THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
In full armor, they mounted their horses and heartened their knights, who were trembling with fear.
They sent a great number into battle and, as soon as they had dispatched them, moved off through a
valley and fled, without striking a blow, abandoning their lord’s banners. Indeed, had they stood
firm on their hilltop, Gerard could never have captured the banners. As they were fleeing, Asperant
said: “Anglant did ill not to believe the prophet who told him, at Almont’s departure from Reggio,
that , if he sent him out, he would never see him again.” Margon replied: “The harm is his own
doing. I care not, so long as we get away from them.” And so, by galloping through a forest, they
saved their skins.
Meanwhile the news spread through the field that Maron and Asperant had taken flight. Therefore
all the Saracens began to flee, so that Gerard reached the banners, where he found twenty thousand
dead Saracens. King Almont’s banners were thrown to the ground. Duke Gerard said: “I know not
what Charles may be doing; for, if the battle were up to me, I would by now have defeated the
whole army.” All gave praise to Gerard, and only two thousand of his knights had fallen in that
fight. Then Gerard dispatched two knights to Charles, dragging two of Almont’s banner behind
them. They rode over the mountains and plains to find Charles.
When Duke Gerard had dismounted and disarmed near the banner train, he had a fainting spell and
would have fallen, had not his nephews and some other barons held him up. They carried him
hither and thither until he returned to his senses, urged his folk to be of good cheer, and inquired
whether his messengers had gone to Charles. He was told that they had.
Almont as yet knew nothing of this. (Bitterly was he destined to grieve, once he found out.) He had
secretly sent King Salatiel followed by sixty thousand men, most of whom were archers, to attack
the Christian rear.