another ambush.
'My lord, my lord.' One of his men came spurring back from the northern gate. 'The gates are closed but they are waiting outside the walls.'
I had a sudden vision, like a cold wave, of the line of black-horsed men bearing down among the cattle pens as we rode out.
There was another cry and we all swung round. On the southern side of the square, a group of men stood forth, not men-at-arms or knights, but townsfolk, and as we watched, more came to join their ranks. They stood in such a way, athwart the southern street, as to block all exit from the square. They were surly men, armed with staves of wood and knives, but resolute. Even as Raoul jarred up his arm to call a halt, their leaders moved to confront him.
'Who breaks the peace of our town,' they shouted, 'who rides through it to bloody our streets? Restitution must first be made. Leave by the nearest gate, to the north. Our streets are closed.'
'Christ,' I heard my trooper swear. 'By the bones of Christ, they look to drive us forth,'
The muttering grew. More men stepped out, legs apart, swinging their wooden staves, stout enough to break a man's head, strong enough to hurl and trip a horse. Even mounted men might be wary of them.
'Out, out,' some cried, 'out from our town. We'll not be party to your private quarrels.' And others, more loudly, 'The Count of Sieux has been gone too long and never given thought of us. We've no need of him,' while others, voicing perhaps their real hopes, 'Give us back our gold before you leave.' Raoul's face had paled beneath the brown; the white scar stood out like a cord. I heard our men suck in their breath. A shutter swung open overhead. 'Bad luck to you, sod you,' a woman screamed, and another tile or rock narrowly missed Raoul's back. Any moment now, violence would erupt.
'Where got you that word?' Raoul's voice was low, but not so low it did not carry through the square. 'Restitution, is it, that you want? Before God, you shall have full payment yet. Gold is it? You can have your bellyful.' Now he was a just man as you know. I have never heard him do or say an unfair thing, and a massacre of townsfolk would have never entered his mind, especially those whom he had long considered as his friends. But I saw the order form upon his lips. They had trapped him in, no way out but to cut through them. I saw his men settle down to a charge, their lances grated on their saddle bows; behind him, his flag bearer broke his standard out, red and gold glinted the hawks with their cruel beaks and claws. Few foot soldiers can withstand a mounted charge, certainly not untrained men even as resolute and sturdy as these citizens. There could be no doubt in the end, we would ride them down. But the end for us would be as bitter as for them. For they had an advantage which they would use, the narrow streets down which a horseman could not pass. They would retreat and force us to fight through; step-by-step, we would have to hew and thrust. And even if we won to the southern gate, unless we went quickly, it would be too late. All those thoughts flashed through Raoul's mind. I read them as clearly as if they were my own. But again he had no choice. And the consequences also burst clear, like pain, red-hot and burning, before my eyes. I felt the flesh spill open to bone and blood; I felt the fierce grab of those steel spikes. And at the southern gate, waiting, waiting there for us, the dark mass of men and horses in unbroken line.
Men will die for you. But not this way, not now. 'No,' I think I said, 'Raoul, stop. There has been enough bloodshed as it is.'
He looked through me, a stranger who does not understand, battle lust so fierce in him that he was numb to all things else. Well, that too is the way of fighting men.
I thrust myself free from my trooper's arms until he let me down. I pushed my way outside the shield wall, advancing into the center of the square. Even the townsfolk
'My lord, my lord.' One of his men came spurring back from the northern gate. 'The gates are closed but they are waiting outside the walls.'
I had a sudden vision, like a cold wave, of the line of black-horsed men bearing down among the cattle pens as we rode out.
There was another cry and we all swung round. On the southern side of the square, a group of men stood forth, not men-at-arms or knights, but townsfolk, and as we watched, more came to join their ranks. They stood in such a way, athwart the southern street, as to block all exit from the square. They were surly men, armed with staves of wood and knives, but resolute. Even as Raoul jarred up his arm to call a halt, their leaders moved to confront him.
'Who breaks the peace of our town,' they shouted, 'who rides through it to bloody our streets? Restitution must first be made. Leave by the nearest gate, to the north. Our streets are closed.'
'Christ,' I heard my trooper swear. 'By the bones of Christ, they look to drive us forth,'
The muttering grew. More men stepped out, legs apart, swinging their wooden staves, stout enough to break a man's head, strong enough to hurl and trip a horse. Even mounted men might be wary of them.
'Out, out,' some cried, 'out from our town. We'll not be party to your private quarrels.' And others, more loudly, 'The Count of Sieux has been gone too long and never given thought of us. We've no need of him,' while others, voicing perhaps their real hopes, 'Give us back our gold before you leave.' Raoul's face had paled beneath the brown; the white scar stood out like a cord. I heard our men suck in their breath. A shutter swung open overhead. 'Bad luck to you, sod you,' a woman screamed, and another tile or rock narrowly missed Raoul's back. Any moment now, violence would erupt.
'Where got you that word?' Raoul's voice was low, but not so low it did not carry through the square. 'Restitution, is it, that you want? Before God, you shall have full payment yet. Gold is it? You can have your bellyful.' Now he was a just man as you know. I have never heard him do or say an unfair thing, and a massacre of townsfolk would have never entered his mind, especially those whom he had long considered as his friends. But I saw the order form upon his lips. They had trapped him in, no way out but to cut through them. I saw his men settle down to a charge, their lances grated on their saddle bows; behind him, his flag bearer broke his standard out, red and gold glinted the hawks with their cruel beaks and claws. Few foot soldiers can withstand a mounted charge, certainly not untrained men even as resolute and sturdy as these citizens. There could be no doubt in the end, we would ride them down. But the end for us would be as bitter as for them. For they had an advantage which they would use, the narrow streets down which a horseman could not pass. They would retreat and force us to fight through; step-by-step, we would have to hew and thrust. And even if we won to the southern gate, unless we went quickly, it would be too late. All those thoughts flashed through Raoul's mind. I read them as clearly as if they were my own. But again he had no choice. And the consequences also burst clear, like pain, red-hot and burning, before my eyes. I felt the flesh spill open to bone and blood; I felt the fierce grab of those steel spikes. And at the southern gate, waiting, waiting there for us, the dark mass of men and horses in unbroken line.
Men will die for you. But not this way, not now. 'No,' I think I said, 'Raoul, stop. There has been enough bloodshed as it is.'
He looked through me, a stranger who does not understand, battle lust so fierce in him that he was numb to all things else. Well, that too is the way of fighting men.
I thrust myself free from my trooper's arms until he let me down. I pushed my way outside the shield wall, advancing into the center of the square. Even the townsfolk
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