"That is the strange thing. At first, no one seemed to know what to believe. There were so many reports and rumors. Traitor. Hero. Coward. Loyal to death. But then there were men in the pubs and in the streets. They shouted that Lord Erec was murdered. They accused the king of looting villages and selling our sons as slaves. They shouted all sorts of vile things and..."

"And the people started to believe."

"Aye." Berk shook his head. "I and the rest of Lord Erec's men never doubted for a minute that he died loyal to the crown. Erec was a valiant warrior and no man was ever so true to his oath."

"Not even King Arthur and his twelve knights?"

"Well now, I couldna say. I didna know any of them...did you?"

"Nay." Gil laughed. "I canna say that I did."

Gwyn stayed silent through the exchange. Murder and riots. Things did not seem to be going so well for the king within the kingdom either. A knot turned in her stomach. Spies in their midst. Enemies attacking from the north. Enemies attacking from the east and now...

Now it seemed there were subjects of his majesty turning the people against the crown from right outside the castle gates. She wondered that the king did not do something to stop it, but then thought better of it. He could not be seen jailing his subjects after being accused of murdering their Champion. They would tear down the walls, storm the castle and put his head on a spike!

No, the king could only bar himself inside and hope that the people would grow tired of spending their days yelling into the empty air and return to their homes and their families. But that might take...too long. While the king was hiding from the mobs outside his gates, his enemies gathered. If word of the unrest reached his enemies...nothing would stop their attack!

"We must hurry." Gwyn said suddenly.

"Aye." Berk nodded. "And we are. But there is a right way and a wrong way. Do this the wrong way and you wind up dead like yesterday's pork stew. On the morrow I shall take you and the lass to the market. Wander around. Taste the wares, and try to enjoy the day. I will take Gilbert here to meet a friend of mine. When we meet up for the midday meal, I will have news."

"And then we shall know what to do?"

"Aye lass."

"Then I shall try to be patient, though my heart pounds and I fear that we shall be too late."

"All we can do is the best that we can do. Why do you not try to rest a bit? There are a few hours together before we stop."

Gwyn nodded and rested her head upon Gil's shoulder, wondering if he minded too terribly being a pillow for her and Sofi. When Gil slouched to be more accommodating to her, she smiled and hugged his arm.

"Thank you, Gil." She sighed, more tired than she thought.

As she drifted to sleep, she thought she felt the press of his lips against her hair as he whispered, "Anything for you, my dear."

"Erec" she sighed on her last breath before sleep claimed her.

---

The first thing that struck Gwyndolyn as they neared Kingstown was the glow of the light. They were able to see the outlines of the village long before they reached it. And though the hour was late there were many people about in the streets. Berk expertly moved them through and dropped them off at the inn.

"The innkeeper is a friend. Tell him I am your brother, Mary. You will get a room even if he has to oust someone first."

"I hardly wish to oust someone from their room in the middle of the evening, but I will do as you say." She smiled as she felt Gil's hand on the small of her back guiding her forward as she carried Sofi.

Sofi was not too eager to be moved, but when Gil explained he needed one hand for his cane and the other to help them, she shrugged sleepily over to Gwyn's arms.

"I wonder if it will be so easy as he says that it will be." Gwyn leaned close and even then, she had to almost shout to be heard above the din in the main hall.

Feeling Gil's hand guiding her, she went to the bar.

"What can I get for you?" The man asked "A meal? A Bed? A Bath?"

"All three if you please." Gil answered.

"My brother, Berk dropped us off at the door while he takes care of the cart. He said to tell you—"

"Berk is yer brother say you?"

"Aye." Gwyn nodded in case he could not hear her over the noise.

"Bear!" the man bellowed and a large hairy man with a crooked nose and no visible neck appeared from a room in the back. "I am for above stairs. Mind the place while I am away."

Gwyn bit her cheek to keep from laughing, so much did the man resemble his name. She felt people taking measure of the three of them as they followed the barkeep through the room and up steep and narrow stairs. Above stairs there were several doors on either side of the hall. They were taken to the last and given a key.

"Tis the only room I have but the bed is big enough for you three. Berk can sleep on the floor."

"Oh, Berk will be—" Gwyn started.

"Sleeping on the floor as the man says." Berk supplied as he came down the hall toward them.

"Is everything good then?" The barkeep nodded to Berk.

"Aye. Bull is watching the cart."

"Will you be visiting the chapel on the morrow?" the barkeep asked.

Gwyn wondered at that, thinking it a strange thing for such a fellow as he to ask.

"Aye. And the market. But I will have the family back for a mid-day meal. Give us the private room?"

"Aye."

And with that the man was gone, leaving Gwyn to wonder at the whole exchange. She was certain more was said than what she heard, but that was a puzzle for another time, as she was suddenly feeling rather tired.

"Do not be getting too settled, Mary." Berk warned as she laid Sofi on the bed and started to crawl over. "A meal and a bath will be coming soon."

"A bath? I could not possibly...she looked about the room that obviously had no privacy.

"When the lads bring up the tub and the water, they bring up a privacy screen. And if you want a lass to help..."

"Nay, I can manage on my own." She said nervously. Even at Brecken after Alexandi insisted that she allow a lass to help her bathe and dress and comb her hair...Gwyn often took minimal assistance, choosing to do for herself what she had done all her life.

Berk and Gil shared a smile and Gil shrugged.

"Mama."

"Yes love."

"Shelba needs a bath too. She is very dirty from all the dust on the road. She said it makes her itchy."

Gwyn smiled.

"Then Shelba shall have a bath. But you must help me Sofi, else she may be too afraid."

"I will take a bath with her so she will not be afraid. Pim said that having a friend close by helps you to be brave when you are frightened."

"Pim is very wise."

---

Gwyn should not have been surprised at the noise. Especially after all the noise at the inn, which kept her awake long in to the night. But surprise her it did. It was so loud they could hear the market several streets away. And when they neared the edge, they had to lean close and shout to be heard.

"Gil and I are going to see to the sale of the goods and visit with a friend. You and the child enjoy yourselves. It is much more settled further in. Keep your girl and your purse close." Berk pointed,

Gwyn held Sofi's hand tighter and nodded, making sure to slip her purse into the folds of her skirt beneath her apron.

"And meet us back here in time for the midday meal." Berk said as the church bells began to ring. "Tierce." He said. "When next they ring it will be Sext. Meet us here then."

Gwyn nodded. Three hours to wander around in this noise...her head would surely ache by then. She wondered, as she tucked Sofi against her side and shouldered through the crowd, if she would be able to find some lemon balm or rosemary or mayhap some lavender...Willow bark might be needed also, if the pain in her head did not lessen...

Berk was right, Gwyn thought as she suddenly stumbled into an open area. It was still plenty busy, but this was a street of sorts, divided up like the squares on burlap where the merchants and farmers sold their wares. Gwyn stood for a moment, taking it all in and feeling rather overwhelmed by the bustle all around her.

The noise was almost a physical thing that seemed to press in on her. Never in her life had she heard so many voices at once! And there were other sounds. Animals bleating and braying and neighing. She heard chickens somewhere and then there was the sound of hammer pounding. She wanted to close her eyes and absorb it, but knew better from Berk's warning.

Keeping a firm hold on Sofi's hand she began to wander. The colors, the sounds and now the smells! There were the usual smells of animals, and there were the smells of men, which from being in a small house with four brothers and her father, she knew well. But there were also smells of flowers and meats and breads.

This was a wonderful place, Gwyn thought as she and Sofi found the area where the Draper, Haberdasher and Clothier gathered. Sofi became interested in all the fine fabrics and Gwyn had to pick her up to keep her hands from touching the fabrics.

"Does milady see anything that she likes?" A young lad asked?"

"I see many things that I like, young sir. But alas I cannot take it all today. I would like to see more of the draper's wares if you would lead the way. My daughter and I need a new dress. Her father has come home from war..."

"Papa has a hurt leg now and has to use a crutch but he still is okay and can do things just fine."

"I am glad to hear of it, mistress." The boy said with a smile. "You are a lucky little lass. Many of us are still waiting for our fathers to come home."

"Aye." Gwyn agreed. "We are very lucky indeed. "I wonder, would the Draper have anything..."

Gwyn froze as they passed the Merchant Tailor. Three men were gathered there and she could hear them speaking with the tailor about their new garments. It was not what they said that made her freeze, but it was the voice. She knew the voices. All THREE of them.

She knew Jackson's nasal whiney sounding voice and Oliver's slow simple speech. She also recognized the cold hard steel in the third voice. Knowing she should not, she turned a little so that she could see and tried to learn the face of the men. As she pretended to inspect some fabric close by, she wondered that they did not chase after her at once.

Jackson met her eyes and gave her a small smile and a nod. She felt all of the blood drain to her toes and had to lock her knees and lean on the pile of fabric to keep from swaying, which would surely draw attention to herself.

"Down Mama!" Sofi said, sensing her unease.

"Of course, sweeting." Gwyn put the child down and with a firm grip on her hand turned to the lad, "Yes, I think I should like enough of something like that for a short surcoat. My husband is crippled now, but he is still a knight and I think he would like a new surcoat for Michaelmas."

"That is fine cloth indeed." The lad said of the rich sanguine color. "It is the color of the field on the Royal Guard's herald also."

"So it is." Gwyn smiled. "Perhaps something in green instead...a Lincoln Green Mayhap? And I need to see the Draper now, if you would be so kind."

With that she gratefully followed the boy away from the Merchant Taylor and the three men she knew as assassins. As she hid herself among the piles of simpler, plainer fabrics at the Drapers, she willed her heart to stop pounding and felt her knees steady up again. She had the advantage over those men. They only knew that there was a woman and a boy at the farm.

But she and Robin were silent and stayed hidden. They never actually saw her...So she could now put a face and a name to two of the three and could recognize the third if she should see him again, though she still had no name...But they had no way to know her at all. She was merely another woman among hundreds at the market today. And she had a little GIRL with her.

When the butterflies had settled and her fingers stopped shaking, she chose enough plain muslin for a few shirts, a light blue color for a hooded shirt for Robin, and a pretty green color for a dress for Sofi with a little extra to make a matching dress for Shelba.

"Thank you." She said to the boy who had been noting her selections. "I think that will be all."

"The green you wanted for the surcoat is over this way. Mayhap you would like to see it first?"

"Aye." She said, noting it would take her further from the Merchant Taylor.

It was a lovely green, deep and rich and she imagined it across Erec's shoulders, draped over his hips and down over his thigh...

"Yes. It will do nicely. Enough for two, if you please."

"Would Milady like to see the finer fabrics for dresses?"

"I would like to, but I am no lady. I am a farmer's wife, lad. Add enough of the green I chose for Sofi to make a dress for me also. And some plain muslin, and half again of the rust color. Do you have any ribbons or colored threads for embroider?" Gwyn tried desperately to think of things to keep her here longer, hoping the three men would be gone before she finished.

"Aye." He noddedproudly. "My master has all theseshops. And others besides. I am sure we can find what you need."