Echoes of a Legend

Chapter FIFTEEN: Journey on a Foreign Land

“Between the bouts of sickness and the lecherous stares, I have been thinking about the first clue…” Mary Archard

The ship they travelled in was a Cog. Generally built of oak and high sided, a Cog first appeared in the 10th century and was widely used from the 12th century onwards. The vessels were fitted with a large single mast and sail and they were flat bottomed midway down the ships hull, which allowed them to settle flat in the harbour and make loading and unloading of cargo and passengers easier with the ship very sturdy against the tide.  The steering was controlled from a platform deck built at the stern where the sail and steering oar were controlled. A rudder was fitted later in the mid the 13th century. With its large open hull, a Cog was a popular vessel to transport goods and later military equipment.

Brother Nash had left Woodbridge before they woke and said his goodbyes the previous night. He promised Mary he would look for a merchant with a cart so he could rest his weary legs as she could tell the journey had taken a lot out of the priest.

Before boarding their Cog the monk inspected all the ships that would leave today. There were four in total, one left before theirs, and knowing that the Muslim could well try and stowaway on anyone one of them, all were double checked by the ship’s owners and hands before they left port. Nothing was found and only the expected travellers, merchants and citizens with passes were allowed onboard.

Considering the drop in temperature over the previous twenty four hours, Ackerley was surprised that the voyage across the channel was relatively calm. Mary had never been on a ship before and went through the whole gambit of emotions. She started off like a giddy child wide-eyed in anticipation at the voyage ahead. That excitement soon died down as the sway of the channel picked up a pace and waves of five feet began to crash into the starboard side. Thankfully their height did not increase and the swell soon died down.

Including Ackerley’s party, there were eleven passengers onboard, all men. Five white Europeans and more unusually three darker skinned men. Each one had a valid pass to travel and kept themselves to themselves, some shying away as they considered themselves unworthy to be the same vessel as a Knight.

Following a brief bout of sickness, which was very common and it appeared only the monk and Ackerley did not suffer, Mary felt hungry and huddled into a corner of the hull with an apple and a flagon of beer which she shared amongst four of the other passengers. They gladly took a swig but kept one eye on the beautiful lady and one eye on the six foot Templar who stood proudly over her.

Ackerley’s new cloak wafted imposingly in the sea breeze as he moved up to the platform deck. On its own it looked impressive but before they had left, the monk took him to the priory where they both kitted out in short sleeved hauberk and a white surcoat, blazoned with a bright red cross down the front. Two Templar Knights, on a quest to France, standing on deck looking across at the land as it quickly approached. 

‘We will make our way into the market to collect food and water for the journey,’ says the monk as all three of them gathered on the quayside.

Behind them the other passengers broke off into their own groups and begin walking in their respective directions; only three of the men seemingly travelling by themselves.

‘They were all very quiet,’ acknowledges Ackerley as he gestures in the direction of the disbanding passengers.

‘You find that sire, when a Templar is around. Some have many dark secrets they wish to keep to themselves and some feel a sense of being judged by God just by a look from under our hood. Then again, some may not have been bothered by us at all and they may have been praying very hard all the way considering we travelled with a lady,’ he smiles across at Mary who was paying little attention as she buttoned up her cloak to shield her from the cold. ‘Bad luck apparently, to have a female traveller on board ship.’