Chapter Twelve

E lysande held the edges the hood of her cloak together against the wind threatening to blow the covering off her head. The night was cold and brisk, and she could see her breath as she hurried across what was left of Winchester toward the tavern. Her hand held tight to the crook of Hawke's arm whilst Olive followed close behind. She was in unfamiliar territory with what she considered a grim future. Everything she had known and loved was left behind at Blackmore except for the two who had stayed by her side. Hawke was considered an ally. Olive had been no more than a servant in her household and yet now both had become so much more. They were a lifeline to her past and their friendship would need to carry her into her unknown future.

There was no need for sparkling conversation as they hastened their steps to find the warmth of the tavern. Elysande kept her head low and relied on Hawke's sense of direction to ensure that they were headed the right way. But when they at last espied the well-lit tavern, her feet stumbled when she heard male laughter. She had no idea what to expect once they entered since the only tavern she had ever been in was one located in the village of Blackmore. Even then, 'twas a rare occurrence for her to ever go inside.

Hawke held the door open for her and the rush of warm air coming from the hearth was a welcome relief after the coolness of the night. The tavern was crowded. She supposed this should not have come as any surprise considering Hawke had informed her that this was the only place to dine that had survived the fires that had razed the city.

Many of those she espied before her were familiar, having ridden her horse with them for the past two days. But there were also men who she had not seen before, and she assumed they lived here in the city or were traveling through as well on their own journeys. Some cast her a glance that made her uncomfortable and she stepped closer to Hawke for his protection.

They finally saw Reynard across the room, who waved them forward. As they neared, he motioned to the vacant places at his table.

"Come and join us, Lady Elysande, and let me introduce you to my brothers," Reynard said in a cheerful voice.

Brothers ? she thought whilst placing a small smile upon her face as their names blurred whilst she attempted to gain control of her uneasiness. She had no idea that she would be introduced to his brothers or even that they would also be here in Winchester. But then again, she had not been on speaking terms with Reynard since their kiss at Bristol. How could she have known his brothers would be here, too?

When a chalice of wine had been set before her, she raised her eyes whilst taking a sip to watch the three men across from her. Their similarities were close enough that she could see the resemblance in their features to prove they were related. At first glance, Wymar seemingly was the most different from the other two brothers, but in truth 'twas only due to the color of his hair. 'Twas a lighter shade of brown than the other two men whose tresses were darker. Theobald had a small scar running down his left cheek, causing Elysande to ponder if it had happened whilst in some battle. Reynard clearly was the youngest of the three.

Hawke took her hand underneath the table and gave it a small squeeze, and then answered for Elysande since she had missed the entire conversation whilst silently observing the brothers.

"Lady Elysande has been surviving remarkably well considering the circumstances," Hawke replied before he began eating from the food set between them on the trencher they were to share.

A grunt left Reynard. "Is that what you call it, Hawke? She could barely feed herself let alone the rest of you who stayed with her."

Elysande raised her eyes to peer at Reynard. "I am sitting right here… you can address me directly, sir."

Reynard shrugged before he took a mouthful of venison and began to chew. He finally answered her after he swallowed and wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "Since we have fallen out of accord, I assumed you would prefer that I speak through Hawke."

Wymar leaned forward. "Watch your manners in front of the lady, Reynard."

"I have done nothing wrong," he said with a scowl of disapproval.

Elysande took another sip of her wine. "There is no need to come to my defense, Lord Wymar. I assure you that although your brother and I have had our differences in the brief time we have known one another I have become used to his… moods. I am certain we can tolerate one another and remain civil for at least one meal."

A laugh from Theobald erupted as he banged his fist on the table in merriment. "I believe you may have met your match, Reynard," he teased. "'Tis about time you encountered a woman who would not put up with your foul temper."

"Hear, hear," Wymar added raising his tankard of ale. "A toast to the Lady Elysande… a rare beauty among women, with a brave spirit to match."

Everyone raised their cup in a toast whilst Elysande could feel a blush of embarrassment rush across her face. She was unused to such treatment of late and was not certain she deserved such accolades to be raised on her behalf.

Hawke pushed the trencher closer to her. She began to eat her fill while conversations swirled around her.

"What brings you to Winchester?" Hawke inquired in curiosity.

Theobald thumped Reynard's shoulder. "You mean besides keeping abreast of what this young scamp is up to?"

"Shut up, Theo," Reynard muttered, taking a quick glance at Elysande from beneath his lashes.

"Aye," Hawke returned, waiting for the reply.

Wymar rested his forearms on the edge of the table. "I would think it would be obvious, but we are here to ensure there is a calm exchange between the prisoners. One can only pray that this will happen on the morrow peacefully. There has been enough bloodshed between enemies of late."

"And then?" asked Olive when she set down her goblet.

Theobald gave her a wink. "And then, Wymar and I will return to Bristol to ensure Queen Matilda and those with her are also released in a peaceful manner. After that, the two of us will return home to the lovely wives who await us.

"Oh!" Olive said in what sounded like a disappointed tone. She appeared saddened to learn that both men had commitments elsewhere. She began to also eat her fill and no longer contributed to the men's conversations.

"Aye…" Reynard grumbled into his tankard of ale." Marital bliss. I wish my brothers both well with such an endeavor."

A smirk lifted at the corners of Wymar's lips. He turned his blue-grey eyes to Elysande and then his youngest sibling before he at last commented. "One day you shall know the love of a good woman, Reynard. Until then, 'tis best that you treat those who you escort with respect, especially if she may one day be one of the empress's attendants."

"I have treated Lady Elysande with respect," he said in a snarl.

Elysande hid her laughter behind her chalice of wine. 'Twas clear that these brothers were close but also that Reynard's temper was something the older two were well aware of. She could only ponder what the cause was, not that his temperament should overly worry her or be cause for concern. She only had to endure the man for as long as it took them to travel to Oxford, and then she would be well rid of his company. Still… she did wonder.

Setting her cup down, her gaze traveled to the oldest Norwood brother. "How did you meet your wife, Lord Wymar?" she asked.

Another jovial chuckle left Theobald. "An interesting story…"

"Aye," Wymar replied with a smile. He seemed lost in the memory of his wife for a moment before he returned his attention to Elysande. "I suppose originally I met her prior to the Battle of Lincoln, although at the time I only knew her as a young knight needing aid."

"The lady was hardly in need of your aid, Wymar, nor did she want it if I recall," Theobald said thumping his tankard on the table.

"She fought in a battle?" Elysande inquired with wide eyes. She could not even image herself in such a place let alone hefting a sword to defend herself.

Wymar pointed to his brother. "As did Theobald's lady, Ingrid."

"You met them both at Lincoln?" she asked.

Theobald shook his head. "Nay, I found my lady on her way here to Winchester to give aid to the empress's cause," he declared. "I took her under my wing to ensure she was well protected."

"I can hardly fathom a woman on a battlefield," she murmured.

Reynard was not to be left out of the conversation. "Aye. Both ladies are rare in both beauty and their skills with a sword."

Elysande turned her head to stare at Reynard. Those steel grey eyes seemingly bored into her own. "You met them both?"

"Aye. Long before my brothers were wed, we made a vow to stay together and fight side by side for our empress. But once they found love, the empress decided that they could best serve her by settling down with their wives. Now I travel with Lord Richard who is as much a brother to me as these two."

Richard leaned forward on the table. "I have apparently taken up the cause of ensuring the youngest Norwood brother continues to stay out of trouble and does not leave too much havoc in his wake."

Laughter erupted from the men who were seated around her. Not only were these men close because of their vow to the empress, but there was a camaraderie between them that linked them all as brothers of their hearts. 'Twas to be commended that they had remained close through the strife of their lives.

As the evening wore on, tales of battles and women loved and lost began to spill from the men's mouths. Elysande laughed along with them even though she knew these stories had been filtered to be suitable for a lady's hearing. She stifled a yawn and looked toward the tavern door to see if Hawke had returned from escorting Olive to her rooms for the night. But the door remained shut and she wondered how long it would take before she, too, could find her sleep for the night.

Wymar took matters into his own hands. "Reynard… the lady is in much need of finding her rest. Be a good lad and escort her back to her room at the castle," he demanded with a wave of his hand. With his edict delivered, he turned back to his conversation with Richard.

Reynard stood and made his way around the table before he held out his arm. "My lady… shall we?" he asked far more politely than she expected.

Elysande stood and gave a short curtsey. "Gentlemen… I bid you a good eve," she said before taking Reynard's arm.

She tried her best to remain calm but once again her heart betrayed her. She could only hope she could make her way across the short distance to where she would spend the night without making a complete fool of herself. She pondered how many times she would need to remind herself that she would not fall under this man's spell!