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Authors: John Daines
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off. John felt the excitement building in him.
“There must be over 1,500 men here.He “ he said to Gavin.
“At least that amount, but we had better keep close to Sir Cedric if we are to serve him,” answered Gavin.”Shame Carac is missing this.”
John looked back at the Castle and could just pick out the young Squire on the battlements. The large company moved off with great noise and some confusion
which soon settled down. A small number of townspeople had come out and stood waving at no one in particular, they had never seen this number of Knights
and soldiers before. John looked to see if he could spot the Mayor’s daughter but there were too many men milling around. When they stopped for the first
night’s camp John and Gavin picked a spot on high ground and pitched Sir Cedric’s tent and their own. They soon found a system where they could both work
together quickly and efficiently. They sat round a camp fire and listened to the men tell stories of past battles which always ended with the teller
winning. As they journeyed on many of the villages they passed were like ghost towns with people hiding behind locked doors. They fed off the countryside
which did not go down very well with the inhabitants, imagine 1,500 hungry men being fed by the cooks who stripped the surrounding fields of animals and
crops, payment was promised but the farmers hardly ever received any, most people wanted the fighting to stop so they could get on with a peaceful life.
After several days march they at last came to the outskirts of Worcester where they found Prince Edward’s army resting. Two days later the senior Knights
were called to the Prince’s tent and a plan of action was discussed, the Prince now had an army numbering over 10,000 men and he meant to finish de
Montfort. Sir Cedric came back from the meeting and told his two Squires to prepare for battle. That night John lay awake thinking of home and Tania, would
they be able to convince Sir Cedric of their love for each other. They were woken in the morning when it was still dark, the army was noisily getting
ready. John and Gavin put on the white over tunic with a large red cross, at the battle of Lewes de Montfort’s men wore a white cross and Prince Edward
decided that he wanted his men recognisable. The army started to move, a section was despatched to the bridge over the Avon to stop any reinforcements
reaching de Montfort, the rest climbed to the ridge overlooking Evesham. As they waited a thunderstorm swamped the armies, they could see through the
driving rain the baron’s forces aiming for their centre. The Prince gave the order to encircle the opposing force and the two armies met. The fighting was
fierce, many remembered the defeat at Lewes and attacked with a bloody resolve. John and Gavin were in the thick of it beside Sir Cedric whose destrier was
barging biting and kicking whilst his rider hacked left and right. John, on Anvil, thrust and swung his sword until he felt his arm would drop off but
miraculously all three of them suffered no serious wounds. A lull in the battle allowed some small respite and Sir Cedric moved them foreword into where
there was still fighting, it was not man against man but a slaughter as men took revenge on the army that beat them at Lewes. Sir Cedric pushed through the
throng to where the Prince was trying to stop a group of men hacking at something on the ground, they found the mutilated body of de Montfort. The royalist
forces gradually gathered on the outskirts of Evesham and Prince Edward called a council of his Knights to plan strategy to finish off any resistance.
Sitting round their camp fire John fell into a dark mood.
“It wasn’t a battle, it was a slaughter,” he said to Gavin. “I hope our battles are not going to be like that.” Gavin shook his head and lazily poked the
fire. “Maybe we will return home tomorrow, I’ve had enough of mud and blood to last a lifetime.”
Sir Cedric and
“There must be over 1,500 men here.He “ he said to Gavin.
“At least that amount, but we had better keep close to Sir Cedric if we are to serve him,” answered Gavin.”Shame Carac is missing this.”
John looked back at the Castle and could just pick out the young Squire on the battlements. The large company moved off with great noise and some confusion
which soon settled down. A small number of townspeople had come out and stood waving at no one in particular, they had never seen this number of Knights
and soldiers before. John looked to see if he could spot the Mayor’s daughter but there were too many men milling around. When they stopped for the first
night’s camp John and Gavin picked a spot on high ground and pitched Sir Cedric’s tent and their own. They soon found a system where they could both work
together quickly and efficiently. They sat round a camp fire and listened to the men tell stories of past battles which always ended with the teller
winning. As they journeyed on many of the villages they passed were like ghost towns with people hiding behind locked doors. They fed off the countryside
which did not go down very well with the inhabitants, imagine 1,500 hungry men being fed by the cooks who stripped the surrounding fields of animals and
crops, payment was promised but the farmers hardly ever received any, most people wanted the fighting to stop so they could get on with a peaceful life.
After several days march they at last came to the outskirts of Worcester where they found Prince Edward’s army resting. Two days later the senior Knights
were called to the Prince’s tent and a plan of action was discussed, the Prince now had an army numbering over 10,000 men and he meant to finish de
Montfort. Sir Cedric came back from the meeting and told his two Squires to prepare for battle. That night John lay awake thinking of home and Tania, would
they be able to convince Sir Cedric of their love for each other. They were woken in the morning when it was still dark, the army was noisily getting
ready. John and Gavin put on the white over tunic with a large red cross, at the battle of Lewes de Montfort’s men wore a white cross and Prince Edward
decided that he wanted his men recognisable. The army started to move, a section was despatched to the bridge over the Avon to stop any reinforcements
reaching de Montfort, the rest climbed to the ridge overlooking Evesham. As they waited a thunderstorm swamped the armies, they could see through the
driving rain the baron’s forces aiming for their centre. The Prince gave the order to encircle the opposing force and the two armies met. The fighting was
fierce, many remembered the defeat at Lewes and attacked with a bloody resolve. John and Gavin were in the thick of it beside Sir Cedric whose destrier was
barging biting and kicking whilst his rider hacked left and right. John, on Anvil, thrust and swung his sword until he felt his arm would drop off but
miraculously all three of them suffered no serious wounds. A lull in the battle allowed some small respite and Sir Cedric moved them foreword into where
there was still fighting, it was not man against man but a slaughter as men took revenge on the army that beat them at Lewes. Sir Cedric pushed through the
throng to where the Prince was trying to stop a group of men hacking at something on the ground, they found the mutilated body of de Montfort. The royalist
forces gradually gathered on the outskirts of Evesham and Prince Edward called a council of his Knights to plan strategy to finish off any resistance.
Sitting round their camp fire John fell into a dark mood.
“It wasn’t a battle, it was a slaughter,” he said to Gavin. “I hope our battles are not going to be like that.” Gavin shook his head and lazily poked the
fire. “Maybe we will return home tomorrow, I’ve had enough of mud and blood to last a lifetime.”
Sir Cedric and
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