The Remembered

Chapter Twenty

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Richard spent the next two days locked beneath the deck of the ship as the ship returned to Dover from Calais. When the ship docked in Dover and the hatch was opened, Richard couldn't see in the light of day for several moments. He had been anticipating this moment from the time that he was locked in the ship. He expected that his best opportunity for escape was before he was thrown into the jail. Once in the jail, he would be in chains until he appeared for sentencing. After that, there would be no escaping. He expected that the distance from the ship to the jail would be short, but it would be the only time that he would be without chains. He knew that he would have at least one armed guard the entire way and perhaps more.

After Richard's eyes adjusted to the light, he saw that there were two guards waiting at the bottom of the ramp from the boat. Richard was disappointed to see that they had a rope with them. Richard quickly surveyed the dock. It was a busy place. There were large bundles of wool stacked all along the dock and people moved about them either moving the bundles in preparation for loading them, or in preparation to board this same ship. Richard saw that there were several buildings adjacent to the dock and small alleyways ran between them. Dover was not a city, but it was a large village and Richard expected that it was large enough to get lost in if needed. Beyond the buildings was the forest that Richard had stayed in while waiting for the boat.

The guards didn't wait for Richard to disembark, but rather they came up the ramp and took charge of him directly from the ship mates. They first tied his hands in front of him and then motioned him toward the ramp. One guard walked in front of Richard and the guard in back held the rope that was tied to Richard's hands. Midway down the ramp, Richard acted out of instinct more than out of planning. The guard in front of him was close enough that Richard kicked his foot in mid-step, tripping him. The guard tried to catch his balance, but fell from the ramp into the sea. At the same time Richard pulled forcefully on the rope, pulling the guard behind him forward. When the rear guard was even with Richard, he pushed him hard sideways and the guard fell from the ramp and into the sea, releasing the rope as he fell. Richard was barely able to keep his own balance as he ran off the ramp and onto the dock. The ship mates had seen the escape and started yelling and Richard could hear their feet on the ramp. Richard ran as fast as he could though his hands were tied together.

He ran up the first alley, a short distance up the alley he took a second alley that emptied in a village square. He could hear yelling and footsteps behind him and he knew that he would not make it to the woods. Across the square was a church. Richard ran across the square and hardly slowed as he crashed through the door. Doing so, he nearly knocked down the priest.

'I need sanctuary,' Richard managed to express between heavy breaths.

The ship mates came up to the church right behind Richard and stopped short when the priest held up his hand.

'Do nay lay 'old on this man,' commanded the priest. ''e 'as claimed the sanctuary of the Church.'

''e is a thief,' demanded the men.

The guards who had been pulled out of the sea came up at that time and demanded that Richard be released to them.

'Nay,' said the priest. ''e is entitled to sanctuary. I will listen to 'im and will determine whether 'e shuld 'ave penance or shuld be returned to you. Until then, you will leave 'im be.'

The men stepped forward, but the priest held his ground and stepped in front of Richard.

'Leave this 'oly 'ouse, or as God is me witness, you will nay prevail,' shouted the priest.

With that the men backed away and left while breathing out threatenings to Richard.

'Comb with me,' said the priest after he barred the door.

'You 'ave me thanks father,' said Richard gratefully.

'Do nay thank me yet, me sone,' said the priest. 'I 'ave nay decided whot to do with you. Tell me why they are so intent on your capture.' As he spoke, he produced a knife and cut the rope off Richard's hands.

Richard related to the priest the entire story of the thieves and his own attempt to return the stolen pouch to John and of his capture. The priest studied Richard's face and eyes as he listened intently. After Richard finished the priest said, 'Your story is true. You are free to leave as you wish, boot if you do so before dark, they will catch you.'

Richard remained in the church the rest of the day. The priest only left the church once for a brief period during that time. Richard spent a good portion of the day studying the windows. The priest spoke to Richard about the stories depicted in the glass and Richard explained to the priest the process of glazing windows.

After it was dark, the priest told Richard that he needed to go home soon. 'I can nay 'elp you escape you know.'

'Aye,' said Richard.

The priest also complained about a tear in his habit and left it hanging near the bell tower. As he did, he said, 'This old 'abit is nay fit for moths to eat. I no longer want it. If I gave it to you, you may yet find a use for it.' The priest then said that he needed to put the candles out before he left and he walked to the front of the chapel. As he did, he also said that there was some food behind a bush at the back door of his house next to the church and that he had left it there for the poor or the needy. After the priest walked away, Richard put on the habit and walked out into the night. He tried to keep a casual pace so as to not draw attention to himself. He went directly to the priest's back door and found the food that was stowed behind the bush and then he crossed the square and started up an alleyway that led to the woods. While the church was still in sight, he turned and glanced back. The priest had come out without his habit on. As soon as he was outside the church, several men jumped from behind headstones and grabbed him, wrestling him to the ground and binding him. He didn't let out a sound, but endured the harsh treatment as he was physically carried away by the men. Richard turned and casually walked the road to the woods. Once at the woods, he shed the habit and hid it beneath a dense bush.

He then ran until he was out of breath, but he continued walking all night. Near morning, he found a thickly wooded area to sleep during the day. He knew that it was going to be a long walk to Easton-on-the-hill and he would have to travel at night for the first portion. As he lay down to sleep, he allowed himself to think of Margaret and home for the first time that day.

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Margaret waited until she was alone with Geva before she approached her, when she did, she said, 'Geva, I believe that I am with child.' Geva's face lite up at the news.

'Can you be sure?' she asked with excitement.

'I believe that it is so,' replied Margaret, the excitement of the possibility lighting up her eyes.

'Whot signs do you 'ave?'

'Until recently, morning food 'as been distasteful and difficult to retain and there are other signs as well.'

'Margaret, I am so 'appy for you. Does Richard know this?'

'Nay, I did nay wish for 'im to worry aboot me while 'e was away.'

''e will be so 'appy, Margaret! 'e 'as long wanted a child. Per'aps it will be a sone.'

'Aye,' smiled Margaret, 'per'aps it will be a fine sone.' Smiling contentedly, she rubbed her growing midsection.

'You are so radiant,' exclaimed Geva.

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As James rode the donkey back toward Stamford and Saint Leonard's Priory he noticed that the road had been well traveled. There had been recent rain and the many ruts and other tracks in the road suggested the wear of wagons and horses and foot traffic. He suspected that he must be following the Duke of York forces. His suspicions were confirmed at Empingham. When he approached, he found that the soldiers' camp nearly encircled the village. The King's forces were stopped in Stamford and the forces of the Duke were preparing to lay siege.

James passed through the soldiers' camp and into the village. The village was largely empty of its people. James thought that because he was a monk, he could pass through without incident, but he was wrong.

'Halt,' commanded the soldier as James started on the Stamford road. James stopped the donkey, but did not dismount. 'Whot 'ave we 'ere?' asked the soldier. James gave no response. 'And where do you think that you are going then?' demanded the soldier.

'I am a 'umble monk from Saint Leonard's Priory, just beyond Stamford,' said James.

'Well, I do nay care whether you are The Lord 'imself, you are nay going anywhere,' insisted the soldier.

'Whot possible benefit am I 'ere with you then,' asked James.

'Do you think I am daffed?' asked the soldier. 'If I let you go, you will tell the King's men of our strength.'

'Nay,' James assured him. 'I am a monk and do nay take sides in these conflicts.'

'O, aye,' said the soldier sarcastically.

James pointed to a nearby hill and said, 'Do you nay think that the King's men already know all aboot you? Whot culd I add?'

'Off with you monk,' ordered the soldier and he slapped the backside of the donkey. The donkey was off with a start and the soldiers laughed boisterously when James was nearly dislodged backward. The ride was bumpy for a while until the donkey slowed again to a walk.

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When Agnes realized that the King's soldiers had stopped in Stamford, she called her servants together. 'Go 'ome and fetch your families and bring them 'ere for safety,' she urged them. All but two of the servants accepted her invitation. Those two were from villages outside of Stamford and felt quite safe waiting at their own homes with their families.

Agnes had ordered the bridge over the moat drawn and would not allow anyone to leave the security of the estate.

Two days later, Agnes could see the Duke of York's soldiers marching on the road between Empingham and Stamford. She could make out a large contraption on wheels and didn't know what it might be. When she asked one of the servants they told her that it was a catapult. The soldiers stopped short of the Stamford walls and she could see the catapult in action. For what seemed three hours, the soldiers sent boulders through the air and into Stamford. Agnes could see the roofs of buildings give way under the assault. The All Saints' Church was almost out of range of the aerial assault, but one boulder found its mark and crashed through one wall of the church.

The Duke's men then turned the forces of the catapult toward the towne wall and gate and pounded it until it appeared that it would give way. While the King's forces had been slower to return the assaults of the catapult, they eventually had their own catapult in action and inflicted their own pain on the Duke's forces. Eventually, the King's men were able to destroy the Duke's catapult.

With their catapult destroyed and the towne wall and gate severely damaged, the Duke's men moved forward in a column to ram the gate or breach the wall. They carried with them a large beam that they intended to destroy what remained of the gate.

The archers stopped within reach of the city and started a volley of arrows over the wall to give protection to the men that were moving forward. The King's men were also answering the volley of arrows with their own and some arrows were finding their mark. Some of the King's archers were situated upon the towne walls where they had a clear shot at the men attempting to ram the gate. Occasionally, the Duke's archers found the mark of an archer on the wall and they fell lifeless from the wall.

As the Duke's men started ramming the gate, the King's men started casting stones down from the wall directly upon them. The Duke's archers moved closer and started picking off those that were casting the stones. Soon the gate gave way completely and the Duke's men pressed forward through it. The first to be sent through were the foot soldiers, most of whom were untrained commoners who were only working for hire. Times were so difficult for the likes of them that any job, including the dangers of foot soldier, would do. They were expendable.

The King's men had moved nearly their entire force to the breached gate, something that the Duke's officers had anticipated. On command many of the Duke's men moved along the wall to the south and east until they were at the point of the walls nearest John and Agnes' estate. Agnes looked on with concern. Though the fighting was a way off, her large house may prove valuable to the Duke's men for some purpose. She was glad for the mote that surrounded the estate buildings, but if attacked, it would only serve to slow the attack and not repel it.

Once the Duke's men were at the point of the wall nearest the Darby estate, they raised ladders that they were carrying and quickly climbed the wall. From the top of the wall they employed bows on the King's forces below. But the advantage was short-lived. Standing atop the wall also gave a clear shot to the King's archers and there were more of them than had been expected by the Duke's men. Soon, those who had climbed the wall were repelled and the focus returned to the breached gate.

Bodies began to pile up at the opening of the gate, making it difficult for the Duke's men to take advantage of the breach, but they continued to press. Soon, the foot soldiers had to be employed in removing the bodies so that others could move forward. At last, enough room was cleared that a large contingent of the Duke's forces were successful in entering the towne walls. This moved the fighting from the gate to further inside the walls and allowed still more of the men to enter.

It became clear that the King may have underestimated the forces that the Duke was willing to wager on this campaign and the King's men began to fall back. Stamford was a towne that was loyal to the King and when the people of the towne saw that the King's men were nearing defeat, they poured into the streets with any weapon that they could find. Often, the men of the towne were as skilled in soldiering as the Duke's foot soldiers and their assistance proved advantageous to the King's men. The people of the towne were taking great risk, but they knew that if the King was not successful, their known loyalties would be rewarded harshly if the Duke prevailed.

Though the All Saints' Church had been severely damaged, the old priest stayed nearby to protect its sanctuary from the desecration of battle. He was horrified when he saw the towne blacksmith struck from behind with a battle ax as he contended with a soldier. The blacksmith was a strong man, but he fell quickly from the blow. He watched also as other men fought face to face. These were men that would likely have been friends or neighbors under other circumstances, but right now, all that mattered was avoiding the next blow.

The addition of the towne's people fighting for their king changed the course of the battle and soon the Duke's men were starting to fall into disarray, looking as though a retreat would be likely. The old priest stood his ground as two of the Duke's soldiers ran to the church presumably to hide from the battle. When the priest would not give way, one of the soldiers ran him through with a sword and he fell lifeless. No sooner had the old priest fallen then the sound was given by the Duke's captains to retreat and the two soldiers ran for the gate with the rest of the Duke's men.

It was a bloodbath as the Duke's men fought with the King's men, the towne's people and themselves trying to get back through the gate. Some ran into side streets hoping to hide, but they were hunted down and killed unless they immediately dropped their weapons.

The entrance to the gate soon filled with bodies and it was nearly impossible to leave. The Duke's men that couldn't get outside the walls mostly refused to lay down their weapons and they were cut down like wheat before the reaper.

Most of those that could get outside the walls ran back toward Empingham. Some ran toward the Darby estate. Agnes could see them coming and she cried out in fright for the servants. The draw bridge was already up so it would be difficult for anyone to get inside, but they could if they persisted. Soon there were about 50 soldiers trying to breach the mote and for good cause, a group of the King's soldiers were now in pursuit of them. Some of the Duke's men attempted to swim the mote, hoping that the water was not too deep, but John had ensured that it was above the height of a man. It was impossible that the Duke's soldiers could cross the mote by swimming, since they couldn't maneuver in the deep water and their clothing and weapons ensured that they would sink. Some tried to get back out of the mote, but the sides were too deep. One of the Duke's soldiers carried a supply of rope and attempted to get it across and onto the bridge in order to force the bridge down. However, some of Agnes' servants were proficient with bows, having used them for hunting and they soon cut down the men in their attempts with the rope. The King's men arrived at that point and it didn't take long for them to cut down the remainder of the Duke's men that were attempting to breach the mote. Agnes was saddened, but relieved.

The next day, the people of the towne surveyed the damage. Despite the many boulders that had been used as missiles, the damage was localized to the area closest to the All Saints' Church. They were saddened that the old church had been damaged, but they were glad that relatively few of the people of the towne had been injured or killed.

The King's men had already moved out of the towne in pursuit of the Duke's men and so the people of the towne were left to assess the damage and determine what to do about it. It was rumored by some that the All Saints' Church should be torn down, but there was no money to even do that, so it would stay as it was for now.