Richard's horse Bedwyr, lathered with sweat, galloped full pace along a narrow track leading through a thick clump of trees. Clods of mud flew up from his flying footprints, hitting Richard on his face, body and legs as rain began to fall, softly at first, becoming steadily more menacing. Richard's vision was impaired as each precious minute slipped by, but frantically he rode on, there was no choice.
Branches swept across his path as he wound his way carefully through some trees, hoping desperately he was heading in the right direction; it was vital he caught up with the three men who had abducted his pregnant young wife Katherine.
Richard wasn't sure if they were marauding mercenaries, or three desperate men on the run in need of further funds, but he knew it was imperative they were caught. Katherine's life and that of his unborn child were at stake. She had been entrusted into his care by her father, when Richard took her to wife. He loved her dearly and his only task now was for her rescue, her safe return. That was all he could think of at the moment, his sense of guilt almost overwhelming. He pressed on regardless, his thoughts muddled, confused, he was momentarily unable to think clearly.
Somehow the three men had discovered Katherine's lone whereabouts during the short time she left Richard to stroll a little further along the riverbank from where he was sitting. He had worried at the time for her safety, but allowed her to go alone, unescorted. He deeply regretted his senseless act of folly and stupidity.
Earlier, Richard's groom Edmund, was ordered to return to the manor house with Katherine's horse, as Richard felt it may impede his pursuit of the three abductors. He wasn't sure if this was the right decision, but he needed to continue without any further hesitation. Each moment was crucial.
There had been talk locally of dangerous marauders some distance away, on the other side of the river. Never did it occur to Richard they would be so close-by. He had allowed Katherine to walk alone, even briefly and now was chastising himself for such a careless decision. Oh how he regretted it.
As he and Bedwyr moved swiftly over countryside, not too difficult for maintaining a steady pace, his mind was racing as to what would happen if he caught up with the three abductors. Taking them all on at once would not be easy. All that accompanied him was a dagger, his sword being left at home - another inexcusable decision.
They were obviously desperate men, their motive for the abduction as yet unclear, was sure to be a large ransom for the safe return of his wife. Richard tried to reason with himself, feeling his breathing rapid, chest tight. He was still not certain if he was heading in the right direction.
He slowed Bedwyr's pace briefly, noticing fresh hoof prints in front and the direction they were going. He had run into some rain, softening the ground beneath, making it easier to see that several horses had passed over it recently.
A feeling of panic gripped Richard, as sweat trickled down his chest and back, although the weather was cool after the rain.
His horse, while frothing at the mouth, chest lathered, was up to the job and Richard felt grateful to the animal, knowing Bedwyr was pushed to his limits.
As he continued, his mind remained muddled. He knew Katherine's safety was all that mattered and he needed to start thinking clearly in order to help her.
He followed the prints that took him over a large rounded hill, dropping down to a small valley. Up ahead a stream flowed between fields, and he hoped the three horsemen hadn't crossed it. It was necessary to keep a sharp eye open for their tracks. If they had crossed the stream, Richard knew he may lose evidence of their direction, making them difficult to follow.
Meanwhile, Edmund had set off toward the manor house. Although getting old, he had a wise head on his shoulders, often pre-empting what Richard required of him and now realizing the importance of trying to assist him.
After leaving a pathway, Edmund reached the brow of a hill and suddenly sighted three riders coming toward him from out of some trees. He reigned in, slowing the horses to a more sedate pace. He was thankful Katherine's horse was easy to lead.
In the past he had known and briefly met, some of Katherine's father's retainers, thinking that it was them approaching him at a canter.
As they grew closer, Edmund recognized the oldest. William was in his late forties, still with a good head of flaxen hair that almost flowed to his powerful shoulders. His trimmed beard was similar, although flecked with grey. The summer had turned his hair like ripened corn.
On his right rode John, a thirty two year old man known to be adept with a sword. His dark brown eyes were penetrating, hair trimmed shorter, his face set with determination.
To William's left, Simon, the youngest at twenty five summer's old, was also an accomplished swordsman - in fact all three men were well known for their fighting skills, having survived the Battle of Evesham, exuding great prowess.
An idea came to Edmund.
As the three men approached, they slowed to a trot, reigning in their animals as Edmund indicated he wished to communicate with them; time was of the essence.
'Greetings gentlemen!' Edmund continued nervously, not relishing his news he needed to relate. 'I'm afraid something dreadful and unforeseen has happened. My lady, Richard's wife Katherine, has been abducted by three ruthless men. We were beside the river not too far from here and she happened to wander off a short distance...'
Before he got any further, the three men were immediately alerted to the dangerous situation in which Katherine had been placed. William turned briefly in his saddle, staring at Edmund with utter amazement. He realized the importance of her safe return and not only that, her father would be frantic with worry if he knew.
'She what...?' William's shocked face made Edmund feel very nervous. His next words were difficult to impart, coming almost as a whisper.
Edmund stuttered, 'I...,I had been ordered to return to the...'
'Do you know from which direction they had appeared?' William was becoming increasingly anxious - every passing moment crucial.
Edmund, although flustered, tried to describe where they had been beside the river and the direction from which the three men approached.
William was very familiar with the area, having been brought up nearby, but pressed Edmund for more information.
Edmund continued, 'Sir, if it would not be too much of an imposition, my lord Richard took off at a gallop after the three men and...'
'Yes, yes,' spluttered William, 'we need to find her as quickly as possible. Are you capable of riding with us? It'll be necessary to keep up. Is that horse you have in tow up to the pace do you think?'
'Yes sir,' remarked Edmund, feeling slightly more confident within himself.
'In that case, follow us - we might need you.'
All four men set off in the direction Edmund indicated. There was not a moment to lose. The rain had eased, before it ceased altogether. Patches of blue sky lit the early afternoon with broken shadows cast across the track in their midst from nearby trees. Slate-grey clouds remained above in thick clumps, scudding above the autumn scene around them.
They quickened their pace still further, horses pushed to their limits, ears pricked and alert, galloped onwards. The men sitting deep into their saddles, earnestly looked ahead for any evidence of the three abductors.
After a few miles they came upon a small village set back off the main track, smoke rising in coils above rustic rooftops.
A child was playing with clumps of what looked like mud beside a puddle. He gazed up with alarm through dark strands of damp hair, as the four men approached.
William drew up alongside the boy, a youth of about nine or ten year's old.
'Don't be frightened lad, we are not here to harm you, but have you seen three men with a lady passing recently. They are dangerous, ruthless men and we need to catch up with them as soon as possible?'
The boy hesitated a few moments, not sure if it was safe to be in the midst of these four riders. He looked up again, realizing the importance of his answer.
'Why yes...yes sir. I think the men you seek passed by not too long ago. They seemed in a hurry for some reason.'
'Thank you lad. Now tell me, in which direction did they go?'
'I...!'
William pressed the boy as carefully as he could, knowing his shyness was not helping.
'Think lad, it's vitally important. The lady's life is at stake! Which way did they go?'
The boy pushed a lock of dark hair from his eyes, smearing more dirt onto his flushed cheeks, looking unsure at first. Then, with a forefinger outstretched, indicated the direction in which they should go.
'Good lad! Thank you. You've done well!'
William tossed a small coin at the boy's feet, and together all four men took off at a fast canter, before increasing their speed. Their horses were still keen, answering to the pressure of the men's legs placed around their girths.
Edmund managed to keep a steady pace with Katherine's palfrey in tow, a few strides behind the three men. He was eager to help in any way possible.
William, John and Simon, together with Edmund, skirted a hill, the sun returning briefly from behind a large blue-grey cloud that remained ominous.
The surrounding countryside was momentarily bathed in soft autumn sunlight, dappled with golden splendor, flooding across the narrow pathway ahead. Many leaves had already fallen, adding a soft carpet of colour which danced when the wind blew.
Suddenly, all four men noticed another rider galloping fast to their right, heading roughly in the same direction as was William's intention. William immediately recognized Richard and summoned for him to slow, in order that he may join them.
Richard glanced briefly to his left, seeing Edmund and the three men who were his father-in-law's retainers approaching. He swung his horse in their direction.
As Katherine strolled alone beside the river, a short distance from where her husband Richard sat waiting for her return, she thought of the forthcoming birth of their first child. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine, before hearing a rustle in the undergrowth, startling her. She turned quickly, seeing three men approaching on horseback from out of some trees.
Katherine looked around quickly, realizing how vulnerable she was, trying to appear invisible to the oncoming riders, but failing dismally. They looked very threatening to her, knowing immediately there was nowhere to hide - nowhere she could run to escape. She was trapped. If she screamed, there was every chance she wouldn't be heard by Richard nor Edmund. She suddenly felt very afraid in the pit of her stomach, succumbing to the inevitability of whatever these fearsome looking men might have in mind.
She tried to prepare herself for what was to come, unsure as to their motive, beginning to shake with fear.
As they approached her, sliding quickly from their saddles, the largest man swaggered toward her, ordering the youngest of them to hold their horses. He was a smaller version of the dark haired man, obviously a brother, who leered menacingly at Katherine.
The large, dark haired man had an ugly scar running from his right eye, reaching down to under the chin, intimidating Katherine when he glanced in her direction. His clothes were dirty, hair shoulder length tied back with a leather strip, unclean and greasy.
He sauntered over to where Katherine huddled at the base of a large beech tree, a nasty grin on his face.
'Now what have we here, eh?' His grin widened, showing black teeth at the front. Katherine felt more nervous than she'd ever experienced in her life.
The man reached out trying to paw her below the neck, but she looked away, her head held high with determination, as the man chucked her under the chin, laughing to his accomplices.
'Not bad, not bad at all! Quite a package I would think, and may even fetch a goodly sum judging by her clothes. Might even be a ransom in it if we're lucky. What do you think gentlemen? Shall we invite her to accompany us?'
The other two men, one a big burly man with red untidy hair, clothes scruffy, his skin pock-marked and blotchy, gave off sounds Katherine didn't like the sound of.
'No, no, no..., I won't let you!' Katherine felt highly intimidated by their manner, trying not to show it, but finding it difficult.
'No! the lady says.' The man with the scar laughed again, briefly turning to the other two men. 'We'll see about that, won't we gentlemen?'
'Yeah...we will!' agreed the red haired man, taking a step toward her. 'We'll take non of 'er nonsense neither!'
Katherine was led firmly by the wrist, to where an awaiting horse was pawing the ground. She was lifted up into the saddle, held firmly in front by the red headed man, much to her disgust. He signaled to the others to set off - where, Katherine knew not, but she was firmly warned that if she tried anything, she would be gagged, with hands and feet bound.
The thought of never seeing Richard again terrified her and most of all, she worried about the unborn infant growing within her.
Richard joined William, John, Simon and Edmund, and together they set off in the direction William was sure, would lead them to where they might find the men holding Katherine.
They had since learned there were three men to deal with, and by now, feeling more confident in their search. Although Richard only bore his dagger, the others were equipped with swords, for now safely tucked into scabbards.
They picked up the pace feeling certain they weren't too far behind the abductors, covering the ground beneath them swiftly, saving their horses from undue stress at this stage.
The weather remained dry, but not for long, as in front, rain-clouds gathered once again. Fresh hoof prints had been spotted further back and more than one, giving each man hope.
As more rain began to fall, all four men reigned in their horses briefly, to devise a plan. Also, it was a mutual decision to press on, as night wasn't far away.
Katherine felt stifled and sick to her stomach riding in front of the red headed abductor, who held her around the waist with one arm, the other on the reins.
Soon they arrived in a tiny hamlet with hardly a soul to be seen. The three men quickly dismounted by a tumbled down, abandoned looking building, resembling that of a cow byre.
Katherine was man-handled off the horse by the red headed man, seeming to grunt rather than utter any coherent words.
She was lead to a small doorway through which was one large room, sectioned off crudely, smelling strongly of animals. It made her stomach heave. The whole place appeared remote, on the edge of nowhere in particular.
How would Richard ever find her in this Godforsaken place?
Her spirits were low, as she was nudged rudely to one end of a vaguely screened off area from where the three men sat, muttering in low tones, so she couldn't hear.
As she looked around her in the late afternoon light, she noticed she had lost a shoe, probably while on the horse, as the men had paused a short time to eat some stale bread and hard cheese. They had offered her some, but she refused. No doubt the shoe was gone for good. She resigned herself to the fact.
Sighing, she spotted a low, straw-filled pallet which would be alive with lice, assuming this is where she was to sleep. She shivered with nerves, trying to gather her thoughts as to what to do now.
Close to the pallet was a wooden box on which stood a crudely made jug, filled with water she hoped. A dirty towel lay beside it, so she sprinkled some of the liquid onto her face and hands. She preferred wiping them on her skirts, than the dirty towel.
The three men sat closely huddled, their voices low, occasionally looking in her direction. They began to drink as the afternoon light grew dim around them. Another shower of rain began to fall outside.
Richard and the others had covered quite a distance in a short time, eventually noticing a small hamlet, as the light began to fade. Because it had rained for a time, they were able to pick up tracks that had gone before them. The hamlet consisted of a farmhouse and a scattering of small hovels.
As they looked around they spotted a lone tumbled down structure, crudely built with three horses in close proximity. This had to be the right place.
Just as they drew rein in order to carry out their plan, Richard noticed a shoe amongst the chopped up ground. He recognized it to be Katherine's. He slid quickly from his horse, picking it up, confirming they had found the right place where she was being held.
Simon quietly rode over to what looked more like where animals might be kept. Watching Richard carefully for a signal for him to play his part, William and John drew their swords. Edmund kept close to Richard with Katherine's horse in tow.
They could here raucous voices from within, knowing full well, the three abductors had been drinking heavily. This was to their advantage.
Richard hoped with all his heart, Katherine was safe from harm.
As all five men got into position, Richard signaled to Simon to begin carrying out their plan.
Simon began throwing rocks at the doorway, and anything else he could find in close proximity, holding his horse carefully with the other hand. It was also necessary to keep his sword handy, as any moment he and the others knew they were going to need them. Richard only had his dagger, but it would be adequate he hoped.
Suddenly from within, the raucous voices became alarmed and all three abductors appeared outside the door.
This was exactly what Richard hoped for and William, John and Simon rushed at them, taking them by surprise. There was a fierce skirmish as the abductors hadn't time to arm themselves. They were soon cut down then killed, their bodies lying amongst the mud, turning red with their blood, oozing in pools upon the ground.
Richard stepped over their bodies and entered the gloomy hovel. It smelt strongly of animals and drink, but as his eyes became accustomed to the dullness, he noticed his dear frightened wife cowering in a corner, not quite understanding what had just happened.
He swept her up in his arms as she swooned before him, half crying, half laughing with the joy of seeing Richard once again.
'My darling wife, are you alright, are you harmed in any way? I was so foolish to allow you to walk alone beside the river. Never again will I let you out of my sight...'
Katherine tried to answer him, so delighted was she to see him, barely able to utter a word. 'Yes..., yes I'm fine Richard, now you are here. Oh, thank God you found me and before nightfall too!' She sank into his arms, not wishing to ever leave them.
He held her for another few moments, before helping her out of the door, both stepping over the three bodies of her abductors. Katherine didn't wish to linger as Richard helped her toward her horse. The men were wiping the freshly spilt blood from their swords.
'I know you have been through a lot, but are you able to sit your horse? It's a long story I'll tell you about it later. It's imperative we get away from here as soon as possible.'
'Yes...I think so', Katherine replied hesitantly. 'Give me a moment or two to breathe some fresh air. That place sickened me to my stomach.'
'Of course my love, take your time, but night is nearly upon us and we need to find somewhere safe to stay before returning home. It's not possible expecting you to ride through the dark. We can return home in the morning. Is our babe unharmed also?'
Richard put an arm around her shoulders and placed a hand gently on her abdomen.
'I'm sure all will be well,' she reassured him, with a gentle smile.
Richard helped her to mount her palfrey and together they left the scene where Katherine had been held. Richard was grateful Edmund had had the initiative to return with her horse, meeting up with the other men, who had been diligent in dealing with the three ruthless men so quickly. Their plan had worked thank God. He shuddered to think if they hadn't found her before nightfall.
All four men were greatly relieved Katherine was obviously unharmed.
Richard rode close to Katherine, keeping a close eye on her. She had coped well with her ordeal, and he promised himself that from now on he would take far better care of her and their unborn child. He also had an important apology to make.
Katherine glanced over to where her husband rode, looking earnest and very attentive. He had learned a harsh lesson.
She smiled softly to herself as she was never more happy to see him.
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