Northern Knight (11 page)

"Did we suffer any losses?"

"Two horses, my lord.  The riders could do nothing about them. The warriors threw their weapons at them to break up the charge.  The lads have a few cuts and bruises.  Nothing too bad.  I'll stitch them up when I get the chance."

Sir Raymond and I set the pyre alight and mounted our horses as the flames consumed this throwback to a different age when Vikings rampaged and pillaged this land. I nodded to Sir Raymond, "Wulfric will see to Sir Tancred's leg when we reach Gisburn. He may not be able to travel back for a few days anyway; at least not on a horse."

He nodded, "I may well ask this Sir Guy if we can stay there for a couple of days. The captives have been harshly driven."

"If memory serves then this Sir Guy has a poor manor.  I would use some of the Viking coins to ensure he does cooperate."

He looked at me strangely, "But we are all brother knights!"

"And these are the northern borders.  Sometimes it is not the way it should be." I shrugged.  "The King spared his life and so he may be grateful."

The castle was tiny. It was one of the smallest motte and bailies I had ever seen.  Sir Guy and his wife greeted us.  My first impression of Hilda was that she was thin and wasted.  She did not look well.  Sir Guy looked pleased to see me and that was a surprise.

"Thank you for rescuing my people, Baron," he held his arm out. "As you can see my manor is small but I can accommodate the knights if you wish."

"Thank you Sir Guy.  I will only need shelter for one night but Sir Raymond here has a knight with a broken leg."

"Stay as long as you can.  We are poor but I remember the favour you did me and I am in your debt."

I had my men use the rations we had brought for Gisburn did not have an abundance. With winter approaching I hoped that the young knight had prepared well enough.  I discovered that his fortunes had worsened since the abortive rebellion.  He had been ostracised by those of his neighbours who had been loyal to the King for his involvement and his other friends had deserted him. He had but two men at arms left.

The next morning, as I left with my men I wondered if they would survive the winter.  He had spoken to me of going to the east to take the cross and hope for better fortune there. We both knew he would not do it.  He had not enough coin for the voyage and his wife looked too sickly. We would have had no ransom had we tried to extract one when he had been captured.  It showed me the result of ill advised decisions.

I was brought out of my reflections by the excitement of Tristan. He was bombarding Harold with questions as he relived every moment of the skirmish. He finally asked me one, "Baron, how did you teach your horse to use his hooves?  He is not a warhorse."

"No Scout is no warhorse but he has intelligence and I used his natural ability. Get to know your mount, Tristan. It is every bit as much a weapon as your sword or your shield.  You did well yesterday."

"But I only used my lance once."

"And yet you hit your target and you did not fall off your horse when you did so.  Work with Harold until the ground is too hard to fall upon and by spring you will be a knight."

When I told Adela of the manor at Gisburn she nodded, sympathetically, "When my father had Norton he found it hard to survive.  The King wanted his taxes and he did not care if the crops had failed or we had had raids. You have made this a safer place to live and you should be proud of your achievements."

She was right.  The north was not an easy place to be successful.  After King William had cleared away the old Saxon lords and the villagers it had been a wasteland for many years. Only Durham, with its Prince Bishop had prospered. Now the land and the people were recovering but it only took a wolf winter to set us back. 

Adela and I discussed the improvements John was making. "You should make him steward, Alfraed. He knows how to run the estate, I have seen that.  The King will call upon you again.  I could try to run the estate but it is not in my heart."

"I know that you are right about John.  I will speak with him on the morrow."

John was, of course delighted. Surprisingly he did not negotiate too seriously when I discussed his remuneration.  When I asked him about that he smiled and seemed almost boyish.  "I know that you are giving me a great opportunity and I am young yet.  Perhaps when I have done the job for some years we will discuss this again but for now I am happy to be given the opportunity to learn."

The months leading up to Christmas were always filled with the myriad of tasks which we had to complete before the winter.  While John organised the food for the winter and the stabling of the animals, the rest of my men cut wood and gathered together all that they would need for the winter.  Aiden and his rabbits were in great demand. Cloaks and mittens made from their fur could be lifesavers in a harsh winter. I worked with Harold and Tristan.  I needed two more knights and these two were close to ready.  I spent each day honing their skills.  Harold was older and stronger but Tristan had more natural ability, especially with a sword.  It was a pleasure to work with them.  Even as November approached I began to think about the two new squires we would need. Tristan and his father would have to look to their own manor but we needed two from our lands.  That would be my task over the winter.

Christmas that year was almost benign. I walked my walls without mittens and just a cloak. It was my son, William's second Christmas and he could now walk.  He was more of a child now and he recognised me.  He no longer burst into tears when he saw me. Life was good. We also held a feast on St Stephen's day and some of my knights and their families crammed into my hall.  Edward, Richard and Wulfstan all came as did Athelstan and Osric. It was a joyous time.  Tristan and Harold were firm friends now and I looked at Sir Richard as he watched his son. He was now lost to his father.  He had made that transition from son to warrior and he could not go back.  It did not seem that long ago that had been me and, as William giggled at Edward pulling faces, I knew that one day that would come to me.  That Christmas, however, was the most peaceful one I could remember. Sadly it would be the last one without tribulation for many years to come. That was the Christmas I needed to see into the future.  There were storm clouds over the horizon and they would sweep through my land and the whole domain of King Henry. We had no premonition and no warning that Christmas and so we enjoyed peace.  It would not last.

The Scots had had a long time to lick their wounds and brood on their failures.  We had had a secure border since the abortive rebellion. The single raid by the Vikings had been our only conflict.  I had begun to wonder if we had won.  Perhaps we had taught them all a lesson.  It was pleasant living in a peaceful, prosperous world. That all changed after Easter. We had held the sessions and paid our taxes. John planned improvements to our lands. William the Mason continued to work on and improve my castle. Buttresses were added; ladders replaced by stairs.  I did not mind the expense.  It would be worth it if we were protected from harm.  Besides we had more money available to spend.  Edward and the other knights in my conroi had all had good springs and increased the yields of their lands.  They were not the knights who spent all their time hunting and enjoying life.  They knew the value of their manors and they worked hard to improve them. I now knew how lucky I was to have such knights serving alongside me.

The days were becoming longer and Adela and I had taken to walking the ramparts with my son.  We were all wrapped up well against the chill wind which blew across the sea. William just liked to run.  Every time he did so Adela's hand went to her mouth.  "He is a boy and they run."

"And they fall!"

"When he falls he will learn.  If is life. Do not worry about him."

"I worry about him as I worry about you." She smiled at me and put her hand on mine, "Besides, it will not be long before there will be another child born within these walls."

I had noticed that her cheeks had been flushed of late, "You are with child?"  She nodded, "Then that is wonderful news." We had something else to look forward to.  Life was becoming good once more and I threw myself into running the manor.

Harold and Tristan had been knighted at Easter and I had taken on Leofric, the falconer, as my squire.  He was rough around the edges and he was not a perfect choice but he was willing and he was strong. I needed someone who was good with animals, strong and willing to work hard.  Leofric had all of those qualities and he had shown some skill with a sword. Harold promised to guide him and, until Harold chose his own squire then Leofric would serve us both. He had grown considerably since Aiden had trained him as a falconer and, at sixteen summers; he was the right age to begin training as a squire.

Harold and I had had our armour improved by Alf.  He had fitted metal plates around our knees and that added protection. When we rode our knees were vulnerable to a blow from a soldier on foot or a deflected lance. Our helmets had been modified. We had had the nasal removed and cheek guards fitted.  Both of us enjoyed the improved vision and I could never remember a blow to the nasal.  The back was strengthened for we had both been hit there.

The warnings of danger came from Bishop Flambard.  Since we had rescued him he had been in constant touch with us.  He realised that we protected his lands from the south. He was keen to maintain my loyalty and he sent gifts to Adela and Faren.  He summoned me to his castle at Durham. His message, whilst guarded, told me that there might be danger. I took just Leofric while I sent messages to my knights warning them that we might require a muster. Leofric had no armour yet and it was an old palfrey he rode.  He was still learning to ride well and the old horse was just the right one for someone starting to ride. I suspected that Leofric would take more time to train than Harold. Harold had grown up in a world of war and danger in the forests of Sherwood. Leofric had grown up enjoying the woods as a place of excitement. He would need to learn how to fight.   He was still growing but he had a surcoat. Since we had returned from the Empire Adela had arranged for women with nimble fingers to make the garments for us.  It benefitted the town and gave us better surcoats. He had his shield and a helmet but I knew that he yearned for mail.  He asked me about it as we headed north on the ride to Durham.

"If I am to fight will I be given armour, Baron?"

"You need to earn your armour.  Besides I would not risk you in combat yet."

"What will I do then?  Watch while others fight?"

"You will carry my banner and you will watch the horses.  Harold did the same. It took him almost five years to become a knight and he was already a warrior.  You know hawks and you are stealthy.  Those skills will serve you well.  I need to make you a warrior and that will take time.  You watch, you listen, and you learn. I know you know how to be silent.  That was what made you a good falconer." As we neared the bridge over the Wear I said, "If it does not suit you to be a knight then you can return and be a falconer.  I shall not mind. Harold was not sure at first.  There is naught wrong with the life of a falconer. But you must choose to be a squire and, perhaps, a knight."

"No, Baron, I would like to be a knight and I am sorry for my foolish questions."

"No question is ever foolish it is just the answers which may be."

The last time I had passed through this gate I had been in disguise and it was held by the men of Northumbria. Now I was welcomed by those within.  The banner which Leofric held aloft had been sewn in the winter by Adela and her ladies.  It was a larger one than before and the yellow of the star was brighter. My name and my banner were known.  That could be a good thing but I knew that in combat it would draw my enemies like moths to a flame. It was important to have a rallying point on the battlefield. Our horses were taken from us and my banner left inside the gate of the keep. 

The Bishop awaited us in his Great Hall.  There were servants present and a clerk, but no knights.  "Ah Baron Alfraed, welcome." Leofric was ignored.  He was a squire and he was treated like a servant. I smiled at his confusion.  It was all part of the learning process. While I was offered a seat he stood. He was overawed by his surroundings.  I noticed his face as he stared at the magnificent tapestries hanging on the wall. Then his eyes were drawn to the high roof.  My humble castle had a much smaller one.

The Bishop was a diplomatic man and he began our discourse with pleasantries. "Did you and your people prosper over the winter?"

This was a question he already knew the answer to; Roger of Ripon had collected my taxes before he had visited the Bishop. Perhaps he was being polite or perhaps he was checking on honesty.  "We have done well.  I have a good steward and he manages to turn small investments into large profits."

"And your church?"

As a reward for saving the city I had been allowed to build a church and the Bishop had given me a priest. Father Ralph was a little more serious than Father Peter but the people liked him. They expected a priest to be aloof and distant.  He was all of that. "It is progressing my lord.  It will take some time before it is worthy of a visit from you."

"
Where two or three are gathered together, there is my
Church
.'" He smiled as he quoted the Bible at me.

"Just so." I wanted him to get on with what he had to say.  I disliked preambles of any description.  He must have sensed my impatience for he leaned forward, "I have spies who travel the borders.  They tell me that the Gospatric family now lives on their Scottish estates."

"That does not harm us, surely. If they are north of the border then they cannot plot and plan."

He shook his head irritably, "We do not get the taxes for one thing and their lands do not bring us profit but there is a more sinister aspect to this.  I believe that they are colluding with the Scots for an invasion."

"And the King of Scotland; is he part of their plans?"

"No, he is not part of it but there are many of his lords who wish to see the lands the King's father conquered, returning to them. They all had a difficult winter.  Like you, the rest of the north prospered.  It is envy.  The Scots wish what we have. They did not plan as well and those rebellious lords would have the lands which produce wheat."

I waited.  I could not see how this affected me.  We were far to the south of the lands claimed by the Scots. However if they wished for lands which bore wheat then they would have to come through our valley.  Perhaps there might be danger.

He continued, "I know that they intend to attack my lands but I know not when. I cannot keep my men armed for they need to work their fields and their farms. I have few men at arms and, since the rebellion, even fewer knights."

There had been a key phrase in his words, he had said,
'my lands'
. He was not worried about my valley but his own lands and estates which were further north. "I know when they will come."

He shot me a puzzled look, "You do?  How?"

I enjoyed surprising people.  I knew the times because it was when I would have chosen to attack. "There are two times.  The first is in the next month or so when your sheep and your cattle have given birth and they are on the hillsides. The second time is in the autumn when the harvest is in.  I would guess that they will attack both times.  They are the times when the fyrd cannot be called to arms for they will be busy working in their fields."

He nodded, "You are right.  Then what do I do about it? The King will not be happy if he does not get his taxes."

I hid my smile behind my hand.  The Bishop was more worried about his loss of his own income. I waved an airy arm towards the north. "There are lords further north, close to Hexham and the New Castle.  The Roman wall still prevents many crossing points. The Scots could be stopped there."

"Sadly much of the stone from the wall has been taken to make castles and after the rebellion most of the border lords were either killed or fled to their Scottish lands. The border is more fragile than it once was"

I knew what he wanted but I wanted him to ask rather than me suggesting it.

"Baron, I would have you and your conroi protect my estates to the north."

"Are they not beyond the Palatinate of Durham?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "Yes they are but they are south of the Tyne and are part of England.  The King would not be happy if they were attacked."

"He would not be happy if I abandoned the valley of the Tees to attack your enemies."

"By protecting the north you protect the valley." He was a clever man but trying to defeat me with logic was a mistake.  I had had my education in Constantinople where I had argued with the greatest of philosophers.

"I am sorry Bishop but I cannot commit my conroi so far from home.  The King charged me with the Valley of the Tees and not the Valley of the Tyne. If you are attacked and summon me then I will respond."

"By that time it would be too late." I could hear the panic inflect his voice.  "You have a worthy reputation, Baron, as someone who has a keen military mind. You showed that in your rescue of me.  I need a mobile force based north of here." I saw him chewing his lip as he considered what to do. "How about this then?  I will pay you and your knights to be based at my estates."

This was a better proposition. I did not need the Bishop's gold but my knights and men at arms did and they would all be stronger because of the reward.  "How much would you pay?"

"One gold piece to each knight for each week they were here.  Ten silver pieces for each man at arms and five pieces of silver for each archer."

"And the same for the squires."

"Five silver pieces?" I nodded. He smiled with relief. He must be even richer than I had thought for he had not quibbled over the exorbitant amount I had requested. "Then when can I expect you?"

"I will need to ride south and gather my men.  We will leave some behind to watch our manors.  We will return in fourteen nights."

He nodded, "I have an estate at Chollerford.  It controls a crossing of the Tyne and is at the last standing section of the wall."

"Is there a castle?"

"No, but there are the remains of an old Roman fort."

I nodded.  That would do.  "I will need authority for your steward there and to let the other lords know that I act under your orders.  The manor will need to provide for my men."

"When you return then the documents will be ready."

"And a banner signifying that I fight for Durham rather than myself."

"That is a good idea.  It will show the barbarians and the rebels that I rule here yet." He would risk his banner but naught else

As we left and headed south I reflected on the Bishop's words. He thought he had power but he was clinging on to the little he had. He was no Bishop Odo who had ridden about the north imposing his will on all of the land.  He had been a true Prince Bishop.  Flambard was more a Bishop who yearned to be the Prince. King Henry was wrong to spend so much time in Normandy and neglect the north.  His son controlled the west but there appeared to be no one to do the same in the North.  We needed a Marcher Lord here as well as in Wales. I knew that one day it would come to hurt us.

We were nearing Norton when Leofric finally spoke. "My lord, does that mean that I will get five silver pennies a week?"

I laughed, "You have got sharp little ears.  No, I will be given the coins for you. As your lord I bear your expenses.  You may get some coins but, as John will tell you, running a conroi is expensive.  Do not worry Leofric; we will get you a mail shirt made, at least." He was delighted at the prospect.

I was honest with my knights and I told them what they would be paid. Although the thought of spending many months away from their manors was not attractive the coins they would earn was. In addition their own manors would be spared the expense of maintaining their men.  That would be borne by the Bishop from his estate at Chollerford. Most decided to go to war. Wulfstan declined to join us and I did not blame him.  With three young children he wanted to spend as much time with them as he could.  He had spent most of his life fighting and he did not need the money. I was happy too.  He would watch my lands. The rest all agreed.  I chose to take just ten men at arms and ten archers. As Adela was with child I wanted her and William protecting. Harold had yet to hire men at arms and he did not have a squire.  He brought just two archers; they were young men who came from a large family.  They were good choices.