“When I arrived on Saint Martin’s Day, Sigismund’s crusade was advancing quite satisfactorily, although his army was somewhat weakened. Most of the Lusatian forces commanded by Komtur Rumpold had returned home, content with having ravaged the lands around Chrudim. The Silesian contingent, which included our recent host Duke Konrad Kantner, had also returned home. Consequently, King Sigismund’s march to Prague was only supported by Albrecht’s Austrian knights and the Moravian army of the Bishop of Olomouc. Even so, Sigismund’s Hungarian cavalry alone numbered more than ten thousand…”

Zawisza fell silent for a time, staring into the crackling fire.

“Like it or not,” he continued, “I had to take part in the crusade in order to negotiate Jogaila’s marriage with Sigismund, and consequently witnessed all sorts of terrible things, including the capture of Polička and the slaughter that followed it.”

The servants and the esquire sat motionless. Maybe they were sleeping—Zawisza’s voice was soft and monotonous, perhaps soporific for people who knew the story already or had experienced these events themselves.

“After Polička, Sigismund set off for Kutná Hora. General Žižka barred his way and repelled several charges by the Hungarian cavalry, but when word of the city being taken by treachery got out, he retreated. The king’s men entered Kutná Hora, intoxicated by their triumph—they had defeated Žižka. Žižka himself had fled from them! And then Sigismund committed an unforgivable error, although I and Filippo degli Scolari tried to dissuade him—”

“You mean Pippo Spano? The celebrated Florentine condottiere?”

“Yes, but don’t interrupt, lad. Against the advice of myself and Pippo, King Sigismund, convinced that the Czechs had fled in panic and wouldn’t stop till they reached Prague, let the Hungarians scour the area for winter quarters, because the frost was bitter. So, the Magyars dispersed and spent Christmastide pillaging, assaulting womenfolk, burning down villages and murdering anyone they considered heretics or their supporters. Which meant anybody they came across.

“Fire lit up the night sky, smoke filled it during the day, and in Kutná Hora, King Sigismund feasted and held trials. And then, on the morning of the Epiphany, the news arrived that Žižka was approaching. Žižka hadn’t fled but merely fallen back, regrouped and gained reinforcements, and was now heading for Kutná Hora with the full force of the Tábor and Prague behind him. ‘He’s in Kaňk, he’s in Nebovidy!’ And what did the valiant crusaders do on hearing that? Seeing there was too little time to gather the men dispersed around the countryside, they ran away, leaving plenty of arms and goods and burning down the town behind them. For a while, Pippo Spano brought the panic under control and halted the forces halfway between Kutná Hora and Německý Brod.