War in the West by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker [Griff Hosker]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd.
Published: 2020-07-23T16:00:00+00:00

Sir William

Chapter 11

Once inside the castle Sir Robert ran to the fighting platform. His squire took me to the Great Hall. As we went, I questioned him, “Do you know anything about my son and squire?”

He shook his head, “Not as much as Sir Robert. I am sure that he will join you just as soon as he has spoken with his castellan, Gerald, and checked the defences. I will get you food and drink. I know that you need it!”

That was an understatement!

The castle had its defences in place, while the accommodation was still being built and, as I ate hot food for the first time in days and drank wine, I studied the castle and realised that, if help was forthcoming, then we could hold out. Sir Robert, when he had spoken with his people, would have a better idea of the likely outcome. It was some hours before he returned and despite the joy of having survived the ambush and having gained entry to the castle, his slumped shoulders told their own story. “It still rains and that is good news for it will fill the ditches and make the Welsh existence even more miserable and that is all the good that I can bring to you.”

“No chance of relief then?”

He shook his head, “Mold and the other castles fell quickly. The only force which could do anything is based at Chester and I cannot see Robert of Chester leaving to come to the aid of Mold. King Henry at Deganwy might be able to relieve us but when I left, he was hard pushed anyway. He had sent your nephew on a chevauchée. My castellan told me that he sent two riders to Deganwy. As they did not reach there then we must be, effectively, cut off. I am afraid that you have exchanged one cell for another. Now, tell me all for I am intrigued by your tale.”

I told him all and when I had finished, he nodded. “I had heard that Lady Angharad was a beauty and wondered why she had made the marriage with Lord Iago for she could have had any knight in the land. The men who are besieging us are the men who follow Lord Maredudd. I can see that he has used Lord Iago’s coin to pay for the men. When we fall, he will hold the whole of Flintshire and Denbighshire. He can bargain with Prince Dafydd for power.”

I poured myself some wine and shook my head, “Forget the politics of the situation, Sir Robert. That is for the future. For now, we need to work out how to hold on. Let us assume that we will receive no relief and plan for that outcome.”

“Then we lose!”

“Why?”

“There are just one hundred and twenty men in the castle. We are lucky that there are no women but twenty of those men are builders.”

“Builders who can use a crossbow and hurl a stone!”

He nodded, “We have enough supplies for a month at the most and that would mean short rations.

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