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I dragged my thoughts back to Daniel. “How long do you think you can keep it up?”
He scowled. “I can only hope she leaves soon.”
That was the thing. Even as sheriff, Daniel had no sway over higher nobility like Lady Thornton.
I looked around, wondering what I could do to hide my scent, but Daniel shook his head.
“Not enough time, and it might play in your favor. Keep Lady Thornton guessing, if you know what I mean.”
I frowned, not so sure.
“The abbot told me I’m to be interviewed about my ‘kidnapping.’ Why?”
Daniel’s eyes flashed. “Because Lady Thornton suspects Robynne, and you’re the only one known to have seen her camp.”
I made a face. “And you think I’m so stupid that you need to remind me to spin a tall tale?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
Something in me snapped, and I stopped. “Don’t get all high and mighty with me, Sheriff. If I’d been free to make my own choices, I would have been off to the Crusades with the likes of you and proven myself every bit as brave.”
He leveled his gaze at me, more sad than angry. “Any fool can be brave — at the beginning, when you’re fresh and naive. The trick is keeping it up once you’ve felt — and sown — enough fear. Once you realize what the war is really about.”
I frowned. “The Crusades are about seizing back the Holy Land. Everyone knows that.”
Daniel laughed bitterly. “The Crusades, like most wars, are a playground for powerful men who stay far, far away from the front lines. Men who stand to profit handsomely while others suffer.”
“Including King Richard?” I challenged.
Daniel nodded wearily. “I will be loyal to him to the end. But, yes. Even him, in his own way. He only risks a kingdom. But his foot soldiers — and the innocent civilians in their way — risk much, much more. Their families. Their homes. Their way of life.”
I furrowed my brow. How did all that weigh up against a kingdom?
“A kingdom is abstract. Your loved ones are not,” Daniel retorted. Then he growled, riding close enough to grab my robe. “You want to see action? Then look. Look hard.”
I stared, wondering if he’d gone mad. But when his eyes flashed, images appeared in my mind — blurry at first, then sharper.
I saw a village consumed by an inferno. Women and children wailed, fled, or cowered helplessly at the sight of their homes going up in flames. An old man beat hopelessly at the fire. Then a mounted warrior appeared, slashing with his sword as he galloped through the village.
I winced, ready to look away.
But Daniel only tightened his grip. “Look,” he ordered mercilessly.
The knight cut down the old man without so much as slowing down.
Another warrior appeared, this one on a dappled gray steed. He pulled up in front of a group of villagers who fell to their knees, begging to be spared. When he lowered his sword, my hopes rose. But then more soldiers charged up, slaughtering those poor souls before his eyes.
I saw the same warrior sliding off his horse in a different place, staring off in a daze. Wondering what he’d been part of. Asking himself why. Torturing himself with it.
“That’s the action. The ‘glory.’ That’s what the lies are made of,” Daniel hissed.
More images followed. I saw a battlefield littered with bodies, not all dead. Many — most, perhaps — moaned in agony, clutching mortal wounds. When a group of men approached them, I was sure they would help. My stomach turned when they looted the battlefield instead. Some pulled boots off dying soldiers, while others laughed and tried out swords they found.
“Who helps the wounded?” I demanded, sure help would appear any moment.
“No one,” Daniel said. “And any locals who survive loathe you.”
“But…but…”
