Read Online Games of Otterburn 1388 by Charles Randolph Bruce - Free Book Online
Authors: Charles Randolph Bruce
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the street and passed into unconsciousness.
The knight who had gone off in search of men came in behind the English and ran around the English troops.
Douglas saw the maneuver and thought it was a good opportunity to withdraw since their main objective of reiving had been accomplished. He hooted his horn again and his men withdrew. The English troops, being leaderless, allowed that to happen.
The remaining straggling Scots left the town with their liege.
Within the half hour the fog had lifted from the streets to the realization that the Scot’s had effectively raided their town and taken quite a haul with them as they left.
The titular head of the merchants demanded and got an immediate audience with Bishop Skirlaw who agreed to pursue the Scots post haste with as many knights and men-at-arms as he could spare so as to return not only the reived goods but the town’s pride as well.
The bishop went back to the battlements where he had first heard the raid through the fog. The air was clear as he looked down on the market place. He was thankful the raider’s had not set it ablaze as they had from time to time in the past and yet on the other hand he realized the air was just too wet to strike a spark. He was still fitful and pressed with guilt over the unnecessary loss of English life since he had dismissed the message that Sir Henry Percy had sent him warning of just such a possibility but he thought he would have at least three more days to plan.
He wrung his hands and fretted. He felt helpless as he cried out to heaven for the understanding of why his people had to suffer so.
Within the hour the bishop had changed his mind about sending out troops to bring justice to the Scots for he feared it might be a two edged justice meaning his contingent of warriors within his immediate grasp would not be enough to accomplish the task and all of them would be senselessly slaughtered. It was that that he could not abide so he instead send warrants across the bishopric to immediately gather a greater army to shoo the Scots from the countryside.
August 12 - Mid Morning
Appleby in Westmorland,
England
The square eighty foot high Caesar’s Tower was surrounded by an extensive curtain wall enclosing three separate baileys that occupied the highest point on the bluff overlooking the River Eden in the Eden Valley . Below the castle was the town of Appleby on the edge of the river.
Robert Stewart, Earl of Fife pulled rein on his horse about a mile north of the town,
“Appleby’s not far to my figurin ’,” he said.’
“We’re goin ’ to have to cross the river ere we get closer,” said Stewart of Durisdeer standing his mount at Robert’s side.
Robert turned in his saddle resting his hand on its cannel. He looked at his thousand troops on horseback and knew they were as worn the same as he for they had followed him to the depths of the West March to raid whatever valuables they could lay to hand.
They had been traveling for three days leaving his soldiers on foot to attack closer places such as Carlisle and that neighborhood.
“Ye been in this area much?” asked Robert.
“Have been, Milord,” said Durisdeer.
“Know a good ford?”
“‘Bout a half mile to the west it widens with a small bit of land mid way,” he answered then added. “River meanders a lot through here.”
“Lead?”
Durisdeer nodded and kicked his horse toward where he knew the crossing point to be.
Soon the thousand knights and men-at-arms splashed across the Eden River then turned toward Appleby, and soon came to the edge of the town.
Robert instructed his men as he moved through them to go in front. He drew his sword high indicating for his thousand to do the same.
Within the town was heard a blood curdling scream followed by another shout, “Scotch! Scotch are a’raiden ’! Run!!”
Robert smiled. He liked panic. It was his ally when he was raiding. “Attack!!” he ordered then he war whooped and spurred his large
The knight who had gone off in search of men came in behind the English and ran around the English troops.
Douglas saw the maneuver and thought it was a good opportunity to withdraw since their main objective of reiving had been accomplished. He hooted his horn again and his men withdrew. The English troops, being leaderless, allowed that to happen.
The remaining straggling Scots left the town with their liege.
Within the half hour the fog had lifted from the streets to the realization that the Scot’s had effectively raided their town and taken quite a haul with them as they left.
The titular head of the merchants demanded and got an immediate audience with Bishop Skirlaw who agreed to pursue the Scots post haste with as many knights and men-at-arms as he could spare so as to return not only the reived goods but the town’s pride as well.
The bishop went back to the battlements where he had first heard the raid through the fog. The air was clear as he looked down on the market place. He was thankful the raider’s had not set it ablaze as they had from time to time in the past and yet on the other hand he realized the air was just too wet to strike a spark. He was still fitful and pressed with guilt over the unnecessary loss of English life since he had dismissed the message that Sir Henry Percy had sent him warning of just such a possibility but he thought he would have at least three more days to plan.
He wrung his hands and fretted. He felt helpless as he cried out to heaven for the understanding of why his people had to suffer so.
Within the hour the bishop had changed his mind about sending out troops to bring justice to the Scots for he feared it might be a two edged justice meaning his contingent of warriors within his immediate grasp would not be enough to accomplish the task and all of them would be senselessly slaughtered. It was that that he could not abide so he instead send warrants across the bishopric to immediately gather a greater army to shoo the Scots from the countryside.
August 12 - Mid Morning
Appleby in Westmorland,
England
The square eighty foot high Caesar’s Tower was surrounded by an extensive curtain wall enclosing three separate baileys that occupied the highest point on the bluff overlooking the River Eden in the Eden Valley . Below the castle was the town of Appleby on the edge of the river.
Robert Stewart, Earl of Fife pulled rein on his horse about a mile north of the town,
“Appleby’s not far to my figurin ’,” he said.’
“We’re goin ’ to have to cross the river ere we get closer,” said Stewart of Durisdeer standing his mount at Robert’s side.
Robert turned in his saddle resting his hand on its cannel. He looked at his thousand troops on horseback and knew they were as worn the same as he for they had followed him to the depths of the West March to raid whatever valuables they could lay to hand.
They had been traveling for three days leaving his soldiers on foot to attack closer places such as Carlisle and that neighborhood.
“Ye been in this area much?” asked Robert.
“Have been, Milord,” said Durisdeer.
“Know a good ford?”
“‘Bout a half mile to the west it widens with a small bit of land mid way,” he answered then added. “River meanders a lot through here.”
“Lead?”
Durisdeer nodded and kicked his horse toward where he knew the crossing point to be.
Soon the thousand knights and men-at-arms splashed across the Eden River then turned toward Appleby, and soon came to the edge of the town.
Robert instructed his men as he moved through them to go in front. He drew his sword high indicating for his thousand to do the same.
Within the town was heard a blood curdling scream followed by another shout, “Scotch! Scotch are a’raiden ’! Run!!”
Robert smiled. He liked panic. It was his ally when he was raiding. “Attack!!” he ordered then he war whooped and spurred his large
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