Baron's War

by Griff Hosker

  His wife said, “We are hardworking lord and it is not our fault that our lord died.”

  “Peace Nanna, Sir Thomas here did not do us harm. This morning four of the men you saw came into our camp. At first, they were pleasant. They smiled and laughed. They asked where we had come from. I said that we had come from the manor of Sir Thomas. That was as far as I got. One struck me. Two held me and one ran for the others. When they returned they asked me where they could hide close to Stockton. I told them that I had never been to Stockton and that my Sir Thomas lived at Piercebridge. They did not believe me and they began to burn my body. Had you not come then I would have lost an eye.”

  I stood and looked at Ridley the Giant. “We will take these folk to Stockton. Father Abelard can tend his hurts better than we. David of Wales, take your archers and back track these mercenaries. I would know whence they came.”

  “Aye lord.”

  I looked at the mercenaries’ horses. Four were palfreys but the rest were sumpters and rouncys. We would be able to use them. “Do you think you can sit on a horse? It will make the journey to Stockton easier.”

  Aelric nodded but his wife looked fearful. Padraig smiled, “Fear not. I will lead your horse.”

  Petr said, “And your son can sit on my horse with me.”

  When they were all mounted and with Godwin and Godfrey leading the spare horses, we headed back to Stockton. Ridley said that which was on my mind, “These were killers sent for you, lord.”

  “The Sherriff; he implied as much but the devious snake made us think that the attack would come from the south. If, as I believe, the men came from the north east then they circumvented Wulfestun to avoid Edward. It was a clever plan. We do not keep a good watch to the west.”

  “Perhaps we should now, lord.”

  “We still do not have enough men.”

  Ridley nodded and then said, “Do you not think it strange that Sir William comes back to a manor which is devoid of people to farm it and we find a farmer and his family?”

  “The thought had crossed my mind. Perhaps we should send men to the Great Road and see if there are others who are dispossessed. They will head for the larger towns and we both know that they are not the places for farmers and their families.”

  Ridley shook his head, “I thought this was a Christian land, lord. Having stones thrown at you because you are poor does not seem Christian.”

  “It comes from King John. He has made this a greedy and self-centred land. I do not blame the people in the villages and towns. I am disappointed but I understand. They know not how to feed themselves and four more mouths would be too much.”

  “Yet you will take them in, lord.”

  “Blame my blood.”

  He said quietly, “I blame nothing lord for it is to be admired.”

  I nudged Skuld so that I was riding next to Aelric. “Tonight, you will stay in my hall and your hurts will be tended to. We will feed you and see about getting you better clothes. Your journey has not been kind to you.”

  He nodded. “We had to sell some of our belongings to get money to buy food. It is why we headed for the woods.” He hung his head, “I know how to use a bow, lord. I confess I was going to poach!”

  Poaching could result in death. I smiled, “Thank you for your honesty. One of my lords is building a hall not far from my castle. He has empty farms. Would you wish to farm one?”

  He nodded, “Aye lord, I would.”

  As I had expected the three ladies, Ruth, my wife and Lady Marguerite took the family into their care and fussed around them like hens with chicks. David of Wales and his archers returned after dark.

  “Lord they came from the north. I think that two must have escaped for we found tracks heading north. We could have followed them but…”

  “You did right to return. These men came from the Sherriff. I cannot prove it but I do not need to. When he sees me next then he will know that they have failed and, from now on, we keep a good watch around all of our lands. The Sherriff cannot know about our new wall and that will be a surprise for any killers.”

  David of Wales shook his head, “Lord, they would not try to get at you in the hall. That would be suicide. You and your squire often ride alone. When you visited Sir Edward last, you went alone. They would just watch and wait. You are a mighty warrior lord but had twelve of them caught you then you would be a dead man.”

  I smiled, “And you are telling me to ride with an escort.”

  “Until we can be sure our land is safe then aye, lord. When Sir William has built his hall then his men can keep the west safe. Sir Edward and Sir Fótr keep the north safe and the river, the sands and the sea keep us safe from the east and south.”

  He was right and I did as I was asked. We worked even harder on the new hall. By the time the first snows had come the roof was on. The walls were finished and there was a ditch and palisade running around it. Aelric was given the farm which lay immediately to the west of the hall. He could see its walls. It was not the best of farms for half of it was Stockton clay and could not be ploughed. Aelric showed that he knew how to farm. “Lord, if you could get goats or sheep then they would prosper there. We could use the milk to make cheese. My wife makes fine cheese.”

  Sir William knew the value of intelligent farmers and, now that he had horses for his men, he used some of his coin to buy from Northallerton a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. It was a small start but they were often the best ones.

  We celebrated Christmas at my hall. Lady Ruth would miss Lady Marguerite and her children when they left for Hartburn at Michaelmas. It was a Christmas where we were all thankful. Aelric and Nanna’s story was a warning. That could happen to any of us in a world ruled by King John.

  The King comes north

  Chapter 18

  Spring brought hope. With the coin we had taken from the Scots we were able to replace our surcoats. In addition, we were able to provide better helmets for some of the newer men. We looked like one body now. The animals we had kept over the winter prospered. Our breeding horses foaled. People began to return to Stockton. Some had heard that there was a new lord and prosperity had returned. But it also brought a warning of our mortality. Lady Ruth fell ill. She had the coughing sickness. It was not long after Lady Marguerite and her family had left for the newly finished hall at Hartburn. Perhaps her spirits were low and that made her susceptible to illness. She was not getting any younger. She was annoyed at the fuss, “This is not the same sickness as my husband had. This is what you get in this land in the winter. I have suffered it before. I will get better. Just let an old lady do it herself.”

  When she recovered, at the start of March, then we were relieved. Her recovery and the new growth seemed to be reflected in the prosperity of my people. My knights all thrived. Sir Fótr had thrown himself into the running of the manor. He did, however, need a squire. There were two possibilities: Alfred and Henry, William’s son. Both wished to be trained but, in the end, I decided upon Henry. We were not yet ready to knight Johann for we still had too few men. Henry’s mother was tearful but she knew Fótr well. Her son would be looked after. My former squire now had a handful of men and a squire. The horses we had taken from the mercenaries meant that all of our men could now be mounted. We had no spares but that would come.

  When our ship arrived from Anjou we saw that the world had changed. There were no more men coming to aid us. King Phillip had scoured the land of any English. Were it not for the merchants of La Flèche then we would have had no trade but they kept us supplied. It was sad that our former life was now just a distant memory.

  It was April and we had just sent the taxes to Durham when my sentries reported knights with banners waiting for the ferry. We had visitors and they came from the south. Richard Red Leg was on the gatehouse wall and he pointed as they began to board the ferry. “I have counted at least twenty banners lord. There are more in the distance. This is a large body of lords.”

  I wondered what it meant. Specula
tion would not help. I descended and, after sending Petr to warn Edgar and my wife that we had guests I went to the quay to greet them. I knew that the first barons across would be the most important and when I saw William Marshal, the leading knight in the land, then I knew that this was, indeed, a powerful group of lords. Was I in trouble? Had I done something wrong? The fact that they had used my ferry rather than approaching stealthily gave me some hope.

  I did not recognise any of the other knights save one whose livery was familiar. It was a de Ferrers! I had killed Richard de Ferrers in combat. There were members of the family in Normandy who wished me dead. I suspected the clan had returned to the safety of England now that their benefactor, King John, had lost his lands there. I would reserve judgement on this one until I had spoken with William Marshal. I had not seen the old Earl since before I had left for the Baltic crusade. He had aged. As he had served with my great grandfather I knew that he must be old. Now he looked it.

  He held out his arm for me to clasp it. That was a good sign, “You have done well, Sir Thomas. I thought you were destined for a grisly end. It seems I was wrong.” He lowered his voice as he waved a hand at my gatehouse, “Have you had permission for this? As I recall it was the Warlord’s decision to build a castle that began all the trouble.”

  I smiled, “The Bishop of Durham approved.”

  He gave me a wry smile, “Perhaps he is just grateful that you did not stick a blade in his guts.”

  I smiled back, “No, my lord, thus far he has not offended me. I treat all those who do not offend me, well.”

  He laughed, “That is good to hear! Come, take me to your hall. We have much to say.” As we walked through the gatehouse the ferry went back across the river for the rest of his lords. “I have heard good things about you. It seems that you are less reckless now and not so stiff necked.”

  “Trust me, Earl, my neck can still be stiff but I have learned to accommodate my distaste for some of those I have to follow.”

  He grunted. I knew not if that indicated derision or approval. My wife and Lady Ruth awaited us along with Edgar, my steward. William Marshal was an old-fashioned knight. Some said that he and my great grandfather were the only two perfect knights. He bowed, “Thank you ladies for your hospitality. I was sorry, Lady Ruth, to hear of the death of Sir William. He was a good knight.”

  “You are kind to say so. I believe that he is in heaven now.”

  He spoke to the three of us. “We will not be here long. We leave in the morning. The bulk of the army will camp in the common grazing land north of here. That meets with your approval, Baron?”

  “It does. We can accommodate ten lords in my hall for we have guest quarters. My steward Edgar will show you where they are.”

  “Good. The days are long gone when I could sleep in a field.” He turned and spoke to a knight, “De Lacy arrange it. I will go and speak with the Baron. You must still have some decent wine eh?”

  “Of course. Petr fetch a jug and two goblets. We will go to my chamber. It faces west and has a pleasant aspect.” I had had a window built into the west wall of my chamber. The glass was opaque but it allowed light in and I had a fire to compensate for the cold it created.

  As we went up the stairs he said, “I have sympathy with you, lord. This town needs a castle. I remember when it was all that stood between us and the Scots. Your family earned the respect of all by their stoic defence.”

  I had two comfortable chairs in my chamber. They were stuffed with horsehair and covered in the best hides my tanners could produce. There was a fire burning. Despite the fact that it was not winter the north east of England was never warm and Anjou had spoiled me. “I pray you sit.”

  “This is pleasant.”

  Petr arrived and placed the wine on the table. He poured. “Thank you, Petr. I would have you watch the door. We would not be disturbed.”

  The Earl Marshal sipped the wine, “Gods but this is good.”

  I nodded. “The wine merchants of La Flèche keep me well supplied and I am not robbed. They were grateful for what I did.”

  He nodded, “Aye William des Roches spoke highly of you before he deserted the King.”

  “Perhaps that says more about the King than it does a valiant and true knight like William des Roches.”

  He shook his head, “Try thinking those thoughts without giving them air, baron!”

  “I cannot help it. William was a friend and he treated me well. It was the murder of Arthur which prompted his desertion.”

  “That was never proved!” I cocked my head to one side. He shook his head. “The King is heading to the New Castle. He goes to war with William of Scotland.”

  “But I thought we were at peace.”

  “We were. The unwarranted attack last year, which you thwarted, might have been overlooked but Phillip seeks an alliance with King William and our spies tell us that it will happen. William still wishes to own and control Northumbria. We would have you and your knights join us. Your Sir Ralph and Sir Hugh of Northallerton are with the army already. How many others can you field?”

  “There will be four of us.”

  “And men at arms and archers?”

  “Fifty or so men at arms and forty-five archers. The days when I could field more than a hundred are long gone. It takes time to train men.”

  “That will be enough. We do not need your levy. The King wishes his barons to bear the brunt of the war.” He lowered his voice. “He knows about the unrest here in the north east. This expedition is not only to quash the Scots but as warning to the barons of the north that any rebellion would be dealt with severely.”

  I emptied my goblet and refilled it. “May I speak plainly, Earl?”

  He sighed and poured himself a goblet. He sat back in the chair, “As we are alone then, yes. Get it off your chest and then remain silent. That is especially true in front of the other lords. You fought many of them in Normandy and Anjou. Hugo de Ferrers is not fond of you!” He smiled as he spoke.

  I began, “The High Sherriff is a vindictive man. Worse he is dangerous. I believe he sent men to do me harm.” I told him of the attack and the family we had rescued.

  “You have proof?”

  “No, for they are dead.”

  “Pity!”

  “In addition, the taxes are too high here in the north. We are not as rich as in the south. The Marcher Lords in Ireland and Wales are given special dispensation and they have financial inducements. We are in the same position. We defend the northern march but we have nothing. The King does not listen!”

  He held his hand up. “That is because he is King. He has divine right and can rule as he wishes.”

  “I am afraid, Earl, that it was that standpoint which cost him Anjou and Normandy. I fear Poitou will also fall.”

  He was silent. He drained his wine. “I will say this here, for your ears only and if this is ever repeated then I will deny it. I have sympathy with what you say. I have been punished for swearing allegiance to King Phillip. I had to do so to keep my Norman manors. I understand your viewpoint but you must be a realist. You cannot fight the King and win unless you are of royal blood.”

  I nodded, “And those with royal blood are either dead or incarcerated.”

  “Precisely. You can improve your situation greatly if you impress King John in this campaign. He may even allow you to build a castle here.”

  I laughed, “You do not believe that.”

  “No but it cannot hurt your cause to make yourself indispensable to our liege lord. De Percy and de Vesci have told me that it was you won the battle of Rothbury. You have an eye for such things. Your family blood is rich and you have inherited the Warlord’s skill.”

  I nodded, “It is good of you to say so.”

  “I speak the truth. Now we leave on the morrow. The army gathers at Norham.”

  “We invade Scotland?”

  “Aye. It will make a change to fight on Scottish soil. You join us as soon as you can. I would have you call at D
urham on the way. I intend to impress upon the Bishop of his obligations. You are a Durham knight and it might just embarrass him enough to send his full force rather than a token gesture as his predecessor, Hugh de Puiset was prone to do. Do not be tardy just to make a point.”

  “You do me an injustice, Earl. I am not petty!”

  “I apologise and one more thing; at the feast tonight, be polite to de Ferrers and the others.”

  “I will not suffer insults!”

  “I will ensure that you are not insulted. Invite your knights too. I would meet with them before we go to war.”

  I sent Petr to bring Sir Edward and Sir Fótr and Ridley the Giant fetched Sir William. My patrolling archers had recently killed half a dozen deer. We would eat well!

  It was my table and so I arranged the seating. My wife and aunt flanked the earl. I sat by my wife and Edward by my aunt. Fótr was next to Edward and I had Sir William next to me. It meant that Hugo de Ferrers was not within insulting distance of me. We waited for the senior knight to sit and then we sat. He leaned across my wife. “I see you have a keen eye for deploying troops, Sir Thomas.” He had a wry smile upon his face.

  “I have never been blessed with large numbers, lord, and so I use what I have wisely so that I incur the least damage!”

  Petr, Johann, Alfred and the other squires were called upon to serve and to carve. It was a tradition. Alfred was too small to carve and he had to make do with serving meat to knights. I confess it was a task I had rarely enjoyed when I had been a squire but it had taught me valuable lessons: patience, how to cut meat and how to listen without giving away what you had heard. Johann had the last skill but Petr did not and his face showed his shock or surprise as the knights spoke in their cups. I would have to speak with him when time allowed.