The First Lost Tale of Mercia: Golde the Mother (3 page)

“I’m so sorry, Hunwald.” Her voice shook with
sobs. “Who did this to you?”

“One of ... Lord Alfric’s men.” Golde could
not believe Hunwald would bother to call Alfric “lord” after what
had been done to him. But such was Hunwald’s nature. “Eadric ... he
did not see it happen. Don’t worry.”

She clutched him tighter against her. “Where
is Eadric?”

“He went ... with them. He wanted to go, but
I tried to stop him ... anyway. That’s why they …” He glanced down
at his wound and groaned.

“Oh, Hunwald ... you never deserved any of
this. I am so sorry.”

“Please, look after ... look after the
pigs.”

It was silly for a dying request, she
thought. But she could not smile. “After I find Eadric, I ... I’ll
try.”

It was a promise she was not sure she could
keep, but hoped she would, anyway. Her arms shook as she considered
abandoning him. She had to go after Eadric. But she could not leave
Hunwald to die here, slowly and painfully, while elvish sprites
festered his wounds and he writhed in lonely agony until his death.
Then his dead body would be fodder for the first hungry animal to
come along. No, she could not let that happen.

She braced her legs, and heaved up with a
great groan of effort. He sagged against her with a trembling grip.
“What ... are you ...?”

“Save your breath,” she growled through her
teeth. “I’m taking you to a church.”

Hunwald did not own a horse, but she found a
cart capable of holding his weight. She strapped on good boots and
took some of his coins. She left the rest behind, hiding them under
a firm floorboard, hoping this would give her the motivation to
return and fulfill her foolish promise.

Then she left Hunwald’s farm, sadly certain
that she would never return. She took Hunwald to the nearest
monastery and left him with the monks. She leaned over him and
brushed her lips against his, so lightly that afterwards she
wondered whether they had ever touched at all. In any case, it was
much too late for such sentiments. Her life with him was over, and
so too was the hope of any true relationship they could have had
together. She had lived in a dream, she realized: a dream in which
she was not a whore, and Eadric was not a bastard, and one of his
possible fathers was not the most treacherous Saxon in
Engla-lond.

She resolved that if she found Eadric—and she
told herself she would—their lives would change for the better. She
did not yet know how.

But she would think of something.

**

READ MORE

One Lost Tale of Mercia will release every
other Tuesday until October 5, the release of the full novel,
“Eadric the Grasper.” For more news and updates, visit
www.jaydenwoods.com
.

The Second Lost Tale: RELEASED

The Third Lost Tale: RELEASED

The Fourth Lost Tale: June 29

The Fifth Lost Tale: July 13

The Sixth Lost Tale: July 27

The Seventh Lost Tale: August 10

The Eighth Lost Tale: August 24

The Ninth Lost Tale: September 7

The Tenth Lost Tale: September 21

OCTOBER 5th: Eadric the Grasper releases on
Amazon

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, as compiled by
various monks until the year 1140, were my primary sources of
information. So, too, were the Chronicles of Florence of Worcester
and the Chronicles of the Kings of England as written by William of
Malmesbury. Without the devotion of these men to chronicle the
chaotic events of their time, so little of the Dark Ages would be
known. For a full list of sources, or to tell me what you think of
my work, visit my blog at
http://talesofmercia.wordpress.com
.