Warlord of the North Read Online Free PDF

As I had expected they had two sentries on the jetty. I could smell their fire and the meat cooking on it.  They had their backs to us. When I nodded, four arrows sped towards them and they fell.  I heard a shout from my right and then the murmur of voices continued.  It was not  the cry of alarm. As we closed with the shore I saw indistinct figures to my right.  They would be out of bow range. That meant they would be well over a hundred paces from us. The ferry nudged gently into the wooden jetty and I heard a question shouted, "Angus, what goes on?"
    I leapt ashore followed by Alan, Sir Richard, his squire and six of his men at arms.  I pointed to the castle and waved the others towards it.
    "Angus!"
    The ten of us locked shields. The last of our men left the ferry and Harold began to pull in the rope which we had tethered to the southern bank.  Others, under Sir Edward's supervision would be pulling Harold back to safety. I said quietly, "Walk backwards towards the walls."
    Walking through the fog which clung to the ground was weird. All that we could see, in the distance, was ghostly shadows moving around the Scottish camp by the river.  I had no doubt that someone was investigating where Angus had got to but so far the alarm had not been given.  That would not last. Sir Richard's men had fought with me before and, like their master, they were as dependable as any. We were ten paces from the dead sentries when the bodies were discovered.
    We heard the voices, somewhat muffled by the fog, "Treachery! Sound the alarm.  We are under attack!"
    I smiled.  The shout did more to add confusion rather than to present a threat to us. I could not see the men, just their shadows and we continued to move back.
    "You four, search close to the castle!"
    "What about those damned archers?"
    "Fool! They can see nothing!"
    I hissed, "Ready but keep moving back!"
    The four men sent to find us came at us cautiously with swords before them.  They wore no mail; even in the murk I could see that.  We were looking for them but they were scanning the skies for the arrows which never came. When they did see us it came as a shock. "We have them my lord! Here hard by the castle!"
    I knew we were closing with the drawbridge for the ground began to rise. The four came at us without any conviction.  There were ten of us and all wore mail. We kept moving up the ramp.  I wondered if the rest of my men had been granted entry to the castle.  I had heard nothing but then the fog muffled all sound.
    I heard the sound of metal on metal before us and a knight appeared behind the four scouts.  He had many men at arms with him. "There are only a handful.  At them!"
    It was like running into a stone wall when they hurtled at me and my men. Our shields took the blows and we rammed our blades hard at the soft spots.  Only a few had armour.  Those fell quickly and we moved back leaving those pursuing us to fall over their fallen comrades.  The Scottish knight took charge, "Shield wall behind me!"
    We kept moving and I felt the wood beneath my feet.  The drawbridge was down. I stopped, "Behind Sir Richard and me!" The drawbridge was only wide enough for four men and I knew that the ditch would be filled not only with water from the river but deadly stakes which would kill and maim any who fell within.
    The Scots came at us and I stepped further back.
    "The gate is open! Charge!"
    It was what Dick and my archers within the walls were waiting for.  A hail of arrows plunged down at such close range that mail afforded little protection. The knight and the first ten men fell with arrows sticking from them as though they were hedgehogs.  We continued our retreat.  Some hardy, perhaps even foolhardy, Scots thought the tempting target of the open gate was too much and a handful raced towards us. Two managed to evade the arrows by using their shields above their heads.  They could not avoid our swords as they tore them open. The others vanished into