by D. J. Holmes
***
The brightness of the morning sun heralds a new beginning for Jacquemin. The French forces from Avignon have arrived, and Jacquemin is ready to go.
“Good bye, Mother and Father. Thank you for everything that you have taught me. Looking at his brothers and sister he says, “Pierre, and Jean, mind mother. Jehanne, take some flowers to the church for me all right?”
Isabelle looks at her son. “Remember, Jacquemin, you were named after your father, because, as a baby, you looked so much like him. Throughout your life you have always been a miniature Jacque. Remember that my son. With a father like the one you have, you have a lot to live up to. Now that you have grown, be careful and make us proud!”
Jacque puts his arm around his son’s shoulders, “Remember everything your mother and I have taught you, Jacquemin. We have taught you all that we know to help you survive. Come back to us, son.”
“I will,” he responds with a long hug for everyone. He adds, “Thank you for everything,” as he mounts his horse.
Sadly watching their older brother as he leaves, his brothers and sister yell “BE CAREFUL BROTHER.”
After Jacquemin leaves, Isabelle asks her husband, “Jacque how are we going to be able to go through this two more times?”
“It’s very hard, Isabelle. Looking at their daughter he adds, “At least we won’t have to worry about Jehanne leaving us.”
The years pass quickly. News from Jacquemin comes to them once in a while.
By this time, rather than running after the chickens, Jehanne is now feeding and caring for them while her brothers help their father with the chores when he is home, and when he is gone they continue to do them on their own.
Jehanne’s mother has begun to teach her how to work on the loom. During one of their breaks from their chores, the daily walk to the church with flowers continues. While in the Chapel, Jehanne points to one of the flowers she has put in the vase while looking at the cross. “When, Jacquemin, left he asked me to bring flowers to you, from him. This flower is from Jacquemin. Please keep him safe.”
Turning to her mother, she asks, “Do you think that father will be home by tonight, Mother?”
“Hopefully Jehanne…. This time he was going only a short distance to make sure that the English are not camping near and planning on attacking our village, as they did a few years ago. Though they haven’t given our village trouble for a few years, we can’t let our guard down. You can’t trust the English.”
At that point, Isabelle hears horses approaching their cottage. Looking toward the sound, she can tell by the standards the soldiers are flying, that it is her husband. “Quickly, Jehanne, gather the bandages and medicine. Your father and his men have returned home. It looks like they are coming this way…that could mean they had a tough time.”
Isabelle runs toward her husband and his soldiers. Looking at their condition, she asks, “Jacque, what happened?”
“They ambushed us. We were lucky to get out of there in one piece.”
“So many are hurt….” she says as she looks around.
“Yes, but you should see what condition we left the English in, after we pulled ourselves together,” he said trying to crack a smile.
“I’m just glad that you are back.”
“I am, too. Don’t worry about me. My wounds are small compared to some of my men. Would you look at them first?”
“Have them come here, Jacque and I will look at them one by one,” Isabelle says as she walks over to one of the many Crabapple trees that are around their cottage. Taking advantage of the shade, she prepares an area to care for the wounded.
Jehanne brings the bandages and medicine to her mother. “Jehanne, I want you to look at all of your father’s men. Between you, your father and your brothers, bring the ones that are hurt the worst to me now, and have the others sit down in the shade of the other trees. I will get to them as soon as I can.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Jehanne and her father bring one soldier, while Pierre and Jean bring another. “These are the two that have been wounded the worst, Mother.”
“Thank you…. Jacque, would you help me with this soldier? Jehanne, I want you to make sure that the flies do not get to the wounds of that soldier.”
“Yes, Mother. Would you like me to clean his wounds?”
Surprised, looking up at her daughter, Isabelle asks, “Do you feel that you know enough to be able to do that?”
“Mother, I have been watching and helping you for at least eight years. I know enough to clean his wounds.”
“It’s been that many years? Time goes so quickly…. I’d be glad to have your help, Jehanne. Since you are going to clean the wounds, would you please have your brothers keep the flies away then?”
Each wounded soldier is brought to either Isabelle or Jehanne. Their wounds are saturated first with clean water to wash away dirt, rocks, grass, etc. After the wound is clean, honey is then drizzled on top of it. Next, the skin is pulled together, covered with willow bark and wrapped securely in place with clean muslin cloth.
Quickly word begins to spread through their village that the soldiers have come home, and where they are. Many of the village women bring their bandages and medicine to help. Walking up to Jacque, each woman says, “I am here to help. What would you like me to do?”
“Thank you for coming, he says. “Please go over to the same area that Isabelle and Jehanne are in, and set up an area for yourself, as each of you finish with your patient, I will send another to you.”
Jacque goes to check on the rest of his soldiers and sits down to talk to several of them.
“Jacque, we are ready for another one,” Isabelle calls.
Getting up, he helps the next soldier over to Isabelle.
The wounds that day had not been as severe as they had been in the past. With the help of the other village women, his men are quickly cared for and taken to their homes by Jean and Pierre in the family cart.
Jacque’s troops had only come against a marauding band of English, roaming the surrounding countryside. In the past, Jacque and his men had traveled further away from home, joining up with other Frenchmen who had asked for their help in protecting their homes. During these times, he had suffered wounds that were far worse and lost more men. Today he was just glad to be so close to home.
After dinner, Jacque gets out the war board game. He has made a new board that has moveable mountains, streams, houses and animals. Each evening he is home, he repositions everything, showing Pierre and Jean the advantages and disadvantages of different terrain. Tonight, he says, “Come, my children. Come. I have much to teach you…” Looking toward Jehanne, he says, “Jehanne, I mean you also.”
“You want me to play the war game also?”
“Yes, Jehanne, I think that it is time for you to be involved in this also.”
“I will Father, as soon as I help Mother put everything away.”
Looking at her daughter, her mother says, “Jehanne, it’s all right. I want you to learn everything there is to learn about war.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure. Oh, by the way, you did a good job today taking care of the wounds of the soldiers.”
“I’ve learned a great deal from you, Mother.”
“Well, now it’s time that you learn what your father has to teach you.” Walking over to where her father and brothers are, she sits down, listening intently to her father.
“You see, you never let your enemy know what you are going to do. If there is one road coming in and out of a town, your enemy will expect you to come in from one end of the road, and leave on the other end. Their spies will let them know where your army is gathered. They will put most of their forces in that particular area, ready to fight and defend their town.”
“What you need to do in these circumstances, is to divide your forces. Have them come down onto the town from different directions. Some at the same time, and others a little while later, or when needed
. The town will always move their forces back and forth trying to defend themselves. Each time they move, there will be several moments when they are unorganized. This is where you gain your advantage.”
Jacque continues, “Remember, try to confuse your enemy. When confusion sets in, the enemy will never know how to defend itself.”
As the years go by, Jehanne and her brothers continue to grow. Each evening that their father is home, is spent listening to him, learning of his war experiences, and strategies of war.
“One day, my children, an English noble had told his soldiers to walk a little slower so that my men could catch up with them. He tried to make it look like they were tired and that my men could over take them.
The advantage that we had was that I was with my men. From my previous experiences in war I could tell what was happening. I had my men change their tactics immediately. The disadvantage that the English had was that their commander was on the ridge overlooking the battle area. You see, they are never with their troops. If you want to win a war, you, as the leader, have to be on the ground floor to see what your men see, to be there for them, to encourage them, and to lead them. Now I ask you, how can you lead from a ridge far away from your men?”
“If the English are that stupid, Father, then why aren’t we winning the war?” Pierre questions.
“Because many of our nobles are no better than the English nobles…many of my soldiers have told me that they have heard that there is an agreement between the English and the French, that the English will win the war.”
“Why would our French nobles make an agreement like that?” Jehanne asks, surprised that her father would say something like that.
“A country needs to have a strong leader. Our King doesn’t have the capabilities to lead this country. Most of our Knights have been killed by the English Longbow. We must all defend our own areas. Our nobles have become greedy. They don’t think of the welfare of their fellow countrymen, they only think of their own survival.”
“But, Father, people who are full of greed can’t be trusted,” Jehanne states.
“Yes, you are right,” Looking at his children to make a serious point, he continues, “watch for those who are greedy and have the need for power. Wherever you find it, do not trust anyone there, for they only think of themselves.”
Jean had wanted to talk to his father all evening, and could wait no longer.
“…Father.”
“Yes, Jean?”
“I want to go to war, Father.”
“You’ll be able to soon, my Son.”
“I mean now, Father.”
“But, Jean, you are only fifteen years old.”
Pierre cuts in, “I’m going to go with him, Father.”
Shocked, but trying to hold it together, Jacque calmly says, “But, Pierre, you are only sixteen years old.”
“We thought that if we were together, we would be able to help each other,” Pierre states.
Knowing that Pierre and Jean had their minds made up, just as their older brother Jacquemin had when he left for war, Jacque asks sadly, “When do you leave?”
“We are to meet them in Lyon within the week.”
“That means that you will need to leave tomorrow.”
“Yes, Father….tomorrow.”
“Well, I suppose we had better get you ready for your trip then.”
All through the night, Jacque and Isabelle forlornly get things ready for Pierre and Jean. “This time came too quickly, Jacque,” Isabelle declares with a broken heart.
“At least we have, Jehanne,” Jacque states with relief.
“Yes, we can be thankful for that. If we would have had all daughters, Jacque, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this heartache.”
“We must be grateful Isabelle, that we have sons to help France in its time of need.”
“You’re right…. It’s just so hard.”
As the sun begins to rise, Jacque turns to look at its rays. “So, you are back my friend. It’s that time already is it?” he murmurs to himself.
Sadly, Isabelle asks Jacque, “Would you go get the boys while I finish breakfast?”
“Yes. They will have to leave soon to make it to Lyon on time.”
Breakfast is over all too quickly. Jean and Pierre are soon walking to the barn to saddle their horses, and tie their belongings to the back of their saddles.
Jacque gives them some final words of counsel. “Remember that your mother and I love you. Never do anything that would shame yourself, or your family. Remember all the tactics that I taught you when we played the war games. I have done my best to prepare you to survive. Come back to us.”
“… Mother, Father, we will do only those things that will bring honor to our God, and to our family,” Pierre promises.
“How could we forget anything about the tactics of war, Father? You drilled it into us so many times that it’s engraved in our minds,” Jean says with a laugh.
Mounting their horses Pierre and Jean yell “Good bye, until we see you again.”
Smiling, but still sad, Jacque adds, “God speed, my Sons. We await your return.” Isabelle waves, as she holds back her tears.
Jehanne watches as her brothers go to fight in the 100 Years War, fighting to defend the French Nobles cause. “BE CAREFUL MY BROTHERS,” she yells, as her arm reaches above her head to wave good-by. “I WILL PRAY FOR YOU.”
Later in the evening, as Jehanne and her parents sit before the fire to continue their nightly ritual of war games, Jehanne says, “It seems lonely, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, my sweet Daughter, it does. But now I can concentrate completely on teaching you the techniques of war, Jehanne.”
“Maybe I’ll teach you a few things, Father,” she says as she looks at him and smiles.
Isabelle looks over at both of them and adds, “You had better watch out, Jacque. Remember, she has my brains.”
Jacque responds, “I thought that she had your looks, and my brains?”
“I let you think that when she was born. But from the many times that she has run your army out of France on your board, I can now tell you that she also has my brains.”
Turning to look at his daughter, he says, “Maybe your mother is right, Jehanne. Maybe you do have her brains.”
“Are you just figuring that out, Father?” she says smiling at him.
Once again laughter fills their home.
Chapter 3
