Gulling The Kings: The action-packed saga of medieval England Continues (The Company of Archers Book 12) by Martin Archer

Author:Martin Archer [Archer, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-11-10T05:00:00+00:00

Our trip down the river was quiet and serene with only the periodic splash and swish of a couple of oars to correct the galley’s course as we drifted. Every so often we waved most friendly to families in the fields and travellers on the cart path and they waved back. Our apprentice sergeants, Steven and Angelo, had come with us to do any fetching and carrying we might require. They stayed down on the deck so we could talk privately.

“How are you feeling?” I asked William as we stood holding on to the railing around the roof of the galley’s rear castle and watched the fields and forests along the river as we slowly drifted past them. It felt good to get out of our dark castle rooms for a while.

“Much better, thank you; but, truth be told, I don’t seem to have recovered all my strength. The pox seems to have made me tired all the time. I’m certainly looking forward to spending the coming winter sitting in the sun on Cyprus. Did I tell you that I’ve been thinking about taking Helen with me this time? She’s keen to go, isn’t she?”

“No, you didn’t tell me. But it’s probably a good idea so you’ll have someone to care for you. But what about her young ones? What will you do with them? You’re not intending to take little Edward and your daughters with you, are you?”

“Of course not. I’m not that daft am I?” William replied. “Helen wanted to take them with us, of course, but I wouldn’t agree. Not a chance. Helen’s a dear but she’s been in Cornwall for so long she’s forgotten how dangerous it is to travel at sea with little children, let alone take them all the way to Cyprus. Tori will have to take care of them while she’s gone.

“And, speaking about such matters, my dear priestly brother, how are you feeling? I’m still not sure I should leave for Cyprus until you are feeling strong enough to help Henry handle things here and George gets back from taking this year’s coins to Rome so he can help the two of you while I’m gone.”

We spent a pleasant afternoon drifting down the river and talking of many things, including who of our family and men should do what in the months ahead and why garlic keeps away the pox.

Our passage was totally quiet except for the periodic sound of the oars and our own voices; we heard not a single spoken word—the galley’s sailors and the new apprentices sitting on its rowing benches had obviously been ordered not to talk by the galley’s sergeant commander.

****** William

Thomas and I could see more masts than we’d ever seen here before as our galley came out of the mouth of the Fowey and began rowing towards the nearby village wharf. A number of galleys were nosed into the strand or pulled up on it with men working on them.

Some of the galleys I recognized as having gone with me to St.

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