‘All the more reason for the Baron to despise him for it. You were fortunate he did not finish you then are there,’ he told him.
‘Aye, maybe it was fortune. Or it may be that the man thinks only of what advances his own interests. He suffers deeply that you disfigured him, my Lady. It is intolerable for him to think that you yet live. More than this though, he would not have other nobles laugh at him for being brought even lower by a woman. His actions must be those of a Baron, to match his elevated status.’
She nodded, understanding, already half knowing the answer to her next question. ‘What was it he settled for, in the end?’
‘That you give yourself up.’
There was a collective gasp in the barn, and mutterings of oaths and protestations, rising in volume and fervour.
Rhiannon found she had to raise her voice a little to make herself heard. ‘And then he will leave the settlement be? If I descend the mountain, to Cwmdu, surrender myself to him, no-one else need be hurt? Is that right?’
‘Yes, my Lady.’
The others began to clamour then, shouting that he had given her up as if nothing, that he had no right tomake such a bargain, that they would all rather die than let her go to him, that they would take what was coming and stand by her until the last man. There was so much tumult and shouting that two of the smaller children began to cry. Rhiannon saw Mamgi watching her, as if waiting to see what she would do next. Before she could act, Tudor called for silence and spoke up.
‘Lady Rhiannon will not be given up. Not now, nor at any time in the future, so, alas, Baron de Chapelle will have to be disappointed.’ This joke at their enemy’s expense reduced the tension among the villagers so that he was able to continue. ‘Brynach may be weakened, but he is ever the soldier, and he has used his soldier’s mind to make this plan. The high path is no more than a sheep track. It is barely broad enough for a horse, and any riders would have to proceed slowly, with care, and in single file. The steep bank above is loose shale and cannot be ridden upon. The hill below drops away sharply to the river valley. Were a horse to lose its footing it would fall and not recover from that fall.’
Brynach nodded. ‘This was my thinking. What is more, there is a point, a mile or so from here, where that path is overshadowed by large flat rocks.’
‘The type that would provide excellent cover for an ambush,’ Tudor agreed, seeing his plan at once.
Owain remained unconvinced. ‘You cannot mean to attempt an attack! These are armed soldiers, skilled in battle, well fed and determined. A dozen or more.’
Another in the crowd agreed. ‘We have not fighters enough. We would be outnumbered and such an attack would fail.’
‘Better we flee,’ Mair suggested. ‘We could take the children and go further up the mountain. Have we time?’ she asked Brynach.
‘We have until noon tomorrow.’
Dafydd spoke up then. ’Tis time enough to prepare.’
Tudor agreed. ‘The position will allow us every advantage. It is our best hope not only to prevent an attack on the settlement, but to rid ourselves once and for all of the Baron.’
There was quiet in the barn as the community considered these words. It was Mamgi who voiced what they were all thinking.
‘And if we kill a Norman noble how many will come after him?’
Tudor glanced at Rhiannon. It was the one flaw in the plan. The king would not,couldnot, let such a defeat go unanswered.
Rhiannon knew the community stood to pay a high price to save her. Had she been Gwen, an ordinary girl, she doubted she could have asked it of them. But shewas not. She was Rhiannon, Witch of the White Shadow. She stepped in front of Brynach, drawing all eyes onto her.
‘I am no soldier, but I trust the wisdom of those who are. If Brynach and Tudor say the ambush can work, I believe them. But what Mamgi says is also true. If we kill de Chapelle his own master will seek not only to replace him with another loyal Norman, he will not suffer me to live, nor any who have stood by my side. However, I can make you a promise. I know you all to be steadfast, and that is what we must be now. We will attack the war party before they reach the settlement. The children and the elderly will be safe. We will kill the Baron, and, more than this, I promise I will gain you your freedom and your homes in Cwmdu.’
Tudor shook his head. ‘The king will never allow it. How do you plan to persuade him to give you what you want when you have fought against one of his own?’
She raised her chin and looked at him levelly, her expression serious. All she said was, ‘You leave the king to me.’
And so it was decided. The rest of the day was spent preparing for the ambush. Tudor and Brynach worked together to make a battle plan that would make the best use of the terrain and make the Baron’s own strengths play against him. Brynach himself, though sorelyweakened, not least by having to trek up the hill when he could barely walk, would take a position up on the rocks with the children who were able to use a bow. These were Glyn, Ifan and one of the older girls, Sian. Rhiannon would hold the same position. Her skill as an archer was second to none, and the advantage of the position would enable her to make the most of it. Tudor had also pointed out that she was too important to the villagers to be lost. She must, therefore, take as safe a part in the attack as was possible. Tudor would advance directly along the path so that he would come face to face with de Chapelle’s men as soon as the archers had launched their attack. With him would be Dafydd, Dai and Euan. It was decided to leave some men at the croft in case any soldiers broke through. Owain and Rufus were chosen for this last line of defence. That night all hands were put to use making arrows and adding barricades to the barn. Rhiannon wished there was time for her and Tudor to be alone together, but it was not possible. If they were to stand their best chance of success, they must prepare everyone involved for what was to come.
The following morning Rhiannon saw to it that the children ate properly. As she did so, Taran shadowed her every move, as if sensing there was danger close by. She let the hound follow her as it wished, touchedby its vigilance. She needed to be sure that the children understood what was expected of them, so she had them gather in the small paddock behind the barn. She was aware Tudor was watching her.
‘You are not to descend to the path,’ she explained, yet again, fearing they would become caught up in the drama of the moment. ‘Stay on the rocks. Keep your heads low, for Brynach tells us some of the Baron’s men are archers. They will struggle to shoot well when their targets are so high above them, but you must not give them something to aim at.’
Glyn’s face was aglow with excitement already. ‘I can kill a boar; a Norman soldier will be easy!’ he declared, making the others laugh.
Tudor ruffled his hair. ‘As long as our enemies are fat you will do excellently well,’ he smiled. ‘Go now, fetch your water skins. No soldier should thirst before a battle.’
Once the children had gone he turned to Rhiannon and stepped close, reaching out to touch her cheek.
