Castellan (32 page)

That mystery was solved the next day, an hour after dawn when the camp was being disassembled, when Riki and his Harrien arrived. Their leader reported immediately to Conrad who, alarmed, went with the blonde-haired Estonian to find Master Rudolf. The latter was assisting four novices throw his tent into the back of a wagon when he spotted Conrad.

‘You look like you have seen a ghost.’

He then saw Riki’s concerned look. ‘I take it this is not a social visit?’

Conrad nodded at Riki.

‘Kristjan is ten miles away, maybe less, lord, and will be at the River Sedde before midday.’

Rudolf’s eyes filled with concern. ‘The Sedde? Are you sure, that is less than five miles away?’

‘Some of my men ran into his army yesterday, lord, and reported back to me after giving the slip to some Russians. Kristjan pushes his army hard.’

He turned to the novices. ‘Take that tent out of the wagon and put it up again.’

Ten minutes later he had convened a council of war beside the wagon as the brother knights and sergeants re-erected their tents around them. Rudolf sent a novice to find Rameke, the boy returning with the Liv a few minutes later.

‘Kristjan approaches the Sedde,’ Rudolf stated bluntly.

‘That is forty miles south of Fellin,’ said a surprised Rameke.

‘And around five miles from this spot,’ added Riki, his pale cheeks still flushed with colour from the urgent ride through the pre-dawn dark.

‘If we can get to the Sedde first,’ said Rudolf, ‘then we can hold the river line and Kristjan will have to attack us. We have enough crossbowmen to inflict heavy losses on his army. The foot will provide cover for the crossbowmen. After they have softened up the enemy the horsemen will charge and scatter them.’

He looked at those present. ‘Any objections?’

Mathias and Bertram shook their heads and Conrad was nodding.

‘It is a good plan,’ agreed Rameke, ‘and plays to our strengths.’

‘Then let us make haste,’ said Rudolf.

The Sedde flowed west into Lake Burtnieks and, like many other waterways in Livonia and Estonia, broke its banks at the beginning of spring when filled with melt water. But now it was shallow and slow moving, being no more than three or four feet deep and shallower in some places. It was also narrow – around thirty feet – making it passable along almost all its length. It thus presented no great barrier but would stiffen a defence made up of a shield wall supported by crossbowmen.

It took less than half an hour for the brother knights and sergeants to don their armour and fit their horses with caparisons, the thickly padded and quilted garments that were made in two halves that met at the saddle and also covered each horse’s neck and head.

Conrad ordered Riki to stay with the sixty novices who were to guard the camp. He told the Harrien leader that he and his men needed rest after their exertions, but the real reason was that he did not want his Estonians fighting other Estonians. If Kristjan could be defeated, even better killed, then his insurrection would be at an end. Riki was unhappy but Conrad told him that should the army be defeated then he would be responsible for getting the novices back to Wenden.

The forests were filled with the sound of chaffinches, blackbirds and cuckoos as the thirty-six brother knights and one hundred and ten sergeants, all in mail armour and carrying lances, trotted from camp followed by Rameke’s warriors and Leatherface’s one hundred and twenty crossbowmen, all riding ponies and all weighed down with full quivers. The day was overcast and there was a gentle breeze but at least the rain had so far held off. The banners of Wenden, Segewold and Kremon fluttered in the breeze, the white caparisons of the Sword Brothers in stark contrast to the lush green scenery they rode through.

They had travelled for less than half an hour, threading their way between expanses of tall birch, when they encountered a group of warriors on ponies and horsemen carrying almond-shaped shields and lances – Russians. The meadow the two sides occupied was suddenly filled with the sound of horns and trumpets as the Sword Brothers deployed into line and the enemy about turned and withdrew.

‘Kristjan is over the Sedde, then,’ said Hans to Conrad.

‘Conrad,’ shouted Rudolf a short distance away, ‘get over here.’

The brother knight rode over to where Rudolf sat on his horse next to Walter holding Wenden’s banner. Mathias, Bertram and Rameke galloped to the impromptu gathering. Ahead the enemy soldiers were becoming smaller as they fell back. Leatherface trotted up on his unkempt pony.

‘Glad you could grace us with your presence,’ Rudolf berated him.

‘Never rush to a battle, Master Rudolf,’ he replied, ‘otherwise you might find yourself fleeing from it twice as fast.’

‘The plan still holds,’ Rudolf told them, helmet shoved back on top of his head. ‘As soon as we sight the main enemy force Rameke’s men will dismount while we cover them. The crossbowmen will also dismount and advance under cover of the shield wall.’

He looked at Leatherface.

‘Think you can manage that?’

‘Don’t you worry about me, Master Rudolf, you just make sure you don’t fall off your horse.’

Mathias and Bertram thought the exchange of words hilarious though Rameke was not amused. Conrad just shook his head and smiled.

‘Well, then,’ said Rudolf, ‘let’s put this Kristjan to the sword. God be with you all.’

The brother knights formed into a line, men riding knee to knee, the sergeants in kettle helmets behind them in two ranks, then spurred their horses forward in pursuit of the enemy. Behind them the Livs and crossbowmen followed. Conrad’s body tingled with excitement at the prospect of impending violence. His instincts and reflexes were suddenly invigorated, his senses heightened.

The meadow narrowed to around two hundred paces as the horsemen rode from it into a wide area of grassland that bordered the river. And there, standing perhaps fifty paces from the Sedde itself, was Kristjan’s army.

Rudolf signalled a halt and then rode forward to scout the enemy shield wall. Conrad pushed up his helmet and thrust the end of his lance into the earth. He reached over and offered his hand to Hans.

‘As dust to the wind.’

Hans shook his hand and smiled.

‘As dust to the wind.’

He repeated the ritual with Anton and then waited as Rameke and his Livs dismounted, every tenth man leading the ponies to the rear, as the crossbowmen loaded their weapons. Then they took up position within the Liv shield wall, directly behind the front rank, and waited. Conrad looked left to see Walter with his eyes closed, deep in prayer. Henke toyed with his mace and Lukas was scanning the enemy army.

The Estonians were deployed in a long line, round shields locked together and the spears of the front rank levelled to form a row of whetted points. Every man had a helmet though Conrad wondered how many had any armour. It was customary to place the best-armed and armoured men in the front ranks of a shield wall, those behind often having no armour apart from a helmet. On the opposite side of the river a forest of birch began a short distance from the Sedde. Just in front of the trees stood a group of horsemen, some armed with lances. There was also a large banner that carried a golden eagle design.

‘Kristjan,’ muttered Conrad.

It was impossible to determine the size of the enemy shield wall but if the Estonians were in four or five ranks then there were at least five hundred men facing the Sword Brothers.

Rudolf galloped back, a broad grin on his face.

‘This will not take long and then we march to the relief of Lehola.’

He rode through the Sword Brothers to request Rameke to bring his warriors forward. The Liv shook the hand of Conrad as he walked forward, his men forming into line in front of the horsemen. Then they waited until Leatherface’s men deployed behind their first rank. To match the extent of the enemy shield wall Rameke’s men were forced to form into two ranks, the crossbowmen between them. If the two sides came to blows the Estonians would cut Rameke’s men to pieces, but that was not the plan as the Livs advanced. Three hundred paces in front of them the Estonian shield wall suddenly erupted in noise.

The Estonians had seen the Livs form up and knew that their numbers were few. They might have spotted the crossbowmen but their numbers were also on the small side and so their confidence grew. They banged their spear shafts against the rims of their shields and roared their war cries, hurling insults at the Livs, their ancient enemies. They would have seen the men of iron on their warhorses, of course, but the Livs stood between them and the Sword Brothers. The cacophony filled the air and rose to a crescendo as Rameke’s signallers blew their horns and the Livs walked forward.

Rudolf signalled to the trumpeters to blow their instruments to indicate that the horsemen should follow their allies, Conrad pulling his lance from the earth and holding it upright. He spurred his horse forward; keeping a tight grip on the reins with his left hand so ensure it did not break formation. The Estonians were still shouting and hurling abuse when he heard a succession of thwacks followed by high-pitched screams as the first volley of crossbow bolts struck flesh and bone. Leatherface’s men knew that the Estonian shields presented a large target but they ignored them and aimed for the faces above them. Some quarrels missed and shot over the heads of the densely packed warriors, but the majority of the iron-tipped missiles embedded themselves in eye sockets, necks and cheekbones.

Conrad had a magnificent view of the unfolding scene of horror as the Estonian front rank was shredded and then vanished altogether as a second volley of bolts was unleashed. The crossbowmen were shooting methodically, averaging four bolts a minute and whittling down the enemy shield wall like a carpenter planes a piece of wood. Rudolf signalled to the trumpeters who blew their instruments and the brother knights and sergeants moved forward.

Leatherface barked a command and the crossbowmen ceased shooting and formed up in files as Rameke’s men bunched together in front of them to create corridors through which the horsemen could pass. Rudolf shoved up his helmet and shouted the orders’ war cry.

‘God with us!’

Every brother knight and sergeant repeated the cry as the iron-shod hooves of the horses tore up great clumps of soil as they broke into a canter. The line slowed and then temporarily splintered as the horses headed through the gaps created by the Livs and crossbowmen, then reformed when they had ridden past the foot soldiers. Ahead the shattered enemy shield wall was in disarray as chiefs desperately tried to rally their men. But the earth shook as dozens of armoured horsemen thundered towards them.

Conrad released the reins and grasped the strap on the inner side of his shield, bringing it across his torso. His body was braced against the saddle bow as he gripped his lance firmly and kept it clamped under his right arm. The horses broke into a gallop and the distance between the riders and Estonians disappeared in the blink of an eye as the Sword Brothers charged into the enemy shield wall. Except that the shield wall had disintegrated.

It takes men of discipline and with nerves of steel to stand firm against a wall of armoured horsemen charging at them, and the Estonians had neither. The chiefs failed to rally their men who began running back to the river, traversing the sandy riverbank before splashing into the water. Seconds later the horsemen entered the river, splashing through the water to spear the fleeing enemy. Conrad’s long years of training took over as he focused on his victim. Just as he had been taught he did not look at the lance tip, instead focusing on the target. The warriors had heard the thundering sound of the horses’ hooves and then the splashing behind them and now many turned to face their pursuers. Conrad saw the man turn, move his shield across his body and level his spear. But he had no chance to use his weapon as the point of the lance pierced the wood of his shield, went through his mail shirt and ribcage and burst out of his back.

Conrad could hear Lukas’ voice as the man grunted and collapsed in the water.

‘One you’ve speared an opponent let go of the lance like it is a venomous snake, draw your secondary weapon and begin raining blows with it. Strike and press on, don’t turn round as this wastes time and is tiring. On, on, always on.’

His horse slowed now it was in the water. He reached down and extracted his axe from the specially designed leather holder attached to his saddle. He pushed his right hand through the leather strap attached to its base and gripped the shaft, swinging its edge against enemy helmets left and right. All the horsemen were now in the water, using their maces and axes to cut down the enemy to fill the river with corpses and turn the Sedde red. His stallion was a rock beneath him, keeping its footing, totally unconcerned about the yelps and screams coming from men having their heads split open and arms shattered.

Conrad’s warhorse suddenly shifted left as a warrior swung an axe against his right leg but missed to gash the material of the caparison. He brought his own axe up and swung it sideways to smash the weapon’s blade into the man’s face, crushing his nose and cheekbones. The warrior screamed, dropped his weapon and staggered a few feet before collapsing on the sandy riverbank. Conrad saw Hans and Anton coming from the water and smiled. It had been another easy victory for the Sword Brothers. But his smile disappeared when a great noise erupted from the trees in front and hundreds of warriors charged out of the forest.