Not for Glory by J. R. Tomlin

Author:J. R. Tomlin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Albannach Publishing

13

September 1319 Near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Scotland

Moonlight flickered through the leaves. The whisper of a warm summer breeze through the branches mixed with a whicker of horses, the clank of steel, and the metallic slither of mail. A company of men, silhouetted in the moonlight, stretched beyond sight on the road. James stepped into the open. "Sire," he said.

"What did you learn, Jamie?" Robert de Bruce asked.

"The city is surrounded, as we feared. I looked for myself, though winning through was no easy matter. Lancaster arrived yesterday to join the king."

"How many?" Gilbert de la Haye said from where he sat ahorse beside the king.

"Many thousand arrived with Lancaster in addition to at least four thousand that were already with King Edward. And even worse news―they brought siege engines and a host of men versed in using them. They have ships in the harbor with siege engines, as well. One of my men sneaked through with word that Walter beat off a sea attack yesterday. But it was a close thing."

Archibald led up a horse, and James vaulted into the saddle.

"There is no way of cutting our way through?" Thomas asked.

"They have two lines of earthworks behind palisades of sharpened stakes all the way around the city. No. They intend to have Berwick again. I found no weakness―no way through."

"And what then if we did?" the king asked. "We’d be trapped. Walter is well-provisioned and garrisoned, but they can only hold for so long if we cannot relieve them. Jamie had the right of it. You’ll have to draw Edward away." "He can’t be sure," Randolph said.

"I had word from more than one of my spies that she’s there."

"They’d use Berwick—"

The king cut Randolph off with a brusque, "I know, but if the queen is at York, then attacking them there will draw Edward off. If Jamie’s wrong, then you’ll be forced to press south. For London or as close as you can reach. Even if she slips through our fingers, a threat to Queen Isabella will bring Edward running. Her brother of France would take her capture most ill, and he would blame her husband. With Edward’s troubles at home, he cannot afford that."

"And I’ve heard that the lady is bountiful in her attentions." At Randolph’s protest, James sputtered a quiet laugh. His interest lay with a sweet lady of their own court and nowhere in England, but Randolph was easy to bait. "She is at York, my lord earl. That much I am sure of, and Edward can’t count on Lancaster. It’s well known that Lancaster hates him. Or more likely, Lancaster cannot count on Edward. They will fall out. All we have to do is help that along, and if we don’t, we’ve lost Berwick. I know what you were going to say, my lord earl. You’re right. Of a certes, they’d use Berwick as a base to invade. We can’t let that happen."

The king said, "Lamberton had news of a gathering of churchmen at York, as well. Archbishop William de Melton and the Bishop of Ely have called a chapter, it seems.

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