“That you have done this much was beyond my expectation, Captain. I know all among you have kinfolk. A few have wives and children of your own. What will become of them? My half sister Sabella is known to wreak her revenge on the helpless when she cannot find those who angered her.”

“This we knew, Your Grace. It is why we waited so long to act.”

“Why act now?” she asked him, but glanced at Ivar as the words faded and Ulric did not immediately reply. “Brother Ivar convinced you?”

“He gave me the means, but it was not his argument that convinced me. In truth—” He paused to grin at Ivar with a look that seemed half apologetic. “—there have been other portents and omens. Dissatisfactions and fears.”

“Stories of grace,” she said, “as I have been hearing these two days.”

He nodded. “Stories of God’s grace. Of the phoenix. We all know them, Your Grace. We know they are true. But the lady is reckless. She punishes those who work the land and shows mercy to those who are most cruel and greedy. The wars to the west have taken the lives of a score of my militia, but their families gained no bounty for their sacrifice, not even a payment for each lost man, as is traditional. The weather is wrong, Your Grace. I am no farmer, but I know the way of the seasons. First came that unnatural wind that blew down houses and smashed trees throughout the woodlands. we’ve had no sun for months, not since the autumn. We had untimely rain last summer and little enough this winter. The stores in Autun grow low. The lady has not husbanded them wisely, not as you would have done, seeing that each family received a ration to last them through the lean months and seed corn if they lost their store to wind and bad weather. Lady Sabella has lost God’s favor, so I believe. She has usurped what does not belong to her. Thus we are come. This one—Brother Ivar.” He nodded toward Ivar. “I took his plea as a sign that it was time to act. We have gathered our families and left behind our homes to follow you, Your Grace.”

“Where is Baldwin?” demanded Ivar. “Didn’t you find him? Is he lost?”

“Nay, nay, he is with the others, he and Erkanwulf, a few hours behind us. We rode ahead to find you. We must move rapidly, Your Grace. Our desertion will be known too soon. Because we are so many, and laden with carts and children, we will not move as swiftly as Lady Sabella’s mounted cavalry when they ride on our trail. We have done what we can to cast doubt upon our road, but they will discover it.”

“I see.” All this time, Constance had held his hand. She let go, and he pressed it briefly to his forehead, gaze cast down. “You have stepped onto a path from which there is no turning back.”