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tion. I must be grateful, I suppose, that the signs were false. Had the Welsh really been ahead, they could have returned and come upon us then and we could have protected ourselves no better than overtired babes." |
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That made Joanna smile in spite of the bad news. It sounded much more like Geoffrey. |
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"In another way, it was as well that we were so assiduous at our hopeless task and that there were men of credit with me to back my word. It seemed to me that my uncle's eyes held little warmth when I told him my tale, although his reaction was fair. In that, however, I might missay him. His anger might have another cause. I am again at fault in being too often right. Before I left to pursue Llewelyn, I warned him that, if the Welsh came down from the mountain before I and my men went up, they might raid in force. This they did with unusual stealth and made off with many horses and much-needed supplies." |
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Blast and curse men and their sense of duty, Joanna thought. Geoffrey knew, after what he had already said, that there would be no gain in such warnings. Why did he not keep his mouth shut or speak only to his father? And I am as much a fool as he, Joanna decided, to desire what I know is impossible. Then she shrugged. The king was the king and talk or silence would make little difference. |
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"Then we followed again on what seemed a well-marked trail of many men and horses only to come to grief in a blind valley where not even a goat could climb out by any path save that we came in upon. All this while we were most bitterly harassed by their accursed bowmen. I would have liked to string my own bow and return their shots, and would have done it had I the least idea where or at what to shoot. The best I can say is that they did not fall upon us from ambush while we were trapped in the valley nor on our way out again. From this I conclude that Llewelyn is hard pressed for men. Even a quarter and perhaps a sixth of our force could have inflicted great loss upon us when we were so entrapped and entangled." |
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