Games of Otterburn 1388 Read Free Page B

different situation nowadays.”
    Douglas and Fife pretended to care but in the final analysis they truly were not interested in what John had to say. In some philosophical realm both men knew John to be right but they were making decisions in a far lower realm than cerebral.
    Robert’s anger suddenly rose. He stood and pushed his face tight to Douglas ’ spitting his words, “Hain’t lettin ’ ye go east on yer own !... I know ye think of me as a worst commander than yerself but ye’ll be takin ’ my orders for this raid! ”
    James Douglas’ smile of confidence turned to a frown as Robert whisked past him toward the door.
    John who already had a hand on the latch swung it wide for Robert as he whipped by to have an out-of-doors meeting with his men.
    “We’ll take this up again when ye return, Milord,” said Douglas his voice trailing off behind his liege.
    “Not likely,” growled Robert through gritted teeth.

    “London is mystified,” started Robert the Stewart as he began his meeting to tell of his plan to raid into the West March to get the attention of the twenty-one year old King Richard II of England and his baronial ‘Lords Appellant’ who had usurped much of the power from the king because they had rebelled against their king in particular and his Bohemian queen in general. The crisis came when the conscripted army of the king under the command of Robert la Vere abandoned their commander and deserted into the swamp at the battle of Radcot Bridge the year before.
    He began his talk, “Our raid on Carlingford , Ireland and Douglas Bay on Man led by the two men who stand beside me here has made the English lords sit up and wonder what the Scots here’bouts are fixed to do. If ye don’t already know these men… on my left is Sir Robert Stewart of Durisdeer and my right is Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale the son of Archibald… the Grim… true son of Black Douglas and Lord of Galloway.”
    Archibald, standing within a man or two of his son in the circle, hooted and waved his battle axe above his head in support of his son. The other two hundred and thirty-seven high knights who were gathered followed the proud father and added to the din.
    Carlingford and Man had been very successful raids that ended with fifteen galleys of spoils in food and weapons bonded to their current venture with the added boon of the purloined galleys then moored in Loch Ryan.
    “At first light on the morn we’ll be goin ’ raidin ’ in the West March toward Carlisle !” announced Robert.
    Another round of expected rousing hoots filled the air.
    In the meantime, a young man named Alfred of about twenty years was standing hard by the meeting area had heard enough and while he seemed to have a good chance of undetected escape he slipped away across the camp ground of knight’s tents and temporary debris constructions to make for the pinfold where some of the horses for the raid were kept. The area was most of an acre and chosen chiefly for the new green grass under an open sky. Its boundary was defined by sturdy branches tied chest high onto the trunks of surrounding trees.
    Alfred brazenly entered the pinfold and was immediately challenged.
    “Who ye with?” asked the suspicious squire of Sir John Swinton of Brunswickshire named James, a lad of about thirteen years but large and strong for his age.
    “A knight of high importance,” snarked Alfred evading the question. “Come to fetch my master’s destrier, I have,” he lied.
    “Which knight?” asked James growing more suspicious.
    “Uh…” he paused to think and blurted with the first name that came to mind, “The Grim !... now leave me to my master’s work ere I get a thrashin ’,” he blurted.
    James smiled. “Which destrier ye reckon’s his one?”
    Alfred’s head began to reel thinking he had been discovered. “Yon one,” he said pointing to a thick group of horses.
    “Which yon one?” questioned James honing in on the man.
    Alfred could go