by Griff Hosker
I leaned back and sipped my wine. Now I saw that John de Lacey was not necessarily acting with the best interests of his father in mind. He was lining his own purse. It was his father who would suffer if the mismanagement of the County came to light.
“With your permission, Sir Thomas, I will tell the barons who are unhappy that they may speak with you.”
I nodded, absent mindedly. Had I left one baron’s war to walk into another?
“Richard de Percy is the most vociferous. You will like him. He hates the Scots for King William constantly petitions King John for the return of the title of Earl of Northumberland!”
His wife leaned over, “Husband, must you be so indiscreet! You know that there are spies everywhere.”
He patted his wife’s hand. “I know my love but this is not one of them. He brings hope to this land but you are right I will curb my tongue.” He turned back to me, “And what brings you to my manor? Had you gone to Whorlton from York then you would have been there already.”
I nodded, “You have a sheep market tomorrow.”
“Aye. The new lambs will be sold.”
“We would use the high land to the east of Whorlton and Swainby for sheep. It will give Sir Ralph an income.”
Sir Hugh nodded, “He looks like a fine young man. Is he married yet?”
“He is still a bachelor knight, why do you ask?”
Sir Hugh smiled, “There are few eligible knights in the county. I am inordinately fond of my daughter. I could marry her off to someone who lives many miles away but I would miss her. The two seem to get on. I would give a substantial dowry. And it would strengthen the bonds which bind us.”
I thought back to my wife. She had almost been made to marry a man she hated and I would not inflict that upon either Isabel or Sir Ralph. “If the couple are in agreement then you have mine too.”
“I will speak to them both in the morning.” There was a sudden burst of laughter from the young people. He smiled, “Now is not the time.”
The castle was large enough for me to have a chamber to myself and I could not sleep. I had too much racing through my mind. If Sir Ralph could be married and if we could buy lambs for his future flocks then that would make that manor secure. The conspiracy with the barons was more dangerous. I had a young family. Would I be putting them in jeopardy? I was running out of countries to which I could flee. I would have to tread carefully. I would have to, in light of the King’s treatment of William Marshal, do something I had never done before. I would have to put on a false smile for a King I despised!
The young couple were more than happy at Sir Hugh’s suggestion. The disappointed one was Fótr. I do not think he dreamed that he might marry Isabel. However, he still had the half heart locket from Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany. We had heard that THE King had moved her from Brough to Bristol. That was too far for us to visit. Fótr was most unhappy. Sir Ralph’s joy made his heart ache more. Leaving them to arrange the details I went with Sir Ralph’s coin and his squire to the market. Despite the snow it had been a good year for lambs. There were many twins. I spent all of Ralph’s gold, for he would be getting more from Sir Hugh when he received the dowry.
As they were penned for us Godfrey said, “My lord, forgive the impertinence but have you not forgotten something?”
“I do not think so.”
He smiled, “Perhaps a shepherd. I know not about these matters but what I know about sheep is limited to a good mutton stew!”
The man who had organised the sale had been listening. “Lord if you wish a shepherd they gather outside the inn called ‘The Standard’. You may find one who needs a master.”
Leaving my squires and archers to watch the lambs I led my men to the inn. We saw the shepherds. They had dogs and crooks. The dogs did not socialize with each other. Each shepherd’s sheepdogs kept apart although the shepherds were quite garrulous and chatted with each other. I suppose they lived a solitary life and when they gathered they made up for that. There was one exception. A youth who stood alone with his dogs.
I stood before them. “I need a shepherd.”
One, an old man with a grey beard said, “Where is the farm, lord?”
“The manor of Whorlton.” I pointed east.
The old man shook his head, “Not for me lord. I am a lowland shepherd. I have never heard of sheep up yonder.”
“No this would be the first.” I looked at their faces. All the ones with experience looked away. “Will none of you consider it?”
The youngest of them, the one who had been alone, raised his hand, “I will lord!”
The others all laughed and the greybeard said, “Lord, do not listen to Gabriel! He has never had his own flock. Those dogs are his father’s and he died in the winter.”
I saw the young shepherd colour. “Is this true?”
“Aye lord.”
“Yet you still think you can do it?”
“Lord these dogs, Scout and Shep, are the best pair of sheepdogs you will ever see. Even old Brian there will agree.” The greybeard gave a reluctant nod. “As for inexperience; well lord I have worked with my father for eighteen summers. I know sheep. I will not let you down.”
I took out a silver coin. “Then you are hired. I will take you to the sheep and then your lord.”
“Who is my lord?”
“Sir Ralph of Whorlton.”
“Is he your son, lord?”
I laughed, “No, Gabriel and I must look older than I am. I am Sir Thomas of Stockton.”
The greybeard suddenly dropped to a knee. “I am sorry, Sir Thomas. I meant no disrespect. I did not recognise your livery.”
“Rise, Brian. I took no offence. The day an Englishman cannot speak his mind will be a sad one for England.”
The looks on their faces showed that they thought that day had already arrived.
Brigands in the Valley
Chapter 13
I reached Stockton two days later. There had been much to do. My wife was delighted when I told her our news. I was about to go to view the work on the new hall when Ridley accosted me. “Lord, there are bandits in the valley.”
“How do you know?”
“Ethelbert the forester found the old charcoal burners in the woods to the west of Elton. They were dead and their hut ransacked. He found the remains of a butchered deer. The charcoal burners would have sought permission.”
“Charcoal burners could not have had much.”
“No, lord, save food and ale. Ethelbert thinks they spent some time in the hut for the two bodies had been left outside and attacked by animals yet the ashes in the fire were still warm.”
“When did you discover this?”
“Yesterday. David of Wales sent out his men but they found no tracks.”
I nodded. This was where Edward’s local knowledge would have come in handy. “Have four archers and six men at arms mounted. Skuld has ridden far, saddle me another horse.”
“Aye lord, “Petr and Fótr; we hunt bandits.”
Petr said, “I will fetch our helmets.”
“You will need neither helmets nor mail. We hunt human animals!”
Margaret shook her head, “Must it be you?”
“I know the land. I think I know where they will have gone. We may have to stay out overnight. Do not worry.”
Once mounted Ridley said, “Where do you think they will be, lord?”
“By the river between Prestune Farm and Eggles’ Nook.” I led them along the river. There was a trail there.
“Why there, Sir Thomas?”
“Because, Petr, they can always flee across the river if men come. They can use the river to fish. They can even capture one of the smaller craft which ply the river but, most importantly, because they can remain hidden. When we had a castle at Thornaby then that was impossible. The river was in plain view of the castle walls. Without a castle and a lord they can raid the isolated farms of Elton and Hartburn. There are fewer of them now but they would be attractive to bandits
.”
King John had much to answer for. His scouring of the valley had taken the lord of the manor from Yarm. With the castle destroyed it was now a farmer who controlled the land for the Sherriff. The same was true of both Appleton and the village of Wiske. My men at arms were the only ones who could patrol this land. The road west was used by travellers who did not wish to use the ferry. The bandits could have rich pickings.
“Ethelbert thought that they were Scots, lord.”
“How did he deduce that?”
“Some of them were barefoot and there was a piece of material such as the Scots use to make a cloak.”
I nodded and said, “Silence now for we enter the forest. Dick One Arrow and Cedric Warbow, take the higher ground in case we flush them. We will take the river trail.”
“Aye lord.” They took the fork and followed the path which climbed up the valley side. Gruffyd and Mordaf rode just ahead of me with bows strung and an arrow held in their hands. They had noses like good hunting hounds.
The ground was bare but was still moist from recent rains. It deadened the sound of our horses. Since we had put the cut in the river it had flowed faster upstream and had begun to eat into the bank. The river would readjust. Consequently, we found that it had burst its old banks and spilled over the path. Mordaf suddenly stopped and leapt from his horse. He waved me forward. I saw that where the river had flooded over and then seeped away there were two pairs of footprints in the mud. One of them was barefoot. They headed up the slope. I signalled for my men to dismount. I pointed to Petr to watch the horses. He almost objected but his father glowered at him and he nodded. He tied them to the trees and then drew his sword.
With the two archers on our flanks I led Fótr and my men at arms with weapons drawn up the slope. We followed the path left by the footprints. On the harder ground they disappeared but we were able to pick them up again where there was an open patch of ground which was wetter. We heard squealing from ahead. It was not the sound of animal squeals; there were wild boar in the forest. It was a human squeal of pain. It came from our left and so we left the trail we had been following and, placing our feet carefully, headed up the slope. The noise grew louder and I could smell wood smoke. Their camp was close.
I heard a Scottish voice. I did not understand the words for they were in Gaelic but they told me that they were near. In many ways I was glad that Petr was not with us. The men I led had done this before. They would not panic nor would they react to whatever they saw. They were disciplined and Petr was young. Mordaf and Gruffyd each nocked an arrow. They used the cover of the trees to move closer to the crackling sound of the fire and the sound of girls in pain. It was now obvious that there were at least two girls.
“Please, no! Do not hurt my sister!”
A Scot shouted, “Then lie still and it will hurt less!”
There was a great temptation to rush but that might have ended disastrously for the two girls. I used the cover of the trees and the bramble bushes to approach the camp. It was a big one. There were at least twenty men. Two of them were astride two young girls. Neither looked to be older than thirteen summers. I trusted my two archers. They would target the rapists. The others would be taken by my men at arms and my squire. I saw that my men were in position. We were twenty paces from the camp. I raised my sword and ran towards the camp.
I heard the sound of two bow strings and the rapists were thrown back. The girls screamed, “Fótr! See to the girls!”
I swung my sword at a huge warrior who had picked up a two-handed axe. He had been quick and the axe came towards my head. Had it connected then I would be dead but an axe, once it had begun its swing cannot deviate. I ducked and slashed at the same time. The axe head almost shaved my hair but my sword ripped across his gut and disembowelled him. He fell writhing and twitching to the ground.
My men set about slaughtering the brigands with ruthless efficiency. They despised those who abused women and children. The fact that they were Scots merely exacerbated their cold anger. Two of them ran towards Fótr. My squire stood between them and the girls who clung to his legs. I leapt across the dying giant and brought my sword down the right-hand side of the nearest one. My sword tore down his arm and shoulder. His squeal sounded like that of a stuck pig. As the other looked to his right Fótr showed his new-found skill and brought his sword across the neck of the brigand. He fell, his blood spurting and choking his life away.
Cedric and Dick appeared on the ridge above us and they began, with the Tomas brothers, to pick off the bandits with their arrows. One dropped his sword and yelled, “Mercy!”
Ridley the Giant glanced over at the girls and took the man’s head in one blow.
“Are there any left alive?”
Cedric Warbow shook his head. There were two sentries at the ridge line. They are dead.”
“Mordaf, Gruffyd, fetch the horses. Put these bodies on the fire. We will burn them.” I wandered over to the girls. They were shaking and still clung to Fótr. Although now was not the time for detailed questions I needed to know whence they came. I said, as quietly and calmly as I could, “Where is your home?”
The elder of the two, the one who had shouted to protect her sister, said, “By the river.” She pointed upstream. I remembered that there was a flat piece of land. I could not remember a hut or a house but it had been almost twenty years since I had been here.
“Cedric and Dick, ride upstream. Keep to the path. There is a flat piece of ground a mile or so away. See what you can find.”
Ridley threw the last of the bodies on the fire and my men put more wood on the pyre. The air was filled with the smell of burning hair and clothes. Soon it would be the smell of human flesh but, by then, we would be on the way back to my hall.
Ridley said, “Most were Scots but, from their appearance, some were English or perhaps Danish.”
I nodded. When we had attacked the Scots, we could not have been certain that they did not have more parties further south. Vikings still raided this coast. It seemed that all that was bad sank to the bottom of the pond and congregated there. When the horses were brought back I said, “Let us mount and get these girls to my wife and my aunt. They will know what to do. Petr, Fótr, put them on your horses. Let them sit sideways and you lead them.
They nodded and Fótr said quietly to Petr, “Talk to them gently about anything. Idle chatter might keep this horror from their heads.”
I knew it would not. They would wake screaming in the night. They would recoil at a man’s touch. It was why I had Fótr and my young squire with them. My men and I looked too much like the bandits. I had seen the fear in their eyes when I had approached. As we headed back I said, “Mordaf, were there any more signs of bandits?”
“I think not, lord.”
“Nonetheless I would have you take out all of my garrison tomorrow, Ridley. Ride the borders of my manor. Visit the woods and look for anything untoward. These animals have destroyed at least one family, perhaps more. I am now lord of the manor and this is my fault.”
Ridley said, gently, “Lord you were away. It is not down to you.”
I shook my head. I would not make excuses for my failing. “I should have had you all patrolling.”
“Then we would have exhausted horses for we are still perilously short of them, lord.”
That was my dilemma. I was used to Anjou where every man had two horses. Those horses were still in Anjou. Captain Henry might take a month to return with horses; if they were available! I had much to think on. I sent Mordaf ahead to warn my wife so that when we approached the hall the women of the hall were ready.
My squires gently helped the girls down. The elder of the two took Fótr’s hand and squeezed it, “Thank you, master. You risked your life for us and we will not forget it.”
I could see that Fótr was touched. My wife and lady Ruth whisked them away. We had just unsaddled our horses when my two archers, Cedric and Dick, grim faced, rode in. Their hands were soiled and they both looked solemn.
“Well?”
“We found the house. It was a family. Two small boys had been butchered. The man had put up a fight but he had been cut up. We could not find his head. The woman…” Dick One Arrow could not speak more.
Cedric said, “These were not men, they were animals. We buried the family lord. That is to say, what we could find we buried. It looked like the family fished the river. There were fish traps and a small boat.” He had seen much death in his life but the deaths of that small family affected him more than any.
“Thank you. We will scour the land for any that we missed. For now, wash the stink of death from you. You have all earned your coin this day.”
I had no appetite and I picked at my food. My wife and my aunt had still to return and my two children wondered at my silence. “Father, what happened to those girls?”
I looked at Alfred, “They fell into the clutches of bad men, evil men. We punished them.”
“They are dead?”
“They are and they died without confession. They will now be burning in hell!”
When my wife and my aunt returned they were both drawn. My wife said, “Come children, it is time for bed.” Alfred thought to object but one look at my face convinced him to obey.
Lady Ruth did not touch the food. She poured herself a large goblet of wine and drank it in one. “Those poor bairns. They are called Ada and Agnetha. Their mother is…, was, Norse. The younger one has not uttered a word and when I saw what they had done.” She put down the goblet, threw her arms around me and sobbed uncontrollably. I had never seen my aunt react like this. Even the death of her husband had not brought on such tears. I held her until she pulled away. “Thank you.” She dabbed her eyes, “You must think me foolish.”
“No aunt. I saw the girls and I saw what they had suffered. They will recover…?” It was a question.
“I confess I do not know. I brought Father Roger to look at them but the younger one hid. She is terrified of men. Your wife will ask Brigid the midwife to examine them. She knows about such things.” She took my hand, “We will keep them here, will we not?”