King Henry is dead and Stephen of Blois claims the throne of England and the Dukedom of Normandy. The Earl of Cleveland returns to England to fight for the heirs of Henry.When King David and his Scottish army capture most of northern England it is only Alfraed who holds out against him. Set in the early years of the Anarchy this is a fast moving book filled with battles and intrigue.
Excerpt
When I finished I went to the brazier and put on another log. The flames began to lick at the season wood and soon I felt a rush of heat. Perhaps the call of nature would, in the long run, keep us warmer. Gilles was just crawling beneath his fur when I heard a creak on the stairs. I am a warrior and I have senses which others do not have. I felt the hairs on my neck prickle and Alan’s words of Scottish raiders and brigands came to mind. I drew my sword and hissed, “Gilles, arm yourself.”
As he did so I took out my dagger too and moved towards the door. It was suddenly thrown open and two of my men at arms led by Abelard stood there with drawn weapons. Before I could speak Abelard had thrust his sword at my middle. I wore no mail and he did. I deflected the blade with my own sword and my dagger darted forward to pierce his throat. Warm blood spurted over my hand. I could hear the sounds of combat in the Great Hall but I had two enemies before me.
“Gilles, behind me!”
The two men at arms were no fools and they moved so that they could attack me from two sides at once. My lack of armour gave them the advantage. Kurt, who was on my left, stabbed at me first. I used my dagger to block his sword and then took the offensive. I did not wait for Stephan to attack my right. As I blocked Kurt’s sword I stepped forward and spun to bring my sword around. It cracked into the back of Kurt’s mail. It broke a few links but, more importantly, it cracked against his spine. Had he been my only foe it would have ended there but Gilles gave a cry. “My lord behind you!”
I continued my swing and barely managed to block the sword blow from Stephan with my dagger. Even so the blade drew blood from my arm. Gilles only had a short sword but he brought it around as hard as he could into the back of Stephan’s legs. He wore no chausses and the sword bit into his flesh. As Stephan crumpled I brought my sword from on high and tore into his neck. I barely had time to bring up my left arm to block Kurt’s strike as Stephan bled his life away on the floor. Emboldened by his first strike Gilles ran at Kurt and buried his short sword in the man at arms’ middle. It was a mortal wound.
Below I could hear the sound of combat and I ran from the room. I saw Alan’s son, Alfred, lying in a widening pool of blood. Alan of Osmotherley was fending off two attackers with a short sword and the leg of a chair. Even as I watched Alan was stuck in the arm. He continued to fight.
I moved down the stairs as quickly as I could taking them two at a time. It was not quick enough. As one of the men at arms lunged towards Alan of Osmotherley ‘s unprotected side, his mother, Ann, threw herself between them to take the sword intended for her son. It came all the way through her body. I brought my sword down on the spine of the killer. I had anger within me and I laid him open to the bone. Alan of Osmotherley ended the life of the other. Even as we turned his father, Alan, had his head taken by the last traitor. Gilles stabbed the man in the thigh. As the man shouted in pain I slashed my sword across his throat.
It was over.
