Julian slapped him on the arm. “Go,” he said. “Meanwhile, we’ll start organizing men to clean up this shoreline, so we need to find some men to help. Everyone has been concentrated at the mouth of the river, but we need to start cleaning up this area, too.”
Cole started to move towards the stumpy tower that led to the stairs up the wall. “You’ll have to ask Sherry where he can spare men,” he said. “He is in command of the clean-up after the battle. He’ll assign some men to help.”
Julian followed him, as did Addax. “And you will not help us?” Julian asked. “When you are done with your lady-love, that is.”
Cole turned to glare at his brother. “Nay,” he said flatly. “I have done enough, making sure these ships were burned to the waterline. The least you can do is clean up my mess while I go on to more relaxing pursuits. Like Cori.”
Julian chuckled. “She will be very glad to see you.”
Cole could only smile. Anything that had to do with Corisande had him smiling. It had indeed been a long seven days, and he’d only been able to see her once for a very short time during that period, so he was anxious to go to her. It was all he’d been dreaming of. He was just heading up the stairs when he noticed that Essien was still down on the shore. He was moving, but not very quickly.
Cole paused.
“Es!” he shouted. “What are you doing? Are you coming with us?”
Essien nodded and ran to catch up with them. But the moment his foot hit the bottom step, he came to a stop.
“Cole, wait,” he said.
Cole came to a halt with Julian and Addax behind him, all of them turning to Essien. “What is it?” Cole asked.
Essien took a deep breath and peered up at him. “I… I need to speak with you.”
“What about?”
“Something I heard when I was running missives for The Marshal earlier today.”
“What did you hear?”
Essien sighed heavily and hung his head for a moment, trying to find the right words. “Come… come down here, please,” he said. “I do not want to shout at you.”
Cole, Julian, and Addax looked at each other, shrugged, and came back down the stairs so they were standing next to Essien at the very bottom.
“I am here,” Cole said. “What is so important?”
Essien scratched his head. “You know I would never lie to you, Cole.”
“I know.”
“And what I am about to tell you is the truth, as I heard it.”
“And?”
“And I heard something today that I think you must know,” he said. “Even if it is only malicious gossip, it must be addressed.”
“What is it?”
Essien took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “You know I’d never say something unless I felt it was important,” he said, clearly hesitant. “But… well, the soldiers who were captured along with Lady Corisande and Lady Gaia have been… talking. I have heard that they have been telling others that we did not save the ladies. They said that the English captives were already being returned to England when we ambushed the Scots and killed them.”
Cole didn’t seem to see anything shattering about that. “I do not see that as a concern,” he said. “In fact, it would make sense because when we found them, they were moving south. We thought they were moving the women to another location to keep them hostage, but it is equally possible they were taking them back to England. But my question would be why? Why would they do that?”
Essien closed his eyes a moment before looking at him. “The soldiers are saying because Lady Corisande traded favors with the Scots commander for their freedom,” he said quietly. “That is why they were being released.”
Cole didn’t quite understand. “Traded favors?” he said. “What favors?”
“Cole, she gave herself over to the commander,” Essien said quietly, making it clear. “She let the man bed her as a condition for their release. She was seen going into his tent, alone, and the next morning, they were released.”
Cole’s eyes flew open wide when he finally realized what he was saying. “Those men are saying that?” he hissed.
Essien nodded, disgusted with the entire situation. “They are,” he said miserably. “The rumors have been going around camp for several days, evidently, only we heard nothing about it because we’ve been sealed up at Berwick Castle. But I heard it today when I was running missives.”
Cole stared at him a moment and they could see that his cheeks were turning a dull shade of red. “It’s not true,” he said hoarsely. “It is not possibly true.”
Essien lifted his shoulders. “True or not, that is what they are saying, Cole. Surely there has to be another explanation other than the idle gossip of vicious tongues.”
Cole continued to stare at him, processing what he’d been told. Something was building in him, something explosive. Perhaps even something uncontrollable. Those two-colored eyes took on a terrifying gleam. Without another word, he turned back to the stairwell and began racing up the steep stairs. After a split second, Julian followed.
Essien called after them.
“I am sorry, Cole!” he shouted. “I thought you should know!”
Cole didn’t answer. He just kept running. Distraught, Essien turned to Addax, who simply shook his head with pure, unadulterated disgust.
“I had to tell him,” Essien insisted. “He had to know.”
Addax nodded. “I know,” he said, greatly disheartened by the whole situation. “Come on. Let’s follow him to make sure he does not kill anyone.”
The brothers followed.
Corisande was stirring a giant iron pot filled with boiling water as Gaia gingerly tossed bloodied and soiled linen bandages into it.
It was not her favorite task.
“Gaia, watch what you are doing,” Corisande scolded. “We do not want to toss the bandages into the fire.”
Gaia was absolutely disgusted. She held up a linen bandage by the very edge, soiled with something green, and shrieked.
“It smells!” she cried.
“Then do not smell it,” Corisande said impatiently. “Just put it in the pot.”
Making a terrible face, she tossed the bandage into the pot as Corisande stirred. “This is awful work,” she said unhappily. “Why can’t someone else do this?”
“Because you are doing it. I have asked this of you.”
Gaia was pouting. Looking around their encampment, she was trying to think of something that wasn’t disgusting, smelly, or awful. She eyed her sister unhappily.
“Then let me stir the pot,” she said. “You can toss in the soiled linen.”
“Gladly,” Corisande said, rolling her eyes as Gaia took over with the big stick. “That’s right; stir it boldly. You have to make sure that all of the poison on the bandages comes off.”
Gaia was trying to stir and stand back from the flames at the same time. “It’s hot!”
Corisande grunted unhappily at her sister’s complaining. Everything she did was something to complain about and it was becoming frustrating. “Stir,” she commanded. “Keep stirring. I will go check on the men and bring back more soiled bandages.”