Page 116 of The Pillars of the Earth

She screamed. The horse backed away, frightened. Aliena turned and saw a dirty, bearded man all dressed in brown leather. He took a step toward her. “Keep away from me!” she shrieked.

“No need to be afraid,” he said.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Richard step into the clearing behind the stranger, his arms full of wood. He stood looking at the two of them.Draw your sword!thought Aliena, but he looked too scared and uncertain to do anything. She stepped back, trying to get the horse between herself and the stranger. “We’ve got no money,” she said. “We’ve got nothing.”

“I’m the king’s verderer,” he said.

Aliena almost collapsed with relief. A verderer was a royal servant paid to enforce the forest laws. “Why didn’t you say so, you foolish man?” she said, angry at having been scared. “I took you for an outlaw!”

He looked startled, and rather offended, as if she had said something impolite; but all he said was: “You’ll be a highborn lady, then.”

“I am the daughter of the earl of Shiring.”

“And the boy will be his son,” said the verderer, although he had not seemed to see Richard.

Richard now stepped forward and dropped his firewood. “That’s right,” he said. “What’s your name?”

“Brian. Are you planning to spend the night here?”

“Yes.”

“All alone?”

“Yes.” Aliena knew he was wondering why they had no escort, but she was not going to tell him.

“And you’ve no money, you say.”

Aliena frowned at him. “Do you doubt me?”

“Oh, no. I can tell you’re nobility, by your manners.” Was there a hint of irony in his voice? “If you’re alone and penniless, perhaps you’d prefer to spend the night at my house. It’s not far.”

Aliena had no intention of putting herself at the mercy of this rough character. She was about to refuse when he spoke again.

“My wife would be glad to give you supper. And I’ve a warm outhouse where you could sleep, if you prefer to sleep alone.”

The wife made a difference. Accepting the hospitality of a respectable family should be safe enough. Still Aliena hesitated. Then she thought of a fireplace, a bowl of hot pottage, a cup of wine, and a bed of straw with a roof over it. “We’d be grateful,” she said. “We’ve nothing to give you—I told the truth about having no money—but we’ll come back and reward you one day.”

“Good enough,” said the verderer. He went over to the fire and kicked it out.

Aliena and Richard mounted—they had not yet unsaddled the horses. The verderer came over and said: “Give me the reins.” Not sure what he wanted to do, Aliena gave him the reins, and Richard did likewise. The man set off through the forest, leading the horses. Aliena would have preferred to hold the reins herself, but she decided to let him have his way.

It was farther than he had indicated. They had traveled three or four miles, and it was dark, by the time they reached a small wood house with a thatched roof on the edge of a field. But there was light shining through the shutters and a smell of cooking, and Aliena dismounted gratefully.

The verderer’s wife heard the horses and came to the door. The man said to her: “A young lord and lady, alone in the forest. Give them something to drink.” He turned to Aliena. “In you go. I’ll see to the horses.”

Aliena did not like his peremptory tone—she would have preferred it if she were the one giving instructions—but she had no wish to unsaddle her own horse, so she went inside. Richard followed. The house was smoky and smelly, but warm. There was a cow tethered in one corner. Aliena was glad the man had mentioned an outhouse: she had never slept with cattle. A pot bubbled on the fire. They sat on a bench, and the wife gave them each a bowl of soup from the pot. It tasted gamey. When she saw Richard’s face in the light she was shocked. “What happened to you?” she said.

Richard opened his mouth to reply but Aliena forestalled him. “We’ve had a series of misfortunes,” she said. “We’re on our way to see the king.”

“I see,” said the wife. She was a small, brown-skinned woman with a guarded look. She did not persist in her questioning.

Aliena ate her soup quickly and wanted more. She held out her bowl. The woman looked away. Aliena was puzzled. Did she not know what Aliena wanted? Or did she not have any more? Aliena was about to speak to her sharply when the verderer came in. “I’ll show you the barn, where you can sleep,” he said. He took a lamp from a hook by the door. “Come with me.”

Aliena and Richard stood up. Aliena said to the wife: “There is one thing more I need. Can you give me an old dress? I’ve got nothing on under this cloak.”

The woman looked annoyed for some reason. “I’ll see what I can find,” she muttered.

Aliena went to the door. The verderer was giving her a strange look, staring at her cloak as if he might be able to see through it if he looked hard enough. “Lead the way!” she said sharply. He turned and went through the door.