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Thank you for your help thus far."
    Sir Geoffrey laughed, "If you think that we will turn back at our borders and let our kinsmen be slaughtered then you do not know us, Baron."
    Sir Raymond nodded, "Besides our borders are notoriously badly mapped."
    "You are sure?"
    "Our cousin did well when he fought with you.  We will take our chances."
    I looked at the sky.  There were about two hours until dusk. "Good then let us walk into this trap.  Dick, come here, this is what I want us to do."
    Once everyone knew exactly what I intended I sent Dick and the archers, along with Aiden off to the north of the road. I sent Sir Geoffrey and Sir Raymond with their men at arms to the south of the road and then I led my knights into the trap so carefully laid by the Count of Flanders.
    It looked as though we were unsuspecting but we were not.  Our casual gait belied the careful preparations we had made. I had Edward to my left. Behind us were our squires. They were laughing and joking as I had ordered. Then came Sir Guy and his squire.  Edgar led my men at arms and those of Sir Guy.  They rode in a four wide column   That was deliberate.  They were our largest force.  They had to fight as one. The last three would guard the baggage when the trap was sprung. The rest would form a solid phalanx to come to our aid when we were attacked. It was eerily reminiscent of the ambush when we had had the Empress with us.  The difference was that we had no woman to protect and we had no traitors fighting in our ranks. There was a rise ahead.  The men of Flanders had hidden behind the rise. I guessed that they had a man watching to signal them for as we rode down the old Roman Road they appeared on the rise with lances and gonfanon.  Dick had estimated well. There were twenty of them. I could see a second line of another twenty men at arms. Their flanks had ten crossbows protected by another twenty spears. Finally I could just see the spears of more foot soldiers behind the men at arms. This was a powerful body of warriors.
    Edward said, "Someone wants us dead, Baron."
    "Let us try to disappoint them then."
    The ambushers steadied their line and came down towards us.  They came confidently keeping knee to knee. These were experienced knights who knew their business. Our squires flanked us.  Sir Guy and his squire made us six deep at the front.  Behind us the twenty eight men at arms rode in seven lines.  I was going to use us as a battering ram to punch a hole in the enemy line.
    This was not my warhorse, Star, I was riding but Scout was an intelligent horse and I intended to use intelligence to defeat these men of Flanders. I lowered my lance across my cantle as we trotted up the gentle slope towards them. I saw the crossbowmen to our left level their weapons as the spearmen protected them with an array of spears. If we were foolish enough to charge them then the battle would be over in the blink of an eye. They were not expecting the arrows which Dick rained upon them. They were taken in the flank.  Neither spears nor crossbows had any shields and the first three flights of arrows ended the threat from our left. I saw the leader of the knights, with a yellow shield and rampant lion, wave his arm.  The crossbows and the spears on their left flank hurried down the slope to begin to harass us. The enemy were so concerned with this column of men which advanced upon them that they did not see, until it was too late, the men at arms led by Sir Geoffrey and Sir Raymond which galloped across the hill to plunge their spears into the defenceless men. A horseman loves attacking archers or crossbows in the flank. The men of Bar needed no urging to fall like wolves on these sheep.
    Their leader made the mistake of slowing down to decide what to do.  It was a mistake and I took my chance, "Charge!" They should have continued to move steadily down the slope but their leader had been distracted by the appearance of our allies.
    I spurred Scout and he