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'Tis Sir Robert's summons, and well I know he will demand speech with my lord Gui alas for us and for Belsaye town!" "Nay," answered Beltane, "be comforted. Answer as I shall direct and fear ye nothing. Come your ways." Now when Roger turned and would have followed, Giles plucked him by the arm: "Roger," quoth he, "Sir Robert will demand speech of Gui of Allerdale, mark ye that, my Rogerkin.
"Ha!" growled Roger, "and what of thee, archer?" "I am his brother-in-arms, Rogerkin, and so know him therefore as a wondrous lord, a noble knight, a goodly youth and a sweet lad. Some day, when I grow too old to bear arms, I will to pen and ink-horn and will make of him a ballade that shall, mayhap, outlive our time. A notable ballade, something on this wise:
"Par Dex!" he broke off, "here is a right good song for thee, trolled forth upon this balmy-breathing morn sweet as any merle; a song for thee and me to sing to our children one day, mayhap so come, rejoice, my rueful Rogerkin smile, for to-day I sing and Garthlaxton is ablaze." "And my master grieveth for a Fool!" growled sulky Roger, "and twenty and two good men slain."
And dost speak like a very archer-like fool and forsooth, a foolish archer to boot. Sure, well ye know that engines for the battery have we none " GILES. "Verily! So shall we none of Belsaye, methinks. Lacking engines, we lack for all no method, no city! Remember that, dolt Rogerkin!" ROGER. "Nay, I remember Garthlaxton aflame, the gallows aflare, and the empty dungeon.
And yet, Giles, methinks he doth mope and grieve these days. He groweth pale-cheeked and careworn, harsh of speech and swift to anger. "Whence cometh the so great change in him, think you, Giles?" "For that, while I am I and he is himself, thou art but what thou art, my Rogerkin well enough after thy fashion, mayhap, but after all thou art only thyself."
"Moreover our lord doth smile on me these days, though forsooth he hath been familiar with me since first I found him within the green long ere he found thee, Rogerkin! I rode a white ass, I mind me, and my lord walked beside me very fair and soft-spoken, whereupon I called him Sir Dove! O me a dove, mark you! Since when, as ye know, we have been comrades, he and I, nay, brothers-in-arms, rather!
Twice Black Roger fell and twice Giles leapt 'twixt him and death, and perceiving his haggard eyes and the pallor of his grimed and bloody cheek, roared at him in fierce anxiety: "Fall out, Roger, fall out and rest ye, man!" "Not whiles I can stand, archer!" "Art a fool, Roger." "Belike I am, Giles " "And therefore do I love thee, Rogerkin! Ha, bear up man, yonder is water a muddy brook "
"Aye, lord!" nodded Giles, "'tis an excellent strategy in faith, and yet 'twere wiser methinks to suffer me in Roger's place: for being guileful in war, so should I be a very beguiling miller, whereas Roger, an we plastered him with flour, would ne'er be other than Rogerkin the Black." "Nay Giles, thy post is here. Let your bows be strung and ready, but set your pikes to the fore and Giles, watch!
"In Belsaye is that pale fox Sir Gui of Allerdale with many trusty men-at-arms to hold the town for Black Ivo and teach Belsaye its duty: how may we destroy my lord Duke's gallows 'neath the very beards of my lord Duke's garrison, wilt tell me that, my good, Black Rogerkin?" "Aye," nodded Roger, "that will I when I have asked my lord."
Let us then to another verse: "Walkyn a mighty axe did sway, Black Roger's sword some few did slay, Yet Giles slew many more than they, Dixit!" "Here now, we have each one his line apiece, which is fair and the lines trip it commendingly, how think ye?" "I think it a lie!" growled Roger. "Aye me!" sighed the archer, "thou'rt fasting, Rogerkin, and an empty belly ever giveth thee an ill tongue.
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