A Flight of Arrows by A.J. MacKenzie (most recommended books txt) 📗

A Flight of Arrows

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Map of France and Normandy

Prologue

Freshwater, 6th of July, 1346

Evening

1

Saint-Vaast, 12th of July, 1346

Morning

Quettehou, 12th of July, 1346

Midday

2

Saint-Vaast, 12th of July, 1346

Late afternoon

Saint-Vaast, 12th of July, 1346

Evening

Saint-Vaast, 12th of July, 1346

Night

3

Quettehou, 13th of July, 1346

Morning

Quettehou, 13th of July, 1346

Midday

Quettehou, 13th of July, 1346

Afternoon

Morsalines, 13th of July, 1346

Evening

4

Valognes, 18th of July, 1346

Afternoon

Valognes, 18th of July, 1346

Late evening

5

Sainte-Mère-Église, 19th of July, 1346

Afternoon

Saint-Côme-du-Mont, 19th of July, 1346

Evening

Saint-Côme-du-Mont, 19th of July, 1346

Night

6

Carentan, 20th of July, 1346

Morning

7

Carentan, 20th of July, 1346

Evening

8

Pont-Hébert, 21st of July, 1346

Late afternoon

Pont-Hébert, 21st of July, 1346

Evening

9

Saint-Lô, 22nd of July, 1346

Morning

10

Cormolain, 24th of July, 1346

Morning

Saint-Germain-d’Ectot, 24th of July, 1346

Late evening

Saint-Germain-d’Ectot, 24th of July, 1346

Night

Saint-Germain-d’Ectot, 25th of July 1346

Morning

Caen, 25th of July, 1346

Midday

11

Caen, 25th of July, 1346

Midday

Caen, 25th of July, 1346

Late afternoon

Caen, 25th of July, 1346

Evening

Caen, 26th of July, 1346

Morning

12

Caen, 26th of July, 1346

Early afternoon

Caen, 26th of July, 1346

Evening

13

Caen, 26th of July, 1346

Evening

Caen, 26th of July, 1346

Night

Caen, 27th of July, 1346

Midday

14

Caen, 30th of July, 1346

Afternoon

Caen, 30th of July, 1346

Late afternoon

15

Troarn, 31st of July, 1346

Evening

Rumesnil, 1st of August, 1346

Late afternoon

Léaupartie, 1st of August, 1346

Evening

16

Lisieux, 2nd of August, 1346

Late afternoon

Lisieux, 2nd of August, 1346

Evening

Lisieux, 2nd of August, 1346

Midnight

Bernay, 3rd of August, 1346

Early morning

17

Duranville, 4th of August, 1346

Evening

Neubourg, 5th of August, 1346

Evening

Neubourg, 6th of August, 1346

Late afternoon

Rouen, 8th of August, 1346

Morning

18

Gaillon, 9th of August, 1346

Afternoon

Vernon, 9th of August, 1346

Evening

Longueville, 9th of August, 1346

Night

Freneuse, 10th of August, 1346

Afternoon

19

La Roche-Guyon, 10th of August, 1346

Late afternoon

Freneuse, 10th of August, 1346

Evening

Freneuse, 10th of August, 1346

Night

La Roche-Guyon, 10th of August, 1346

Night

20

Mantes, 11th of August, 1346

Midday

Aubergenville, 11th of August, 1346

Evening

Poissy, 12th of August, 1346

Afternoon

Poissy, 13th of August, 1346

Afternoon

21

Poissy, 14th of August, 1346

Morning

Poissy, 14th of August, 1346

Late afternoon

Poissy, 15th of August, 1346

Late morning

Poissy, 15th of August, 1346

Midday

Poissy, 15th of August, 1346

Early afternoon

22

Beauvais, thirty-seven miles south of the Somme, 18th of August, 1346

Morning

Grandvilliers, twenty-five miles south of the Somme, 19th of August, 1346

Evening

Molliens-Vidame, ten miles south of the Somme, 20th of August, 1346

Night

Airaines, four miles south of the Somme, 21st of August, 1346

Evening

Airaines, four miles south of the Somme, 22nd of August, 1346

Evening

Airaines, four miles south of the Somme, 22nd of August, 1346

Night

23

Airaines, four miles south of the Somme, 23rd of August, 1346

Morning

Oisemont, four miles south of the Somme, 23rd of August, 1346

Late morning

Acheux, five miles south of the Somme, 23rd of August, 1346

Evening

Saigneville, south bank of the Somme, 24th of August, 1346

Morning

The Blanchetaque, 24th of August, 1346

Mid morning

24

Forêt de Crécy, 24th of August, 1346

Evening

Forêt de Crécy, 24th of August, 1346

Night

Forêt de Crécy, 25th of August, 1346

Afternoon

25

Abbeville, 25th of August, 1346

Night

26

Abbeville, 26th of August, 1346

Morning

Crécy-en-Ponthieu, 26th of August, 1346

Morning

Near Abbeville, 26th of August, 1346

Early afternoon

Crécy-en-Ponthieu, 26th of August, 1346

Late afternoon

27

Crécy-en-Ponthieu, 26th of August, 1346

Night

Saint-Riquier, 27th of August, 1346

Morning

28

Valloire, 28th of August, 1346

Midday

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Also by A.J. MacKenzie

Copyright

Cover

Table of Contents

Start of Content

To John, Richard, Jenny, Mary, and Armand – it all began with you

Prologue

Freshwater, 6th of July, 1346

Evening

The king and his court demanded fresh butter for their bread, so in the end they had to bring two of the cows ashore. Garnet and Marigold were brought up on deck and hoisted over the side of the cog into a smaller boat. They looked so funny, Nell thought, hanging in the slings with their legs dangling, mooing with distress, and when Garnet finally landed in the boat, she kicked one of the sailors so hard he fell overboard. The other men cheered her for a stout lass who didn’t take nonsense from anyone.

The chief herdsman should have gone with the cows, but he was heaving his guts out with seasickness, so Nell went instead. The sailors handed her down into the boat and she held the cows firmly by their halters as they were rowed ashore. Once on dry land, she herded them to the nearby manor of Freshwater, right at the western end of the Isle of Wight. Every so often she turned to look out through the rain at the English ships, riding at anchor with their sails furled, unable to make headway against the strong west wind. She thought about the thousands of soldiers packed inside them like saltfish in a barrel, many of them being just as sick as the chief herdsman.

They were expecting her at Freshwater, and the yeoman of the kitchen, Master Coloyne, showed her a byre where she could stable the cows and do the evening milking. Most of the royal household was there, although the king had taken himself off to Carisbrooke Castle a few miles away. Master Clerebaud the sauce-maker reckoned it was because the beds were softer there. After milking, she warmed herself by the hearth, and then sat down with the scullery lads and maids to eat hot pottage with beans and onions and some bacon thrown in. The pottage warmed them all and kept out the cold. ‘You’d never believe it was July,’ someone said.

‘Never mind,’ said Master Coloyne. ‘It’ll be warm enough when we get to France.’

‘Why will it be warm in France?’ Nell asked.

‘Further