Man at Arms: The Battle of Poitiers by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker [Hosker, Griff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798570837645
Google: Q-gfzgEACAAJ
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: 2020-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

France in 1350

The red arrow is the first chevauchée in 1355

The blue arrow is the chevauchée in 1356

The shorter arrow is the retreat to Poitiers in 1356

Chapter 12

We were lucky for we landed at Wynchchelse and the first thing we did when we disembarked was to bury our friend. As was their agreement the other men divided his goods and money between them. We then recovered our horses and my chest. When other ships arrived, we learned that we had lost just two ships in the sea battle, the Prince’s and the King’s. We had sunk ten ships and captured seventeen. Captain William and the captain of Cog Thomas were compensated for the loss of their vessels with two captured ships. The rest were sold and after the King and his son had taken half, the knights a quarter, then the rest was divided amongst the ordinary warriors. It was unfair but we had already taken more from the dead and Michael had found a treasure chest and four barrels of Bordeaux wine aboard the last ship we had captured. We just smiled and nodded our gratitude when the Prince paid us off a month later.

I was tempted to return to Basil of Tarsus to invest it, but I decided that, as we had one spare horse now that Dafydd had been killed, that I would take it with me. I found a leatherworker who happily made me a pair of satchels which would fit across the spare horse’s back. He was well rewarded, and he did a fine job. I also wished to buy some plate to go with my mail, but the town had suffered in the plague and there was none to be had. When I told Sir Walter he smiled, “Gascony will be a better place to buy such items. There is always war there and they have the best of weaponsmiths but why do you wish plate? You are an archer!”

“And I would better myself. Is that unreasonable?”

“No, and you are right. No matter what you do as an archer you will never be elevated, and Sir John Chandos showed the way to become a knight but it is a dangerous road, John Hawkwood. You have to attract the King or his son’s eye in battle and do something so brave that death is a palpable risk!”

I laughed, “Sir Walter, when we boarded those two Castilian ships, I do not think that the pirates were trying to kiss me! They tried to end my life but I was too good. I will continue to risk all until I am so comfortable that I let others take the risk for me and by then I shall be leading armies!”

He looked at me as though it was for the first time, “You know that those who lead English armies are all of the royal blood or closely related?”

I nodded, “And who said it will be English armies that I will lead? Other rulers will happily pay for mercenaries such as me to fight for them.

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