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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
Document

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

They buried Meuric Kynith in the cemetery at the Convent of Saint-Esprit. The town of Auray surrendered when the mayor and council agreed to terms with the assurance from Sir John Chandos that his troops would destroy no more houses and inflict no rape or pillage on its populace. They returned the woman and her child to the town and when they heaped Breton soil over Kynith’s grave she pushed through the gathered men to lay a small posy of wildflowers on the dirt. Then, cradling her rescued child, she bent a knee to Blackstone and raised his hand to her lips before disappearing through the throng of mourners without a word.

‘The woman’s life cost us dear,’ said John Jacob.

Killbere tossed a handful of dirt onto the mound. ‘Better we still had an archer in our ranks than a widow woman who’ll end up starving without her man. That or turn to whoring. Kynith’s death was a waste.’

‘A man’s life is not wasted by an act of courage,’ said Blackstone. ‘No matter the cause.’ He turned away from the grave and the priest who had officiated at the burial, despite his fear of the men of violence. They had spared the convent and his church: praying for a dead archer, no matter if he was a hated enemy, had been a small price to pay.

Will Longdon went among Kynith’s Welsh archers and gave the most senior of them the archer’s pendant, Arianrhod, the Goddess of the Silver Wheel.

‘You’ll need to send two men to me so I can choose Kynith’s successor to act as your ventenar. Find men who match his strength and belligerence in battle.’

The men looked sceptical. ‘He was a hard bastard,’ said one of them. ‘I doubt there’s one among us as unbending. You and him, you were at each other’s throats in the beginning and Sir Thomas taught him a lesson or two. Kynith came round, Will Longdon, as well you know, to serve Sir Thomas and you loyally. He died a stupid death.’

‘And Sir Thomas will seek out the man who killed him. Stand together and keep his memory alive so that when we face this man, the urge to avenge him will bring us victory.’

Their mumbled grunts were the affirmation Will Longdon needed. It was not unusual for men to desert when their leader died, but the promise that Blackstone would lead them to vengeance on Kynith’s killer would cleave them to him.

*

Sir John Chandos questioned Beyard. If the English mercenary Ranulph de Hayle had fought on the side of the French at Cocherel and taken the Gascon prisoner, then any parole given him by the Prince would be cast aside. Now that he had murdered one of Blackstone’s men there was sufficient cause for him to be brought to justice.