Bernard Cornwell - The Grail Quest 1 - Harlequin

Two packhorses brought sheaves of precious arrows that were distributed among the archers. Ignore the goddamn peasants,“ Skeat told his men. Kill the men-at-arms. I want the bastards crying for the goats they call their mothers.”

There's food on the far side,“ John Armstrong told his hungry men. Those goddamn bastards will have meat, bread and beer, and it'll be yours if you get through them.”

And don't waste your arrows, Skeat growled. Shoot proper!

Aim, boys, aim. I want to see the bastards bleeding.“ Watch the wind!” John Armstrong shouted. It'll carry arrows to the right."

Two hundred of the French men-at-arms were on foot at the river's edge, while the other two hundred were mounted and wait-ing a hundred paces behind. The rabble of infantry was split into two vast lumps, one on each flank. The dismounted men-at-arms were there to stop the English at the water's edge and the mounted men would charge if any did break through, while the infantry was present to give the appearance of numbers and to help in the mass-acre that would follow the French victory. The French must have been confident for they had stopped every other attempt to ford the Somme.

Except at the other fords the enemy had possessed crossbowmen who had been able to keep the archers in deep water where they could not use their bows properly for fear of soaking the strings and here there were no crossbows.

The Earl of Northampton, on foot like his men, spat towards the river. He should have left his foot soldiers behind and brought a thousand Genoese,“ he remarked to Will Skeat. We'd be in trouble then.”

They'll have some crossbows," Skeat said.

Not enough, Will, not enough.“ The Earl was wearing an old helmet, one without any face plate. He was accompanied by a grey-bearded man-at-arms with a deeply lined face, who wore a much-mended coat of mail. You know Reginald Cobham, Will?” the Earl asked.

I've heard of you, Master Cobham,“ Will said respectfully. And I of you. Master Skeat,” Cobham answered. A whisper went through Skeat's archers that Reginald Cobham was at the ford and men turned to look at the greybeard whose name was celebrated in the army. A common man, like themselves, but old in war and feared by England's enemies.

The Earl looked at a pole which marked one edge of the ford. Reckon the water's low enough,“ he said, then patted Skeat's shoul-der. Go and kill some, Will.” Thomas took one glance behind and saw that every dry spot of the marsh was now crowded with soldiers, horses and women. The English army had come into the lowlands, depending on the Earl to force the crossing.

Off to the east, though none at the ford knew it, the main French army was filing across the bridge at Abbeville, ready to fall on the English rear.

There was a brisk wind coming from the sea, bringing a morning chill and the smell of salt. Gulls called forlorn above the pale reeds. The river's main channel was a half-mile wide and the hundred archers looked a puny force as they spread into a line and waded into the tide. Armstrong's men were on the left, Skeat's on the right, while behind them came the first of the earl's men-at-arms. Those men-at-arms were all on foot and their job was to wait till the arrows had weakened the enemy, then charge into the French with swords, axes and falchions. The enemy had two drummers, who began thumping their goatskins, then a trumpeter startled birds from the trees where the French had camped.

Note the wind,“ Skeat shouted at his men. Gusting hard, she is, gusting hard.”

The wind was blowing against the ebbing tide, forcing the river into small waves that whipped white at their tops. The French infantry were shouting. Grey clouds scudded above the green land. The drummers kept up a threatening rhythm. Banners flew above the waiting men-at-arms and Thomas was relieved that none of them showed yellow hawks on a blue field. The water was cold and came to his thighs. He held his bow high, watching the enemy, waiting for the first crossbow bolts to whip across the water. No bolts came. The archers were within long bowshot range now, but Will Skeat wanted them closer. A French knight on a black horse caparisoned with a green and blue trapper rode to where his comrades were on foot, then swerved off to one side and splashed into the river.

Silly bastard wants to make a name," Skeat said. Jake! Dan!

Peter! Settle the bastard for me." The three bows were drawn back and three arrows flew.

The French knight was hurled back in his saddle and his fall provoked the French to fury. They gave their war shout, Montjoie Saint Denis!" and the men-at-arms came splashing into the river, ready to challenge the archers, who drew back their bows.

Hold hard!“ Skeat shouted. Hold hard! Closer, get closer!” The drumbeats were louder. The dead knight was being carried away by his horse as the other French edged back to the dry land. The water only reached to Thomas's knees now and the range was shortening. A hundred paces, no more, and Will Skeat was at last satisfied. Start putting them down!" he shouted. The boweords were drawn back to men's ears, then loosed. The arrows flew, and while the first flight was still whispering over the wind-flecked water the second flight was released, and as the men put their third arrows on the strings the first whipped home. The sound was of metal striking metal, like a hundred light hammers tapping, and the French ranks were suddenly crouching with shields held high.

Pick your men!“ Skeat shouted. Pick your men!” He was using his own bow, shooting it infrequently, always waiting for an enemy to lower a shield before loosing an arrow. Thomas was watching the rabble of infantry to his right. They looked as though they were ready to make a wild charge and he wanted to plant some arrows in their bellies before they reached the water.

A score of French men-at-arms were dead or wounded and their leader was shouting at the others to lock their shields. A dozen of the rearward men-at-arms had dismounted and were hurrying forward to reinforce the riverbank.

Steady, boys, steady,“ John Armstrong called. Make the arrows count.”

The enemy shields were quilled with arrows. The French were relying on those shields that were thick enough to slow an arrow, and they were staying low, waiting for the arrows to run out or for the English men-at-arms to come close. Thomas reckoned some of the arrows would have driven clean through the shields to inflict wounds, but they were mostly wasted. He glanced back to the infantry and saw they were not moving yet. The English bows were firing less frequently, waiting for their targets, and the Earl of Northampton must have tired of the delay, or else he feared the turn of the tide for he shouted his men forward. Saint George!

Saint George!"

Spread wide!" Will Skeat shouted, wanting his men to be on the flanks of the Earl's attack so they could use their arrows when the French stood to receive the charge, but the water rapidly grew deeper as Thomas moved upstream and he could not go as far as he wanted.

Kill them! Kill them!“ The Earl was wading up to the bank now. Keep ranks!” Reginald Cobham shouted.

The French men-at-arms gave a cheer, for the proximity of the English charge meant the archers" aim would be blocked, though Thomas did manage to loose two arrows as the defenders stood and before the two groups of men-at-arms met at the river's edge with a clash of steel and shield. Men roared their war cries, Saint Denis contending with Saint George.

Watch right! Watch right!" Thomas shouted, for the peasant infantrymen had started forward and he sent two arrows whistling at them. He was plucking shafts from the arrow bag as fast as he could.

Take the horsemen!" Will Skeat bellowed, and Thomas changed his aim to send an arrow over the heads of the fighting men at the French horsemen who were advancing down the bank to help their comrades. Some English horsemen had entered the ford now, but they could not ride to meet their French counterparts because the ford's northern exit was blocked by the wild melee of men-at-arms. Men slashed and hacked. Swords met axes, falchions split helmets and skulls. The noise was like the devil's blacksmith shop and blood was swirling down tide in the shallows. A Englishman screamed as he was cut down into the water, then screamed again as two Frenchmen drove axes into his legs and trunk. The Earl was thrust-ing his sword in short hard lunges, ignoring the hammer blows on his shield.