“I’m sorry. It was rude of me to question the motives of men I’ve never met. I just. . We’ve been so unfairly persecuted by the church. It’s hard to remember my manners sometimes.”
I let it pass without comment. Truthfully, I was more concerned about the troops lining up below us than I was about Celia’s feelings about the church or the brothers.
“Celia, there is something I must tell you. There are Templars on the field below. The High Counsel has enlisted their aid. Their Marshal is known to me. His name is Sir Hugh Monfort. In truth, he is here for me.”
“After you? Why? Are you not allies?”
“No. Sir Hugh was. . is a dreadful man. He has committed many violations of our laws. My liege Sir Thomas wrote testimony against him, including sworn statements by many brother knights of our regimento. He entrusted me to deliver them to the Master of the Order in England. I barely made it out of Acre, but Sir Hugh followed me. He’s been chasing me ever since.”
I then told her the rest of my story, leaving out only Sir Thomas giving me the Grail. She listened intently while I told her about meeting King Richard in Dover, and how I had seen Sir Hugh outside the Commandery meeting with the King’s Guards. And how the King’s Guards had followed me the next day through the marketplace in Dover.
“In Acre, before I left, I had an encounter with one of the King’s Guards in the stables. He was one of those who had followed me in Dover, and I questioned him about it. He lied and said he didn’t know me, but I pressed him further and he drew his sword. Only the timely arrival of the King stopped us from injuring each other.”
“The King intervened?” she asked.
“Yes. Yet, when I think about it now, he had a strange look on his face. As if he were reluctant to stop it. He had to have ordered his guards to follow me in Dover. They answer to no one else but him. But why? And then in Acre, if I hadn’t saved his life on the battlefield, I’m certain. .”
“Wait,” she interrupted, reaching out and resting her hand on my forearm. “You rescued Richard the Lionheart?” Her touch made me feel dizzy, and I took hold of the stone parapet with my free hand, afraid I might pitch over the side if I didn’t anchor myself.
“Yes. It was nothing, really. I just gave him my horse and he returned to the rear. He is reckless in battle. For a king. Anyway, finding me there in the stable, he looked torn. Almost as if he would be relieved to have his guard strike me down.”
Celia’s mouth formed a straight line as she concentrated on the details of my story. “I wonder what Richard finds so fascinating about you.”
“I don’t know. It’s all very strange.” Trumpets sounded, and the shouts of orders to the men-at-arms and knights traveled over the ground below us, drawing my attention to the field.
“Which one is this Sir Hugh?” she asked. I pointed him out.
“How could he have known you survived the storm and were shipwrecked?” she asked.
“He couldn’t. But he wouldn’t have taken any chances. I’m sure he pursued our ship and tracked behind the storm. When the storm hit land, he simply followed and is being thorough. He’s no doubt had knights and sergeantos scouring the countryside asking everyone if travelers fitting our descriptions have been in the area. He must have learned we’d crossed paths with the High Counsel and is here to help him. I’m sure by now he’s convinced the High Counsel we are also heretics. Evil as he is, he has the most alarming good fortune. It’s almost as if we’ve been delivered to him on a platter.”
“Whoever he is, he’ll find it hard to get in here. We have plenty of food and water to survive a long siege,” she said confidently.
“I do not wish for my troubles to confound your problems, Celia. The first chance I get, I’ll try to sneak away and. .”
Celia held up her hand. “Nonsense. I won’t hear of it. You and your friends may stay here as long as you need to.”
“But I’m afraid, Celia. Afraid for all of you. With Sir Hugh here now. .” I stopped and looked out at the still assembling troops. By counting the battle flags, I estimated there were close to five hundred men.
“Celia, how many are sheltered here behind the walls?”
“There are nearly three hundred. Mostly women and children.”
I winced. “How many fighting men?”
“Jean-Luc leads my father’s fyrd now with Philippe gone. He has fifteen well-trained and well-armed men. The rest are farmers or merchants, I would guess seventy in all.”
I tried to hide my dismay but I couldn’t blame Celia. Most every fyrd is just a band of volunteers, loyal to their lord. They train a few times a year and fight if need be, but they are not professional soldiers. This was bad; fewer than one hundred men, most of them not even soldiers, against an army of five hundred. Those were truly awful odds, even with the high ground and the fortress on our side. If Sir Hugh were determined enough, he would throw his men at the walls until we were overrun.
“Do you have weapons?” I asked.
“Yes. Come, I will show you to our armory,” she said.
We were about to leave but were distracted by shouts from the field below. Looking down, we saw Sir Hugh and the High Counsel riding up toward the castle gate almost below where we stood.
In the High Counsel’s left hand he held aloft a white flag, and he waved it back and forth.
They wished to talk.
18
Now what do we do?” she asked.
I needed a minute to think. Talking to Sir Hugh and the High Counsel might actually be a good idea. After all, they each had a different a good idea. After all, they each had a different agenda. I wondered if I could play them against each other.
“Celia, do Jean-Luc and his men have crossbows?”
“Yes, of course,” she said.
I would have preferred longbows, but I knew the French generally did not use them in battle. A pity. I could station Robard on the wall, but I wanted him to come with me to the parley.
“Please find Jean-Luc and have his men span their crossbows and stand ready on the battlement here above the gate. I’ll summon Robard and Maryam, and we will see what they have to say. Agreed?”
Celia nodded and left while I scanned the courtyard below for Robard. He and Maryam were seated near the cooking fire, deep in conversation. Angel lay curled at Maryam’s feet, working feverishly on a bone. I scampered down a ladder and ran across the courtyard to them.
“Sir Hugh and the High Counsel are outside under a flag of truce. I’d like you and Maryam to come with me and Celia to find out what they want,” I said.
“Will I get to shoot someone?” Robard asked hopefully.
“Maybe later,” I said. “We’ll talk first.”
“How can we trust him?” Maryam asked.
“Celia is having Jean-Luc assemble men with crossbows on the wall. We’ll be well within range.”
“Hmph. Crossbows. Tell those Franks when the shooting starts not to hit us!” Robard exclaimed.
“I’m sure it will be fine, Robard. Let’s go,” I said. Angel jumped up to join us, but I bade her stay, and she returned to her bone.
We waited at the gate until Celia returned with Jean-Luc and his men. He ordered them to the battlement above us and gave me a small salute when they were ready.
Before we left, I felt the need to say something. “Celia, I don’t feel right making all of these decisions, but we should come to some agreement about who will direct our defense and speak to Sir Hugh and the High Counsel.”
“I think it falls to you, Templar,” she said.
“What? Why? I’m just a squire, I have no. .”
She interrupted me. “Jean-Luc is barely older than you. He is a good man, but inexperienced. The rest of the
