[The deBurghs 07] - Reynold De Burgh: The Dark Knight Read Free

hardened knight? More likely, it would be the other way around, the lad becoming a nuisance the further they travelled.
    ‘Then I release you from service. Find the nearestvillage and present yourself to the manor’s lord,’ Reynold said.
    Again, the boy shook his head. He appeared neither alarmed nor angry, just calmly insistent. ‘I am bound to the l’Estranges.’
    ‘Then make your way back to their manor and other duties there,’ Reynold suggested. Although he had never been to the l’Estrange holding, he knew Bridgid’s aunts lived on the edge of Campion lands, a journey that should not be too long or dangerous for the youth.
    ‘I could not. I am bound by my vow, my lord.’
    Annoyed as he was by the boy’s refusals, Reynold had to respect such loyalty, especially coming from an untutored lad. He could insist, of course, but there was always the possibility that Peregrine would try to follow him, falling into some sort of mischief on his own. At least the youth wasn’t the sort of companion who would chatter constantly along the road, Reynold mused, which brought him back to the original question.
    Where were they going?
    Although unwilling to admit as much to the boy, Reynold had no idea. When he had decided to leave Campion, he’d had a vague notion of joining Edward’s army. But somehow fighting against the Welsh didn’t seem right when his brother’s wife had inherited a manor house there. And it was whispered that Bridgid possessed the kind of powers that you didn’t want turned against you. The l’Estranges were all…strange, and Reynold frowned as he remembered their actions this morning.
    ‘How did your mistresses know that I was leaving?’ he asked.
    ‘I don’t know, my lord. However, it is rumoured that they hold the secrets of divination, so perhaps they became aware of your departure through such means. A quest, they called it,’ Peregrine said.
    Reynold snorted at such nonsense. ‘I have no quest or mission of any kind to fulfil.’ He slanted a glance at the boy. ‘This journey bears no resemblance to the romances, if that is what you are thinking. We travel without the usual train and even pilgrims face dangers of which you know nothing. I will not be responsible for you undertaking such a trip, vow or no vow.’
    But Peregrine did not appear daunted. In fact, the boy flashed a grin that made his eagerness obvious. ‘Who would not seek adventure, if given the chance?’ he asked, as though questioning Reynold’s sanity.
    Reynold’s lips curved at the challenge, for he and his brothers would once have asked the same. And for the first time this day, his heart felt a little lighter. He had seen himself as a lone wanderer, an outcast even, though of his own choosing, but this youth might prove to be a welcome companion.
    ‘Then let us be off,’ Reynold said. He urged Sirius towards the right fork, away from the road that led to his brother Dunstan’s holding. This route, as Peregrine had pointed out so cheerfully, led to something new, though unlike the boy, Reynold was not looking for adventure. Indeed, he hoped not to meet with any. Or anyone.
    And yet, they had not gone far along the new track before they were hailed. Squinting into the distance, Reynold saw a horse standing ahead, alone with its rider. As they neared, Reynold realised it carried both aman and a young boy. They were neatly, if not richly dressed, and looked harmless, except for a sturdy wooden staff that protruded from their pack.
    ‘Good morning, sire,’ the man said, inclining his head. ‘Where are you bound?’
    ‘We are pilgrims,’ Peregrine said, and Reynold realised he would have to have a word with the boy about the merits of discretion.
    ‘We, too!’ the man exclaimed, a pleased smile crossing his worn features. ‘Where are you bound?’
    Peregrine did not have an answer and so looked to Reynold, who said nothing.
    ‘Ah. You are reticent. That is understandable. But may we ride with you?