Chapter Fifteen
Just outside of Northampton, England
Tomorrow, they would be upon Isenhall.
As Davyss de Winter sat in his tent with his brother, contemplating what tomorrow would bring, all he could think of was the fact that tomorrow would see them at the walls of Isenhall.
Those dark-stoned walls of that oddly-shaped, rounded fortress had a very special place in his heart, for he remembered the days of his youth when he would play within those walls, running and chasing Gallus and Maximus, laughing at Tiberius because he was younger and unable to keep up with the bigger boys.
Hugh, his own brother, was even younger than Tiberius and would run after the big boys, wailing because they didn’t want to play with him. Aye, he remembered those days well.
And now, here they were, preparing to raze those very walls.
“Henry wants to discuss tomorrow’s strategy, you know,” Hugh said, seated near the brazier and using a pumice stone to sharpen his sword. “He wanted to meet with us after sup. If we do not go to his tent, he will come here.”
Davyss grunted at the mere thought of Henry invading their tent. His mind was still wandering the days of his youth.
“Do you remember playing with Gallus and Max and Ty as children?” he asked. “I remember hiding from you. You would wail in distress, trying to find us, and then you’d run to tell Mother that we were not being kind to you. Do you remember that?”
Hugh grinned. “I do,” he said. “You were bullies, all of you.”
Davyss laughed. “And you were unbearable and spoilt,” he countered. “I remember hiding in the loft of the stables at Isenhall, dropping horse dung on your head when you would come inside to look for us.”
Hugh snorted. “I seem to remember Mother beating you for that,” he said. “Or was it Father?”
Davyss conceded the point. “It was both,” he said. “Father was laughing at what I did but it was Mother who forced him to punish me. He did not hit me very hard, however.”
Hugh reflected back to those days. “That is because you were his favorite,” he said. “And I was Mother’s.”
“You were a terrible child.”
“I know.”
Davyss continued chuckling at the recollection.
“I have so many good memories of Isenhall and of Gallus and the pranks we would play,” he said.
But soon, his smile faded as pain began to glaze his expression.
“And now Henry expects me to lay siege to my best friend. He expects me to bring him to his knees. Surely he knows that….”
Hugh looked up from his sword, cutting him off. “You do not have to say it, Davyss.”
“I know.”
“When the time comes, I will stand with you, whatever your decision.”
“You have known since the beginning what my decision will be.”
Hugh nodded reluctantly. “I know,” he said. “We have made the necessary preparations for it. Our properties are fortified against any… aggressions.”
“Aye, they are.”
“Then I will ask something I’ve not asked since we left Wintercroft Castle – why did we agree to come to Isenhall in the first place?”
Davyss turned to look at him, then. “Do you not know?”
“I think I do.”
“Someone must protect Gallus from Henry.”
The truth of the situation was spoken and Hugh drew in a long, deep breath and returned to his sword. His work with the pumice stone slowed.
“I wish Father was here,” he muttered. “I wish I knew that we had his approval in this.”
Davyss stood up, cup of wine in hand. It was his third cup, trying to ease the guilt and angst he felt over Henry’s orders.
He knew, and had known since receiving Henry’s orders to march on Isenhall, that he was only going through the motions of obeying the king.
When it came down to the command to launch an attack against Gallus’ home, that was when Henry would discover that Davyss, for all of his loyalty to the crown, would refuse him.
The man simply couldn’t move against his best friend, only Henry didn’t know it yet.
But he would soon enough, Davyss suspected.
Maybe he already knew.
“Father would have tried to reason with Henry,” Davyss finally said. “He would have tried to talk the man out of this, but I do not have Father’s sense of diplomacy. I am a warrior and Lespada does the talking for me, but in this case, my weapon shall remain silent. I will not lift it.”
Hugh glanced up at the man; big, powerful, and cunning, Davyss was the type of knight that all men hoped to be.
Even Hugh. As good as Hugh was, and he was excellent, even he admired his brother’s skill and sense of honor.
This situation with Henry and the House of de Shera was weighing heavily upon Davyss, threatening to topple him, but the man wouldn’t waver.
He knew what was right and what was wrong.
He knew that family and blood was stronger than any king or country.
Still, it was a terribly difficult situation for them all.
“Henry wishes to discuss tomorrow’s strategy,” he said again, quietly. “What will you tell him?”
Davyss lifted his big shoulders. “Nothing for the moment,” he said.
“We will ride to Isenhall and see if Gallus can convince Henry not to move against him. Gallus is a far better diplomat than I am. If Henry refuses, then he shall know my stance at that time. Meanwhile, you will ensure that our men are not to respond to Henry’s commands of battle.
Pass the word through the ranks that all commands to be obeyed will come from me or from you. Will you do that?”
Hugh nodded. “I will do it tonight,” he said.
Then, he stopped rubbing at his sword and looked at his brother.
“We have two thousand men with us, Davyss. Henry has only brought about five hundred, including his Six. We will have to fight off de Serreaux and the others, you know. When our army balks, Henry’s army will move against us. ”
Davyss knew that. He thought on Torran de Serreaux and the other knights with him, men called Henry’s Guard of Six. He knew them all very well, as they were all interwoven into Henry’s command structure.
“I know,” he said. “I do not even know why they brought de Garr, however – the man is in terrible shape after the de Lohr beating. Did you hear the story behind it?”
“I did.”
Davyss shook his head, now grinning. “I wish I could have seen it,” he said. “Those six against the de Lohr knights would have been a battle to see.”
Hugh lifted his eyebrows. “I, for one, would have run at the sight of Jorden de Russe or Rhun du Bois coming after me. Those men are enormous. De Garr is lucky he still has his head after all of that.”
Davyss laughed. “De Serreaux is nothing to trifle with, either,” he pointed out.
“It would have been a battle of epic proportions and I am sorry I missed it. But Chad had what Henry wanted, the de Shera girl, and de Serreaux was determined to gain the woman for Henry’s purposes, so a clash of that magnitude was inevitable. ”
Hugh set his sword and stone down. “De Serreaux told me that he believes Chad is at Isenhall,” he said, sobering. “You know that Chad will stand with Gallus.”
“I know.”
“If Chad stands with him, then his father will stand with Chad,” Hugh pointed out. “If Daniel stands with Chad, so will Curtis de Lohr. The entire House of de Lohr will stand against Henry.”
Davyss sobered as well, thinking on the greater implications of what was about to happen. “And de Moray will stand with Gallus because his daughter is married to Ty,” he said. “Is Henry a fool not to realize all of this?”
They were prevented from further conversation by a soft hail at the tent flap. Davyss went to push back the fabric panel to reveal de Serreaux standing there. Davyss wasn’t surprised to see the man but he wondered if he’d heard any of their conversation.
“Torran,” he greeted evenly. “Will you come in? My brother and I were just having some wine.”
De Serreaux shook his head. “Thank you, no,” he replied. “Henry has sent me to retrieve you. He wishes to discuss tomorrow’s approach on Isenhall.”
The time had finally come to face what they did not want to face.
Davyss simply motioned to his brother, who stood up from the stool and stretched the kinks out of his big body as he made his way to the tent flap.
Once outside, beneath the carpet of stars against the black sky on a breezy and cold night, the three men headed for Henry’s tent several dozen yards away.
As they walked, de Serreaux sniffed the air. “It smells like rot,” he said casually. “I smell moldering leaves.”
Davyss pointed off to the west. “There is a bog not far from here,” he said. “It always smells of compost, worse when the wind shifts.”
De Serreaux gazed off into the night towards the west. “You are familiar with this area, are you not?”
“I am.”
“And you are familiar with Isenhall.”
“Verily.”
De Serreaux looked at him. “You and Gallus are childhood friends.”
“Everyone knows that.”
De Serreaux came to a halt, facing Davyss in the dark. “Henry wants to glean your knowledge of Isenhall’s weaknesses to plan this siege,” he said. “I’m assuming you already know that as well.”
Davyss’ dark eyes glittered in the starlight. “What would you have me say?” he asked. “Of course I know. I have known from the start. Why would you ask such a question?”
De Serreaux shrugged. “I simply want to make sure you are aware,” he said. “I can only imagine that this is a very difficult situation for you.”
Davyss was immediately suspicious of the line of conversation. “That would go without saying,” he said, his gaze lingering on the man. “What will you run back and tell Henry of this conversation, Torran?”