Philip gave the order to depart as soon as everything was in order, leading the small party out the least-heavily traveled gate. The late summer sun was glowing warmly even at this early hour. Wil was glad they were getting an early start for the sake of the horses.<br/><br/>They formed up into pairs with Philip and Wil riding side by side in front and the siblings behind. As they went Philip made a few comments to Wil about the horses and their pace, but nothing of any real significance. The horses, for their part, seemed happy to moving at a moderate walking gait. Their heads bobbed slowly up and down in time with the rhythm of their hooves as they went. All the while Wil wondered how the siblings were doing behind him. Every few minutes he turned to glance at them both with a friendly, supportive expression – especially Elisabeth.<br/><br/>“Are ye both holdin’ up alright?” he asked at one point. It was killing him to be so close to Elisabeth but not be able to talk freely. If only they didn’t have a chaperone and her little brother along…<br/><br/>About an hour outside the castle Wil turned to Philip and asked about Peter’s weapons. By that time the party had entered a thick wood.<br/><br/>“Young Peter,” Philip responded by turning in his saddle to face the boy directly. “You may keep your weapons. I was merely curious as to your disposition about them. It is the honest man who as nothing to fear in life…” he began, but his voice trailed off. He brought his eyes forward without attempting to draw attention to what he saw in the distance behind them.<br/><br/>Not long after Wil had also turned around to check on their guests and did a double take.<br/><br/>“Turn around and look forward, Wylyam.  Do not look as if you have seen anything. That goes for you two as well. Please keep your eyes forward.”<br/><br/>Wil brought his horse a step closer to Philip's in order to whisper to his master. Despite their best efforts it was impossible to disguise their voices from the other two.<br/><br/>“Ah coonted four ay them. Their horses an' equipment looked ta be puur, but swords an’ shields wur drawn.”<br/><br/>“Brigands mostly likely; who could also be horsemen for hire,” Philip responded also in a whisper. The senior knight had a sense of what they were in for. “I’d wager they are after the boy, and that there are more ahead.”<br/><br/>“We coods take four ur five ay them,” Wil replied with the confidence of youth.<br/><br/>“Perhaps. I know you would do your share, Wil – but we have a bigger problem. If there are four or five of them how will we protect the girl? There is only one way to be safe – for you to circle around through the wood and escort her back to the castle as fast as you can, then return with help.”<br/><br/>“What!?!” Wil shouted, forgetting himself. Only a few moments ago he was wishing he could ride alone with Elisabeth – but still the idea of abandoning his knight in an hour of need was unthinkable.<br/><br/>“Consider it well, Wylyam – we have no choice,” the older knight chastised him sternly. Wil went silent as he attempted to square what he felt with what Philip believed to be best. How could this have happened? What was he supposed to do?