"Surrender,” she yelled, but the villain turned and bolted to the other side of the rooftop, intending to jump across the street onto another building. As his feet hit the edge, he jumped, and Beverly noticed that the narrow street below was partially covered by the overhanging roofs. She cursed, for he had a good chance of success, and she could not leap in full armour to follow him.
He thrust himself across the roadway in an all or nothing gambit. Beverly watched as he landed the other side, his waist hitting the edge of the rooftop. He scrambled to gain a purchase, but the thatched roof slipped in his hands. He slid backwards, falling, still grasping at the air as he went, letting out a blood-curdling scream that was only silenced by his impact on the street below. His head hit the cobblestones and shattered, sending blood and bits everywhere. An onlooker standing nearby, splattered with gore, turned and vomited the contents of his stomach, adding to the already grisly scene. Arnim disappeared from the roof and emerged from the alley a few moments later. A small crowd was gathering, and he hastily pushed them back along with the assistance of some soldiers who had filed through from the adjoining street. Beverly made her way to ground level, joining Arnim as he was searching through the man's pockets. He looked up at Beverly, “No way to identify him, he’s got nothing on him. I suspect he was a hired hand, a professional.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked.
“He took great pains to make sure there’s nought on him, not even any coins.”
“Why would coins be important?”
“They might indicate he was hired by a foreign king,” he said. “You’d be surprised by who might place a death mark on a person.”
“Death mark?”
“Sorry, street slang for murder contracts. I’ve seen enough of them in my time, I used to work on the city watch. I’ll get the body back to the temple and have Revi go over it before burial. Perhaps it will reveal something of the man. Did you hear him say anything?”
“No, is it important?”
“Not particularly, but if he spoke, we might have a better idea of his natural tongue; that would tell us if he was a local or not.”
“He was trying to kill Princess Margaret, of all people,” said Beverly. “Why do you think she would be the target?”
“Probably just the opportunity. Princess Anna was blocked by you and your horse, and the king was surrounded by his knights. It was the only clear shot he had. You’d best get back to the princess, I’ll take care of this. I’ll fill everyone in later when we’ve had a closer look at the body.”
Beverly made her way back to the alleyway where she had started climbing the ladder. Lightning was still standing there, as obedient as ever. She led him out to the main thoroughfare to see the procession had long since passed. She assumed they had continued to the cathedral for the funeral, but thought perhaps they might have cancelled the ceremony due to the attempted assassination. She mounted her horse and proceeded to ride toward the grand edifice and saw her father riding toward her.
“Any luck?” he yelled, “I hear you were after the beggar.”
“He’s dead, I’m afraid, fell from the rooftop. Arnim’s taking care of the body. Where’s Princess Anna?”
“She’s at the Cathedral. Revi’s looking after the dog; the bolt looks like it was poisoned. Needless to say, the place is swarming with soldiers. The king ordered the bishop to cut the ceremony short.”
“How’s Princess Margaret?”
“Terrified, but otherwise unhurt. She was quite shaken by the whole ordeal. The king has ordered out the troops to sweep the city streets, not sure what he expects to find.”
“Likely nothing,” she agreed, “but I suppose it sends a message.”
“Yes, I suppose it will, though I’m not sure what the message would be. I’m glad to see you safe, my dear. I must admit I was a little worried about you.”
“I can look after myself, Father. You, of all people, should know that.”
“I wasn’t worried about you getting hurt in a fight, I was afraid you would fall off the roof!”
She laughed as she felt the stress of the day begin to drain from her. “It’ll take more than a rooftop to finish me off,” she joked with him. “So tell me, do we go to the Cathedral?”
“No, Her Highness wants to meet us back at the Palace. We have plans to make before the march tomorrow.”
Thirty-Six
The March to Eastwood
The March to Eastwood
Dawn came far too early. They had all stayed up late planning, and then the orders had to be prepared to ensure a timely march in the morning. Princess Anna was given command of the screening force, one of four elements of the army that was marching northeast to Eastwood. The king had appropriated most of the troops she had taken on her march north, and replaced them with mainly archers; two companies of short bowmen along with two companies of the newer crossbows. She retained command of the Bodden Knights, but did not have time to recruit her own. The Elves would march with no other leader, and so she now counted the Elven bow among her contingent. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the addition of a hundred Dwarven arbalesters with their massive metal crossbows and heavy armour. At the last moment, they had refused to march with anyone else; Lord Granitefist, their commander, was a staunch ally of the Elves.
Beverly was impressed with the Dwarves. They were up early and marching before anyone else. Their leader had explained the Dwarven way to her. They were shorter of stature than Humans and thus took smaller steps. To make up for their slower speed, however, they had incredible endurance and would march long hours to make up the difference. Additionally, each Dwarf was heavily armoured in chainmail making them as effective as heavy footmen in battle.
Her father had used the term brigade to explain the organization of this army, an expression that was somewhat foreign to her. The army was divided into four such brigades; each led by its own commander. Anna would lead the screening brigade, while Henry led the main. The other two were named the right and left brigade, and they were commanded by the Duke of Colbridge and the Earl of Shrewesdale, respectively. To Beverly, it was a sensible way to organize an army of this size, but she feared that petty jealousy and currying of favour might interfere with the objective.
Anna had wanted her to find some knights to swear in, but no time had been available for such an activity. She had written letters to all the knights she knew that were not already in service, but it would take time to get a response. Dame Hayley Chambers, the recently knighted King's Ranger, was the only new knight Beverly had been able to recruit to the Princess's Royal Guard.
The screening brigade had marched out of the city on schedule, and now Beverly and Hayley were riding to catch up. The city streets were jammed with troops jostling to leave the capital, and Beverly cursed as she forced her horse through the mass of soldiers.
“Not exactly easy, is it,” Hayley commented.
“No,” Beverly agreed, “I’m not sure who’s in charge of this mess, but it’s going to take a miracle to get it moving.”
“How far up the road will the princess be?” she asked.
“She left first thing, along with the rest of the Brigade.”
“Sorry if I’ve made you late,” the ranger said.
Beverly turned her attention from the street to look at the young woman, “It’s not your fault. I didn’t have much time to find you. We’ve been planning all night.”
“I’m afraid I’m not much of a knight, I don’t even have proper armour, and my horse really isn’t very good in a fight.”
“The princess knows that, besides, the crown is paying to outfit you. Once this campaign is over, we’ll get you some proper armour.”
“Like yours? It’s quite ornate, who made it?”
She smiled, “Not quite like mine, it’s custom crafted, but I’m sure we’ll find you something nice. The princess said she knew you, how is that?”
“Hah,” said Hayley, “that’s an interesting story in itself
.” She absently brushed a stray hair away from her face. She had long brown hair, in a ponytail, but stray strands always seemed to find their way loose. “I met her at an archery contest in Uxley.”
“So you’re good with a bow?” asked Beverly.
“Yes, but I’m far too modest to admit it.” She looked at Beverly, and they both laughed.
“Why do you carry two bows?”
Hayley tapped the long shaft of wood that lay across her saddle, “This is a longbow, but I can’t use it while mounted. My other bow is for firing from horseback.”
“Isn’t it a little awkward carrying a longbow on horseback?”
“I wouldn’t normally do that, but I needed to carry all my belongings with me. I’m hoping to drop it with the baggage train.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem if we can get through this mess. Who are all these people?” Beverly wondered out loud.
“Those men are with the Earl of Shrewesdale, judging from their colours,” said Hayley, “and I think those over there are from the prince’s troops. I don’t think they’ve organized any of this.”
Beverly swore, “This doesn’t bode well. The princess is not going to be happy. They’ll never get this lot moving. Come on, we’re going to have to force our way through.”
She urged Lightning forward, and the crowd parted for the massive charger. Hayley brought her smaller horse into the wake, and they filed through the street, leaving the city by the Northern Gate. The arguing soldiers and wagons clogged the road, so they took their horses off to the side and across the fields to save time.
They soon made up for the delay, and after a bit of riding they caught up to the princess. She was on a horse, and when she saw the two riders approaching, she turned sideways to greet them.
“Your Highness,” cried Beverly, “I have your newest knight.”
They rode up, and Hayley bowed her head, “Your Highness,” she said.
“I’m afraid we don’t have much of a ceremony here,” Anna said and turned in her saddle. “Baron,” she requested, “I need to borrow you for a moment or two.”
Baron Fitzwilliam rode over and smiled at his daughter, “Your Highness,” he said, turning to the princess, “I am at your disposal.”
“I need to swear Dame Hayley into my service, would you do the honours?”
“Certainly, Ma’am,” he turned to face the two women. “Who sponsors this knight?” he asked, looking at Beverly.
“I, Dame Beverly Fitzwilliam,” said Beverly in a loud, clear voice.
“And who takes this knight into service?” he asked.
“I, Princess Anna of Merceria, do take this knight into service,” said Anna.
Fitz turned to face Hayley, who was watching with great fascination. “Do you swear to serve faithfully, to carry out the will of your sworn mistress?”
“I do,” said Hayley solemnly.
“Then I now pronounce you a Knight of…” Fitz paused and looked at Anna, “What exactly are your knights called? We can’t just call them Knights of the Princess.”
Anna showed a surprised look on her face, “Gerald,” she shouted,“what should we call my knights?”
Gerald looked as surprised at Anna. He looked about for inspiration and spied Tempus lying in a patch of sunlight. “Knights of the Hound?” he offered.
Anna smiled, “Knight of the Hound it is then,” she said triumphantly.
“Then I now pronounce you a Knight of the Hound,” Fitz said, bowing, “How does it feel to be the first one?”
Beverly cleared her throat.
“I believe,” said Anna, looking at Beverly, “that she’s the second. The distinction of first belongs to Dame Beverly.”
Beverly bowed in an exaggerated manner, and they all applauded. The campaign had been long, and the impromptu ceremony had taken their minds off more pressing matters.
As they had done in the previous journey westward, the Elves were out in front. They marched quickly and formed a useful screen against enemy patrols. The Human archers came next, consisting of crossbowmen from Kingsford as well as the bowmen of Tewsbury and Hawksburg. These men had either accompanied the princess in her relief of Kingsford or had been marched to the capital soon afterwards; as such they were hardened and set a brisk pace. The Dwarves followed, marching slowly with their heavy armour and powerful arbalests. The Knights of Bodden brought up the rear of the Brigade, ready to deploy in an instant should it become necessary. Both Beverly and her father had wished for some light cavalry to screen them, but the king had been insistent that the lighter units stay with their liege lords.
Beverly realized that the jostling for political power had already begun. In theory, the duke’s men should have been marching behind them, but Beverly saw no sign of his troops. By the time the screening force camped for the night, she had given up looking for them. Her father had taken great pains to arrange supply wagons carrying food and water for the men, but there was no sign of them either. The baron had ridden off to seek them out, only to return a few hours later with news that they were caught in the bottleneck of troops, and would be arriving late. The princess's brigade finished setting up their camp and rested, setting pickets and walking the lines. Anna visited the men to keep their spirits up, and they responded with a fierce pride. They had made fifteen miles the first day, probably not a record, but a decent enough pace. By the time the supply wagons arrived, it was almost midnight, and the men were hungry. It takes a long time to cook large slabs of meat, so the baron had them cut it up into smaller, faster cooking pieces.
Beverly helped distribute the food and ensured everyone got their fair share. The usual grumbling quickly subsided, and the men finally bedded down for the night.
* * *
The next morning came far too early, but Beverly had the knights ready to march. They were walking their horses toward the road, before mounting, when she saw Dame Hayley. She was coming in from the south, from the direction of the rest of the army and Beverly veered from her path to intercept her.
“What news, Hayley?” she called out.
“I’ve just returned from the rest of the army; I’m afraid it’s not doing well.”
“How so?” asked Beverly.
“They only managed to cover about ten miles yesterday, we gained almost a half day over them,” the brunette replied. “I’m on my way to the princess to report.”
“I’ll join you,” said Beverly, turning to the knights. “You men might as well rest the horses; it doesn’t look like we’ll be in much of a hurry. I’ll return before the march begins.”
They rode together to find the princess, who was just about to climb onto her horse. She turned as they approached and watched them both dismount. “You have news, Hayley?”
“Yes, Highness, though I won't call it good. The army is making little progress. I tried to talk to the Earl of Shrewesdale, but he was still asleep, and his guards wouldn’t let me see him.”
“And the rest of the army?” prompted Anna.
“In a similar state, I fear. I did manage to see his Royal Highness, the Prince; he was seated at a large table enjoying his breakfast. Marshal-General Valmar was with him. I tried to tell them they needed to get moving, but the marshal was adamant that it was his decision as to when the men would actually march.”
“I see,” said Anna. “Did you say Shrewesdale was behind us?”
“Yes, Highness.”
“It was supposed to be Colbridge’s brigade,” she fumed, “This is an absolute disaster, if the enemy comes across us now, we’d be inviting defeat.”
Gerald rode toward them, coming from the north, “The men are ready to march, Highness. Shall I give the command?”
Beverly looked over to see the princess staring off into the distance. She was deep in thought and those that knew her had learned better than to interrupt. At last, she brought her attention back to Gerald. “Please send my greetings to Lord Greycloak,” she said, “and ask him to advance no more than ten miles. Once
he has left, you may march, but only until you reach that limit. The rest of the army needs time to catch up. When they reach their destination, have them set up the camp and mark out areas for the other brigades.”
Gerald nodded his head, “Aye, Highness, I’ll see that it’s taken care of.”
“Beverly,” continued Anna, “hold your knights here and don’t march them until you see the lead columns coming up behind us, that’ll give us a better idea of how they’re doing. We shall have to match our progress to the rest of the army, or we’ll be dangerously exposed.”
They all nodded their understanding and then went their separate ways.
Beverly waited with her knights all through the long morning, but the column failed to appear. She conducted some drills to keep their minds occupied, but still, no sign came of the rest of the army. It was as if this small band of knights had been abandoned. Finally, in the early afternoon, she saw a distant dust cloud, the telltale sign of an army on the move. It took quite a while before they came into view.
The Earl of Shrewesdale commanded a force of some three hundred and fifty men, most of which were footmen. At the head of his brigade, the bowmen were moving quickly, but the rest of his men were armoured in chainmail, and Beverly observed them, red-faced and panting, as they were pushed along. There were knights, forming a thin line to either side of the column, running parallel to the road. It was only as they got closer that she realized that they were there to keep the men on the road from halting. Every now and then a knight would yell out at the footmen to keep up the pace or face punishment.
Sword of the Crown Page 34