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hill down which to charge."
    "Can we avoid it?"
    "No, for it has a good view of the smaller roads too.  It is why a watcher would choose it."
    "Then this is deliberate."
    "I would think so."
    "Dick, how many men are there?"
    "Altogether I would say twenty. From their standards and their shields then I would say eight knights."
    They all looked to me. I was now the leader. "We have three knights and two squires.  They have more knights than we do. They will be charging downhill and their horses will give them an advantage."
    The Empress looked worried, "Perhaps we can talk with them."
    I shook my head. "We are close to Nancy and these knights are waiting.  If we had the Germans here we could question them.  I am certain that they would have known of this." They looked at me still. "Arm for war.  Use the war horses and break out the lances.  Dick I want you to ride back to Grant and the others.  When they charge us I want you to use your arrows on their flanks. It may be our only advantage."
    "Yes, my lord."
    There were only eight archers with me but they were good. As we changed horses and gathered our lances I sought out Edgar. "I am leaving you to watch over the Empress.  I will also leave the Germans.  They are sound fellows, I think.  You have a few words of their language do you not?"
    "Aye sir and I will watch her like she was my own."
    "I know you will. I want you close enough to see if it goes ill with us.  If it does then ride back to the Count."
    The Empress shook her head, "Do not think that way."
    "We have to be prepared for the worst, my lady. There are three of us with experience and we do not know the mettle of these enemies yet. I hope to be successful but we cannot guarantee anything in this life. Would you tell the Germans that I leave Edgar in command?"
    While she went I summoned Brian. He was the youngest of my men at arms and the least experienced.  "I leave the horses to you Brian.  If you have to flee then you may have to let them go."
    "My lord I cannot do that."
    I put steel in my voice, "It if is a choice between the horses or the Empress then there is no choice. Save the Empress." I saw that we were ready and Empress Matilda nodded. "We will attack, if it comes to that, in an arrow formation.  I will ride in the centre, Edward to my right and Guy to my left.  Harold and Alan tuck in behind me. The men at arms will be in two lines.  Until we see them we will ride in a column.  Do you all understand?"
    They all shouted, "Aye, my lord!" And we rode to war.
    This would be the first time I had led my own men against a superior enemy using lances.  I just hoped I was good enough.  The lances we used were well made with an eight feet long ash haft and a well made iron head.  Alf had done a good job manufacturing them. I was confident that we had good shields but I worried about Alan and Harold.  Both of them had yet to be trained with a long spear.  This was no place to learn.
    We passed my archers in the woods.  As soon as they saw us pass they disappeared.  I could rely on them.  As soon as we emerged from the gloom of the forest I saw the conroi on the hill.  They were half a mile away. All of them had the long shield which had been used at Hastings and the conical helmet.  That gave me hope.  Perhaps their mail was not as good as ours.  They had their horses in a line.  I saw that the leader had a quarter design on his shield and that the top right hand quadrant had a yellow sun with a white flower in the middle. Guy said.  "These are from Flanders.  Their leader is Guillaume of Ghent the illegitimate half brother of Count Charles."
    We had halted to watch their intentions. "And the others?"
    "Most look to be from Flanders but the knight on the end has a plain red shield and I know not him. He may be a mercenary come to try to gain fame and fortune.  There are many like him in the borderlands."
    I saw their lances lowered as they began to trot down the hill. There had