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Page 75
with tears of pain, Walter braced for another onslaught, bringing up his sword. However, Marshal was roared at him, and he realized it was the earl himself. Desperately, Walter caught at the reins tied to the saddle pommel with the fingers of his shield arm to check Beau. There was a dreadful pang in his shoulder, but Richard's horse crossed in front of him, avoiding a collision by inches, and charged off to the right.
Instinctively, Walter tried to press his left knee into Beau's side to turn and follow Pembroke, but the effort hurt horribly, and he could not exert much more force. Beau did turn, but so slowly that Walter was some distance behind when he saw a compact party of thirteen riding directly at the earl. Walter dug his spur into Beau, and the horse leapt forward, but the damage to his knee was still taking its toll.
Prodded harder on the right than on the left, the destrier edged away in the direction of least pressure, bringing Walter off to the side of the group attacking Richard rather than right into them. And again Walter was on the wrong side, the side that required him to use his left knee or left hand to turn his horse. Before he could communicate his need to Beau, they were well past the group attacking the earl and Walter himself was engaged again. He was so frustrated and furious, however, that he made quick work of his opponents, screaming imprecations as he strove to turn.
Finally, Walter managed to seize the right rein in his shield hand and pull. Beau came around smartly, just in time for Walter to see Richard's horse run through by a lance. Walter bellowed with rage and terror and drove spurs into Beau with desperate energy, so distraught this time that he did not even feel the pang in his knee and succeeded in getting the horse to charge in a straight line. Unfortunately, the effort was utterly useless. Walter knew he was too far away to be any help, although he was close enough to see Pembroke save himself.
As the horse went down, Richard slipped his feet from the stirrups and jumped, landing crouched with his shield over his head. He did not come upright, but scuttled forward a few feet, dodging the milling horse, to thrust upward from behind a man and pierce his thigh. Walter did not see the next move because it was blocked by the sidling horse, but he did hear the cry of the man Richard had attacked choke off and then rise to a startled shriek as he pitched off his horse. A

 
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