The storm blew over the mountain tops, and the dwarf trees struggled in the wilderness, and the march in York was very hard for the English soldiers, and the wild horses pulling the carts were panting, and these poor cattle were only eleven hands high, but because they were usually stocked in the mountains and forests, they were not delicate, because they were numerous, so they were used to pull carts.

There were also English chariot and horse prints outside the scattered villages, and the soldiers of the Earl of Moka told all the nearby English villagers that the tribute for Easter this year would be paid in advance, except for the church part, and the rest would be sent to the earl's army. This happened in the region of Mercia as well, and the two lords were probably worried that the Normans would get supplies from the counties on the spot when they arrived, so they preemptively levied them. Since both armies were in York, the Earl of Edwin had his family with him, and Warwick's defenses were weaker. The garrison of William Mallett of York, numbering only eight hundred, was besieged by more than two thousand Mercian troops, and the Earl of Moca had a small number of men, in addition to his own five hundred soldiers, and two hundred men aided to him by the Earl of Guspatrick, led by a man named Sean named Hughed Barnes, most of whom rode horses and obscured the road to the north.

As it was still Lent, there were no fireworks in the villages or cities, and the Mercian soldiers lined up outside the city were dressed in various armor and uniforms, and those without helmets wore Phrygian hats, and although they were freezing cold, they did not move in the cold wind. The Earl of Edwin wore an indigo robe, a belt with a bronze buckle around his waist, a dark walrus fur coat without armor, and a domed iron helmet with gold-trimmed double ear guards, his nose slightly tilted outward, carved with leaves and intertwined ichthyosaurs, and prayers carved above his forehead. He rode to the city with a few guards in chain mail and invited William Mallett to negotiate. The Norman quickly replied to the count: "Lord William says that the king will arrive soon, and that your lord may personally negotiate with His Majesty." ”

The Earl of Mercia was taken aback and couldn't help frowning, he originally hoped that his uncle could cooperate with him, and even serve as a bridge between himself and King William, for the Earl of Mercia, as long as the king promised not to continue to build a castle in the direction of Hereford to develop his power, and to guarantee his own territorial rights, he was completely satisfied. As for the Earl of Moca, he could also declare his submission immediately as long as he received a guarantee of dominance and autonomy for the Durham and York parts. But now William Mallett refused to act as an intermediary to help communicate, which apparently came as a surprise to the counts.

Since the negotiations could not be carried out for the time being, the two counts had no interest in taking the initiative to attack the city, on the one hand, they were wary of the Normans' force, and on the other hand, they did not want to overexert their own strength, and the city and outside the city fell into a strange peaceful confrontation. The citizens of York were not surprised, as the Earl of Uhtred had also raised an army in the name of rebelling against King Canute, and the result was such a raid and confrontation until Uhtred finally submitted directly to Canute. The Normans were also very accustomed to using all kinds of diplomatic means, and William Mallett knew the plans of the two nephews, but he did not know the king's own intentions at present, so he simply pretended to be confused.

In London, William the Conqueror was listening to a messenger relay the current situation in Flanders, and because Madame Matilda was pregnant, he did not attend the meeting, and Baldwin, Count of Flanders, had just died at the end of last year, which was not only the loss of a father-in-law for William, but more importantly, the Count of Flanders had previously served as regent of France, and his death meant that the young King of France began to govern independently, The prodigal son, who was often dissatisfied with the Duke of Normandy, was clearly not going to sit idly by and watch his most powerful vassal get a crown easily. The death of the Earl of Baldwin in many ways almost meant the end of an era, the Earl's sister married the younger brother of King Harold of England, Tostig, and at the same time the Earl maintained a good relationship with King Edward the Confessor, who had helped King Edward, who was anxious to obtain an heir, to bring the noble Edward and Edgar back to England, in addition to being the father-in-law of William, Duke of Normandy. His death at this moment, which had long been a diplomatic link between the French crown and the Duchy of Normandy, witnessed the bitter contradictions and the general outbreak of 1066, immediately made the diplomatic situation in Normandy and England even more delicate.

At this time, Flanders, an unexpected future enemy of King William, was enjoying the life of a newlywed. This Englishman, Herriward, of Danish descent, was eventually exiled by Edward the Confessor at the request of his father due to the audacity of his youth. Hereafter Harry Ward wandered around Wales, Ireland, Cornwall, and continental Europe, sometimes using his sword in the service of some lords, and when he was under the command of a Gaelic leader, he was jealous of the lord because of his bravery and prostitution, so he fled to Flanders, where he fought with Robb the Frisian, the son of the Count of Flanders. This northern warrior was a booze, second only to his daring, and always had a huge buffalo horn cup hanging from his waist, as if ready to drink at any moment.

At this time, probably no one would have thought that this warlike warrior would have a great reputation in the future, and even be called "the last Englishman". His bride, from a wealthy family near Calais, was fascinated by her handsome braided husband playing an Anglo-Saxon tune with the lyre, singing of the beautiful heather and the bright birds at the top of the tree, like a lover singing by the grave of a warrior. In the firelight, his bronze armbands reflected a swaying shimmer.

"Harold, what are you thinking?" (Note: Harold is the name used by Hereward when he was in Flanders.) ）

"Nothing, dear, just some gibberish thinking of an old man."

Hereward remembered that when he left his homeland, no one came to see him off, neither his stubborn father nor his weeping brother, but the exile went into the wilderness alone, leaving behind the joys of the banquet hall and the joys and sorrows of his family.

In this chaotic era, after so much bloodshed and singing and drinking, Heriward faced his beautiful wife, but his heart was full of longing for peace. "Maybe it's time to go home......" he thought quietly, gazing silently at the worn shield by the fireplace.