Read The Archer's War: Exciting good read - adventure fiction about fighting and combat during medieval times in feudal England with archers, longbows, knights, ... (The Company of English Archers Book 4) for Free Online

eyes. 
          “In addition to reducing his revenues King Richard will lose William’s war galleys which can protect his men and himself as they travel back and forth to France.  Additionally, of course, Richard’s people will also lose the protection from pirates that his ships and coastal villages now receive as a result of William’s reputation as a pirate taker and the fact that the Pope has decreed that pirates are not good Christians.” 
           That’s all ox shite about the Pope, of course, but it sounds true so maybe it is.
           “Yes,” said the Nuncio thoughtfully, “and forcing Lord William out of Cornwall will also distress the Templars who have given him arms in exchange for carrying Templars to and from England and France.  It will also greatly distress the Pope whose new order of seagoing priests will be greatly weakened and receive fewer tithes to send to the Pope.  Yes indeed, many distressing things will happen if Lord William loses his training and ship building lands in Cornwall.” 
           The Nuncio is obviously distressed at the thought of the Cyprus nuncio getting his hands on those tithes instead of himself.  Good.  Maybe he really will try to help us.
            “It is,” I tell the Nuncio as he nods his head in sorrowful agreement, “a goddamn fucking financial disaster for the two of us.”
             “Don’t despair yet, Bishop Thomas,” is his optimistic response. “I may be able to do something with this information if I can get to the King or Longchamp.”
           I shake my head in resignation and hand him the parchment I have prepared for the Pope to sign - and tell the Nuncio that William has set aside fifty bezant gold coins for the expenses of getting the Pope to sign the parchment creating the new religious order. 
           Under the circumstances, I add with what I hope is an encouraging smile on my face, I’m sure there will be another fifty gold bezants if the King does something so that William can continue in Cornwall as the Earl.  Then I ostentatiously pick up my purse and hurry back to the church to eat and get some sleep on its dirt floor. 
           It’s already starting to get dark when my guards and I get back to the church.   We’ll leave for London at first light in the morning – I’ve got to hurry back to Cornwall to warn William that we are almost certainly about to have a war on our hands. 
           It looks like we may need the services of the assassins after all; if they can even find Derbyshire, that is.
    @@@@@
           I’d no more than wrapped myself in my cloak and laid myself on the church’s dirt floor to sleep than I hear voices and noise outside.  Then there is a pounding on the church door.  One of my men stands up and removes the timber bar on the door and it immediately is pulled open. 
           Three men push their way in – and in the darkness the first man in promptly steps on one of my men and trips and falls on top of some others.  All around me my men are jumping to their feet and I can hear their curses and the sound of blades coming out of scabbards. 
          “Whoa.  Whoa.  Peace.  Peace.  We’re King’s Men and we’ve come in peace.  Is the Bishop of Cornwall here?  The King sent us to fetch him if he is available.”
           A minute later and I am trying not to stumble as I walk along the dark road towards the castle in the moonlight.  There is a King’s man on either side of me “to guide you, Bishop, only to guide you” and a somewhat hesitant and uncertain Peter and my other men trailing along behind carrying their bows and swords. 
           Well, if they’ve come to kill me this is where they’ll do it.
           A loud challenge rings out from the castle gate as we approach.  It is promptly answered by the man “guiding” my left arm; apparently he answers correctly since the gate opens to