Part 29 (1/2)

'It's to do with my vintaine. That means it is to do with me,' Berenger snapped.

'Aye, well,' Jack said easily.

The two rode along for a while in silence, and then Jack gave a sigh of submission. 'Look, as usual, it's the woman. Geoff is still convinced that since she appeared, we've had a run of bad luck. And we can all see that for ourselves, can't we? When we first arrived here, we enjoyed success no matter where we went, but soon after we took her in, things went downhill. The long march to Paris, the wait down there, hoping to meet the French King in battle, and then the return all the way up here. Ever since she appeared, we've been harried by the French. And look at us now! Riding away from them at the double. I don't get it.'

'Our King knows his work,' Berenger said sternly. 'He is picking the best time and place. What, would you prefer he sat back and waited for the French to dictate to us? Or that we charged them when they had a good defensive position? Don't be moon-struck!'

'It's not moon-struck to notice that since that woman turned up, we've been afflicted and now Matt and Gil are dead too. Explain that away, if you can, Frip. The men don't like it, and they don't like her.'

'But what can they do about it?'

'If someone were to denounce her as a witch, perhaps our problems would fade away,' Jack said.

Berenger gave a gasp of disgust. 'So you'd see the girl taken and burned at the stake just to satisfy the-'

'No. Not to satisfy the baser wishes of the mob,' Jack interrupted. 'If it meant that the vintaine and the army grew more easy, I'd kill her myself, Frip, and so should you.'

He was deadly serious. His dark eyes held Berenger's for a moment, and then he looked away, studying the land ahead of them.

'I don't like the thought of killing a woman any more than the next man, course I don't, but I've had to do it in the past when told to, when the silly b.i.t.c.hes have tried to attack us. It was self-defence kill or be killed. And this is no different. She's a threat to us, to the army. Frip, you need to get a grip. You seem to be unworried by her. Well, I tell you now: she worries the rest of us.'

Berenger heard him out then said, 'I'd think it was more to do with Geoff than her. Beatrice seems a bit strange, certainly, but I'd wager that she is no threat to the army, nor to the vintaine. If I thought she was dangerous, like you say, I'd kill her myself.'

It was true. He could not risk the coherence of his vintaine to protect some French wench just because she had a pretty smile.

He allowed his pony to fall behind, aware now of a gnawing doubt.

What if the men were right?

'Fripper, there are reports that some d.a.m.ned Frenchmen are trying to delay us,' Sir John said. 'Take your lads up there, to the woods, and have a good look around, eh? The others aren't so experienced in looking for trouble as your fellows.'

It had sounded so innocuous when Sir John put it like that: 'Some d.a.m.ned Frenchmen' a handful of men somewhere up ahead. Berenger remembered those words later, as he stood amid the shambles of their fight.

He had been pleased that the vintaine would be occupied and prevented from brooding. It was also good to have them away from the Prince and his men. Berenger was nervous around the King's son. He always felt that an ill-considered comment could result in a hanging, and while he was comfortable with holding his own counsel in the presence of barons and lords, he knew that some of his men were less than guarded in their speech. Clip, for instance, never cared who heard his moaning and whining, and Jack positively revelled in insulting n.o.bles. He had a knack for finding those who were too dim to realise he was making fools of them, but one day, no doubt, he would trip up and then Berenger and the vintaine would be down another man.

Today in particular, Geoff was in a rebellious mood and Berenger knew that he would have to persuade Geoff to hold his tongue or risk disorder.

At least being at the front of the army would keep the men out of sight and sound of the n.o.bles.

He led the way through the press. It wasn't easy. The army here was restricted by woods on one side, and the archers on their horses were singing and laughing, oblivious to Berenger's vintaine. The noise of raucous men-at-arms shouting over the rattles and rumbles of the heavy wagons, the cookpots and chests banging and cras.h.i.+ng, the light clinking of mail and chains of harnesses, the squeaks and groans of leatherwork all added to the colossal din of an army on the move.

In the end, Berenger chose the simple expedient of blowing a good blast on his horn, and gesturing wildly when surprised faces were turned to him.

It took a while, but at last he was alongside Geoff.

'I want you to take the left when we get to the front,' he said.

'All right, Frip.' His tone was flat; undemonstrative. Berenger sighed. 'Look, Geoff, I know what you think of her, and I can understand it. I felt like that myself, eh?'

'You were right. Everyone who has anything to do with her dies, Frip. Before long, I'll die too, and then you'll have to do something about her before she kills you too. Even our leech won't mend you then.'

'When I was unwell, she nursed me,' Berenger pointed out. 'I'll not see her killed because of superst.i.tion.'

'There was a time when you'd have taken my word and not called it superst.i.tion,' Geoff said.

'There was a time when you'd have been more careful about how you labelled people,' Berenger said grimly.

'Perhaps.'

'So you won't shut up about her?'

'No. The rest of the vintaine agrees with me. When we stop tonight, we'll denounce her to Granda.r.s.e. We won't see the rest of the army's march endangered by her. She is either in league with the Devil or she's His unwitting helper. Either way, she's lethal.'

'You can't really believe that!'

Geoff turned very deliberately and studied his face. 'What is it, Frip? Are you after her for yourself? I wouldn't touch her, not with your ta.r.s.e, if that's what you're worried about. You can have her, if you really want her.'

'I don't want her.'

'I know what it's like to want a woman, after all.'

'You have a woman at home. You have no need of a wench like Beatrice,' Berenger said, baffled.

'I did.'

'You did? What does that mean?' Berenger suddenly realised. 'What do you mean she's dead? You never said anything.'

Geoff took a deep breath. 'Frip . . .' he began, but then there was a shout from in front, and their eyes moved to the source.

From the woods to their left, a ma.s.s of French foot-soldiers had suddenly burst out. A flurry of bolts and arrows whirred and hissed through the air, and the men in the van were tumbled to the ground. The air was immediately full of the screams of those shocked by the sudden violent a.s.sault, and the harsh battle-cries of their attackers.

's.h.i.+t on a stick!' Geoff cried.

'Wait! Geoff, with me!' Berenger said.

As the men bunched together, a path opened to their left, and Berenger shouted at the rest of the vintaine until all had acknowledged him, and then led the way through the gap. It took only a short time to canter clumsily through the low undergrowth. They were beyond the French a.s.sault here, and Berenger lifted his hand. Throwing himself from the saddle, he immediately bent his bow. He had only a few arrows, and he must make his mark.

While the others dismounted and strung their weapons, he pulled out an arrow, nocking it and eyeing the French ambush. Men still poured from the woods, but there were not so many as he had thought. This was not the army he had feared, but a small party determined to slow the English advance. Or was it a retreat? he wondered. He glanced from side to side, then found a target a burly man armed with a heavy axe. He drew his bow and aimed. Already the men were ranged on either side of him, most with their bows bent.

'Ready?' he called, and there was a grunt from his vintaine as all concentrated on their targets.

'Loose!' he roared, and their arrows sped forward.

They were so close that the arrows flew for only a moment. Then, like a man clapping his hands, they struck the leather jerkins of the Frenchmen. Some were hurled back by the impact; others reeled, their hands going to their flanks, while more stared dumbly. The axeman darted forward a moment before Berenger released his missile, and his arrow took another man in the head. The arrow pa.s.sed almost entirely through his skull, and the fellow dropped like a rabbit hit by a slingshot's bullet. And then the axeman saw Berenger and the others.

Berenger drew a second arrow, but as he nocked it, he realised that the axeman had drawn the attention of French crossbowmen to his vintaine. Bolts were being aimed even as he drew, and he had to pause, shouting, ' 'Ware archers in the woods! Crossbowmen in the trees!' before seeing a Genoese man with a heavy crossbow lifting it to his cheek. Berenger quickly adjusted for the range and loosed, and had the satisfaction of seeing him collapse.

There was the din of battle all about them: shouts and screams, horses whinnying in fear. More than one had been hit by the bolts that missed the vintaine. Men were ducking as the steel-tipped nightmares whisked past, hissing like geese in angry flight.

And then he saw the man with the axe again. He was running straight at him, the axe gripped high, screaming shrilly like an enraged boar, all thought of personal danger cast aside in his maddened desire to kill the Englishman.