“Some day,” said Anna, “some day,” and left it at that. Then, echoing Sadok’s own words: “You spoke of a promise. Of course, if I may on my honour. What do you want of me?”

“Only that you will take your son into safety far from here, and rear him to remember his father’s shameful murder, and some day to come back and avenge it.”

“By God, I will!” she said.

“And we will be here, waiting,” said Sadok. He made a vow of it, and Erbin growled his assent. “Meantime, have you money to keep you till you find safety? I have a little by me, and Erbin –”

“I have enough.” Even now, she would not betray Drustan’s generous help, nor the presence of Goren, invisible in the shadows with the still silent Alexander. She pulled open one of her saddle-bags. “Here. It’s one of his night-robes. He was asleep when we – when he –” She was silent for a few moments, busying herself over the bag’s fastenings, but when she spoke again, trying to find some more words of thanks, Sadok reached for her hand again, lifted it, and kissed it.

“No more, Princess. Get you gone now, and make haste. We’ll contrive to delay our return till well after daybreak, so God go with you and your orphaned son, and some day let us pray we may meet again in peace and safety.”

He wheeled his horse, putting it to an easy trot, and soon he and his brother were lost in the dimness.

Goren rode out from under the trees. “I heard. We are safe?”

“We are safe, thanks be to God and to two honest men! So Alexander may now cry all he wants to. Come, Sara.” She turned her horse’s head eastward once more, adding, but not for the man to hear: “But so may not I.”

4

It took them the best part of a month. Not knowing how March would receive Sadok’s story – or in fact if he would believe it – they dared not take the direct road, but went by the tracks used by peasants and charcoal-burners, rough riding through forest or along secluded river-valleys or across low-lying marshland, which, when they reached March’s borders and entered the Summer Country, was perilous with bog and quagmire. Anna found that she had money in plenty; besides what she had snatched up as she packed her belongings, and what Drustan had pressed on her, she found another pouch of gold in her saddle-bag, put there, presumably, by Drustan. So the travellers were able to pay their way. Now and again they managed to put up at a reasonably respectable tavern, where they could rest themselves and their horses for a day or so, but usually they were thankful to find the shelter of some wayside cottage, or a farmer’s barn, or even, at the worst, a shepherd’s hut, abandoned for the summer while the shepherd kept his flock on the high hillsides.