He recanted, his voice inflected with a note of respect. ‘The Captal de Buch is ransomed to the Dauphin, my lord. They have taken him to Meaux.’

There was no hope of venturing so far into French territory and attempting a rescue of the Prince’s ally, even if Blackstone had wanted to. De Grailly was imprisoned in the walled city east of Paris where Blackstone’s wife and daughter had been murdered years before. A place that haunted him.

‘And the other man who served Lord de Grailly?’ said John Jacob. ‘His name is Beyard.’

The man shrugged. ‘I don’t know the names of those taken. Breton and Norman lords ransomed those of rank. If he’s alive then who knows where he is? We fight and they reap the rewards. All that’s left for us is the plunder taken from the fallen.’

Blackstone knew he told the truth. He tugged the reins. ‘We take our dead and leave,’ he said.

For a moment it seemed the man might attempt to stop him. His hand rested on his sword hilt. The Englishman had money for ransom. His eyes darted from Blackstone to the men in the field beyond. How many men could he stop from crossing the bridge if he attacked and brought the English knight and his squire down? Could he act quickly enough? His hand returned to the reins.

‘A wise decision,’ said Blackstone.

The man swallowed hard. The Englishman had the eyes of a falcon and the instinct of a wolf.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Blackstone and his men rode west to join forces with Sir John Chandos after they buried their Gascon comrades. The campaign to aid the young John de Montfort claim the Duchy of Brittany from the French King’s choice, Charles de Blois, would soon begin, especially now that the threat to the French Crown had been stopped. Smoke billowed above a distant forest.

‘The French have the bit between their teeth, Thomas,’ said Killbere. ‘They’ll take back every town and village that Navarre’s supporters hold.’

Blackstone studied the ground that lay between them and the forest. Were there men in sufficient numbers concealed in the trees to attack his hundred? ‘Take them or destroy them. A storm rages around us, Gilbert, and we may have to fight our way through to Chandos. That forest is dense enough to conceal more men than we have. If the French are laying a scourge on Normandy, then Chandos might be under siege.’

‘And there’s proof enough lying on the field at Cocherel that he wasn’t successful stopping routiers joining forces with the French.’

By the time they had skirted the forest and approached the smouldering town that lay beyond, its palisade walls and timber-framed houses had burnt down to blackened ribs with collapsed roofs. Man, woman and child lay dead along with domestic animals. A dozen heads were impaled on poles.

‘What place is this?’ said John Jacob.