by Lorenzo, EH
'You are so radiant,' exclaimed Geva.
______
As James rode the donkey back toward Stamford and Saint Leonard's Priory he noticed that the road had been well traveled. There had been recent rain and the many ruts and other tracks in the road suggested the wear of wagons and horses and foot traffic. He suspected that he must be following the Duke of York forces. His suspicions were confirmed at Empingham. When he approached, he found that the soldiers' camp nearly encircled the village. The King's forces were stopped in Stamford and the forces of the Duke were preparing to lay siege.
James passed through the soldiers' camp and into the village. The village was largely empty of its people. James thought that because he was a monk, he could pass through without incident, but he was wrong.
'Halt,' commanded the soldier as James started on the Stamford road. James stopped the donkey, but did not dismount. 'Whot 'ave we 'ere?' asked the soldier. James gave no response. 'And where do you think that you are going then?' demanded the soldier.
'I am a 'umble monk from Saint Leonard's Priory, just beyond Stamford,' said James.
'Well, I do nay care whether you are The Lord 'imself, you are nay going anywhere,' insisted the soldier.
'Whot possible benefit am I 'ere with you then,' asked James.
'Do you think I am daffed?' asked the soldier. 'If I let you go, you will tell the King's men of our strength.'
'Nay,' James assured him. 'I am a monk and do nay take sides in these conflicts.'
'O, aye,' said the soldier sarcastically.
James pointed to a nearby hill and said, 'Do you nay think that the King's men already know all aboot you? Whot culd I add?'
'Off with you monk,' ordered the soldier and he slapped the backside of the donkey. The donkey was off with a start and the soldiers laughed boisterously when James was nearly dislodged backward. The ride was bumpy for a while until the donkey slowed again to a walk.
_____
When Agnes realized that the King's soldiers had stopped in Stamford, she called her servants together. 'Go 'ome and fetch your families and bring them 'ere for safety,' she urged them. All but two of the servants accepted her invitation. Those two were from villages outside of Stamford and felt quite safe waiting at their own homes with their families.
Agnes had ordered the bridge over the moat drawn and would not allow anyone to leave the security of the estate.
Two days later, Agnes could see the Duke of York's soldiers marching on the road between Empingham and Stamford. She could make out a large contraption on wheels and didn't know what it might be. When she asked one of the servants they told her that it was a catapult. The soldiers stopped short of the Stamford walls and she could see the catapult in action. For what seemed three hours, the soldiers sent boulders through the air and into Stamford. Agnes could see the roofs of buildings give way under the assault. The All Saints' Church was almost out of range of the aerial assault, but one boulder found its mark and crashed through one wall of the church.
The Duke's men then turned the forces of the catapult toward the towne wall and gate and pounded it until it appeared that it would give way. While the King's forces had been slower to return the assaults of the catapult, they eventually had their own catapult in action and inflicted their own pain on the Duke's forces. Eventually, the King's men were able to destroy the Duke's catapult.
With their catapult destroyed and the towne wall and gate severely damaged, the Duke's men moved forward in a column to ram the gate or breach the wall. They carried with them a large beam that they intended to destroy what remained of the gate.
The archers stopped within reach of the city and started a volley of arrows over the wall to give protection to the men that were moving forward. The King's men were also answering the volley of arrows with their own and some arrows were finding their mark. Some of the King's archers were situated upon the towne walls where they had a clear shot at the men attempting to ram the gate. Occasionally, the Duke's archers found the mark of an archer on the wall and they fell lifeless from the wall.
As the Duke's men started ramming the gate, the King's men started casting stones down from the wall directly upon them. The Duke's archers moved closer and started picking off those that were casting the stones. Soon the gate gave way completely and the Duke's men pressed forward through it. The first to be sent through were the foot soldiers, most of whom were untrained commoners who were only working for hire. Times were so difficult for the likes of them that any job, including the dangers of foot soldier, would do. They were expendable.
The King's men had moved nearly their entire force to the breached gate, something that the Duke's officers had anticipated. On command many of the Duke's men moved along the wall to the south and east until they were at the point of the walls nearest John and Agnes' estate. Agnes looked on with concern. Though the fighting was a way off, her large house may prove valuable to the Duke's men for some purpose. She was glad for the mote that surrounded the estate buildings, but if attacked, it would only serve to slow the attack and not repel it.
Once the Duke's men were at the point of the wall nearest the Darby estate, they raised ladders that they were carrying and quickly climbed the wall. From the top of the wall they employed bows on the King's forces below. But the advantage was short-lived. Standing atop the wall also gave a clear shot to the King's archers and there were more of them than had been expected by the Duke's men. Soon, those who had climbed the wall were repelled and the focus returned to the breached gate.
Bodies began to pile up at the opening of the gate, making it difficult for the Duke's men to take advantage of the breach, but they continued to press. Soon, the foot soldiers had to be employed in removing the bodies so that others could move forward. At last, enough room was cleared that a large contingent of the Duke's forces were successful in entering the towne walls. This moved the fighting from the gate to further inside the walls and allowed still more of the men to enter.
It became clear that the King may have underestimated the forces that the Duke was willing to wager on this campaign and the King's men began to fall back. Stamford was a towne that was loyal to the King and when the people of the towne saw that the King's men were nearing defeat, they poured into the streets with any weapon that they could find. Often, the men of the towne were as skilled in soldiering as the Duke's foot soldiers and their assistance proved advantageous to the King's men. The people of the towne were taking great risk, but they knew that if the King was not successful, their known loyalties would be rewarded harshly if the Duke prevailed.
Though the All Saints' Church had been severely damaged, the old priest stayed nearby to protect its sanctuary from the desecration of battle. He was horrified when he saw the towne blacksmith struck from behind with a battle ax as he contended with a soldier. The blacksmith was a strong man, but he fell quickly from the blow. He watched also as other men fought face to face. These were men that would likely have been friends or neighbors under other circumstances, but right now, all that mattered was avoiding the next blow.
The addition of the towne's people fighting for their king changed the course of the battle and soon the Duke's men were starting to fall into disarray, looking as though a retreat would be likely. The old priest stood his ground as two of the Duke's soldiers ran to the church presumably to hide from the battle. When the priest would not give way, one of the soldiers ran him through with a sword and he fell lifeless. No sooner had the old priest fallen then the sound was given by the Duke's captains to retreat and the two soldiers ran for the gate with the rest of the Duke's men.
It was a bloodbath as the Duke's men fought with the King's men, the towne's people and themselves trying to get back through the gate. Some ran into side streets hoping to hide, but they were hunted down and killed unless they immediately dropped their weapons.
The entrance to the gate soon filled with bodies and it was nearly impossible to leave. The Duke's men that couldn't get ou
tside the walls mostly refused to lay down their weapons and they were cut down like wheat before the reaper.
Most of those that could get outside the walls ran back toward Empingham. Some ran toward the Darby estate. Agnes could see them coming and she cried out in fright for the servants. The draw bridge was already up so it would be difficult for anyone to get inside, but they could if they persisted. Soon there were about 50 soldiers trying to breach the mote and for good cause, a group of the King's soldiers were now in pursuit of them. Some of the Duke's men attempted to swim the mote, hoping that the water was not too deep, but John had ensured that it was above the height of a man. It was impossible that the Duke's soldiers could cross the mote by swimming, since they couldn't maneuver in the deep water and their clothing and weapons ensured that they would sink. Some tried to get back out of the mote, but the sides were too deep. One of the Duke's soldiers carried a supply of rope and attempted to get it across and onto the bridge in order to force the bridge down. However, some of Agnes' servants were proficient with bows, having used them for hunting and they soon cut down the men in their attempts with the rope. The King's men arrived at that point and it didn't take long for them to cut down the remainder of the Duke's men that were attempting to breach the mote. Agnes was saddened, but relieved.
The next day, the people of the towne surveyed the damage. Despite the many boulders that had been used as missiles, the damage was localized to the area closest to the All Saints' Church. They were saddened that the old church had been damaged, but they were glad that relatively few of the people of the towne had been injured or killed.
The King's men had already moved out of the towne in pursuit of the Duke's men and so the people of the towne were left to assess the damage and determine what to do about it. It was rumored by some that the All Saints' Church should be torn down, but there was no money to even do that, so it would stay as it was for now.
Chapter Twenty-one
1456
The pounding hooves of John Darby's horse left deep prints in the muddy road. Despite the chilled morning air, the horse was wet with perspiration from the fast pace that John had kept throughout the night. It was still several miles to Aveley, the next village where John would allow his horse to rest before pressing on. John was pushing his horse as hard as he dared so that he could reach home as quickly as possible. He had heard rumors two days earlier about the battle of Stamford and had left Calais immediately. His primary concern was for Agnes, and his thoughts were on her as the great horse's thundering hooves carried him closer to home. He wondered whether she was okay. He knew well that when opposing forces occupied a towne, it could be particularly dangerous for women. He knew though that Agnes was a strong and intelligent woman and she was surrounded by servants that he trusted. Agnes had to be a strong woman to care for the estate and handle the trade while he was away. John remembered on another occasion when he was in Calais that a wolf ventured as far south as Stamford and was killing flock in the area. While the people of England had long been tormented by wolves, the wolves were now largely extinct, especially in the Midlands around Stamford and in the south counties.
Agnes had been taking a short walk near the estate when she unexpectedly came upon a wolf devouring a sheep. The wolf was caught by surprise as its focus had been on its meal. Agnes froze in mid-step when she saw the wolf. The wolf saw her almost immediately and raised its head and stared at her narrowly. Hair stood up on its back and its lips curled, baring sharp teeth as he let out a low and threatening growl. Agnes slowly backed away and was able to pick up a large stick. She knew that it could only offer little protection, but she kept it in front of herself just the same.
As soon as she was out of sight of the wolf, she ran for the house and called the servants. She ordered her horse readied and she rode with them in pursuit of the animal. With the help of the dogs, the wolf was cornered and one of the servants killed it.
'If Agnes culd face a wolf and nay faint,' John thought, 'surely she culd also face a human enemy with the same determination.'
With no warning, the great horse that John was riding went down and John flew over his head and onto the muddy road. The momentum caused John to roll several times before coming to a stop. For a moment he was dazed and lay still in the mud. The mud had cushioned the fall and he was unharmed. When he realized his circumstances, he jumped up and rushed back to his horse who was trying without success to stand. The horse had apparently broken a leg in a hole and it was not possible for him to rise. The great horse fought valiantly to get to his feet, but only managed to cover himself in mud and to dig a deeper hole. His eyes were wide with fright and great billows of steam exited his nostrils. It pained John to watch, unable to help his horse. John tried in vain to calm the beast. Eventually, the horse lay down in the muddy road after having exhausted his strength. John felt a lump in his throat and moisture in his eyes as he looked on his horse. This was more than a horse to John. They had spent everyday together for years and had traveled this same road many times. And now his friend lay in the mud with a broken leg. John knew that he could not leave the horse there to die a slow and painful death alone. With his horse laying still, John approached and knelt in the mud next to him.
John stoked the horse's head and whispered in his ear, 'I am so soory, me friend. You 'ave been a faithful companion. I am grateful to you for your service.'
John then searched the nearby roadway for the largest stone that he could heft over his head and carried near to his horse. As the brave horse looked into John's eyes, John felt that the horse sensed what was about to happen and John looked away. He stroked the horse's long mane and patted his back. The horse turned his head, presenting John with the opportunity to pick up the stone. He raised it high above his head and brought it down swiftly on his horse's forehead. The horse went limp and John turned his back. He wiped away the tears that started to flow down his face and looked around. He realized that he was miles from home and without a horse. He decided to walk to Aveley where he hoped to purchase a horse. It wouldn't be a great horse like the one that he loved, but it would get him home. He checked his pouch and determined that he had enough money to purchase a horse, but it would leave him short on lodging and food. He expected that he could eat bread rather than purchase cooked meals at public houses and he then would have sufficient funds to reach home.
It was late morning before he reached Aveley. It was a very small village with one public house. John went to the public house to inquire about the purchase of a horse.
Because it was still early in the day, there were few others in the public house.
'Gud dee, sir,' John said to the owner of the public house.
The man looked sternly at John and said, 'Oy, whot do you mean bringing that mud in 'ere anyway? At least remove your boots and cloak.'
'Pardon me, sir,' John said as he looked down at his muddy britches and boots. 'I lost me 'orse and took a tumble.'
'I do nay care aboot your 'orse, you will leave your muddy cloak and boots ootseed.'
Unaccustomed to such treatment, especially in front of others, and upset at the callous response to loosing his horse, John felt his face flush with a combination of embarrassment and anger. He wanted to lash out in response, but instead removed his cloak and boots and left them at the door.
Speaking to the owner of the public house again in a firm, even tone that underscored his frustration, John said, 'Now, sir, I 'ave muney enuf, may I 'ave sumething to eat?'
'Aye, 'ave a seat,' said the owner and brought John a plate of potatoes.
After eating John asked where he could purchase a horse. 'You can nay purchase a 'orse in Aveley,' replied the owner. 'Which way are you going?'
'I am 'eading north, toward Stamford,' replied John.
'Aye, those are dangerous parts. They 'ave war in those parts.'
'I am aware,' replied John. 'Where may I buy a 'orse?'
'You may find a 'orse in Rain'am, boot nay in Aveley,' stated the o
wner.
''ow far to Rain'am then?' asked John.
'Aboot 4 miles. Follow the London Road to the wood and 'ead north through the wood. You will find Rain'am just north of the wood.'
John rose from the table, thanked the owner and retrieved his cloak and boots. The articles were layered with drying mud. He beat the cloak against the side of the public house to loosen as much mud as he could. His britches were in the same condition. He didn't want to put the cloak on, but it still provided some protection from the chill.
He was about to start for the London Road, when a patron of the public house walked out the door and said, 'I 'eard you say that you need a 'orse.'
'Aye, that is true,' replied John. The stranger was not dressed in the garb of a peasant, in fact he was fairly well dressed. He also wore a fine cloak and hat. John noticed that he had a long knife at his side, but then so did most men of his apparent station.
'I 'ave a 'orse that I am willing to sell. Times are a lit'le 'ard and I culd use the extra muney.'
'And where is this 'orse?' asked John as he surveyed the road, not seeing a horse near the public house.