English Knight Read Online Free Page A

forest and not him.” He put his arm around my shoulder. “You did not like the feeling as the blade ground against the bone.”
    “How did you know?”
    “It was the same for all of us when we first killed.  If you stab upwards then you will avoid many bones. Still you did better than I could have hoped.  You did not make a noise in the forest and that is a good thing.” He pointed to my horse. “And he is a fine animal.  He warned us.  He would make a good scout.”
    And that was how my horse got his name.  He became Scout.  He seemed to like it and responded every time I used it.  Of course Wulfstan gave me the trick of giving him a treat of an apple or patting him on the head as well but that night saw a bond between my horse and me I could not have believed back in Constantinople.

Chapter 3
    We had been riding for a day when I finally asked Wulfstan about the attack.  “Why did Osric let those two bandits escape?”
    “They will spread the word that we are not easy victims. We will now reach Lyons safely.”
    “And was it right to strip their bodies of their valuables and weapons?”
    “Spoils of war, Master Alfraed. You take what you can when you can. Who knows what awaits us?”
    My education began as we descended to Lyons.  Lyons would be the end of the Holy Roman Empire and then we would begin our journey across Frankia. We would draw close to the lands of England and Normandy; our final destination.
    Lyons was a border fortress. It was the most familiar town I had seen so far. I recognised the hands of the Roman builders everywhere. Here were the knights of the Holy Roman Emperor.  They looked a little different to the knights from home but I recognised them for what they were.  They wore mail here but the helmets were full face helmets.  My father and his retainers still used the old fashioned open faced helmet with the nasal. They had the kite shields my father had faced in the wars in the east.  My father and his men still clung to their round shields.  When I saw the knights I felt happier.
    It seems that my father’s name was known in Lyons and we got to stay in the great hall of the castellan, Hugo de Montfort. He was of an age with my father. Count Hugo called me over. “Well, boy, will you be a warrior like your father?”
    “I hope to be a knight, sir.” I was not very happy about being called a boy.  I had a beard and a moustache; I had bedded women!
    Count Hugo looked in surprise.  “You do not wish to stand in a shield wall as these fine fellows once did?” he did not wait for my reply. “I fought for the Emperor when I was a young lance for hire.  How well I remember your father standing like a rock with his warriors beside him. The Normans shattered their lances and had their hearts broken.  They could not penetrate the wall of wood and steel.”
    My father laughed and suddenly seemed young again, “And then you and your horsemen drove them from the field and returned rich men.”
    Count Hugo gave a loud guffaw and spread his arm wide, “And then I came here to become the most powerful castellan on this side of the border!” He quaffed his wine. It was good wine.  It was deep and red.  It was so rich you almost needed a spoon to drink it. His voice became lower and more serious. “You have a most difficult part of your journey to come. King Henry spends much of his time in Normandy. Rouen is his main castle.  But you will have to cross France first. Louis the Fat is not the king his father was. This one rules with a strong hand.  He knows the Norman ways and fought alongside the Dukes of Normandy.”
    “Are you saying we may not be welcome?”
    “I am saying, old friend, that you need to be careful and diplomatic. I will give you an escort across the border. The king does not keep a standing army as the Emperor does and he relies on his vassal lords to watch his land.  Archambaud of Montlucon has a powerful castle on the Cher River. I know him. My men will