Chapter 8: Rise a Knight

Edward awoke bleary eyed and lost as he rolled out of his blankets. A lump against his hips reminded him to look down and the memories of the previous day smashed to the fore of his mind in a tidal wave of recognition. He slowly dragged the blanket off his still form to reveal the glint of the golden plaques that adorned his hips in the grey, early morning light that penetrated the flaps of the pavilion he rested in. A deep voice came from behind him, further in the recesses of the luxurious tent and Edward sprang to his feet in fright, as he whirled on the source of the sound.

“Yes lad, it actually happened,” Sir Clement told him from where he sat on a stool with a plain horn cup in one hand and his other raised in a placating gesture of peace. The tell-tale whisper of steam escaped from the cup, letting Edward know that it was warmed hippocras, and a glance showed there was a second cup resting on a short camp table beside Sir Clement, likely waiting for the young man to rise.

Edward calmed slowly, his hands came to rest once more on the heavy belt that stood even more prominently on his hips now that he was stood in the centre of the pavilion wearing only a shirt and braes to accompany the brilliant gold. His thumb brushed over the plain face of the central plate, “I’m a knight,” he muttered his eyes seemingly fixed to the belt. Sir Clement smiled in understanding as he watched the shock and awe play over his nephew’s features in equal measure.

“Your life must change now, you’re no longer my squire, and perhaps it has come to you too early,” Clement raised his hand in the same gesture of peace from mere moments ago as Edward’s head snapped up, “no one denies your feat of arms was worthy,” Clem rushed to reassure the young knight as he saw the hurt appear in his eyes, “You are worthy of the accolade Edward, no doubt in my mind, but you are young to come to the station, and I have not had the time to prepare you for it that I had hoped, as such you will raise a lance and serve me, I’ll keep you on as my standard bearer, and you’ll be entrusted with the command of five lances to begin with,” Clem smiled as he observed understanding begin to dawn on Edward, “You have no small amount of word fame spreading through the camp, I can’t very well keep one of my only two belted knights out of a position of command, but I can promise you it’s going to be hard,” Clement focused on his young protégé now as he got to the crux of the problem, “as soon as you are on your own, there is going to be at least one man-at-arms who thinks himself too good to take orders from a boy, and how you handle that situation will follow you for the rest of your career and possibly your whole life,” he rose and passed the second cup of warmed hippocras to his nephew and watched as the young man sipped the hot fluid gingerly.

Clem gave a sharp whistle that smashed the still air and was rewarded by the head of John poking through the flap of the tent, “John be a good fellow and help Edward dress this morning, but before that find Tall Boy and have him gather a tailor, and an archer of his choice who he thinks would be a good fit for Edward,” John nodded at once and shot back out of the tent, “I’ll make him a squire tonight, would you care to join the ceremony?” Clem asked Edward.

Edward smiled in gratitude, “It would be an honour,” he assured his former knight. John re-entered the room and began laying out a fresh shirt and braes along with Edward’s best doublet and hose. The young boy bowed low to Edward as Clement swept out of the pavilion, leaving the new knight to drink his hippocras and be assisted into his new sartorial splendour. Edward locked eyes with John and allowed a smirk to cross his face, “I can’t believe I slept with the belt on,” he whispered to the younger boy in a conspiratorial tone. John snorted as he tied the points of Edward’s hose.

“I can’t blame you my lord, I’d never want to take it off,” the Page answered in a matched whisper. Edward thanked him again as he adjusted one sleeve before belting on his sword and dagger.

“Alright, time to face a new day,” he muttered, sotto voce, to himself before he stepped through the flap into the early morning light.

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The camp was curiously silent, with most of its occupants already converging on the stands for a new day of Tournament. It was a truth Edward had noted in his youngest days as he’d sat in awe watching the tournaments in Bordeaux, the crowd loved the drama and the circumstance and ceremony of the Tournament, but within a day they needed more, and as dramatic as his killing of Lord von Reichenbach had been, it was really only a small part of the hundreds of challenges and stories that were being told over the course of the event.

A small group awaited the newly belted knight in the small area that consisted of a few camp chairs and the cooking fire before Sir Clement’s tent. Of the group, Edward was able to recognise Tall Boy the archer, who had a second gangly man hanging back behind him and a broad woman with a severe curl to her lip and an iron grey head of hair held back by a wrapped head dress of some description, and Sir Jean, Sir Felix and Lady Eva rounded out the odd gathering.

The knights approached first, each congratulating Edward once more on his elevation and offering what advice they could, the Lady Eva even presented him with a thin leather bound copy of the Treatise of Knighthood and Chivalry by Sir Ulrich van Dorne, it was a princely gift and he bowed deeply to her in gratitude, “I will study it always to help me forge my path,” he told her without a hint of dissimulation.

Next Tall Boy introduced his companions, the man was named Gerald and was an Archer from Seageld, he was a little over twenty five years old and had his own bow and some of a harness, Tall Boy said he had come in with the last stragglers through the pass before the winter snows closed them in. Edward greeted him warmly and ordered him to return with his kit for a quick inspection. With that sorted and Gerald off to collect his gear, the woman was introduced as one of Siegesstand’s tailors, she was to outfit Edward and his lance as he saw fit. Without any hesitation he asked her to make five sets each of braes and shirts, a long black and white quartered surcoat with his arms, and a plain black one for his new archer.

It didn’t take long for Gerald to return and he brought his full harness, or at least what he called a harness. Edward looked over it with a critical eye and began to shake his head. The jupon was just a deer hide stuff with sheep’s wool and the helm was little more than a skull cap, the only thing of worth was the man’s bow and his haubergeon which at least appeared to be made of good, hardened steel and had been well kept with a dull burnish of brown oil prevalent on it. The archer fidgeted as he felt the weight of judgement on his shoulders, “I’m a good shot my lord, I won’t let you down,” he assured Edward, an edge of desperation only just audible in his voice.

Edward rested a hand on the man’s shoulder, “I have no doubt, Tall Boy wouldn’t have brought you otherwise, but we are going to need to sort this out, come with me, we’re going to see Master Piotr, he’ll have you sorted,” the Archer nodded glumly, Edward realised instantly what he suspected, it wasn’t unheard of for men to be given a harness by the knights they served but they were expected to pay it out of their wages, “Gerald, relax a little, this armour is a gift, it won’t need to be paid for, I’d just rather you have the protection you need, I really don’t want to be replacing my archer regularly,” he offered a grin alongside the gallows humour and he saw the man perk back up immediately and tug on his forelock as he bowed.

“I’ll follow your lead then your lordship,” Gerald answered and suited word to action by falling in step behind Edward as he began to walk towards the gates of the main fortress beyond which lay Hammer Street and all the treasures of Siegesstand.

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Master Piotr welcomed Edward like his own son when he walked through the doors of his shop, the older armourer was effusive with praise as he told Edward that he’d been able to use the demonstration of Edward’s success on the field to swing the Armourer’s Guild to grant Konrad an interview for his own Master’s Mark, something the lad would never have achieved on his own without significant financial backing. Edward smiled with genuine warmth at the knowledge his friend would be rising in the ranks, “if they hem and haw at all, you let them know I’d invest in him on the spot,” Edward informed the old armourer who seemed to almost cry at the words.

Master Piotr spread his arms wide to take in the entirety of his oak panelled storefront, “whatever you need young master, I will see it done,” he bowed low and Edward raised him with his own hands.

“This is Gerald, my new Archer, his mail is good but he needs more, I’d like to commission a good brigandine, black and velvet I think, and a good bascinet, he won’t need a visor though, in addition do you think Konrad could produce say twenty bodkin heads and another twenty of the horse droppers?” Edward rattled off the order he’d prepared and already an apprentice appeared and was taking notes on a wax tablet in preparation.

“Not a problem master Edward, arm and leg harness?” Piotr asked as he retrieved a knotted length of rope and began measuring Gerald’s torso.

“Good catch, yes, arm and leg harness, plain steel I think,” The master nodded in response and Edward took a seat to watch as Gerald tried not to weep over the riches he was being granted. The young knight snorted a little as he began to wonder how the man would react when they went to the horse traders.

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It turned out the horse traders were too much for Gerald, the man broke down and finally did weep when Edward presented him with a tall bay rouncey and a pair of mules to use as pack animals, along with all the tack the animals would need for the campaign season, which Edward knew was fast approaching.

Once back in camp Edward and Gerald were met at the impromptu gate by a young man in a sober, black cote, he bowed deeply to Edward, “my lord, I’m Ruprecht von Murkhadt, I have been sent to lead you to your new pavilion,” the boy said. Edward’s brow raised high at his words.

“New pavilion?” He queried, but nonetheless he fell into step with Ruprecht and followed him to where a tall black pavilion of shining silk stood, a white fleur de lys embroidered prominently on the flap that acted as the doorway into the structure. Sir Felix stood out the front alongside the other captains and knights of the Company. Edward gaped at the large tent, he knew in his heart it belonged to him, but even so it was impossible to fully comprehend.

“Sir Edward, welcome officially to the Knights of the Company, this is a gift from myself and your former Knight, young Ruprecht here is my cousin and we think a good fit for your first squire, in time we will find a page for you, but for now this should be enough for you to feel comfortable with the next thing I ask of you,” Sir Felix smiled as he approached the young knight, his hands spread wide to encompass the new camp site they had erected for Edward, “you were already invited to join my team in the Grand Melee in three days, but now as a Knight I must ask again, will you serve on my team?” Edward immediately dropped to his knees and raised his hands to Sir Felix.

“I swear to follow you into this challenge my lord, upon my word as a Knight and as a de Marche,” He swore to his Captain. Clem nodded approvingly as Felix raised Edward with his own hands.

“I expected no less Sir Edward, soon we will march to war, but before then we should finish this tournament in the style that our position demands,” he looked around at the assembled knights, and he just missed the wink that Davide threw towards Edward, “and with such worthy knights as these by my side, how could anything less than victory await us mes braves?” All had their hands on their sword hilts and all looked to their captain with a fervour that bordered on the fanatical, Edward knew they would be targeted in the melee, just as he knew they would still take all who came at them.