“We cannot be forced back into the water or to the bridge!” Walter yelled out.
“Not yet all of us have crossed the river!” Benedict said with frustration. “And too many have fallen into the waters before reaching land.”
Amidst the chaos Sir John Stewart of Darnley, came to meet Benedict. It was perhaps a surprise to the Scottish commander, for he did not expect to find the two renowned knights standing against him. But Stewart was not alone, for Louis, Count of Vendôme had come also. They clashed swords with the English knights as the battle for the bridge continued around them.
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| Royal Arms of England. Artwork by Sodacan |
“We will beat you out of sheer numbers!” taunted Stewart. “Why have you led your army across the Channel ill-prepared to fight a war that is not yours anymore?”
“I could ask the same of you!” answered Benedict as he lunged towards the Scotsman and threw his axe down to meet Stewart’s metal shield.
Sparks flew between the combatants, and as the battle went on, Benedict proved to be the stronger of the two. The sturdy knight threw Stewart into a group of soldiers and disrupted their actions. However, Stewart did not return to combat against Benedict right away; he ordered the men nearby to attack his English advisory and was even willing to shove one of his men between him and the knight.
Benedict dealt with these men easily; five fell to his axe and sword quickly. After this, he pursued Stewart through the crowds of combatants.
“Benedict! No!” Walter called out even as he still confronted the Count of Vendôme. “Remain with the men!”
But it was too late; Benedict was set in his goal of running down Stewart. He crashed through French and English alike and finally caught the fleeing Scotsman on the banks of the Yonne. However, Benedict did not find a cowering man begging for his life. The Scotsman turned to face his pursuer after realizing running would prove fruitless after a time. But passed Stewart on the other side of the river, Benedict saw French horsemen coming behind the English archers.
The longbowmen ran, but many of them were run down and killed in the retreat. However, Benedict was not yet defeated or deterred by this; he reached out with his sword and struck Stewart’s face, removing his left eye. Before the English knight could deliver a death blow, the French horses charged him. He was forced to leap into the river to escape.
Benedict ran away from the battle, alone and isolated from any ally. His retreat was covered by the failing light, and also because most of the enemy was occupied with slaughtering the remaining Englishmen as the river or taking prisoners. He did not stop until the cries of battle waned in his ears and were distant obscure sounds. He ran for several hundred yards north, as far from the river as possible. But when he turned to look back there was a shape coming towards him. He readied himself to fight. However, when Benedict could see this person more clearly, he saw his friend, Sir Walter.
“Benedict, is that you?” asked Walter. “You escaped!”
“Aye, my life was moments from being ended,” replied Benedict as he motioned for his friend to join him underneath a concealing patch of trees. Shouts and cries were all around them, and it seemed the French still hunted for any Englishmen who managed to escape. Patrols marched through the countryside searching for stragglers. But the knights watched in silence.
To be continued...
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