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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

‘The blessing was having strong men determined to fight harder than the enemy with a sword arm that never tired.’

William Ashford smiled. ‘That too. I must get to my men.’

‘Did you see Renfred anywhere?’

‘He’s not here?’

‘No.’

‘You think he fell in the fight?’

‘I don’t know.’

Ashford went on to his men as Blackstone stood gazing at the devastation on the battlefield. Behind him smoke rose from campfires; men prepared food and quaffed wine. Others stripped and bathed in the river. Servants hastily erected pavilions for the noblemen who would return with de Montfort. The aftermath of battle: the banality of everyday duties.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jack Halfpenny and his archers were on the battlefield pulling arrows from the dead so that the shafts might be used again when the victorious John de Montfort returned with Chandos. A sergeant-at-arms and his men escorted a bound prisoner. Men gathered to watch the wretched man manhandled up to de Montfort’s pavilion. Halfpenny ran hard and fast uphill to where Blackstone and Killbere sat with John Jacob next to their fire. Killbere was reclining, an arm across his eyes as he dozed. Remnants of de Montfort’s army were scattered haphazardly across the fields: fires lit, food cooked, men claimed by exhaustion and relief at being alive and, for many, without serious wounds. It was only Blackstone’s men who had regrouped and formed a tight body. If a command were given to rise up and take arms, only they would be ready.

‘Jack?’ said Blackstone as the distressed archer reached them.

‘Sir Thomas, they’ve got Renfred. He’s going to hang.’

No sooner had Halfpenny spoken than Blackstone and Killbere were on their feet.

‘Who’s going to hang him?’ said Killbere.

‘Lord de Montfort.’

‘Where?’ said Blackstone buckling on Wolf Sword.

Jack Halfpenny pointed to the far end of the encampment where de Montfort and Chandos’s pavilions were surrounded by their knights and noblemen. Blackstone set off, his stride twice that of the others, who doubled their pace as they picked their way through the disorganized troops resting on the ground. Will Longdon and Meulon, who had been arguing about the merits of fat whores over that of skinny ones, saw Blackstone leading John Jacob, Halfpenny and Killbere. The veteran archer and throat-cutter sensed trouble and went after them. Blackstone’s men rose and followed like a ripple of danger lifting a flock of birds from the ground.