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Geoffrey and Salisbury left before the first light the next morning. Geoffrey was still somewhat stiff of movement, favoring his right side where a sword stroke under his guard had sliced him open from breastbone to waist. Seeing this, Salisbury spoke privately to Tostig and to his own senior squire, who was near ripe for knighting. Even if they had to knock him down and sit on him, Salisbury instructed, Geoffrey was not to become involved in any heavy fighting. |
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Tostig shook his head. "If there is fighting, my lord," he growled, "I will need to catch him before I can knock him down. How do you think he was so hurt? It was because he had run ahead of us all and was surrounded." |
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Salisbury laughed, not displeased. "Well, guard him close as you can. I will speak to him myself." |
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He found Geoffrey out on one of the docks, shouting directions about warping in a boat. When the nervous, blindfolded horses were starting over the gangplank, Salisbury drew his son aside and told him plainly that he was not satisfied with the completeness of his recovery and if Geoffrey would not pass his word to do no more than defend himself when necessary, he would leave him behind. Geoffrey opened his mouth indignantly but then shut it. |
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"Very well," he said, "for one week from this day, I will abide by your condition, but then we must come to new terms." Then he busied himself with loading and organizing the five hundred ships, seven hundred knights, and thousands of foot soldiers and archers that made up their force. When he fell onto his pallet in the bow of his father's ship that night, he slept far more soundly than he had for some time past in his own soft bed. |
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