BooksBarbecue
Back Shadow of the Hawk
Chapters (96)
  1. Cover
  2. By David Gilman
  3. SHADOW OF THE HAWK
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. CHARACTER LIST
  8. Map
  9. Epigraph
  10. PROLOGUE
  11. PART ONE
  12. CHAPTER ONE
  13. CHAPTER TWO
  14. CHAPTER THREE
  15. CHAPTER FOUR
  16. CHAPTER FIVE
  17. CHAPTER SIX
  18. CHAPTER SEVEN
  19. CHAPTER EIGHT
  20. CHAPTER NINE
  21. CHAPTER TEN
  22. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  23. CHAPTER TWELVE
  24. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  25. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  26. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  27. PART TWO
  28. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  29. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  30. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  31. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  37. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  38. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  39. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  40. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  41. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  42. PART THREE
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  47. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  48. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  49. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  50. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  51. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  52. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  53. CHAPTER FORTY
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  55. PART FOUR
  56. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  57. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  58. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  59. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  60. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  61. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  62. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  63. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  64. CHAPTER FIFTY
  65. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  66. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  67. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  68. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  69. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  70. PART FIVE
  71. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  72. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  73. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  74. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  75. CHAPTER SIXTY
  76. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  77. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  78. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  79. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
  80. CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
  81. CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
  82. CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
  83. CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
  84. CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
  85. CHAPTER SEVENTY
  86. CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
  87. CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
  88. CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
  89. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
  90. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
  91. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
  92. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
  93. CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
  94. Author’s Notes
  95. About the Author
  96. An Invitation from the Publisher

The river cushioned the sound of their footfalls and the occasional scrape of shield against rock face. The biting wind moaned through the underground chambers like trapped souls in hell. It had increased in strength, blowing across the hills from the distant high mountains, heightening the sound of the gushing water.

De Hayle’s men doused their torches and quickened their pace. They were two hundred yards beyond the castle walls when Blackstone and his men emerged into the night. Their eyes scanned the half-darkness ahead, looking for the men. Had they lost them? Meulon ran forward, clambered onto a boulder and looked beyond the broken ground. The veil of clouds flattened the moonlight, showing the three shadows running. Meulon signalled and Blackstone’s twenty men gave chase.

An hour later they skirted a ravine that obscured a narrow valley, well hidden from those travelling the road to Burgos. At first it appeared to be a dry riverbed but the churned ground told Blackstone it was a herder’s route. At the far side a campfire tucked between the boulders sparked as someone pushed more wood into the embers.

‘We have them,’ said Killbere, catching his breath. Sweat dribbled down the men’s backs. Their mail and shields had made the fast-paced pursuit hard going.

‘Down there,’ said John Jacob, pointing out an animal track in the hillside. ‘The rocks will hide us until we reach the bottom.’

‘And then it’s a fast run across open space,’ said Meulon. ‘Let’s hope they have no crossbowmen.’

William Ashford glanced at the sky. ‘There’s a storm coming – fast.’

Killbere’s flask spilled wine down his chin. ‘He’s right, Thomas. That ground will suck up rain like a child at a mother’s teat. It’ll be a damned quagmire. Let’s get this done.’

Blackstone looked at the men behind him. They had exerted themselves. It was a good thing they had. Their blood was up.

‘Sir Thomas,’ John Jacob said. ‘It’s de Hayle. I saw his blazon.’

Blackstone looked to where his squire pointed. De Hayle’s men were breaking camp.

‘They didn’t find what they came for so now they’ll look elsewhere,’ said Killbere. ‘God have mercy on any poor soul who gets in their way.’

‘God sleeps tonight, Gilbert. There’s no mercy to be had,’ said Blackstone.

He drew Wolf Sword and ran down towards the valley floor to kill Ranulph de Hayle.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO