Godfrey's Crusade by Mark Howard

Author:Mark Howard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mark Howard
Published: 2021-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The crusade set out early the next morning. Riding Baruch at the head of his knights, Godfrey smiled brightly. He was optimistic, rejuvenated, nothing could upset him now.

The crisp air invigorated him. The sun was bright. Snow crunched with each step of Baruch’s hooves. His wound, which had left him bedridden for days, seemed only a minor inconvenience now.

Turpin had taken one hundred knights for the rearguard to march with the baggage train, leaving Walaric and Godfrey at the head of their group. Walaric rode beside Godfrey on the horse of a knight who had fallen during the battle a few days previous. Tancred had three thousand infantry and two hundred knights with him. They marched ahead of Godfrey and Conrad’s contingents. Beyond Godfrey’s field of view, Varin and the crusade’s scouts tracked ahead with the Pavikian rangers. With luck, the scouts would be able to sniff out any danger before the crusaders were caught unawares.

“You seem awfully cheerful for someone who almost died a few days ago,” Walaric grunted heavily.

“I am in love,” Godfrey sighed.

“Good for you.” Walaric rolled his eyes.

“She kissed me,” Godfrey added defensively.

“I bet she did,” Walaric agreed sardonically. “She would not stop asking me about you the whole time you were in that bed.”

Godfrey contemplated this revelation as he and Walaric rode together silently. The only obstacle between Godfrey and Madeline was her father. If Godfrey proved himself in battle, maybe the Duke would warm up to him. Frowning, Godfrey looked to his left, where Conrad’s crusaders trod across the snowy plain. Tancred favored Conrad. It was obvious. Madeline’s desires were second to a duke’s prerogative over his daughter.

“I still wish enough ships would have stayed for us at Biorkon,” Walaric grumbled. “They could have transported us up through the gulf to Vindholm. That would have saved us a couple of days of marching.”

“We needed some ships to get back to the Ostlands as quickly as possible to gather our reinforcements,” Godfrey chided. “Morgan the Bloodied is hoping there will be more crusaders ready to go by the time the ships get down there. In the meantime, the ships we have need to be used where they can be used best. It would take too long for the other groups to get to Laht and Mirborg if they had to go around the gulf. Besides, Mirborg is a port city and a naval assault would be best for that.”

Walaric murmured something indistinct about Lortharain’s crusaders getting all the hard tasks, then he grew quiet for a bit.

“That certainly was convenient back at Biorkon,” Walaric brooded aloud, indicating Tancred’s red-clad soldiers ahead of them. “The Nordsmen attack Biorkon and the Duke of Pavik happens to be there in the fortress with an army of his own.”

“I think it was more than convenient,” Godfrey confided. “I think it was by design.”

“Oh?” Walaric raised his eyebrow, urging Godfrey to share his thoughts.

“Something Madeline said earlier.” Godfrey shook his head. “She said he did not come just to meet the crusade’s leaders.

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