Adventure of Robert de Fiennes 1

The survivors have only just left the priory when the young scout raises a hand. Beyond the fields, disciplined riders approach beneath a dark blue standard.

Bernard VII of Armagnac rides at their head, an adult man of solid build with a light complexion and dark hair hidden beneath a steel cap, his lordly surcoat marked by travel.

Étienne, the stocky survivor, and the remaining defenders halt beside Robert. The blue-surcoated rider and the refugees are already far along the eastern road, carrying the sealed letter toward French forces.

Bernard’s mounted men spread across the field’s edge, blocking no road yet. Their eyes pass over battered shields, borrowed weapons, and the empty places left by those who departed.

Robert steps into the field with both arms open. Bernard VII of Armagnac’s dark blue standard advances between the hedges, and his riders slow before the battered French survivors.

Bernard VII of Armagnac dismounts and accepts Robert’s embrace before his officers. His gaze passes over the empty scabbards, borrowed weapons, and tired faces, weighing the cost of the priory’s defense.

Bernard VII of Armagnac’s escort opens a passage toward safer country. Aid has arrived, yet Robert’s welcome has purchased it with public scrutiny of his command and the survivors’ testimony.

Robert removes his bascinet and faces Bernard unhelmed. The gesture reveals his hazel eyes and brown chevron mustache, offering respect before the Armagnac officers.

Bernard’s officers draw nearer, listening without interrupting. Behind them, the survivors gather their borrowed weapons and turn toward the safer road.

Robert gestures toward the shattered ladders and fallen English attackers. His account is plain, but the officers’ faces remain guarded as the evidence behind him competes with the story’s missing witnesses.

Bernard studies Étienne, then the stocky survivor and the wounded man. His captains begin taking their statements separately, turning Robert’s public account into testimony that must now withstand comparison.

Robert gives a slight bow before Bernard and submits to the Constable’s authority. The gesture is measured, unmistakable, and witnessed by the gathered officers and survivors.

Bernard’s acceptance preserves Robert’s standing as a disciplined French commander, but the submission carries a clear price: he no longer directs these survivors independently.

An Armagnac captain, a middle-aged human man with a lean build, a weathered face, short dark hair, and a red-trimmed blue surcoat over mail gestures Robert toward the other witnesses. The survivors close ranks beneath their borrowed weapons, protected by French authority but now subject to its judgment.

Robert joins the other defenders beneath the Armagnac standard. He keeps his hands clear of his weapon and stands among the men whose testimony will now measure his command.

The captain separates the witnesses by a few paces. Étienne waits near the wounded survivor, while the stocky survivor faces a second officer, a middle-aged man with a lean build, a narrow weathered face, and a dark wool coat over mail beside the gathered weapons.

The wounded survivor gives his account next, speaking of the refugees’ departure and the assault upon the walls. The officers listen without interruption, recording each detail.

Bernard remains near his standard, silent while the testimonies gather. His protection holds around the survivors, but judgment now rests upon the combined witness of the company.

Robert remains beneath the Armagnac standard, his bascinet tucked beneath one arm and his empty hand visible. He watches each witness as the questioning proceeds.

The Armagnac captains keep the men apart and ask the same matters in different order: the refugees’ departure, the English assault, and Robert’s commands.

Étienne’s account matches the wounded survivor’s on the essential points. The stocky survivor adds the offer of freedom before the fight, while the officers mark each distinction.

Robert catches the pattern in the inquiry: the captains separate witnessed fact from loyalty, testing whether praise comes from knowledge or obedience. Bernard watches without interrupting.

Robert remains beneath the Armagnac standard, watching the inquiries pass from witness to witness. He does not interrupt, trusting the men to separate what they saw from what they believe.

The captains question the wounded survivor about the refugees’ departure, then turn to the stocky survivor concerning the gate and the first English assault.

The officers compare their notes. Their questions reveal no contradiction in the essential account, though each man remembers the priory from a different place within its walls.

Bernard’s words settle over the gathered survivors. Robert’s honor is not yet celebrated, but the testimony has given it a firm foundation before Armagnac’s officers.