The Book of Dreams(24)

‘That’s not what I mean. I’d prefer not to treat you as before, as if nothing had happened.’

He gave a small, eloquent shrug.

‘You have no choice. Here at court everyone expects there to be a great distance between master and slave. If it were otherwise, people would be suspicious.’

‘Yet without your help I doubt I will survive the court’s dangers,’ I said.

His voice kept its level, rational tone.

‘That is why we must keep a distance between us, at least for others to see. Servants and slaves always gossip among themselves, and I’ll be more useful to you if I am accepted as no different from the rest, and keep my ears open.’

Reluctantly I had to agree with his reasoning.

‘What do you think of Count Hroudland?’ I asked.

‘He has the qualities and failings of someone born to high privilege. He’s self-confident and decisive, but that makes him high-handed and he is not easily deflected from what he wants.’

‘Should I trust him?’ I asked.

Osric paused while he considered his reply.

‘I think so. He has a sense of honour.’ Then he added, ‘And he will not take kindly if we keep him waiting.’

*

Hroudland met us at the stables.

‘I’m sorry about the prank this morning. There was nothing I could do to stop it,’ he said briskly.

He led me along the double row of stalls until we came to a stocky bay gelding standing looking out at us and placidly chewing a wisp of hay.

‘Here’s the ideal animal for you, Patch. Eight years old, calm and steady, yet with enough spirit for the front rank of a charge.’

The horse stretched out its head, snuffling my scent and allowing me to stroke its velvety nose.

‘I appreciate your advice. I just need to learn to ride properly,’ I said guardedly, for I was puzzled why the count was showing such concern for me.

My face must have revealed my caution, for he said quietly, ‘Also, about what happened at the baths this afternoon, I apologize if I alarmed you.’

‘It’s nothing I want to talk about,’ I replied stiffly, feeling clumsy and ungracious even as I said it.

The count, clearly not a person who allowed a moment’s awkwardness to deflect him, pressed on.

‘Now you’ve got a war horse, you’ll need weapons to go with it. I’ve arranged with the seneschal to collect whatever we require from the royal armoury. He’s sending a clerk to meet us there, so let’s go before he changes his mind.’

We set out across the palace grounds, striding at such a rapid pace that Osric with his lameness had difficulty in keeping up with us.

‘The king is being very generous to me,’ I said.

‘Think nothing of it. He owns vast estates, and his tenants supply all that his household requires.’

I recalled the shipment of live eels hauled for hundreds of miles across country.

‘Even swords and armour?’

‘Especially swords and armour, and the soldiers to go with them,’ said Hroudland firmly. ‘When my uncle launches a campaign, everyone is obliged to contribute to his armed host, whether he’s a count or abbot or a lowly freeman with just a cottage and two cows.’

‘That must take a lot of organization.’ I had been wondering how the Franks came to dominate less purposeful nations.

The count was dismissive.

‘A swarm of inky clerks keep endless lists of everything from beds and mattresses to spare sets of harness and carts. The chief nobles are obliged to hold stockpiles of material whether it’s barrels of wine or bundles of firewood.’

On the far side of the royal precinct we arrived before a substantial building of cut stone with barred windows that I would have mistaken for a prison. A small, unsmiling man with the guarded look of a store clerk was waiting outside in the evening sunshine, holding his wax tablet and a bunch of keys on a large ring. He had two attendants with him.

‘Good afternoon, my lord,’ he said to Hroudland. ‘I understand you wish to take away a full set of weapons for a cavalryman.’

‘Indeed, I do. I will select the items myself,’ answered Hroudland curtly.

‘The law requires me to remind you that any arms that are issued must remain within the kingdom. They cannot be loaned or sold abroad.’

‘I know, I know,’ said the count testily. ‘The weapons are for my companion here. I can vouch for him.’

The clerk unlocked a stout wooden door and led us inside and I saw at once the orderly hand of the ledger-keepers. The armoury was arranged in sections. Nearest were the projectile weapons – javelins, bows, bundles of arrows. Beyond them stood stack after stack of spears, neatly sub-divided according to length and weight, as pikes for foot soldiers or lances for cavalry. Next came edged weapons – swords, axes and daggers. Finally there was the defensive equipment with rows of wooden shields and a small pile of helmets and some body armour.