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Updated: June 19, 2025
A word smacking of babes and milk! Out upon thee, what hath a man with such an arm aye, and legs to do with peace? An you would now, I could bring ye to good service 'neath Duke Ivo's banner. 'Tis said he hath sworn, this year, to burn Thrasfordham keep, to hang Benedict o' the Mark and lay waste to Bourne. Aha! you shall see good fighting 'neath Ivo's banner, Sir Dove!"
And many of Ivo's rogues we slew until of those knights and men-at-arms that burned our home there none remained save Red Pertolepe and Gui of Allerdale. But in the green love came even to me so I laid by mine axe and vengeance likewise and came to know happiness until upon a day they hanged my brother, and thereafter they slew her my wife and child e'en as ye saw.
But yonder from the west do march full five thousand of Duke Ivo's knights and soldiery-men, they, of courts, of town and city, so now will we teach them 'tis an ill thing to adventure them 'gainst trained foresters within the green. List now and mark me well, for, an our plan do fail, there shall few of us live to see to-morrow's sun."
'Tis Prat who alone stood off a score what time I lay wounded and pinned beneath my charger. Mark ye yon lusty fellow beside him? 'Tis Cnut that, single-handed, hewed him a path through Ivo's battle and bare away his own banner, the which doth grace my hall at Thrasfordham e'en now. And yonder is Dirk that was a slave, yet fighteth like a paladin.
Thou wilt find or, rather, we shall find the whole house up and alert, and fully aware of our intention." Ivo's shoulders were shrugged very decidedly. "Ha, chetife!" cried he; "she will want the crespine." "Not so much as she will want to impart her secret," answered the priest. "Who whispered to the earth, `Midas has long ears'?"
"My lords," said the Reeve, looking round with haggard eyes, "an these priests do come to pronounce the Church's awful malediction upon the city then woe betide! Already there be many aye, some of our chiefest citizens do fear the curse of Holy Church more than the rapine of Ivo's vile soldiery, fair women shamed, O Christ!
But meantime the battle roared, fierce and furious as ever, where Black Ivo's stubborn ranks, beset now on three sides, gave back sullenly, fighting step by step.
So, an thou stay, so, perforce, must I: and if thou stay then art thou deeply forsworn." "How mean you, good sir?" "I mean Belsaye I mean all those brave souls that do wait and watch, pale-cheeked, 'gainst Ivo's threatened vengeance " "Ha Belsaye!" quoth Beltane, lifting his head. "Thou must save Belsaye from flame and ravishment, my lord!"
"Dogs," quoth he, "go to your master and say Helen, Duchess of Mortain bringeth a wedding gift to Ivo, called the Black. Behold here he that slew twenty within the green, that burned down Black Ivo's goodly gallows, that broke the dungeons of Belsaye and bore Red Pertolepe into the green, behold him ye seek Beltane, son of Beltane the Strong, heretofore Duke of Pentavalon!"
In a while, as they went thus, Beltane, glancing back at the fight, beheld stout Eric with the men of Belsaye, well mounted and equipped, at fierce grapple with Duke Ivo's van-ward, what time Giles and his archers supported by lusty pikemen, plied Sir Pertolepe's weary forces with whizzing shafts, drawing and loosing marvellous fast.
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