Baron's War

by Griff Hosker

  Now the fact that we were mounted might come to our aid. Just then Walter of Coxwold galloped in from the west. “Lord, there are a large number of knights heading from the direction of Galashiels.”

  “How many?”

  “I counted two hundred banners.”

  I nodded. This showed cunning. They had sent this conroi in case I was heading for Edinburgh. The King had placed himself so that he could strike at Jedburgh or Norham. If King John had played me false then we were dead.

  Baron Stanhope had shown himself to be a reliable baron. I waved him over. “I will take my men and the men of Stanley and Spennymoor. We will ride to attack this conroi from Galashiels. There is a small road ahead. You take the rest of the army back to Jedburgh. Defend it!”

  “Aye lord!”

  “Spennymoor, Stanley, with me.”

  I waved Alfred forward. I dismounted Skuld and mounted Dragon. “Give the banner to Petr. Take Skuld and ride with Baron Stanhope back to Jedburgh.” The old Alfred would have argued but he was growing up and he nodded. I took the spear which Petr offered me. I spurred Dragon and we headed west. The two barons and Sir Edward rose with me. “You have a plan, lord?”

  “I do Edward. The last thing the Scots expect is for us to turn back to Galashiels. Our archers have saved us this day or given us the chance of salvation at least. We stand a better chance of defeating two hundred knights than more than a thousand warriors.”

  I had fifty knights and more than a hundred men at arms. We would be outnumbered but we had surprise on our side. We followed Stanhope until he took the fork and then we left the road. I led them across the sheep filled fields towards the wooded piece of high ground. The Scots had not used it for ambush. We would. I waved my spear and led my men there. We laboured up the slope. The woods were not thick but they hid us from view and that was what counted. We could not see the other side of the knoll but I knew that Galashiels lay in that direction.

  “David of Wales dismount your men and take them to the western edge of the wood. I intend to sweep down and hit them near the road. You stop us being outflanked.”

  “Aye lord.”

  I quickly rode down the line of knights. I did not need to tell my own men what to do. They had done this before. I could trust them. It was the men of Stanley and Spennymoor I addressed. “We attack them on my command. We hit them hard and as soon as you hear Petr sound the horn three times then you withdraw and head for Jedburgh.”

  “And if they pursue?” The question, from Baron Stanley, was one of interest more than fear.

  “My archers will engage them. They are more than skilful enough to hurt them, ride away and then join us. You must trust me, my lords. If we hit them hard enough they will flee. They will not be riding with lances or spears. Their scouts will have reported us on the Lauder Road. They know their King is coming. They are springing a trap and will be confident. The men from Jedburgh and Galashiels will have reported our numbers accurately. They will not expect an ambush.”

  Dick One Arrow galloped over, “Lord, they are coming. David of Wales says they are less than a mile away.”

  I nodded and he rode back to the archers. “Form two lines, my knights and my men at arms will be the first line. God be with us!” I took my place between Sir William and Sir Edward. Petr was behind me. “Petr, stay out of trouble. You seek no honour today. When I shout then you know what to do.”

  “Aye lord.”

  I donned my helmet and rested my spear on my cantle. The road was less than two hundred paces from us. I counted on the fact that the knights’ attention would be on the road ahead. They were not far from Lauder. Knowing that King William was heading there they would be anticipating a massacre. Some would be spending the ransom already. I hoped that some would have their helmets on their cantles and their spears with their squires. If God was with us then we would win.

  I waited until the leading riders had passed. Half were not wearing helmets and none had spears or lances. I saw that they were riding in a column of fours. I lowered my spear and spurred Dragon. He leapt down the slope. My knights and men at arms followed. The slope helped us to gain speed quickly. There was a danger that we might lose formation but that was a risk we would have to take. We were just a hundred and twenty paces from them when they saw us. Their own noise and the fact that some of those at the front wore helmets helped us. They turned and spurred their horses. They would attack us. As I had hoped they did not have spears or lances. They would not meet us with any sort of order. I pulled back my spear as we approached.

  Our speed was such that I could not be sure which knight I would strike. One almost chose himself as he rode towards me. I rammed my spear at his chest for his shield was still over his leg. In the hurry and the confusion, he had made a fatal error. My spear struck him hard just below his breastbone. Had Dragon not been such a powerful horse I might have been unhorsed myself. As it was his falling body dragged my spear from his chest and I was able to pull back and thrust again into the side of a knight who was trying to control his horse.

  Then there was no-one before me and I wheeled right. I found myself riding behind a Scot who was urging his horse to get to Ridley the Giant. He never even saw me as my spear drove deep into his side. I saw then that the knights at the rear had ridden up the slope to attack the men of Stanley and Spennymoor in the flank. David of Wales timed his attack perfectly. Forty-five arrows emptied thirty saddles and the next forty-five arrows another twenty. I was about to order Petr to sound the signal to withdraw when the Scottish horn sounded twice and the eighty survivors of our attack turned and headed back to Galashiels.

  “Petr, sound reform!”

  My archers continued to rain arrows at the fleeing Scots. Another six fell. We had bought time and that was all. Everything now depended upon King John and William Marshal. I trusted the Earl but not the King!

  As we headed south I saw that there were empty saddles. We had lost knights and men at arms. I looked at my men at arms and knights. Even though we had been the first to make contact and to begin the battle my men at arms just nursed wounds. That was a measure of the experience of the men I led.

  It was dark as we approached Jedburgh. “Have the horses seen to first. They saved us today. We will camp outside the town!”

  The knights under Baron Stanhope who had left first had made camp and their servants had prepared food. They were eager to know what had happened after they had left. I had no time to explain and I left my barons to do so. I went into the town with David of Wales. I found Godwin of Battle. He had not been idle. He had all of the prisoners secured in the Great Hall. That meant he only needed four men to watch them and he had chosen men who were older. The walls were well manned and there was plenty of food.

  “David, I want you and your men inside the walls tomorrow. I intend to use my knights to attack the Scots and draw them onto your arrows. I may feign a withdrawal across the river. Fear not I will not abandon you.”

  David smiled, “The thought never entered my head.”

  Godwin said, “And King John?”

  “William Marshal said they would come to our aid. I have to trust that.”

  By the time I had walked the walls and ensured that we had defences against a night attack it was almost midnight. Edward and Petr found me. “Lord you must eat and then get some rest. If you fall then we are doomed.”

  I nodded, absentmindedly, “The barons did well today. I was pleased.”

  Edward shook his head, “You did well today. I know of no other lord who could have extricated us from that trap.”

  “We are not out of it yet.”

  Baron Stanhope found me too, as I was eating some dried pork. “My lord, I beg you to rest. My men and I will watch. We were saved today because of Barons Stanley, Spennymoor and your men. If King William comes tomorrow then we will need you to lead us.”

  Reluctantly I slept. It was a fitful sleep and haunted by dreams. I could not remember them and they were the worst kind.


  Petr shook me awake well before dawn. “Sorry, lord, Baron Stanhope said not to wake you but the scouts have returned. King William is camped just five miles away.”

  “You did right. How is Alfred?”

  He laughed, “What do you expect lord? He is excited.”

  “Today I will have him in Jedburgh with Godwin.”

  “He will not be happy.”

  “But he will be alive and this day will be bloody! I would have you take care. I could not face your mother if I brought you back draped across a saddle.”

  “She is married to a warrior, lord. She knows.”

  I nodded, “Ask my captains and the leading barons to join me.” I made water and drank some of the ale from the skin Petr had given me. The three leading barons and my knights arrived.

  They all seemed cheerful, “What now lord?”

  “Simple, we hit them when they close with the walls and then withdraw across the river. We stay close to the walls so that our archers can reap Scotsmen. We reform on the other side and, if they try to cross, then we charge them. If they withdraw we re-cross the river and charge them again.”

  Baron Spennymoor said, “That is all?”

  “We are too few to do more and we make the town a weight around their neck. They wish to recapture it. If they do so they have to assault its walls. We have stout men defend it. We have archers and crossbows and the men who stand behind the walls will have had three days of rest.”

  “And if King John does not come, what then?”

  “We will have a glorious end and I will have more cause to be angry with our liege lord. Now go and prepare your men. We form three lines with our flank anchored by the town wall.”

  Alfred appeared., “Which horse today lord, Dragon?”

  “No Alfred, I would have Dragon safe in Jedburgh with you. I will ride Skuld. She is a better swimmer and she brings me luck.”

  He nodded and then stopped, “I will not be with you?”

  “You ride a pony. How could you survive amongst war horses?”

  He thought about it and said, “One day I will not be small and I will ride a war horse too!”

  As dawn broke we mounted our horses and headed for the walls. There was no sign of the enemy but they would be coming. Perhaps they would think that we had fled. King William would see less than two hundred horsemen. Our scouts had said that he had more than five hundred knights and the men on foot numbered well over two thousand. He had summoned warriors from all over his realm. Apart from the knights they had wild men from the north. Some fought bare chested. They would charge enthusiastically but, once they were broken, they would melt away like spring snow. We stood by our horses with helmets hung over our cantles. My knights and men at arms chatted easily. The other knights and mounted men at arms were more nervous and it showed in their demeanour. I could do nothing about that.

  Alfred had groomed Skuld well and her coat shone in the early morning light. Petr had a spare spear for me. My sword had an edge good enough to shave with. We had done all that we could and then the Scots came. It was like a brightly coloured shadow which appeared from the north. It grew and filled the horizon. I saw some of the older knights like the Baron of Sherburn who physically moved his horse backwards when he saw them.

  I mounted and turned Skuld so that I faced them. “Do not be afraid of numbers. Trust to your weapons, your horses, your mail and your skill. Most of the ones we face are wild men! King John and the Earl Marshal are coming. We need to hold them for a little time is all.”

  A voice from the back shouted, “King John has abandoned us!”

  “He has not. He asked us to do a job and we have done as we were asked. He will come. We are knights of the Palatinate. Whatever comes our way we will deal with it. Remember the orders. Hit them hard. When you hear the horn then withdraw across the river and reform.”

  I watched as the Scottish army formed up. I smiled. Someone was there who had fought us at Rothbury. They were ensuring tight lines. This would be no wild charge. I had heard that King William fancied himself as a knight. King Henry had dented the inflated opinion he had of himself but he would still try to use military strategy to defeat us. My worry was the discipline of the men I led. A feigned retreat could turn into a rout very easily. I had confidence in half of the knights I led. I looked to the north east. King John would be coming from that direction. I assumed he would have camped nearby. He would be far enough away from the Scots not to alarm them. We had to hold them for an hour or two. William’s cautious manoeuvring suited us.

  I saw that he had his knights ready to face ours while the bulk of his army were gathering to attack the walls of their town. Men on foot did not, out of choice, attack knights on horses. I looked at the sun. it was almost the third hour of the day. The Scottish knights were five hundred paces from us and four hundred from the walls of Jedburgh. Those knights on the right flank of the Scots would be in range of my archers on the walls. They would be in for a shock.

  I saw the Scots close ranks. They were preparing to move. “Ready!” The Scottish horns sounded and the line moved towards us. The trick would be to hit them when we were at the gallop but allow them to have the longer ride. When they were three hundred paces from us arrows began to pick off knights and horses on their right flank.

  “Forward for England and the Palatinate!”

  I spurred Skuld. Unlike Dragon she did not leap forward. She had a more measured gait. The Scots were now galloping. Their line was moving inexorably away from the arrows and to their left. A gap was appearing between their right flank and their men on foot. We began to canter and there was a gap of just two hundred paces between us. We were closing rapidly. When we were a hundred paces apart Skuld’s legs were opening and we were galloping. I laid my spear across my cantle. Many of the Scots had lances. They were longer but were prone to shatter upon impact. We had had the shorter ride and were still stirrup to stirrup. There were gaps in the Scottish line. Edward and Fótr were facing a single knight.

  The knight I faced had a yellow shield with a blue diagonal cross. He had a full-face helmet and his shield was held, like mine, to minimise damage. He would have the first chance to hit. I watched his hand pull back. A moment later mine did too. He punched at my shield and I leaned my shoulder into it. The impact shook me and shattered the lance. I rammed my spear into his thigh. Bright blood spurted as I withdrew it. All along the line there was the sound of shattering spears and lances mixed with the crack of metal on wood and metal. Horses neighed and screamed. Men died. I had no time to see the effect of my strike for there was a second rank of knights. This line was even more ragged. The realignment as they had moved away from the archers had hurt their integrity.

  I saw a knight to my right. He was heading for Sir Edward. His eyes were on Edward and his shield. My spear went into his shoulder and knocked him from his saddle. I had just recovered my spear when a third knight rode at me. He came obliquely for me. He intended to hit me on my spear side. All that I could do was to fend off the lance with my spear. As I did so Edward’s spear struck him in the head and he fell from the saddle. I did not want a mêlée. I did not trust the skills of half of my knights and the Scots outnumbered us.

  “Petr, sound the horn!”

  I held my spear over hand and as another Scottish knight galloped at me I threw my spear at him. He was just five paces from me and did not expect it. The spear hit him in the helmet and caught in the holes of his mask. He tumbled from the saddle. As I wheeled Skuld I drew my sword and headed back for the river. I saw Petr’s back before me. Glancing to my side my household knights were still there. As we passed over the site of the first impact I saw the knight I had first struck. My spear had not killed him. He had been trampled to death by horses. We had killed more of the Scots for there were many bodies lying there. I saw too many of our own Durham knights, dead. Baron Sherburn lay on the ground, skewered by a lance. He had, at least, attained some honour in his death. I glanced over my shoulder.
Some knights had not heeded the call to retreat and there were knots of knights still fighting. The Scottish horns sounded reform. Skuld splashed into the river. We only had to swim for a few paces and then she found purchase and scrambled up to the other bank.

  “Petr, see how many have survived.”

  I took off my helmet and walked Skuld back to the river so that she could drink. The last couple of knights and some riderless horses make their way towards the river. The Scots were forming up again. We had to recross the river and draw their sting. I did not want them to head for the abbey. Where was King John?

  “Lord, we have lost a third of our knights and half of our men at arms.”

  I nodded and shouted, “Reform. We cross the river! This day is not yet done!”

  This time there was no whining voices complaining. Despite our losses we had hurt them more than they had hurt us. They cheered and banged their shields. Petr handed me another spear and I walked Skuld across the river. My helmet hung from my cantle. I wanted the cool air on my face and I needed to see the enemy. As we formed up we were spotted by the Scots. They had moved closer to us and I heard their horns as they reformed. They outnumbered us by more than two to one now.

  Sir William said, “If the King does not come soon all that he will find will be our corpses.”

  Sir Edward said, “Perhaps that was his plan all along. We decimate the Scots and all of us perish.”

  “That is cynical Sir Edward.”

  He waved a hand north, “I hear no English horns to contradict me!”

  The Scottish horns sounded. I donned my helmet. “Forward!”

  We began to walk towards the Scots. We would not be able to charge. Neither would the Scots. This would not be a collision at the gallop. This would be one at the canter. Our lines would be tighter and the ones at the side, Stanhope, Stanley and Spennymoor would be surrounded. The Scottish King, however, would be coming for my standard and the bane of the Scots. The slower more measured approach allowed me to see where I would be striking. The King was not in the front rank. I saw him behind his household knights. His standard, the Lion of Scotland, fluttered above his head. He was now sixty-three or so and I did not blame him for avoiding the front rank. Only the Warlord had ridden there when he had been a greybeard.