The Road to Agincourt (Struggle for a Crown Book 5) by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker [Hosker, Griff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd.
Published: 2019-12-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

We learned little from the prisoners because they were not noble-born and had been little more than swords for hire. Prince Henry showed a steelier side to him when he had one summarily executed who would not answer our questions. The others answered but it became clear that they knew nothing. They were sent south to languish in Windsor Castle. They would be an example to other rebels who were not noble-born. We stayed in Newcastle for some months. King Henry was still unwell and so the Prince rode abroad to let all know that it was the King’s family who ruled this land. We travelled as far west as Westmoreland and as far north as Berwick. When we headed south, we left a north that was cowed but not yet defeated. It could not be defeated until Henry Percy was dead. So long as he lived then the rebellion was alive and we now knew that we had to defeat the North before we could tackle the Welsh. We could not fight a war on two fronts.

It was a leisurely ride back and the Prince and I discussed our plans for the following year. Prince Henry would ask his father to demand that the Duke of Albany, who ruled Scotland in the absence of the boy King, should hand over Percy. It seemed a good and workable plan but I knew that if the Duke refused then we would have to invade Scotland and we did not have an army which was large enough. We needed for Percy to venture south.

We stayed a day in York and it was there that my son showed that he had grown. The Prince and his knights were talking with the Archbishop and Harry asked, “Father, I know we have a new Sherriff in Nottingham and I doubt not that he will do a good job but I now doubt that Sir Nicholas would have done anything about the bandits who were bothering Sir Humphrey of Stanton.”

I confess that I had forgotten about the knight but when I called him to mind then I understood why Harry had remembered them. He had been much taken by the knight’s daughter, Elizabeth.

“You may well be right. I will speak with the Sherriff when we reach Nottingham.”

Harry shook his head, “At the pace we are going that could take another fortnight! We said we would aid the knight and I do not think we have.”

I felt uncomfortable for he was correct. I had abdicated responsibility when I had told the Sherriff of the problem. In the past, I would have acted myself and I would have dealt with the problem. I knew there was more to this than a carping complaint from my son, “What would you do?”

“I would take my men and ride ahead to Stanton. You can speak with the Sherriff but I can show the lord that we keep our word.”

“You can manage this yourself?”

“If I cannot deal with brigands and bandits then you should not have had me knighted.

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