"Here is a courageous squire, whose arms suit him very well, for he certainly knows how to use them. It would benefit us to negotiate with him to surrender the fortress and seek his fortune elsewhere. Let it be made known to him that if
Sir Gaucher de Passac takes it by storm nothing will save him from death, for he has sworn that all those captured by force will be slain or hanged."
The
seneschal of Toulouse then charged a squire from
Gascony named
Guillaume Aluder, who was well acquainted with
Ernauton since they had often borne arms together, to speak to him about this matter. He willingly undertook the task for he would have been reluctant to see
Ernauton suffer any injury, let alone death, or loss of honour, when he had the power to remedy it.
Guillaume Aluder made his way to the front of the assault and gestured to
Ernauton that he wished to speak with him for his great benefit.
Ernauton responded that he would, and gladly. Then the attack was halted in that place, though it continued everywhere else.
Guillaume said to
Ernauton,
"Things are going really well for you. The commanders have sent me to you as they have taken pity on you because if you are taken by force, our captain,
Sir Gaucher de Passac, has given the express order that you be unconditionally put to death, just like the inhabitants of
Saint Cirq. So it would be much better for you to surrender the fort, as I would advise, than try your luck here, for you are well aware that we will not leave this place until we are in possession of it."
Then
Ernauton said, "
Guillaume, I know that, even though you presently bear arms against me, you would not advise me to do something that would cause me dishonour, but know that if I surrender the fortress to you, all who are with me in here must likewise leave safe and sound.
We will carry away with us as much as we can, not counting provisions, and be conducted in safety to the
castle of Lourdes."
Guillaume Aluder replied, "I am not empowered to grant this much, but I shall happily speak for you to my masters."
With these words he returned to the
seneschal of Toulouse and related to him everything you have heard.
Sir Hugues de Froideville said,
"Let us go and speak to
Sir Gaucher. I still do not know what he intends to do, even though I have brought the negotiations to this point, but I believe we will make him agree to it."
They came to
Sir Gaucher who was engaged in a fierce attack on another part of the fort;
Sir Hugues said to him,
"
Sir Gaucher, I have made a treaty with the captain of this stronghold. He is willing to surrender the garrison as it is, but he demands that he himself and all those inside be allowed to leave freely and be escorted to
Lourdes, added to which they wish to take with them as much as they can carry. Consider what you wish to do. We would lose more if any of our honourable knights or squires were killed by arrows or stones or any other perilous accident. You would feel more sorrow on account of that than any satisfaction you might gain from putting them to death once you had captured them, although this is not yet the case, for before we have conquered
La Bouffie it will have cost us many of our men."
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