Games of Otterburn 1388 Read Online Free Page B

center of the group and held both hands in the air shouting, “Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Nobody here is backin ’ off the raid!”
    Archibald knew he had made a hopeless bid to rule the roost but did not care. “ Carlisle is mine!” he bluntly and loudly stated.
    Robert fumed under his brow. He did not like being manipulated but he was not about to let Archibald create a rift between the two families especially since James Douglas wanted to exercise his own plan. “ A’right ,” he agreed. “Ye and yers take Carlisle .”
    Archibald returned to his bench having gained the political clout he wanted most.
    William sat beside him to show solidarity.
    Robert eased realizing he still owned the reins.  
    “I think we should not disappoint whoever is expectin ’ or not expectin ’ us,” announced James Douglas smugly.
    Earl Robert again jumped to his feet. “What’s that meanin ’?” he grumped.
    “Means Northumberland is expectin ’ us,” said Douglas, “and I don’t think he should be disappointed.
    “Hotspur ye better mean,” retorted Robert.
    “He is the warden of the East March, is he not?” answered James.
    “ Ye’re just wantin ’ to see if ye can best him,” replied Robert.
    “And I thought we wanted to punish the English to get the attention of King Richard,” said James sarcastically.
    “I’ve not lost sight of our purpose,” barked Robert.
    James Douglas looked at Robert Stewart for a half moment then delivered his say in deliberate measured words, “ Nae , perhaps not the purpose but ‘tis on the point of the tactics to which ye will not bend, Milord.”
    The hall became stone quiet. Each man letting the words sink in.
    “I’ll take half the men and ye can take the other half,” James said pointing to Fife .
    Fife laughed already knowing where the speech was headed. “Ye’ll not get command of my troops so readily.”
    “But ye said yerself that it would be a fool’s errand to go east with only my portion of the gathered men.”
    “Did ye not see here but a moment ago,” barked back Robert quickly, “it is I who hold the whip to this circle of men!”
    “Archibald yon, is my cousin. My family. Will ye think yer whip will divide blood from blood?” he expressed pointing to the bench that held Archibald and William.
    Robert glared at James from under dark brows. He did not like where James was going but concerned that there might be a war without moving his feet from the very spot where they then stood.
    Douglas paused for a reflective moment then laid it out, “For the sake of King Robert the Bruce with whom our forefathers fought and died, this I will bargain… give me five hundred of yer men-at-arms with horse and I will go east attackin ’ Durham and Newcastle and I will keep Northumberland and Hotspur from comin ’ after ye while ye are a’raidin ’ the west side.”
    Secretly Robert agreed it was a good plan but he further bargained, “And a tenth of yer personal spoils, I would want.”
    “And why would ye be askin ’ for such?” said Douglas frowning.
    “To come to yer rescue,” spoke Robert snidely.
    “Rescue? Me? I durst think not!” said James standing as tall as he could.
    “One tenth to insure yer arse from bein ’ o’er run,” said Robert. “A message from ye would be all that would be required for us to come.”
    Douglas ’ blood boiled and he turned with a snarl, “Nay spoils !... Milord.” A pungent sense of pride and bravado was laced into his words. “Only to the king would I give a share!” He darted an eye to John the Stewart to show he recognized him as acting king despite his brother’s over bearing nature.
    John nodded he understood.
    Robert was infuriated and struck back saying, “Then nae yeomen from my ranks!” He sat back and smiled.
    Douglas ’ pride kept gnawing at him. He thought for a moment. He knew there would be some thousands of pounds of wealth to be garnered from a raid in the east and could not figure why Fife did