‘They took everything,’ he whispered brokenly. ‘Every single penny. I am glad you killed one of them. I hope he burns in Hell!’
‘Were you saving the money for a reason?’ asked Geoffrey. ‘Ninian told us that you intend to donate some for a new church-’
‘I saved it because I loved it,’ interrupted Fychan. ‘Now it has gone, and I have nothing.’
‘You have your life,’ Geoffrey pointed out. ‘They could have killed you.’
‘I wish they had,’ said Fychan bitterly. ‘They have deprived me of my reason for living.’
‘Aye,’ said Roger, gruffly sympathetic. ‘It must be a terrible blow.’
‘It is like having your soul ripped out,’ said Fychan. ‘Much worse than when my wife died.’
‘Did you see anything that might allow us to identify them?’ asked Geoffrey, trying to mask his bemusement.
‘No!’ wailed Fychan. ‘If I had, I would have told you last night. You promised to take word to Prince Hywel today. He is a good man, who will see my distress and do what he can to get my money back. I would go out hunting the villains myself, but I am too ill with shock.’
‘Have there been rumours of thieves in the area?’ asked Geoffrey.
Fychan shook his head. ‘None at all. This is a decent place, with law-abiding people, and Prince Hywel keeps everything in order. Indeed, were it not for the fact that you were a victim, too, I might have assumed one of your party was the culprit.’
‘Now, just a moment,’ began Roger dangerously. ‘We had no idea that you had a hoard of coins for the taking. Only locals would know that sort of thing.’
He made it sound as though he would have launched an assault on Fychan’s hoard, had he known about it in advance. But there was no more to be learned from the distraught Fychan, so Geoffrey asked him to provide breakfast.
By the time it was ready, the others had joined them. Cornald and Edward were yawning and rubbing their eyes, as if the incident had not prevented them from having a good night’s sleep. Sear and Alberic were slightly green about the gills, and Geoffrey wondered whether Fychan had plied them with ale past its best once they had become too inebriated to notice. Gwgan and Richard also seemed quiet, both claiming they had enjoyed boisterous welcomes from friends.
Delwyn was aggravatingly spry, though, and talked in a deliberately loud voice that had most of the party wincing. Leah was the only one who demonstrated any concern for Geoffrey, coming to take his hands and peer into his face.
‘He is pale,’ she said to Hilde. ‘And the cut on his head is nasty. Perhaps we should not leave today.’
‘He should stay and regain his strength,’ said Delwyn immediately. ‘But the rest of us should proceed to Kermerdyn. Give me the Archbishop’s letter; I shall see it delivered today.’
‘We leave within the hour,’ said Geoffrey shortly. ‘Anyone not ready can travel on his own.’
‘We will be ready,’ said Gwgan quietly. ‘I must ensure Hywel hears of last night’s outrage as soon possible. I am sorry I was not here to help you. I should have known better than to lodge elsewhere. But we are in Hywel’s domain, and I thought we would be safe.’
The wry gleam that usually danced in his eyes was gone, and Geoffrey saw the apology was genuine. He knew that Welshmen took family ties seriously; Gwgan probably was angry that he had not been there to defend a kinsman.
Hilde looked hard at Edward and Cornald. ‘But you were not lodging elsewhere. Are you sure you heard nothing? The skirmish started quietly enough, but when my husband attacked back, he issued some very blood-curdling yells.’
‘They woke me immediately,’ replied Edward. ‘Unfortunately, this inn is inordinately dark, and I could not find my sword. There was no point dashing into an affray unarmed.’
‘I tried to light a candle,’ added Cornald. ‘But Edward was screeching at me to hurry, and it flustered me. By the time I managed, the villains had escaped.’
‘I heard nothing until it was too late,’ said Sear offhandedly. ‘And I would not have come to the rescue if I had. You should have been able to manage a few outlaws by yourself, Geoffrey.’
‘ I would have come, had I known what was happening,’ said Alberic quietly, as Geoffrey grabbed Roger’s shoulder to prevent him from reacting. ‘But we were making too much noise, and by the time we realized something was amiss, the villains had fled.’
‘I heard a lot of clashing weapons, then yelling,’ said Pulchria. ‘And I saw at least a dozen shadows haring off into the night afterwards. I told Sir Sear the direction they had taken.’
‘Into the woods,’ said Sear. ‘It was pitch black and impossible to follow, especially as it took us a moment to arm ourselves, which gave them a good start.’
‘They looked as though they knew where they were going,’ said Pulchria. ‘But if they are the same rogues who have pestered us since Brechene, then I am wrong.’
‘I woke when I heard Sir Geoffrey shout,’ said Delwyn. ‘But I have learned to crawl under the bed when those sorts of things are screeched in the hours of darkness. I hid and stayed hidden until I was sure it was safe to come out. Which was this morning.’
‘You stayed under the bed all night?’ asked Roger incredulously.
Delwyn nodded. ‘And I slept like a baby. I did not even hear Sear and Alberic return.’
‘ I did not return,’ said Sear. ‘I decided to stay on alert, lest the villains attempted anything else. They made off with Fychan’s money, but I am not sure whether that was what they really wanted.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Edward. ‘What else could they have been after?’
‘They would not have looked in a bedchamber for him,’ said Sear scathingly. ‘Personally, I suspect they intended to rob us, not the innkeeper. Six knights travelling together is unusual and has aroused interest; the King was wrong to think it would render us safer. It has made us a target, because greedy thieves have assumed we are protecting something important.’
‘I disagree,’ said Hilde. ‘The first thing they did when they opened the door was to shoot a crossbow bolt into the bed. They were more than simple robbers. Moreover, as Geoffrey fought them, I had the distinct feeling they knew their way around – they did not stumble about blindly, like him. It gave them a huge advantage.’
‘So, they are locals, then,’ surmised Roger.
‘Or strangers who had taken the time to explore the place,’ said Geoffrey.
It was another clear day as the travellers rode the last few miles to Kermerdyn. It was a pleasant journey, along a path that followed the river. Fishermen bobbed about in leather-skinned coracles and raised their hands in greeting as the riders passed. Gwgan waved back and greeted several by name. They seemed pleased to see him return.
Now they were in home territory, Sear, Alberic and Richard took the lead, while Geoffrey and Roger brought up the rear. They were making good time, showing how eager everyone was to reach their destination.
‘They grow complacent,’ remarked Roger disparagingly. ‘They think we are safe now, but I have not forgotten last night so quickly.’
‘There is Kermerdyn,’ said Geoffrey, pointing. ‘It is a fair-sized settlement, so they probably are safe. I doubt Hywel will permit outlaws to come too close to his seat of power.’
Roger sniffed. ‘Do you think we shall have the same problems on the way home? Or have you accepted my conclusion that all this is related to some business of that villain Henry?’
‘God knows,’ muttered Geoffrey. ‘Last night’s trouble may have been an attack by local thieves on a man known to be rich – Hilde and Pulchria both said the culprits seemed to know their way around. Yet I have had a bad feeling about this mission from the start. I wish I had not brought you, Bale or Hilde.’