Free The Lion of the North by Kathryn Le Veque Page B

than half,” he muttered. “We have returned with less than half our men.”
    Kenton nodded solemnly. “Surely you realized that.”
    Atticus stopped pinching his nose and nodded with great regret. “I suspected,” he said. “What of the battle in general? I know it was a sound defeat for Henry, but do we have an idea of the overall losses?”
    Kenton sighed. “You saw the retreat of our army.”
    Atticus nodded vaguely. “I saw an entire river filled with bodies,” he said. “I was part of the contingent that held off the charging Yorkists to allow our men to fall back. I finally had to give up or surrender my own life. With Norfolk bringing in fresh troops, there was no choice.”
    They all knew that; Towton had been an ugly, nasty defeat, something none of them had spoken of during the entire trip north. There had been no need, as they had mostly been concerned with reaching the safety of Alnwick. But now that they were safe, the terrible defeat at Towton was becoming even more terrible as they discussed the losses for the Lancastrians. Even for the seasoned knights, some of the news was quite shocking and the reality of their status now, as the defeated, was grossly depressing.
    “So the tides are now turned against us,” Kenton said quietly. “We are now enemies to the new king and you know that Edward is going to demand the surrender of Alnwick. Northumberland led those armies at Towton and the Percys secure the north. Edward is going to make sure we are neutralized.”
    Atticus knew that. His thoughts shifted from those of Titus as he considered the immediate future for Alnwick and her inhabitants. That weight of command he had felt moments earlier was now heavier than before.
    “I know,” he said. “But he will not come tomorrow, or even next month. It is my sense that Edward will wait until he settles in to London and establishes his court before he makes any demands of surrender to any of us. He does not have the manpower to retaliate so soon, so for the time being, we are safe.”
    “Then why bottle up Alnwick?” Adam Wellesbourne wanted to know. Adam was more a follower than a leader, but he was a skilled knight and fearless in a fight. “Our gates are closed and we have double guards upon the walls. Why all of the protection if Edward will wait to move against us?”
    Atticus glanced at him. “Because there is no guarantee that Edward will not move against us in some way,” he said. “He has men in York and in Richmond that he could send to us and there is always the threat of Norfolk since he is nearby. With that in mind, I will send word to Scotland to see if we can solicit reinforcements from the Scots. Henry’s wife, Margaret, is allied with the Scots so there is the possibility. But I will be truthful when I say that we will make no sudden movements, in any case. We will bottle ourselves up and wait. That is the most prudent stance we can take.”
    “Where is Henry?” Adam asked quietly.
    Atticus shrugged, looking at Warenne, who addressed the group when all attention shifted to him. “We believe he will flee to Scotland if he hasn’t already,” he said. “His allies are there. What happened at Towton turned Henry into a fugitive in his own country. Our lives, our very livelihoods, will change from this moment on, my good lords. We are now the enemy.”
    He hadn’t said anything they didn’t already know; they nodded in resignation, sighed wearily, shifted around on their legs, and leaned against walls. The men were restless and weary; Atticus was well aware. They were nervous, too, nervous of what was to come. For the moment, however, the situation was quiet and he intended it should remain that way. He was preparing to dismiss the knights so they could seek much-needed rest when Warenne spoke quietly, interrupting him.
    “What of the new earl, Atticus?” he wanted to know. “Young Henry Percy may have other plans for his army. Mayhap you should consult with him before