Lettre 10

A Story by Patches I'm not so new anymore.

Village of Ste Cyprien 10, juin 1218

Dear mama and Aunt Jehanne

We have at last arrived outside the village of Ste Cyprian only find it besieged by the French. We can get no closer, we can however, besiege the besigers which is exactly what his Excellency plans to do.

The town walls have not yet been breached and the defenders are giving better than they get. We are setting a ring around the French, that way they will be hemmed in between the defenders and ourselves. They cannot break through our ranks without terrible losses nor can they gain the village. We have them in a vise that is slowly closing and tomorrow will snap shut!

Do not worry overmuch on my account, the archers are in reserve and will only be used if needed. We may not even get into the fight. Which would be disappointing as my blood is up.

24, juin

The crusaders attempted to break through our ranks last night but were driven back onto the village wall with staggering loss, my archers slew eighty-nine of them by our count. How many have not been counted or are wounded and useless in this battle we have no way of knowing. We, that is my archers came through the fray with only one casuality and that was because the man's bow broke and the arrow pierced his wrist. We tried unsuccessfully to stanch the flow of blood but alas he died before the chirurgeon arrived.

This morning at dawn it is already hot, we hurriedly buried our dead and as many of the enemy slain as we could before the rains came turning the plain into a quagmire. My archers are of little use in this weather, but then so are cavalry. Not much fighting will be done today.

25 juin

It rained throughout the day yesterday and well into the night, to move is to have to struggle through muck that is in someplaces as high as the knees. However the sun is out baking the ground and combatants. The flies are a horrible nusence. The shallow pits in which the dead were buried have had most of the dirt washed away becaue of the torrental rains. flies and scavengers are glutting themselves on the unburied corpeses----

There is shouting and cheering from the front I shall return and relate what has happened to you in a little time. However the Count has summoned me and I must attend him.

Wonder of wonders Maman, a miracle! Le bon Dieu has smilled upon our cause and given us a great victory! A trebuchet, operated by a crew of women inside the walls of Ste Cyprien threw a stone at a "cat" that Le Boucher had brought forward to cover his sappers from missiles as they advance toward the walls of the village. One of the stones struck that son of the devil on the helm killing him instantly!

The crusaders are now in great disarray, we shall be able to take them piecemeal and rid Languedoc of them forever! Praise be to God!