King Charles of France has announced that he is confiscating Aquitaine, and Prince Edward has sent for knights and men at arms from England to assist him in opposing the French king. Lord Gilbert Talbot is required to provide five knights, twelve squires, and twenty archers and men at arms, and wishes his surgeonтАФHugh de SingletonтАФto travel with the party, while HughтАЩs wife Kate oversees the castle. Among the party will be Sir Simon Trillowe, HughтАЩs old nemesis and KateтАЩs former suitor, who had once set fire to HughтАЩs house. After a brawl on the streets of Oxford, Sir Simon had nearly lost an ear; Hugh had sewn it back on but it had healed crooked, and Simon blamed Hugh for the disfigurement. Finding himself in the same party, Hugh resolves not to turn his back on the knightтАФbut it is Sir Simon who should not have turned his back.
Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with an MA degree in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years. Since retiring, he has focused on his highly successful novels.
Tim Bruce has a warm, friendly, characterful voice and works extensively in voice-over, cartoons, and audiobooks. A regular on the BBC, Tim was the voice of Channel 996 for over three years. A long list of audiobook recordings includes the award-winning Blade series, Mark BillinghamтАЩs DI Tom Thorne series, Doctor Who, the Oxford Book of War Poetry, and the poetry of William Blake. Tim has also created a whole host of cartoon character voices for CBBC, Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network.