Games of Otterburn 1388 (5 page)

“Lord Archibald, Milord,” he replied.

“I know Archibald’s men and
he
hain’t among them…
Ye’re
right, squire, he is either a spy or a thief.”

Dunbar
pulled at Alfred’s collar guiding him in the direction of the lodge.

“Here’s the reason for the loose horse,” he announced when he came close to the knot of high knights.

Sir John Swinton spoke when he saw his personal squire following close on the heels of
Dunbar
handling the prisoner by his collar, “
This
yer
doin
’, James?”

“Aye, Milord… ‘
tis
! And I know he’s a spy, Milord… he’s a spy!” insisted James. “If he was a thief
he
would’a
got a horse from the far side of the pinfold and sneaked it out betwixt the trees.
I’d’a
ne’er known it.”

“My squire has a good point, Milord,” replied Swinton to
Dunbar
.

“Then we need to know what he knows ere we kill him,” whispered Robert in
Dunbar
’s ear.

“Let me work on him,” begged James gingerly touching his stinging blackened eye. “I got him beat a lot
a’ready
and I got a right, I caught him…
Milord!”

Robert looked at John Dunbar mostly to ask the silent question.

John nodded his answer then drew his dagger and handed it to his squire. “Don’t be
killin
’ him ‘til ye have what he knows.”

“I know,” said James. “I’ve seen it done.”

James was still plenty angry and took a personal pleasure in cutting the shirt off Alfred. The tip of the blade nipped the prisoner’s skin here and there as he went. James gave Alfred several more kicks in his ribs and his groin.

Alfred whined and moaned terribly.

“
Feelin
’ cold
..
and
scared… are ye?” asked James cunningly as he churned his hatred under his own skin.

Alfred wept more for the sake of his getting caught.

Then James asked, “Do the English know we’re
comin
’ for a fight?”

“I don’t know!” Alfred lied.

James smiled at the spy’s negative answer.

Young Dunbar and John Swinton stood several paces away and observed. Other interested men had taken up positions behind them.

James was thankful for the sharp blade. He made a long shallow cut down Alfred’s belly and he screamed and cried more.

“He repeated his request for information, “
Does
yer English liege lords know we’re
a’comin
’?”

The spy broke easily from there and cried out in a mixture of fear and anger, “They know! They know how many ye got
fixin
’ to come against them!”

“Who?” growled James pushing for more while secretly his own anger was wishing Alfred had not broken so easily.

“Northumberland, that’s
who
! I speak to him personally! He will be very angry if you do harm to me!” he howled out in vain. He then dropped his head and watched his red blood drip to the green grass. He softened. “I sent the message with my friend yesterday! They’ll be ready for you when you get there!”

Sir John Dunbar grabbed Alfred by his hair and pulled his head up so he could see Alfred directly in his tearful eyes. “Do they know anymore?” he asked.

“I hope they kill
everyone
of you
stinkin
’ Scotch… I wish you all dead and
rottin
’ on the cold ground!” he cried out with a desperate blurt of emotion.

Sir John put his arm around James’ neck and walked him toward the hunting lodge where Sir Robert awaited the news. James handed the earl’s dagger back to him. “‘Tis plenty sharp,” he remarked then asked, “
We
a’killin
’ him?”

The earl was silent on that point but when the pair entered the lodge and into the dining hall he said to the gathered knights and lords. “Northumberland knows of our size and hopefully nay more.”

“But we’re not aimed at Northumberland,” said John the Guardian who stood uneasy on his crippled leg. “That is good news,
hain’t it?
”

“But they know we’re amassed for a war,” interjected Earl Douglas who was secretly delighted at the news.

“He’s right. From this point we could be
goin
’ for the West or the East March. We are well positioned for either way,” observed Robert.

“How do we know that this spy knows everything about what we’re fixed to do?”
interceded
Douglas
.

“We don’t,” opined Robert.

The sixty year old Archibald who was also known by his English given name of ‘the Grim’ stood as best he could without hitting his head on the roof rafters of the lodge. The earl of
Galloway
liked his sobriquet for it seemed to match his dark complexion and course features masked partially by his long grey beard. He relished his reputation. “I’ve got
dealin’s
in
Carlisle
,” he said bluntly. “So that’s my intention!”

“This raid’s not
bein
’ called off ‘cause of this
snivelin
’ spy,” swore Robert. “Moreover they figure we’re headed for Northumberland… and we’re not!” He looked at James Douglas and gave a small victory smile.

Douglas
frowned.

“Then what is the problem?” growled Archibald tightening his fists in frustration.

Sir William stood, “I’ll go with
ye
to
Carlisle
, Archibald.

“And I’ll be
a’havin
’ ye, son!” returned Archibald. William was not quite as large in frame as his father but had his same dark complexion. Fortunately he took more after his mother’s side on his facial features, that aside William was a fierce warrior that few volunteered to go against.

Suddenly Robert Stewart, who feared the
Douglas
family was taking his planned raid away from him, came to the center of the group and held both hands in the air shouting, “Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Nobody here is
backin
’ off the raid!”

Archibald knew he had made a hopeless bid to rule the roost but did not care. “
Carlisle
is mine!” he bluntly and loudly stated.

Robert fumed under his brow. He did not like being manipulated but he was not about to let Archibald create a rift between the two families especially since James Douglas wanted to exercise his own plan. “
A’right
,” he agreed. “Ye and
yers
take
Carlisle
.”

Archibald returned to his bench having gained the political clout he wanted most.

William sat beside him to show solidarity.

Robert eased realizing he still owned the reins.
 

“I think we should not disappoint whoever is
expectin
’ or not
expectin
’ us,” announced James Douglas smugly.

Earl Robert again jumped to his feet. “What’s that
meanin
’?” he grumped.

“Means Northumberland is
expectin
’ us,” said Douglas, “and I don’t think he should be disappointed.

“Hotspur ye better mean,” retorted Robert.

“He is the warden of the East March, is he not?” answered James.

“
Ye’re
just
wantin
’
to see if ye can best him,” replied Robert.

“And I thought we wanted to punish the English to get the attention of King Richard,” said James sarcastically.

“I’ve not lost sight of our purpose,” barked Robert.

James Douglas looked at Robert Stewart for a half moment then delivered his say in deliberate measured words, “
Nae
, perhaps not the purpose but ‘tis on the point of the tactics to which ye will not bend, Milord.”

The hall became stone quiet. Each man letting the words
sink
in.

“I’ll take half the men and ye can take the other half,” James said pointing to
Fife
.

Fife
laughed already knowing where the speech was headed. “Ye’ll not get command of my troops so readily.”

“But ye said yerself that it would be a fool’s errand to go east with only my portion of the gathered men.”

“Did ye not see here but a moment ago,” barked back Robert quickly, “it is
I
who hold the whip to this circle of men!”

“Archibald yon, is my cousin.
My family.
Will ye think yer whip will divide blood from blood?” he expressed pointing to the bench that held Archibald and William.

Robert glared at James from under dark brows. He did not like where James was going but concerned that there might be a war without moving his feet from the very spot where they then stood.

Douglas paused for a reflective moment then laid it out, “For the sake of King Robert the Bruce with whom our forefathers fought and died, this I will bargain… give me five hundred of yer men-at-arms with horse and I will go east
attackin
’ Durham and Newcastle and I will keep Northumberland and Hotspur from
comin
’ after ye while ye are
a’raidin
’ the west side.”

Secretly Robert agreed it was a good plan but he further bargained, “And a tenth of yer personal spoils, I would want.”

“And why would ye be
askin
’ for such?” said
Douglas
frowning.

“To come to yer rescue,” spoke Robert snidely.

“Rescue?
Me? I durst think not!” said James standing as tall as he could.

“One tenth to insure yer arse from
bein
’ o’er run,” said Robert. “A message from ye would be all that would be required for us to come.”

Douglas
’ blood boiled and he turned with a snarl, “Nay spoils
!...
Milord.”
A pungent sense of pride and bravado was laced into his words. “Only to the king would I give a share!” He darted an eye to John the Stewart to show he recognized him as acting king despite his brother’s over bearing nature.

John nodded he understood.

Robert was infuriated and struck back saying, “Then
nae
yeomen from
my
ranks!” He sat back and smiled.

Douglas
’ pride kept gnawing at him. He thought for a moment. He knew there would be some thousands of pounds of wealth to be garnered from a raid in the east and could not figure why
Fife
did not want to go in that direction unless his reason was to cater to Archibald to gain support then it was understandable.