Nor, indeed, could the king have intended it in earnest; for he was far too politic to think of adding so great an increase of territory to the estates of the Percys, who had already shown their power by placing him on the throne, and who might some day take back what they had given him, by declaring in favour of the Earl of March.
One day in February, 1403, Oswald was summoned from Stoubes to Alnwick and, on his arrival there, was requested to go to the earl's chamber.
Such a summons was extremely unusual.

Hotspur had his own estates, and his own retinue and following; and was, jointly with his father, warden of the marches; and though he dwelt, generally, with him at Alnwick, he had his own portion of the castle.

Thus it was seldom that the earl had any communication with Hotspur's knights.
Hastening to obey, Oswald found Hotspur with his father.
"I have a mission for you, Sir Oswald," Hotspur said, "on the part of the earl and myself.

You know that, for a long time, there has been a disputation between my father and the Earl of Westmoreland, respecting the Scottish prisoners.

The earl sent a small force to fight under me at Homildon, but it was a mere handful; and on the strength of this he advanced a claim to a considerable share of the ransoms of the prisoners; or, since they could not be ransomed, to the custody of the persons of the Earls of Moray and Angus.