midst of them. He swung his sword once and knocked another knight off his horse killing him by putting his oversized foot on his chest and jamming his blade through his helm visor.
More of the Scots found their weapons. More of them were falling from the wild haphazard sword hacks of the English as they rushed through hitting men as fast and as furious as they could manage.
There were far more Scots on the field than the small forces of the garrison and Lord Neville, watching from the wall walk, knew that his number would have had no chance in an open battle. His excitement exploded as he saw the success Easley and his men were having at frenzied butchery.
Archibald’s head swiveled looking for a next strike.
He grabbed the reins of the dead knight’s horse and swung himself aboard kicking it hard in the ribs and headed straight for the thick of the pack.
Montgomery had seven kills to his blade. “More a’comin ’!!” he shouted, “On foot, they are!!”
More of the armed Scots rallied to Montgomery ’s cries for help.
They screamed their war whoops like banshees and attacked the new comers who easily scattered despite the attempts of their nameless leader trying to hold them cohesive. The English foot soldiers were hardly accountable for they themselves were led to believe their job would be to merely impale wounded Scots to death.
The livid Scots were tearing into the foot soldiers badly. Some of the English ran faster than others but they were all headed back to the still open gate entrance.
The one hiding in the grass jumped up when his comrades ran past and joined them in their retreat.
More Scots rushed to enforce Montgomery ’s splintered others holding back the more tenacious English foot.
Inside, Lord Neville slipped a pre-written parchment letter into a couriers pouch and handed it to the already briefed and prepared messenger named Roger. “Get this to Lord Henry Percy as fast as you can,” he ordered.
“Yes, Milord,” replied Roger as he put the strap over his head. It dropped to his shoulder as he ran down the stone steps to the main bailey and deftly climbed into the saddle of his awaiting horse. The foot soldiers returning from the field were swarming through the gate tunnel but the messenger knew it was his only chance to get free from the castle without being stopped by the Scots and so galloped through the gate house at best speed running over whoever was in his path.
Within moments Roger was headed east on the road toward Northumberland.
Meanwhile, Archibald Douglas was fighting as many knights as he could stop from maiming his men. He had lost his sword but had taken a long handled hammer-axe from an English knight who came close to using it on him.
Realizing that Sir Thomas Easley was the apparent leader of the sneak attack, the earl worked his way through the mêlée to where he was and rammed him from behind on his right side punching him hard with his large shield and so knocking him off balance.
Thomas straightened on the saddle in time to get a hard clonk on his helm with the flat of Archibald’s newly acquired axe, dazing the man.
Archibald put his foot on the belly of Easley’s horse and pushed the two beasts away enough to give his hammer-axe a good chance to do damage on a next planned swing.
Easley well felt the overhand blow that hit his helm even though it was a glancing blow it knocked him cold and he fell awkwardly to the ground.
Archibald turned for more but what he saw were the English knights frantically working to get unencumbered from Scottish blades and those that still had horses kicked them hard to get back to the gate entrance from whence they came.
The earl was suddenly inspired to try for the open gate and called for as many as he could muster to follow him. They ran as fast as they could on the tails of the English yelling to the top of their voices and shaking whatever weapon they might have had over their heads.
Lord Ralph Neville saw what
More of the Scots found their weapons. More of them were falling from the wild haphazard sword hacks of the English as they rushed through hitting men as fast and as furious as they could manage.
There were far more Scots on the field than the small forces of the garrison and Lord Neville, watching from the wall walk, knew that his number would have had no chance in an open battle. His excitement exploded as he saw the success Easley and his men were having at frenzied butchery.
Archibald’s head swiveled looking for a next strike.
He grabbed the reins of the dead knight’s horse and swung himself aboard kicking it hard in the ribs and headed straight for the thick of the pack.
Montgomery had seven kills to his blade. “More a’comin ’!!” he shouted, “On foot, they are!!”
More of the armed Scots rallied to Montgomery ’s cries for help.
They screamed their war whoops like banshees and attacked the new comers who easily scattered despite the attempts of their nameless leader trying to hold them cohesive. The English foot soldiers were hardly accountable for they themselves were led to believe their job would be to merely impale wounded Scots to death.
The livid Scots were tearing into the foot soldiers badly. Some of the English ran faster than others but they were all headed back to the still open gate entrance.
The one hiding in the grass jumped up when his comrades ran past and joined them in their retreat.
More Scots rushed to enforce Montgomery ’s splintered others holding back the more tenacious English foot.
Inside, Lord Neville slipped a pre-written parchment letter into a couriers pouch and handed it to the already briefed and prepared messenger named Roger. “Get this to Lord Henry Percy as fast as you can,” he ordered.
“Yes, Milord,” replied Roger as he put the strap over his head. It dropped to his shoulder as he ran down the stone steps to the main bailey and deftly climbed into the saddle of his awaiting horse. The foot soldiers returning from the field were swarming through the gate tunnel but the messenger knew it was his only chance to get free from the castle without being stopped by the Scots and so galloped through the gate house at best speed running over whoever was in his path.
Within moments Roger was headed east on the road toward Northumberland.
Meanwhile, Archibald Douglas was fighting as many knights as he could stop from maiming his men. He had lost his sword but had taken a long handled hammer-axe from an English knight who came close to using it on him.
Realizing that Sir Thomas Easley was the apparent leader of the sneak attack, the earl worked his way through the mêlée to where he was and rammed him from behind on his right side punching him hard with his large shield and so knocking him off balance.
Thomas straightened on the saddle in time to get a hard clonk on his helm with the flat of Archibald’s newly acquired axe, dazing the man.
Archibald put his foot on the belly of Easley’s horse and pushed the two beasts away enough to give his hammer-axe a good chance to do damage on a next planned swing.
Easley well felt the overhand blow that hit his helm even though it was a glancing blow it knocked him cold and he fell awkwardly to the ground.
Archibald turned for more but what he saw were the English knights frantically working to get unencumbered from Scottish blades and those that still had horses kicked them hard to get back to the gate entrance from whence they came.
The earl was suddenly inspired to try for the open gate and called for as many as he could muster to follow him. They ran as fast as they could on the tails of the English yelling to the top of their voices and shaking whatever weapon they might have had over their heads.
Lord Ralph Neville saw what
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