors against our king, I do not see why it concernsanyone. Ivo, can you carry the boy back to my camp?"
Ivonodded and picked Brun up in his arms. After one long, hard look at Sir Guy, hestrode right by the man and his increasingly uneasy companions. Drogo grasped awide-eyed Eada by the arm and pulled her to her feet. He stood watching Sir Guyuntil the man hissed a curse and remounted, his friends quickly doing the same.A moment later, they were gone.
