Rotherwood: A Prequel to Ivanhoe by Thorndycroft Chris
Author:Thorndycroft, Chris [Thorndycroft, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-07-15T00:00:00+00:00
CHAPTER VIII
Jaffa, August 1192
As soon as they saw the saffron flags fluttering from the walls of Jaffa, all hope was sucked out of them. They were too late. Jaffa was lost.
âGodâs legs, I thought Saladin would need at least two months to take Jaffa,â said King Richard as they gazed across the stretch of water at the fallen city. âAnd he has taken it in three days!â
They had been in Acre when word reached them that Saladin had launched a lightning strike against the port city. King Richard had quickly thrown together a relief force made up primarily of infantry and Genoese crossbowmen, loaded them onto thirty ships and set off against the wind in a desperate attempt to save the city. King Henry and the rest of the Christian army marched along the coast but it would be several days before they reached the besieged city and Richard couldnât wait that long. Now that they were here, they realised they hadnât a chance of retaking it.
Wilfred leant against the gunwale of the kingâs crimson flagship and peered across the water at the fallen city. The Saracens were coming down to the beach north of the harbour and were jeering at the approaching Christian fleet. Some shot arrows but they were too far away to reach their marks. Smoke hung in a fug above the shattered walls and several houses in the city were burning. Wilfred glanced from the walls to the Great Tower of the citadel, proud and stern above the chaos below.
âSire,â said Wilfred, glancing at the king who was also looking forlornly at the scene. âThere are no banners flying from the citadel. Only from the city walls.â
âBy God, heâs right!â said the Earl of Leicester.
âThere are no banners flying from the citadel, it is true,â said the king, gloomily. âBut there are no signs of life either.â
âNo, look!â cried another knight. âOn the wall of the citadel!â
They all squinted, shielding their eyes from the glare of the noonday sun off the water. High up on the western wall, a figure wearing nothing but his undershirt was scrambling over the battlements.
âDoes he run mad?â the Earl of Leicester exclaimed. âHeâll break his neck!â
They watched as the figure plummeted to the wet sand below. He survived the fall, got up and ran towards the surf before plunging in and taking long strokes towards the fleet.
The nearest galley picked him up and conveyed him to the kingâs ship. The man, dripping wet and heaving with exertion, appeared to be a priest and the news he brought from the citadel was good.
âWe held out for as long as we could,â said the priest. âWhen the curtain wall fell we retreated into the citadel.â
âAre there any left alive?â the king asked, kneeling down in the puddle forming on the deck from the priestâs dripping garment.
âFor now,â the priest replied. âBut they await the butcherâs knife like lambs for the slaughter. They will all perish if you do not act now!â
âHead into the shallows!â the king said, rising quickly.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Classics | Fantasy |
Men's Adventure | Mystery, Thriller & Suspense |
Romance | Science Fiction |
Sea Adventures | Short Stories |
War & Military | Women's Adventure |
The Book of Dreams (Saxon Series) by Severin Tim(32555)
Who'd Have Thought by G Benson(15831)
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han(13993)
Bull's Eye Sniper Chronicles Collection (The Second Cycle of the Betrayed Series) by McCray Carolyn(11714)
Firetrap: The Soul Scorchers MC (The Scorched Souls Serial-series Book 1) by Riley C.L(10735)
Warriors (9781101621189) by Young Tom(9940)
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson(8817)
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty(8116)
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher(8097)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown(7736)
Storm and Silence by Robert Thier(6174)
Shadows Of The Apt [01] - Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky(6146)
The Thirst by Nesbo Jo(6093)
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros(5964)
Pandemic (The Extinction Files Book 1) by A.G. Riddle(5870)
Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb(5499)
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty(5473)
The Demon Crown: A Sigma Force Novel by James Rollins(5376)
The Fall of Dragons by Miles Cameron(5159)