Chapter 30

At the Duel

Jacques Le Gris leaned into the saddle as his horse charged across the field, bearing down on Jean de Carrouges, who had yet to sit back upright. Jean could hear the sound of the horse running toward him. He grabbed onto the saddle horn and hauled himself up. His horse was well trained to combat and immediately ran to meet the challenge, without having to be told.

Jean struggled to focus, staring through the narrow gap in his visor, his own heavy breathing sounding louder inside the metal shell than anything else. He raised his shield and just managed to couch his lance when, in a flash, he saw his opponent in front of him. He tilted the lance up, hoping to come over his enemy’s lance to stroke for the throat.

Again, the sound of the collision was violent and shook the entire abbey. People blocks away heard the noise and wondered which of the knights had died. Jean’s steel lancehead struck Jacques le Gris square in the visor, causing his head to snap back and denting the metal, driving it into the new knight’s nose.

Jacques’ lance glanced off the polished dome of Sir Jean’s bascinet, with a loud clang, which deafened the knight momentarily. Each man kept his horse under control and reach the end of the list, breathing hard and taking a moment to gather his strength. They stared across the courtyard at each other, each man determined to kill the other.

Jean marched his horse in a canter in a slow circle at the end of the list near the gate he had entered just moments before. It seemed an eternity away at that moment to Jean. He heard a soft cackling laugh ringing in his ears.

“She will burn when you’re dead,” whispered the voice of his first wife.

“Marguerite!” Sir Jean shouted and spurred his horse into a gallop.

Jacques responded in kind, sending his horse back across the list and lowering his lance.