Robard and Maryam recounted the events of the last two days. My memory ended at the docks, with the crossbow bolt sticking out of my hip.
“There were four of them waiting there,” Maryam said. “Sir Hugh will be furious they let us slip away. Robard wounded two of them. My daggers claimed another. The other one turned and ran.”
“We gathered you up,” Robard went on, “and found a suitable vessel, small, much like the one in Tyre, only less of a wreck. It had three oars to a side, and we cut it loose and I started rowing while Maryam tried to keep you from bleeding the boat full and sinking us on the spot.”
I winced at the thought.
“So much blood for a tiny flesh wound,” Maryam remarked.
“Tiny?” I said, agitated.
Maryam shrugged. “It wasn’t like you were shot by a longbow.”
I glared at her. Maryam’s compassion apparently had its limits.
“Didn’t they try to chase us?” I asked.
“Of course,” Maryam said. “They took two boats out right away, but I rowed and Robard discouraged them from getting too close. When we cleared the harbor and he had wounded a third man, they turned back. While you were sleeping, Robard and I kept going until we could no longer lift our arms.
“When we had a moment where it appeared no one was pursuing us, we removed the bolt. You were lucky. The guard was either a poor shot or he only sought to wound you. It was buried deep in the flesh of your hip and you lost a lot of blood. But it was not a killing blow. Robard held you down while I removed it.” She added, “It was not pleasant.”
“She means you screamed like a little gi-like a person in great pain,” Robard corrected himself as he felt the sting of Maryam’s baleful stare. “Grew up in a monastery, you say? Never heard such curse words.”
My face grew hot with embarrassment.
“Stop teasing him, Robard,” Maryam insisted. “You’re lucky you’ve never felt an arrow pierce your thick hide. I can assure you it hurts, although a longbow does hurt more.”
“Thank you, Maryam. . Robard, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t stopped those Guards from capturing us,” I said.
“Most likely died,” Robard replied. Maryam and I both couldn’t help but laugh. We were all relieved to at least be temporarily free and alive.
“So you rowed us all the way to England?” I asked.
Robard and Maryam looked at each other, something passed between them and they decided to abruptly change the subject.
“Yes, well, now we’ve arrived in England and I’ve found it cold, gray and wet. Why didn’t the two of you tell me the sun never shines here?” she said.
“It does,” we both answered at once.
“Well, we’ve been here three days and all it has done is rain and grow colder by the minute,” she complained. She pulled her tunic up around her neck and scooted closer to the fire.
“Go back to the how-you-sailed-here part,” I said. “I’m not quite following.”
“I need to go on a scout,” Robard said, “and see if I can find a stand of birch where there might be some seedlings. I have a few points left and need to make some arrows.” He fussed with his wallet, counting the shafts he had left.
“All right, both of you stop. Tell me what happened,” I insisted.
Robard swallowed. Maryam was silent. Apparently it was his tale to tell.
“Nothing happened. Not really. It wasn’t a very large vessel. Three oars and a small sail.
“We tied you down in the front and rowed until we were well out into the channel. After the other boats turned back, we kept at it. You were still bleeding and crying out all the time. After a while we got tired and I thought it might be better if we raised the sail and caught the wind. We just pointed it west and hoped for the best,” Robard said.
“You hoped for the best?” I asked, incredulous.
“Yes,” he replied, suddenly interested in the maintenance of his bow.
I stared at both of them.
“What?” they both asked.
“That was your plan? Every time I come up with an idea, you two do nothing but belittle it. But when I’m lying near death, you put me in a boat and ‘point it west’ and ‘hope for the best’?” The very thought of it made my wound throb again. “My goodness! What if the wind and current carried you past England? What if you were pushed back to France? Do you even know how to sail?”
“Of course-we sailed all the time in Sherwood Forest,” Robard answered sarcastically. “What are you worried about? We got here, didn’t we? Sailing isn’t as hard as it seems, as long as there’s wind. Without the wind, there’s all the rowing, and that’s some work, I’ll tell you. Luckily, though, being an archer is ideally suited for rowing, as we tend to be strong in the arms. So I was able to compensate for Maryam. . I mean when Maryam tired. . ” Too late, Robard, my friend.
“Robard,” Maryam said quietly. “I don’t think we really want to talk about this now, do we?”
“Um. No. I guess not,” he replied sheepishly.
“Anyhow, it worked, didn’t it? Here we are, safe in England,” Robard said.
“Ohh,” I said. I had to lie back against the rock and close my eyes. Weakness washed over me, and I covered my face with my hands. “And the two of you have the gall to complain. . I’m the one without plans. .,” I muttered. “Where in England?” I asked, sitting up again.
“What did he say?” Robard asked.
“Nothing,” Maryam said. “Tristan, tell me how you feel. Can you stand? Do you think you can walk, or ride if we can find horses? Robard says we really should be on the move. Sir Hugh will no doubt find our trail soon enough, if he hasn’t already.”
“Do we know where we are?” I asked. “Which direction we need to go?”
“West,” Maryam said.
“North,” Robard said at the same time.
“You have no idea where we are, do you?” I asked.
“Yes. We most certainly do. We are in England. And for a long time we had the cliffs of Dover in view. Then, well. . we may have drifted a bit,” he said.
“A bit?”
“Quite a bit, perhaps-a lot, actually. The wind really catches the sail, and if you don’t get the rudder turned correctly, you end up going. . Never mind. We’re safely home, Tristan. In England.” Robard gave me his best smile.
Maryam brought us back to reality. “Regardless of where we are, we need to get moving. Tristan, can you stand? Walk?” she asked. I had been sitting by the fire, my head in my hands, wondering how far we would have to travel to reach Rosslyn. I couldn’t really blame them, though. We were still alive.
“I’m not sure. Let me try,” I said. Standing was going to be painful, but there was no way around it. Maryam was right. It was time for us to be under way.
I put one leg under me while Robard knelt, holding my other arm. Together we stood and the pain was only slightly less than excruciating. The world spun and I feared I might pass out. “Easy,” Robard said. “Steady.”
After a moment, the pain lessened and I could stand unaided. Taking a few tentative steps back and forth, I could manage a sort of shuffling walk. But at this rate, it would take me years to reach Scotland.
“Careful,” Maryam said. “Getting shot by an arrow hurts.” She stared at Robard pointedly, but he refused to meet her gaze.
“Yes, it does, I’m told. But not as much as being stabbed by a Hashshashin dagger,” Robard shot back.
“We’re going to need horses,” I said, interrupting.
“You know, riding a horse. .” Maryam let the words trail off.
“I know. It’s going to hurt even worse. But the pain will pass. We’ll never make it on foot, and I’ll only slow us up,” I said.
Robard and Maryam nodded in agreement. I decided it was a good idea to sit back down before I passed out.
“So how do we do that?” I asked. “Find horses.”
Neither of them spoke, staring at the fire, thinking.
“Do we have any idea where we are exactly? Where in England specifically?”
Robard shook his head. “I said sailing is not as hard as it looks. Navigating is an entirely different matter. We’ll just need to find the nearest town or village to find out where we are. Then we’ll see about horses. You still have money?”
I nodded. I also had Sir Thomas’ ring, but trading it for horses would leave a clear clue for Sir Hugh if he followed us here.
“Good. I’m not opposed to stealing, since this is something of an emergency, but it would be better for us if we had just one group chasing us at a time,” he remarked.
“I say we rest here tonight and leave refreshed in the morning,” Maryam suggested.
“Good idea,” I said wearily. Exhaustion and pain were enveloping me again. My hip still burned and my eyes grew heavy.
Robard stood, kicking at a few of the logs on the fire with his boot. The flames died down and he banked the coals so only a slow warm glow flowed over me. He strung his bow.
“What are you doing?” Maryam asked.
“I’m going to scout around a bit,” he said. “Keep an eye on things. You won’t see me until tomorrow morning, so don’t be alarmed. But I’ll always be nearby. If there’s trouble, give one of those Al Hashshashin war cries of yours. They’re loud enough to wake the dead. I’ll hear it and be back before you know it. Tristan, rest easy. Try not to injure yourself any further, if you don’t mind.”
Then as if he were a ghost, Robard disappeared into the night.