Ring of Steel by K. M. Ashman

Author:K. M. Ashman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2022-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

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The next day saw over three thousand armed men muster on the fields outside the castle as Edward’s column prepared for the march. The frosty morning air stung the lungs of the soldiers and the fields resounded with the sounds of the sergeants checking their men. Impatient horses, excited at the activity pawed at the ground, their breath forming small clouds of steam about their heads and servants ran in every direction, carrying out the whims of their masters. Soldiers took the opportunity to kiss goodbye to those loved ones who had followed the column thus far but now they were actually going into battle, they knew Edward would contemplate no followers about his army, whether family or otherwise. He needed the men to be focused on one thing and one thing only, the campaign. Other men sat on their packs, waiting in silence for the march to begin while others played dice with their comrades, laughing or cursing depending on their luck. In an adjacent field the supply wagons were going through the final checks, sacks of grain were rammed tightly into every available space and barrels of ale fastened securely against the sides of the carts. Butchers wagons were piled high with salted meat and barrels of dried fish, while sacks of hard biscuit and dried fruit filled other wagons, the staple diet of the main army should fresh supplies be difficult to come by.

Further carts carried tens of thousands of bolts for the crossbows and there were even several dismantled mangonels amongst the stores, available for relatively quick assembly should the need arise. Spare swords and knives were few for it was expected that should they engage the enemy and be victorious then the availability of side weapons would not be a problem, they would just take them from the dead. Similarly, every hundred archers had a young boy assigned to their unit tasked with collecting what arrows they could when any battle was over.

Every man carried a blanket and enough dried food for one week in his pack and wore whatever clothing they could afford. The lucky ones had gambesons, the quilted jackets that were fairly effective against glancing blows or an arrow at the end of its range, while the older heads even went as far as to have thin steel plate stitched to the protective jackets for although it made them heavier to carry, the extra protection they afforded may just save the wearer’s life. By far the most important piece of clothing for each man was their cloak, a long garment of waxed leather, essential not only against the notoriously wet Welsh weather, but also as a waterproof shelter when they camped between towns. Some units had communal tents and as many men as possible would squash inside but those new to campaign only had their cloaks to fall back on.

Already, heavily armed patrols had been sent onward to those castles still in English hands to warn them the King was

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