A Hero's Heart (Noble Heart Book 7) Read online

  A HERO'S HEART

  CYNTHIA S. GRIFFITH

  COVER ART BY SARAH LOWE

  Copyright © 2010 by Cynthia S. Griffith

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without prior written permission of the author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One: Too Much Trouble

  Chapter Two: The Able Men of Aber

  Chapter Three: The Hawthornes

  Chapter Four: One Shoe On and One Shoe Off

  Chapter Five: The Road to Aber

  Chapter Six: Mystery in the Meadow

  Chapter Seven: A Bigger Target

  Chapter Eight: Someone Bad

  Chapter Nine: Cousins in a Cavern

  Chapter Ten: Follow Your Nose

  Chapter Eleven: God Looks Upon the Heart

  Chapter Twelve: The Bait

  Chapter Thirteen: Hail the Conquering Hero!

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  CHAPTER ONE

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  Too Much Trouble

  “No!” Cook’s howl echoed throughout the kitchen. The hustle and bustle stopped, and at every table and in every corner the workers turned to stare at the large, distraught woman. The gardener outside straightened up painfully from the vegetable patch where he had been weeding and looked toward the open door as her shout reached even him. Two of the housemaids in the hallway looked at one another and hurried on their way. They did not want to be anywhere near the kitchen when Cook was upset.

  Noble looked up from the nook where he sat on a stool at Granny’s feet. He tried to stop in every morning to visit with her for a few minutes when he could, and usually he found her in the kitchen where she had many friends and now and then would pitch in and help with the baking. It was time to get on with his duties and he was just about to say goodbye to Granny when suddenly the commotion caught their attention.

  Cook was standing in the center of the kitchen waving a big wooden spoon in one hand and a butcher knife in the other. Her apron was thrown over her face, but it did not stifle the noise of her howling. Noble could not understand her words but he jumped to his feet. “What is it? Is she hurt? Did she burn herself? Cut her hand?” he questioned those around him as he hurried toward her.

  Before anyone could answer, he noticed some of the other workers laughing and pointing. He looked in the direction they were gesturing just in time to see Hero—his Hero—backing out the kitchen door and dragging a huge ham behind him!

  The hunk of meat was almost bigger than the small dog himself. That did not stop the determined pup one bit. Inch by inch, Hero tugged and yanked, undeterred by the size of the ham or by the uproar in the kitchen.

  The uproar! Noble’s horrified gaze went back to Cook. Her apron was down, and now he could see her red face and her hair standing out every which way. Suddenly her words came through loud and clear! “My ham! My ham! That—that dog has my ham! Stop him! Stop the thief!”

  Noble leaped forward. “Hero!” he yelled. “Drop that meat! Let go! Now!”

  The dog lifted his big brown eyes and looked at his master guiltily—but he did not stop. He doubled his efforts, trying with all his might to make his getaway with the booty.

  Noble rushed at the dog and grabbed hold of the other end of the ham. “Let go, Hero! No! Bad dog!” he grunted as a tug-of-war began. Size was on his side, but Hero’s teeth were sunk deeply into the meat and he was not about to let go. Even when his four paws left the floor and he hung in the air from the ham, he would not release the meat.

  All over the kitchen people were laughing and pointing, not only at the naughty dog, but also at the young knight who was a champion of the kingdom. Now, it seemed, he could not seem to defeat the little meat thief of the kitchen!

  From the corner of his eye he could see Cook approaching as if to battle, still armed with her knife. Oh, no! he groaned to himself. Anyone who entered Cook’s kitchen, including Noble, knew better than to cross her. He had lived cautiously around Cook the last several years. She was a good woman, but in her kitchen she was the ruler and a stern task-master and very, very particular about the food she prepared for the king. It must always be the best, and served on time and piping hot. Noble did not work under Cook, but he still had a healthy respect for her and was careful to stay on her good side. And now here was his own dog, committing a great trespass in her kitchen—trying to steal a ham that was meant for the king!

  Her eyes were on Hero and she waved the knife at him. “My ham!” she bellowed again. “I’ll get you, you little thief!” Hero shifted his attention to Cook who was drawing perilously close, but even that did not cause him to let go of the meat.

  Noble did not know what to do. He could understand the woman’s rage, but at the same time he could not allow her to hurt his dog. It would not do to simply pick up Hero with ham attached and make a run for it. Then he would be the meat thief! He did not want to disarm her and embarrass her in front of all these people who worked for her. He certainly couldn’t pull his own sword and duel her with her kitchen knife!

  Help came from an unexpected source just then. “Hero! You naughty little boy!” a gentle voice came. Granny stepped between the dog who still dangled from the ham and the angry cook. “Are you hungry, pup? Come with Granny! Granny will find you something good to eat!” She spoke soothingly and stroked Hero’s head as she gathered him in her arms.

  Hero looked up at Granny with his big puppy-dog eyes and then looked down at the ham in his mouth. He hesitated, but then with one last shake of his head and a mighty tug he pulled off a large chunk of meat and let go of the rest of the ham.

  “No, no, Hero! That ham does not belong to you! We must give it back to Cook – all of it!” Granny said quietly. She pried the meat from the dog’s mouth and turning, plopped it into Cook’s hand. “There you go, Cook!” she said in soft triumph. “You have your ham back! Noble will carry it back over to the table for you. I think if you cut off the part where Hero dragged it across the floor, and where he had hold of it, and then slice it up before you serve it, it will be just fine to serve the king! Now come, Hero! We will go to my room and see if we can find a treat for you there!”

  Granny turned and staggered from the kitchen, still carrying Hero. He was a small dog, but Granny was a tiny woman, and in her arms he looked very large indeed. They all stared as she left the room and then everyone burst into laughter once more—everyone, that is, except for Noble and Cook. Cook was looking at the glob of slobbery meat in her hand and glowering. Noble stood before her apprehensively with the sadly battered ham cradled in his arms.

  At last she scowled, “Serve it to the king, indeed! Humpf! And as for you, Sir Noble—that dog of yours in no longer welcome in my kitchen! At least—at least not for a long time to come! At least a—at least a week!” Suddenly she burst out laughing as well. “Little rascal! I’ve known him since he was just a wee puppy and never has he done such a thing before! What got into him, I wonder?” She stopped laughing as quickly as she had begun. “I am serious, Sir Noble! Keep him out of here for at least a week. By that time he may have forgotten the ham. But if he ever tries such a thing again, he will in truth be banished from the kitchen for good! We cannot have him ruining the king’s food!” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked sternly at Noble.

  “Yes, yes of course!” he stammered. “I am so sorry, Cook! It won’t happen again, Cook, I promise!” He deposited the ham on a nearby table and hurried out the door. He was late for his duties now, thanks to
Hero! The dog would have to spend the day with Granny for there was no time now to fetch him.

  Sir Michael was in the stable saddling his horse Storm when Noble came in. “I hear our friend Hero has been in a bit of trouble this morning!” he laughed.

  Noble stared in astonishment. “How did you know that?” he asked.

  “Word travels very quickly around here. You must know that by now.”

  “Very quickly!” Noble agreed. He turned to Valiant’s stall. The big black stallion was already saddled and ready to go. Jamie’s work, no doubt. The stable boy was always ready to give his friend Sir Noble Heart a helping hand. He led Valiant from the stall and said, “Let’s go. We are late getting started!”

  Valiant nearly shoved him out of the way in his eagerness to get out of the stable. Noble shook his head. What was happening to his animals today? Maybe the “master” needed to be more masterful, he thought ruefully.

  “Sir Edward wants us to ride out toward Aber today,” Sir Michael informed him once they had mounted their horses. “There have been rumors of trouble on the road between Caernarfon and Conwy. Highwaymen are stopping travelers and robbing them—most frequently between the villages of Bangor and Aber. We are to merely talk with some of the local people and find out what is going on. Sir Edward will decide then if we need some of our men patrolling that stretch of the road for a while until we can catch the culprits.”

  “I know just the place to begin then,” Noble replied. “I am acquainted with the innkeeper and his son in Aber—Tom Locke and his son, young Thomas.”

  “Oh, yes! I remember them! That was the place where you rallied the townspeople against a gang of criminals, isn’t it? Well, perhaps you rid them of one gang, only to have others spring up in their place.”

  “I fear you may be right, Michael. It will be good to see Master Locke and Thomas again, though. Let us be on our way, then.” Valiant did not need any more encouragement. He took off with Storm close behind him.

  They had not even made it through the gates of the castle, though, when they were quickly brought to a halt. A small white and brown blur appeared out of nowhere and suddenly dashed almost beneath the hooves of the great warhorses. The dog was barking crazily and Storm reared back in alarm.

  “Hero!” Valiant was prancing nervously as the small dog ran around his hooves, nipping and yapping. He was used to Hero, so he tolerated the pup’s antics better than did Storm. Sir Michael was fighting to keep his seat on his startled steed. “What are you doing out here, you little scoundrel? You’re supposed to be with Granny! Are you trying to get yourself trampled?” Noble slid off of Valiant and chased after the boisterous dog.

  He had just caught up with him and scooped him into his arms when a boy ran up to them, clearly out of breath, but grinning broadly. “Sorry, Noble!” he exclaimed. “He had just slipped away from Granny as I was coming to see her and she asked if I would go after him. He’s too quick for me, though! What a rascal he is today! I heard about the ham!”

  Noble smiled at the young prince. “Thank you, William! Yes, I do not know what has gotten into him today. Perhaps I will need to tie him up to keep him out of trouble.”

  “Oh, no! Do not do that, Noble! I will watch him. I think he is a bit of a handful for Granny today. Hello there, Sir Michael! Where are you going today?”

  “We are on our way to Aber, Your Highness.” Storm had settled down now that Hero was under control, and Sir Michael dismounted, as well, as he addressed the prince.

  “Aber? Is not that where Thomas Locke lives, Noble? I wonder how he and his horse Noble are doing.” He grinned as he said the horse’s name, for he still thought it quite amusing that the innkeeper’s son had named his horse after Sir Noble. “I wish I could go with you and visit them!”

  “Perhaps another time, William. To get permission for you to go right now would delay us and we are late already. We would like to reach Aber before sunset. I doubt if your parents would allow you to go at this time, anyhow. There is trouble out that way with robbers and we are going to investigate. They will not want you to ride into potential danger.” Noble paused at the crestfallen look on the boy-prince’s face. “And besides, did you not just promise to keep Hero out of trouble? If you went with us, who would look after him?”

  “Yes, you are right, Noble—I did. Well, then, will you tell Thomas that I send him greetings, and that some day I will visit him and we will ride together?”

  “Yes, of course, William.” He handed Hero over to the prince. “Be good, Hero!” he said sternly as he scratched the pup behind the ears. “Stay out of trouble! We will be back in a couple days, William. We are only gathering information at this point and then are to meet with your father and the captains to determine what will be done.”

  “Farewell, then! I will do my best to keep him out of trouble, Noble. If nothing else, as prince I can give him a royal decree and surely he will obey me then! Right, Hero?” The dog looked up and licked him across the face.

  Noble and Sir Michael laughed and remounted their horses. “I wish you better success with him than I have had!” Noble said. “Now we must go and try to make up a little of the time we have lost. Farewell, Your Highness! We will see you in a few days.” They spurred the horses on and within moments had disappeared through the gates.

  William sighed. “I wish I were going with them!” he said wistfully. “Well, Hero, let us go back to Granny so that she will not be worrying about you. And then maybe later we will find something—uh, interesting—to do. From now on, Pup, if you want to get into trouble, you will have to do it with me!”

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  CHAPTER TWO

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  The Able Men of Aber

  The journey to Aber was uneventful. They could not have asked for a more beautiful summer day for a ride through the countryside, and the knights enjoyed it as much as the horses did. Noble was glad to put the rocky start to the day behind him. Occasionally he wondered how Hero was doing, but for the most part, his mind was more on the job ahead of them.

  They encountered many people on the road, especially close to Caernarfon as the folks were bringing their produce and wares to market. Wagons filled with vegetables, carts loaded with crocks of butter and milk and driven by rosy-cheeked farm women, and sheep and pigs driven by young lads crowded the road in some spots. There were smiles and greetings all along the way for the two young kingsmen. The bright sunshine seemed to put everyone in a merry mood and trouble, indeed, seemed to be far away!

  The crowds thinned out the further they got from Caernarfon, and they made good time, after all. They reached Aber an hour or two before sunset. Thomas was in the courtyard of the inn as they turned into the gate. His jaw dropped when he recognized one of the visitors. “Sir Noble!” he exclaimed.

  Before they could respond, he had turned his back on them and run to the door of the inn. He disappeared inside, but a few moments later was back, pulling his father outside with him. “Look, Father! It is Sir Noble! He has returned!”

  “Sir Noble! How good it is to see you again! What has it been? A year or more since you were last here? And who might your friend be?”

  Noble and Michael dismounted and Noble introduced the other knight to Master Locke and Thomas. “This is Sir Michael, another of the King’s Guard. It is good to see you both, as well! You are looking well, and the inn is as welcoming as ever! We are here on business, though, Master. Might we find a room here at the inn for the night?”

  “Of course! Of course! Come in! Thomas will see to your horses.” His son was already fondly stroking Valiant’s broad neck, and the great stallion seemed happy to see the lad again, as well. He was nuzzling him, looking for some treat—an apple or a carrot, perhaps. “When you are through with the horses, Thomas, be a good lad and run and fetch Willy and Jacob and some of the other fellows in the village who might want to renew their acquaintance with Sir Noble.”

  Noble smiled and said, “That is good! We will talk to you
later, then, Thomas. We have a message for you!” Curiosity filled the boy’s eyes, but he merely nodded and led the horses away. The knights followed Master Locke into the inn.

  “Now, then—would you like to go directly to your rooms? You are the first guests to stop today, so I can give you each your own room. Or would you prefer to stay down here for a while and have a bite to eat? Supper is not quite ready, but I could bring you some scones and tea, if you like, to hold you until then,” the innkeeper offered.

  “That sounds good, Master Locke! We will stay down here for a while so that we might talk with you and any of the other villagers who stop in. We have some questions to ask of you. Perhaps you might be able to help us in our mission.”

  Locke nodded briefly and bustled off to fetch the scones and tea. Curiosity filled his own face at the young knight’s words, but he went about his business just as his son had done.

  By the time Noble and Michael had finished their refreshments and Master Locke had a few free moments to sit down with them, some of the other villagers had begun to trickle in. Locke jumped up again to serve drinks to the newcomers as warm greetings were exchanged between the men and the young knight who had aided them the year before in standing up to a gang of criminals who had threatened to destroy their village. “Welcome back, Sir Noble!” they each exclaimed at the sight of him.

  “It has been too long since we have seen you!” old Jacob added. “None of us will ever forget what you did for Aber! Why, we speak of it nearly every night still when we gather here in the inn! We owe you our homes and possibly even our lives!”

  “No, you owe me nothing,” Noble replied. “I seem to remember you all did a fine job in standing up for yourselves once you were organized and united together against the enemy! And to God goes the glory for the victory won!”