‘We are absolutely not giving that thing a name,’ Roul said, looking up.
‘Basil.’
Hadewaye nodded appreciatively. ‘That actually suits him.’
Roul kicked his horse into a trot. ‘Hopefully someone steals him overnight.’
Smiling down at her saddle, Eda followed him.
CHAPTER21
The steeple of the church rose from a cluster of houses. It was the first thing Roul saw as they neared Carno. Only a handful of chimneys produced smoke. Many in the region had abandoned their dwellings long ago and headed north. He remembered seeing the paddocks dotted with livestock as a child. Now they were barren, muddy swamps.
‘Keep to the left,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘The villagers cut sections of clay out of the roads. You can drown in the puddles here.’ He eyed a murky pool of water as he passed by it.
‘Maybe we’ll get lucky and the donkey will fall in,’ Tatum said.
Thankfully, Eda did not hear him.
Turning off the main road, they walked their horses along the muddy track that ran behind the houses. Roul sat straighter in the saddle when he finally laid eyes on the wattle and daub house he called home. It looked the same, except that the roof needed thatching, and it had a chicken pen attached to it. Two hens scratched around inside.
As they drew closer, he spotted his sisters out front bent over a laundry tub. They straightened when they heard the horses approaching, calling to someone inside. They had gotten taller, their faces no longer pinched and gaunt. Queen Fayre had kept her promise.
His parents came out of the house, squinting in his direction. He knew the moment they recognised him, because his mother clapped a hand over her mouth, and his father’s face contorted. His sisters broke into a run towards him. Roul dismounted, catching the youngest, Lana, as she flung herself at him. She was crying and laughing.
‘Goodness,’ he said, placing her down on the ground and holding her at arm’s length to look at her properly. ‘You’re enormous now.’
She brushed tears off her cheeks. ‘So are you. You’re all… muscled.’
Odella pushed between them, wrapping her arms around him. He held her for a long moment.
‘She’s right,’ she said when she stepped back. ‘It’s like hugging stone.’
‘Do I get to greet my son now?’ Wilona said behind them.
His sisters moved aside, and his beaming mother stepped forwards. She might have had a few more grey hairs and lines on her face, but she was still as beautiful as ever. She opened her arms to him, and Roul stepped into them.
‘We’ve missed you,’ she said into his ear.
Roul kissed her cheek before releasing her.
His father stood patiently awaiting his turn, eyes red and mouth turned up. His hair had begun to thin on top, but his face was round and healthy again.
‘Look at you,’ Clive said. ‘What in God’s name are they feeding you in that place?’ He stepped up to hug his son, clapping him affectionately on the back.
Roul pressed his eyes closed.
‘Goodness,’ his mother said. ‘You have a lady travelling with you.’
Roul looked back at his unit. They had all dismounted now and were watching the reunion from a distance.
‘Ladyis a bit of a stretch,’ Eda said, walking over to them.
Roul stepped back from his father to do introductions. ‘This is Eda Suttone.’
His mother’s eyebrows rose. ‘Oh. Is this the same Eda you mentioned in your letters?’
He could feel his men watching him. With a small nod, he continued with introductions and explained that they were on their way to Harlech Castle to retrieve Prince Becket. He did not tell them all the smaller details of the assignment, and they knew better than to probe when it came to royal business.
