Henry looked at the horsemen that lined the front of the building, then raised a hand to his own mounted troops. Sir Lawrence dismounted and went to Thomas, helping him to his feet. Thomas barely managed to stay upright. Lawrence looked back to Henry. “He can’t stand, my lord.”
“Help him onto my horse,” said Henry. “I’ll hold him up.”
“This will hurt, lad,” said Lawrence to Thomas. “Sorry.” At his gesture, another of the knights dismounted and helped lift Thomas up. Between the two of them lifting and Henry pulling from above, they got him seated precariously on Henry’s saddle.
Henry put an arm around Thomas to steady him, then turned his horse and rode carefully toward the students. If he noticed how Thomas stank, or that Thomas’s breeches were wet, he gave no sign of it. When they wer
