Earl (9 page)

“She has returned to Anjou.  Rolf and the others asked after you.”

I realised that I had been both clumsy and curt but Edward merely nodded, “That is good.  And what of us?  Has the Earl more plans?”

“We are to show ourselves along the border.  I will leave the three of you to stay with your manors and take Sir Hugh with me.  It will do him good and I am sure Sir Hugh Manningham will enjoy a show of strength.”

“The Lady Adela may be unhappy at your brief visit.”

I nodded, “I know.  Perhaps I will take William.  That will please my wife.”

As we rode the last few miles I pondered Sir Edward’s words.  I had not been unhappy to obey the Earl’s commands. If I was at home then I would mope but if I was on campaign then I would have too much to think on to worry about my family.  I was being selfish and I knew it. My wife would be sad at my absence but she would smile and bear it as she always did.  She was long suffering.

All of my people were pleased to see me. The sight of the captured cattle and the treasure we had taken from our enemies meant prosperity for all.   Although I had not been away for long my town and my castle looked a little stronger. William the mason had been busy as had my men at arms. We did not rest upon our laurels and were ever vigilant. The better our defences then the less likely we were to be attacked.

I had been lucky in the campaign.  I had lost none of my men and those who had been wounded could still fight. Although two of them would not be able to ride to war they would still be able to guard my home and that was an equally important task. As we waited for the ferry to come across the Tees I turned to Wulfric, Dick and Erre. “I would have the three of you ride to York and see if there are archers and men at arms for hire. Choose only the best.”

Dick nodded, “And if we cannot find them there, my lord?”

“Then head for Sheffield, Nottingham and Lincoln. You have a month to bring them back.”

The ferry bumped into the wooden jetty.  Ethelred’s ferryman, James the Elder bowed.  “Welcome back, my lord.”

“And we are glad to be back, James.”

Wulfric asked, “Will you not need us for a month, my lord?”

“Your task is more important.  I have to make a procession to the north but others can deputise for you.  It will be good to see which of them can be leaders.”

“You would replace us, my lord?”

“No Wulfric but none of us are immortal. I shall be taking William with me to begin his preparations.  I am preparing for the day when I am too old to fight and besides when we go to battle it is good to have others who can command.”

I saw the relief on their faces.  Sometimes my men surprised me. Did they not know that they were as valuable to me as the stones of my castle?

Erre asked, “Why me, my lord? I do not mind but there are unlikely to be warriors such as us in this land.”

“There may be more than you would think and I wish more warriors like you.  You have proved your worth more than once.  Now that we have lost William the Tall I would bring your number up to ten, including you. You will know the qualities you need to spot.”

He nodded, “I will seek out others such as me but I am not certain we will succeed.”

I looked up as I heard a cry from across the river.  It was William and he was waving wildly.  My wife held Hilda and they too waved. The moment I stepped ashore he raced up to me and threw his arms around me.  I saw that his head came to just above my waist. He was growing.

“Did you kill many men, father?”

“I did.  And look,” I turned to Leofric and held out my hand. He brought the helmet we had taken from the small dead Welshman.  Although still too big for William he would grow into it.  “Here, my son, a helmet from a dead Welshman. When you have burnished it then we will make a leather lining for it.”

His face lit up.  When he put it on his head half of his face disappeared.  My wife shook her head. “It is too large, my husband.”

I winked, “He will grow into it.”

As I walked into my castle she told me of the happenings in the town and what Hilda and William had been up to. It was as far removed from the slaughter at Chester as one could imagine and was nothing like the intrigues of Empress Matilda and her husband but the mundane nature of my life in my castle and town brought me comfort. I was home.

John, my steward and clerk, brought me down to earth when I entered my Great hall.  “My lord, there are many cases and disputes for you to settle.  With so many new people living in the manor we, needs must, have a session each quarter.”

I sighed, “Then I will hear all of the cases next week.” I was a lord of the manor once more.

The sessions helped me to spend a little time with my family and allowed me to break it to Adela that I had been tasked with scouring the border. She had a remarkably understanding attitude.

“It is a great honour husband that the King trusts you to control the border. I am proud of you.”

“I will take William with me.  It is time he began his training as a squire.”

Her face fell.  “He is too young! His life will be in danger.”

“I promise you that he will be safe but he will be the lord of the manor one day.  My own father began his life as a warrior when he was little older than William. Leofric will always be at his side.  Besides, there should be little enough danger. I am only sent to show the Scots that they are not forgotten.  They will have spies who will know I was in Wales.”

I persuaded her.  I believe that she was afraid that if I made William stay at home he would blame her.

I sent word to Sir Hugh of Gainford and asked him to bring ten of his men along with me. I intended to use Sir Hugh Manningham’s conroi for the bulk of my force.  I would take just ten men at arms and ten archers from my retinue. It would be a chance for Roger of Lincoln and Aelric to lead and I could watch them. Some men might be a good warrior and yet be a poor leader.  I did not mind that but I had to know.  Wulfric and Dick were natural leaders.  I dare say that given different circumstances they could have been knights.

Star was left behind again as was Aiden. The hawks had been neglected and I wished him to discover how many animals we had on our lands.  I did not wish my people to hunt the deer and the boar to extinction.  Although we enjoyed the meat there were always plenty of rabbits.  I wished my son to enjoy the fine hunting I did.

We rode up the coast road for I wanted to see how De Brus was faring. Hartness was prospering. Since the new lord of the manor had taken over it had been a well governed and defended piece of land.  Sir Hugh and I did not stop long for I was keen to spend the night at Hexham.  The nights were lengthening and we made the sanctuary that was Hexham before night fell.  The land was well ruled by Sir Hugh Manningham but the woods and forests had the potential to be the lairs of brigands and bandits. Young Scots still liked to venture south for the opportunity to capture and ransom those who ventured alone.

This was the second time I had taken William north and I noticed a marked change in him this time. He asked more questions of Leofric. He was attempting to learn more on this journey. He was growing.  I had done the same when my father had shown an interest in my development as a warrior.  I was pleased. I listened to their conversation as we rode up the north Tyne.  “Why does John carry the standard, Leofric? Is he a better warrior?”

I heard John snigger. Leofric was a thoughtful squire and he would not be upset by the question or John’s laughter. “No William.  John is a bigger warrior.  The standard will fly higher in his hands. It means I fight more frequently than John for he must listen for your father’s commands.  It is the standard which tells our men what they must do. If you have to hold it then you have a great responsibility.  It also means you will find it hard to defend yourself.”

There was a silence as William took that in.  “When I become a squire, Leofric, what will I do?”

“You will do whatever our lord asks.  When Sir Hugh was the squire of your father, John and I spent much of the time when they were fighting holding Star and the destrier of the other knights. A squire must be skilled in many things.”

“And will you be a knight, like my father and Sir Hugh?”

“That depends upon our lord.  If he chooses to knight us then perhaps but we have much to learn and far more skills to acquire.”

“You are not ready now then?”

I heard John answer, “It will be some years before we even consider trying to gain our spurs.”

William’s voice was filled with disappointment as he said, “Then I will have even longer to wait.”

Both of my squires and Sir Hugh’s laughed at the sad little voice he adopted. I turned in my saddle, “Which is why you need to learn as much as you can from these three squires.  Watch and learn. Tonight John will show you how to put an edge on a sword.”

He brightened, “Your sword?”

“No, my son.  You can sharpen John’s sword for him. When he is satisfied with your skill then you can watch him sharpen mine and we shall see if you are ready for that responsibility.” That seemed to satisfy him. 

As we approached Hexham I saw that Sir Hugh Manningham had improved his defences considerably and I knew that any attacker would lose many men in an attempt to take it. He had done it gradually and whilst it was not made of stone it was strongly made. My messenger had warned him of our imminent arrival and he had quarters prepared for my men. This was another reason I had brought so few of my men.  It cost my knights when I had to stay with them. The giant who protected the Roman Wall for me grinned when he saw William.  He liked my son.

“I see you have brought another powerful knight to my home.  Welcome young William!”

My son stood a little taller and then bowed. “Thank you for your hospitality, Baron.”

Sir Hugh waved his arm, “Pray enter!” As they passed by he said to me, “Your message was brief, Earl.  What is it that we do?” Sir Hugh followed us as we entered.

His hall was darker than mine for it was made of wood and only lit by candles and the fire. It seemed oppressive after my airy home. “The Earl of Gloucester wishes us to show a presence along the border.  Although our neighbours have been quiet of late he worries that the Welsh incursions may encourage them.”

He snorted as he waved over a servant with some wine. “If they have any sense they would head further west.  Sir Barnard does not seem worried about raids.”

I saw my former squire, Hugh of Gainford look uncomfortable.  Baron Barnard of Balliol was his closest neighbour.  I asked, “You have heard something?”

He shook his head, “No but Sir Barnard seems to be absent often. As my closest manor I oft times visit.” He smiled, “I learned from you, Earl that close ties make for better defence.”

“Aye you are right there! I know that Morpeth and the New Castle are stout allies.  If their defences were breached or their loyalty compromised then I could not hold the road south.” he nodded towards me as he drank some of the wine.  “And until we have a new Bishop of Durham then the situation betwixt us is parlous.”

I liked Sir Hugh for he was plain speaking.  He had voiced my concerns.  The Palatinate was the jewel in the crown of the north.  Whoever controlled it could rule the north. Since the death of Bishop Flambard then there had been a succession of temporary castellans.  The Archbishop of York had placed a reliable priest to manage the cathedral and the religious side but it was the walls of stone which worried me and not the walls of faith.

“Then when we have processed we will ride home that way and visit with the Baron.” I shrugged, “I do not like to use my title but this seems a good time to command some service.”

He feted us well and it was good for the men at arms to get to know each other.  We rose early and headed west.

Sir Hugh brought most of his men with us as we headed north to the old Roman Wall and the road which ran along its southern side. There were trails, tracks and greenways to the north of the wall but the position of the solidly made Roman Road meant we would be seen clearly as we headed west. We were making a show for the Scots. I would not need to visit the castle at Carlisle.  The Earl had assured me of its loyalty.  It was the area to the east of that castle which posed the threat.  With those who lived in Ireland eager for the promise of raids in England that route was the easiest for them to take. They could land on the north bank of the Solway and flood eastwards with nothing to stop them save Hexham, then Morpeth and then the New Castle.

There were one or two small manors which bordered the walls but the knights who lived there were little more than farmers having but a couple of men at arms. Although they had castles they were small. Any attacker could reduce them in a day.  They were defences against brigands and animals only. We took tents for the three of us and our squires. Our men would sleep under the stars.  We would not be on the road for long.

I used Sir Hugh Manningham’s scouts to keep watch to the north.  They rode along the old wall which afforded a fine view north.  I saw that, in places, trees had begun to grow. “I would have some of your men cut those down at the end of summer.  The timber will be useful but I am more concerned about the cover it would give an enemy.”

“You are right, my lord.  I should have seen that.  You have an eye for such things.”

“Perhaps.  When I studied in Constantinople I was drilled by my teachers about lines of sight and defences.  The Romans built well but they intended the wall and the road to be maintained.” I pointed at the surface across which we rode.  “This too will need repairs soon. I will write to the King.  It is not right that you should bear the expense. This artery is vital.”

We reached Haltwhistle and the manor of Robert de Lapaigne. He was a young knight with just four men at arms and six crossbowmen but his castle was well sited. He was embarrassed that he could not offer us accommodation.

“It is not a problem.  We are here to show the Scots that we are ready should they wish to steal from us.”

“And I am glad that you have come. There have been rustlers taking cattle and sheep from those who farm to the north of us. Many of the farmers have fled south.”

I nodded, “One or two have reached the Tees.” I noticed that Sir Hugh was becoming a little distracted and he kept peering north.  “Is there a problem?”

“Two of my scouts have yet to return. I had sent them to the north and west of this manor. Owain and Alan are reliable men something may have happened to them.”

I had learned not to ignore such problems. “Aelric, take the archers and ride to the north and west.  See if you can find Sir Hugh’s scouts.”

It was dark and we had eaten when they returned.  The two bodies draped over the rear of two of my archers’ mounts told their own story.  Aelric dismounted.  “We found the two men to the north west, my lord. It was the foxes fighting over them which alerted us.” He shook his head.  “They had only just begun their work but it is not a pleasant sight. Their heads were taken. If they had not worn the livery of Sir Hugh we might not have known who they were.”

Sir Hugh nodded his head, “Where did you find them?”

“There was a village or some such a mile or so beyond where they were slain.  It was on a hill.  We smelled wood smoke and when Griff of Gwent went to spy upon it he said there were Roman ruins hard by.”

Sir Hugh nodded, “Booth Castle. It was a Roman camp.  The Scots raided and took it last year. I would have fortified it and built a castle myself but…”

“But the King had us fighting in the east; I know. There is little point travelling through the night.  We know not the tracks and I would not risk losing more of your men.”

“And horses!” Sir Hugh Manningham and I knew that horses, in this part of the country, were as valuable as men.  The ones who had slain Owain and Alan were now mounted.

We prepared to ride before dawn.  I worried about taking William.  I could not afford to leave Leofric behind to watch him.  He would have to ride with us.  His mother would not be happy but what she didn’t know would not worry her. My son, for his part, seemed quite happy about the prospect. We reached the site of the attack by dawn.  The trail the killers had left was clear to see, even for me.  We headed towards the settlement Sir Hugh knew lay ahead. I was not worried about an attack; we had three knights and over twenty men at arms as well as my archers.  It would take a strong force to cause us problems.

As we followed Sir Hugh’s scouts I pondered the problem. Who had risked Sir Hugh’s wrath to kill his men? Although we were some distance from Hexham he was known as the King’s man along the wall. Had the Earl of Gloucester had some intelligence about this?  It seemed a lucky stroke that we happened to be in the area when the attack had occurred.

Hugh of Gainford pointed to the ground. “Horse droppings, my lord.  They came this way.”

“Aye.” I turned in my saddle.  “If there is trouble William then you stick close to Leofric and do all that he tells you.” I would not need to give advice to Leofric he would protect my son, with his life if necessary.

The arrow when it came was badly made and badly aimed. It smacked into my helmet.  The angle of the side deflected it off behind me. I heard no other cries. I had known men hit by such accidents.  It was an ambush. I drew my sword and pulled my shield up.  I heard Leofric instructing William. I risked a glance behind me.  He looked so small on his pony. Then I concentrated on the attack. My archers had dismounted. Two held the horses while the others strung their bows and found whatever shelter they could.

Sir Hugh shouted to his knights. “Hexham! Ride to the right!”

“Hugh, Roger, follow me!”

I swung Scout to the right as another two arrows thudded into my shield. I could see nothing although I knew that whoever was attacking us was hiding in the trees above and ahead of us. They were hoping that we would not be able to follow them in the forest.  Trees did not stop my men. Hugh of Gainford brought his horse next to mine.  Without turning he said.  “We were lucky then, my lord.  They took us by surprise.”