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Page 291
know, and he was glad to have Walter and his men to steady the Welsh. He had learned to appreciate their abilities, but he still did not trust them. In thatat least for the purposes of a set battlethere was some justice. The Welsh were not known for standing their ground and slogging it out. Lightly armed, light-footed, and few in number, they were prone to fade away before too strong an opposition, harassing their enemies as they fled until pursuit became too costly. However successful this method was in defense, it would not serve in this case.
Richard did not want any chance that his enemies would break through the front of the lines, re-form, and come back to hit his forces from the rear. He had intended to assign a troop of better-armed men to support Simon's Welsh archers, and Walter's offer was the ideal solution. Although Walter's troop was from south Walesand therefore hardly to be considered human by Simon's men, and vice versaeach group still preferred the other to Bassett's Saesones. And their enemies were Saesones alsoor mostly. Thus, the whole party was in the highest spirits when they left the camp to take their places for the battle.
Waiting, Walter and Simon talked quietly until, in the middle of a remark, Simon's voice stopped abruptly and he cocked his head to listen. Walter could hear nothing, but a moment later there was a birdcall, and Simon put on his helmet and swung his shield into position. Without question, Walter did the same. To him, the birdcall was just a birdcall, but Simon's reaction indicated it was a signal he recognized. A few minutes passed, and then Walter heard vague sounds in the distance, a low rumble punctuated by an occasional higher note.
"We must wait for the signal," he murmured.
Simon grimaced, but nodded. They had tried to set themselves far enough ahead so that if they had to move, it would be forward, toward the oncoming army. It was more difficult to remain unnoticed when one had to follow along or move just in front.
Suddenly there were sharper sounds, horses closing quickly at a trot. Simon whistled three piercing notes, warning his archers to let the foreriders go by. To attack the foreriders would warn the main force. The foreriders themselves were not a serious danger. Even if they heard the battle once it

 
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