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"Thank you," Dirick replied, his gray eyes still so writes that you are in search your father’swith the parchment "I would be happy to be of assistance in any way I can" His offer was sincere, although he did not have any urge to relive the experience of co upon that bloody scene

Dirick nodded briefly, and now there was an eleh it must be difficult for you, my lord, I should like to know every detail of what you found"

"Of course," Merle replied "And it can be no more difficult for ain, I a to tell you what I will"

He closed his eyes briefly to pull the scene back into his an to describe how he’d co the border of Maitland and the king’s forest-- my man-at-ar ht, and eary, seeking Maitland Keep for the night As we rode, a shrill, horrible cry met my ears It was the cry of a horse in pain My iven his head, he thrashed through the brush to the glen" Merle sed as he remembered the heavy stench of blood that filled his nostrils before he even saw the horror there

As if sensing his host needed a moment to collect himself, Dirick took a drink from his wine "There were no survivors?" he asked after he sed

"Nay We put the horse out of her s and was tied to a tree I’ve never seen such carnage And such torture" Merle’s jaw tightened "’Twas a waste and a travesty"

"My father?"

Merle took a deep breath, recalling the last time he’d seen Lord Harold hale and hearty "I would it had not been anyone, but particularly your father I had met him on two occasions, and he was a very fineyour elder brother to my Maris, but alas, it was not to be Maris and Bernard did not suit However, your father did favor the match"

He sipped to moisten his parched throat and continued his description of the scene "Your father was dead from stab wounds, yet the bastard had slit his throat as well Very little blood drenched the ground, so it appeared clear he was dead when his throat was cut And then…" He rubbed his teer and thumb "I saw the imprint of a horse’s hoof in the back of your father’s neck The force appeared to have snapped his spine, and was so strong that it drove his severed neck into the ground And," Merle sed hard, for this was the worst part "His face was pulled back to face the sky"

"By the hand of God," Dirick uest’s handsoain that he had never coht But there was ed opposite another man, their hands joined at the wrist"

"By God, I will find the monster" His voas soft and hard "For my father to die unshriven…in such an unspeakable manner…"

"Nay, he was not unshriven, lad," Merle told hiave last rites to your father and his companions"

"Praise God for that, at the least," Dirick said quietly "Is there aught else, anything that will help in my quest?"

Merle was silent for aThe ht have carried and so…yet, I believe it was no hter is more like God help the es for news of a roahtened to tell me, or they saw no one That is all I can tell you, I am sorry"

Dirick nodded, and at that moment, there was a knock on the door of Merle’s private chae entered, bearing a folded parcher He was told not to await your reply"

"Thank you," Merle took theat the seal, sood" The paper crackled as he opened it to read

Dirick was torn between banishing the i over the some answer in the details, somehow As Lord Merle closed the docu in the details of the small, wood furnished room "Good news is alell come," he said with a nod toward the letter

"Aye, indeed ’Tis a e from the man hom I hope to betrothe Maris," the man explained "He and his father Lord d’Arcy should arrive within a se’ennight"