Shortly after 9 a.m., the Lady Ripley and the Duke of Baldwin, who were in the occupied territory, strode out of the house of the village magistrate of Gatville Le Fal, after eating something. At this time, three sergeants each led three Alden horses (the lion-nosed heavy horse used in agriculture, one of the oldest heavy horse breeds in the world) stood quietly outside the door.

The three of them stepped onto three horses that had been used to plough the land, and sat in a very rudimentary saddle made of fabric. The baroness took the reins and glanced at the two captains standing on her right, and said mildly, "Two captains, take care of these Frenchmen. If you find someone who has fled, resisted and reported to the army, kill them immediately. ”

The trio then rode out on horseback on the road south of the village. Along the way, Isabel Walton, the Baroness of Ripley, again instructed the two guards: "Listen, Baldwin, we are now missionaries from Saint-Malo, a coastal town in the department of Ill-Villene, Brittany, France. ”

Fast who was riding in front looked back at her, nodded his head and said, "Your Excellency, since we are missionaries, we are going to preach the gospel of heaven to the French?" ”

Isabelle, whose face was hidden deep in the hood of the monk's suit, smiled slightly, "Monk, you should call me nun." Another point is that you two are not very proficient in French, so you should follow the monk's system. ”

The strict monastic system forbade the monks to go out into contact with the outside world, and even the conversation between the monks was forbidden, allowing only one or two whispers or gestures that were necessary. Of course, the two "monks" came out of the convent in order to learn how to carry out missionary work with "nun" Isabel.

Time flies, and the speed of travel is determined by the tamed and easy to handle horse. After about a mile of cycling, the trio came to a field where they could already see several farmer's houses looming in the woods on the left side of the road. According to the village officials who surrendered, the three of them arrived at the northern edge of the town of Bavler.

Isabel, who had stopped on horseback on the side of the road, looked at the house in front of her left and instructed the two, "Attention, we are now in Bavrel. If all goes well, you will be at the port in no time. ”

Under the cover of monks and missionaries, the three of them rode slowly through the town with ease. Like any coastal town in the south of England or France, the town of Bavlers is full of tranquility, peace and prosperity. The road is lined with houses and pedestrians. The pedestrians appear to be dressed almost identically to those of the townspeople of Portsmouth or Plymouth in the south of England. No, it should be said that it is correct to say that the English imitated the dress of the French.

As the three of them rode slowly to an intersection, Fast, who was walking in front, seemed to notice something when he looked to the left side of the intersection. After staring for a moment, he turned back and pointed to Isabel to the left. Isabel nodded, then to Baldwin beside her. Then, the three Catholic clergy, who "pretended to be deaf and dumb", turned their horses' heads and slowly walked to the left.

The scene ahead of the road became clearer and clearer, and several ships flying the French flag were moored in the bay east of the pier. However, it remains to be ascertained whether the cargo ships used by these ships to transport troops or the ships equipped with artillery are still needed. Just as the trio were about to reach the dock, they found that there were already some barricades on the road to prevent horses or deer firewood, and several sergeants armed with long-handled war hammers and spears were on duty.

A sergeant with a spear in his hand strode to the right side of the road, stretched out his right palm to Isabel and the others, and said aloud, "Stop!" ”

While the trio reined in their horses and stayed on the right side of the road, Isabel observed that there were some local residents on the left side of the road going back and forth to and from the roadblock. Then, naturally, he turned his gaze to the French sergeant in front of him and jumped off his horse. At the same time as she dismounted, the two "monks" who followed her also jumped off their horses.

Isabel came to the sergeant with two silent monks, bowed her head and folded her hands in front of her chest and said, "May God bless you." ”

The sergeant, accustomed to the rules of the Catholic canon, nodded and said in a somewhat soothing tone, "Nun, where are you from?" ”

"Monastery of Our Lady of Saint-Malo."

"Well, what are you doing in Bavler?"

Isabel raised her head slightly, casually glancing at the French sergeants, the barricades, and what appeared to be a fortress-like house on the right side of the road. Then, in a very reverent tone, he said to the sergeant: "I have come to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to His Majesty's sergeants. ”

"So, nun, you are the preachers who preach the gospel to us soldiers who are about to go into battle?" A smile appeared on the face of the French sergeant.

"Yes, sergeant. Behind me, however, Brother Samuel and Brother Jeffertha (both names of judges in the Bible) were monks who studied with me. Isabel said calmly. In her opinion, spying on intelligence allows her to fully integrate into the role she plays, so that she can avoid the suspicion of the enemy.

The sergeant did not find anything suspicious in the appearance or speech of the three men, but was about to let them go, but said, "Nun, have you gone to the Pier of Saint-Malo to preach the Gospel?" ”

As soon as the French sergeant finished speaking, Isabel immediately felt that the other party was passing on a message to her: the quays of Saint-Malo were probably a French fortress or an important military port. In quick thought, she recalled some of the things the village officials and priests had said to her, such as asking them to give her the names of some local monasteries and abbots. However, the priest did not say a word about whether Saint-Malo was a French fortress or a military port.

At this time, Isabel still seemed unusually calm, calmly taking the other party's words, "Yes, sergeant. It's just that there are probably not as many boats on the pier as there are here. ”

The French sergeant laughed, "Nun, your lord has prepared a lot, a lot of ships and troops for this attack on England. As soon as the order to attack is given, all the ships anchored in Saint-Malo, Bavrel, and Saint-Vastraug will gather at Le Havre. ”

Isabel didn't ask a question, but saluted the sergeant in silence. The sergeant, out of respect and trust in the clergy, quickly let the three go. When the three Isabel led their horses to the dock not far behind the barricade, they were immediately attracted by the sight.