He gave his great bark of laughter, and thrust out a foot to roll one of the dogs over. “Well, perhaps there’s a bit of the family in you after all, in spite of your looks. At least you’ve got the guts to beard the old dog in his den when it suits you. All right, you can come. Who attends you?”

“Cerdic.”

“The Saxon? Tell him to get your gear ready. We leave at first light. Well, what are you waiting for?”

“To say good night to my mother.” I rose from my stool and went to kiss her. I did not often do this, and she looked surprised.

Behind me, my grandfather said abruptly: “You’re not going to war. You’ll be back inside three weeks. Get out.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you. Good night.”

Outside the door I stood still for a full half minute, leaning against the wall, while my blood-beat steadied slowly, and the sickness cleared from my throat. The gods only go with you if you put yourself in their path and that takes courage.

I swallowed the sickness, wiped the sweat off my palms, and ran to find Cerdic.

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER NINE

SO it was that I first left Maridunum. At that time it seemed like the greatest adventure in the world, to ride out in the chill of dawn, when stars were still in the sky, and make one of the jostling, companionable group of men who followed Camlach and the King. To begin with most of the men were surly and half asleep, and we rode pretty well in silence, breath smoking in the icy air, and the horses’ hoofs striking sparks from the slaty road. Even the jingle of harness sounded cold, and I was so numb that I could hardly feel the reins, and could think of nothing else but how to stay on the excited pony and not get myself sent home in disgrace before we had gone a mile.