by Griff Hosker
“Yours is an interesting story, Captain. To command not only a company of archers but archers belonging to the next King of England is intriguing. Did I hear that you saved Lord Edward’s life in Poitou?”
“Yes, my lady. It cost my friend his life, but it gained me this position.”
“And you led archers in the battles in Poitou as well as against the Welsh?” I nodded. “I hate the Welsh but I know that they are good archers. Men say Gerald War Bow is better.”
I shrugged. “I have a good eye and a good arm. My bow is the best, and I find archery easier than most men.”
“And you have not answered my question.”
“I did not know you had asked one, my lady. Forgive me, I am just a simple archer who is unused to such surroundings.”
She laughed. “You are anything but simple.” She turned to her daughters. “You two have made eyes enough at Captain Gerald. Go to your rooms and pray to God to help you become less vain, for vanity is a sin!”
They both nodded and said, in unison, “Yes, my lady!” They left without a murmur. Lady Maud ruled the castle and, I suspected, her husband too.
She had her servant pour us wine and then dismissed him. “My girls have good taste. You are a handsome fellow although the stitches give you a roguish look. I will have the doctor remove them, for I think you are more handsome without them.”
She studied me. I was uncomfortable, for it was the sort of attention a wolf gave a sheep before it pounced. “I think I can trust you. In fact, we have to trust you, for you are vital to our plans to rescue Lord Edward.” She had put into words that which I suspected. “What I tell you this night is between us alone. Do not tell your men. Not yet, anyway.”
“They are clever men, my lady. They may discover…” I waved a hand, “…whatever it is that I am to do.”
“Of course. You deserve to know our reasoning.” She drank some wine and then, placing the goblet on the table, spoke again. “You, Gerald War Bow, can go where we cannot. You can hide in woods. You can sneak into a castle. We would have you go into Wallingford and tell Lord Edward that we are planning his escape.”
“Is that not a little vague, my lady? Escape how? And when?”
“You are clever but fear not, all will be in place soon. My husband is, even now, making arrangements.”
“Wallingford is many miles from here, my lady.”
“It is more than a hundred, and the situation is not ideal, but we work with what we have. With snow on the ground, we cannot attempt anything. As much as it pains us, we cannot see this plan succeeding before March.”
“Then we will be sitting here, being paid without having to do any work.”
She snorted. It was not a particularly ladylike act. “Money? This is not about money; this is about who rules England, and we would have the rightful king and his son, not some pious, self-serving, failed crusader who wishes to rule without the right! Do not worry about money. You will earn it when the time comes.”
I shook my head. “My men and I are unconcerned about money. We were well paid for our last job, and we just wish our lord to be freed. We are Lord Edward’s archers, but it does not sit well to take the money and not earn it.”
“You are an interesting young man.”
She seemed reluctant to end the conversation, and we spoke until the jug of wine was empty and she summoned her ladies to take her to bed. She held her hand out for me to kiss; I had never touched hands as soft.
I retired feeling bemused. I had spoken at length to a lady for the first time in my life. I was surprised, for she seemed little different to many of the strong women I had met when growing up. Ada and Gurtha had been made of rougher cloth, but they still had the same steel in their eyes. I still remembered with fondness the two old women who had lived in the Welsh woods close to me and my father. Called witches by some, I had found them to be kindness personified.
We spent the next morning making our new quarters comfortable. The castle was not large, but they had a good warrior hall. The sergeant who had shown us to the hall had indicated which part we were to use, and though it was not as large as it should have been, it would do. We stored our arrows close to our beds, for they were important to us. We made sure that the horses were comfortable. Peter would see to them each day, but there was an ostler too, and a horse master, Alan of Ludlow. He showed his knowledge when he stroked Eleanor. “A fine courser. I am intrigued how you came to own her.”
“Knights and gentlemen may ride such fine horses, but my bodkin arrows can pluck them from their backs; the fortunes of war. Knights take for ransom; we take to live.” He nodded.
We had donned the livery of Lord Edward when we rose, and our next task was to seek clothes for our four new archers. We found a seamstress, a widow who lived in the village. She was able to make what we needed, but we would have to buy the cloth from Ludlow. It was just eight miles away and held a market twice a week.
I realised that the freedom we had enjoyed in Easingwold would be lacking. We would have to ask Lady Mortimer’s permission. That turned out to be easier than I expected. When I asked her, she looked pleased. “I need to visit the market, and the men at arms who guard our home are dullards! We will go on Friday,” she said.
I discovered that Lady Maud could ride, as could her daughters, and we were not held up. The snow had stopped falling but the land was a blanket of white. The roads were slushy black lines that snaked through the snow. When we had arrived, both times, Castle Wigmore had been cloaked in either night or wet. The clear day now afforded me the opportunity to see its position. It stood on a high piece of ground in the hills which rose, like main defences, towards Wales.
Lady Maud saw me turning and smiled. “Aye, the Welsh are close. Many people wonder why, with Ludlow so close, our castle is needed. The reason is simple: it is the Welsh who wish to reclaim this land, and their king is our implacable foe. Lord Edward should have finished what he started when he went into north Wales and ended their threat. You will earn your money, archer, if the Welsh choose to do that which they always do and raid during the depths of winter. They like to eat mutton, and our sheep are easier to take than they are to breed.”
As we approached the castle of Ludlow, she pointed to it. “There is no lord at the moment.” She leaned over to speak quietly to me. “I have hopes that when King Henry is secure once more then my husband may be given it. The castle and hall are much more comfortable.”
“My lady, if there is no lord then who guards the walls?” I saw that they had new town walls.
“The men of Ludlow. It was they who applied for the right to have a wall, and they pay murage. They are good men and, in times of danger, we help each other.” This was a noble who understood the need to have the ordinary people on her side. She was the antithesis of King Henry, who seemed to simultaneously fear and disparage the commoners.
I stayed with the ladies and kept Jack of Lincoln with me. I gave a purse of coins to John of Nottingham, and he and the other archers bought that which we needed. I was able to see the effect Lady Maud had, as she swept through the town. It was as though the Queen had come to Ludlow. There was much bowing and scraping, but there appeared to be no rancour about it.
While she chatted to some ladies of the town, the owner of the shop confided in me. “You are new here, archer?” I nodded. “People are very fond of Lady Maud. Her family, the de Braose family, have always kept us safe from the Welsh. You will find that you will earn your crust here.”
I was learning that the Welsh were feared even more here than they had been along the Clwyd. Here, the rebellion was a distraction that made the lives of the people more parlous. We rode back with laden horses. We had bought some spare cloaks, for I knew that we would need them as we headed west, and it was confirmed when an icy wind blew into our faces. Our cowls and hoods were pulled tightly over our heads. Winter would be harsh here. Along the Clwyd, there had always been temperate air from the sea, while here, we were in the heart of
the land.
As we rode back, I learned of Lady Maud’s hatred of de Montfort. It seemed he had slighted her family, and she was not one to forgive. Simon de Montfot had made the mistake of not going to the aid of Lady Maud’s father, and as that had cost the Braose family money, the grudge was born. The fact that he was French also seemed to make her angry – that her family came from Norman stock seemed irrelevant! She told me of the punishment she would inflict on de Montfort if she was the king. “His actions are nothing less than treasonous! I would have him hanged, drawn and quartered. I would have his head on the walls of the Tower until all flesh was gone and even then, I would leave it there as a reminder to all of the folly of treason. He is a foreigner, an intruder, and he seeks to undermine the king and his realm!”
I suspected that her punishment would be to avenge the insult her family had suffered rather than the slight to the king.
Baron Mortimer did not return to us until the first week in December. By then all of my men wore good livery, and we had settled into a routine. We took our share of the watches. Once the baron returned that duty became less arduous, as there were more men available.
I had come to know the garrison. It was smaller than I had expected. There were just four archers and four men at arms under the command of an old sergeant, Walter. Sir Roger had another four men at arms with him. Our arrival meant that the garrison had almost doubled. Our offer to share the watches meant the garrison accepted us as friends rather than intruders. I wondered about the armour we had brought and discovered that the plate was for the baron and his sons, while the hauberks had been for the men at arms. I shuddered to think how the garrison would have managed if they had been forced to fight in a battle against de Montfort. I discovered that Sir Roger previously had a much larger company, but they had died at Lewes.
If I expected to be summoned as soon as he arrived, I was to be disappointed. He smiled at me and welcomed me to the castle, but he did not tell me anything more. I knew he had been to speak with other royal supporters, which explained his lengthy absence and I knew, from my words with Lady Maud, that I was part of a plan to rescue Lord Edward, but he spoke not a word to me.
Perhaps it was the imminent arrival of the Christmas celebrations, or it might have been that their plans were not yet set in stone. Whatever the reason, I was left with the worry about the task which I knew awaited me – but my men enjoyed the celebration that was Christmas.
Chapter 10
The Welsh struck in the first week of January. They raided the farms that lay to the south and west of us. Refugees reached us late one day. I was not on duty but was summoned along with Walter. Baron Mortimer looked angry and Lady Maud, murderous.
An older man with a bandage around his head was the spokesman for those who sought refuge in the castle. “The Welsh have taken animals from our farms. We ride tomorrow. I wish to be on the road before dawn. Every man rides!”
Walter said, “Who will protect the castle, my lord?”
Lady Maud snorted. “You are an old fool, Walter, do you think we cannot defend our castle against the Welsh? We have Gerald War Bow’s boy, Peter, we have the servants and Alan the horse master. You just recapture the animals and kill all the Welsh that you can!”
Walter recoiled under her torrent, and I saw Sir Roger and his sons smile. “Yes, my lady, I will go to the men.”
I turned to leave but Lady Maud said, “Stay a moment, Gerald.” I stopped. “You should know that Builth Castle, whence the raiders rode, belonged to my family. One day, we shall own it again. I believe that you were sent to us for a purpose. You lead our archers, and tomorrow you will show the Welsh that we can now match their archers!”
The baron said, “They will have left clear tracks in the snow, and they will move slowly. It will take them all day to reach Builth. You and your archers should catch them and hold them until we can reach them with our men at arms.”
“Are your archers mounted, too, my lord?”
“Aye, but their horses are not the equal of yours. They will keep up with you or I will know the reason why.”
I was dismissed. It was interesting that my main orders had come from her, and not her husband.
I told my archers what was needed. Peter was both upset at being left behind and excited at the prospect of guarding the ladies. Jack of Lincoln laughed, “It would take a brave Welshman to beard the formidable Lady Maud.”
He was right. “Tom, you will be the scout tomorrow. Take William of Matlac with you.” I remembered the fate of Stephen Green Feather. It was always better to have two scouts. I also needed to improve the skills of my new men, and this would be a start. The archers of Wigmore castle were bowmen, rather than archers. They did not use the war bow and none had a sword. They had helmets and they had leather, metal studded jerkins. That might help them to survive. I told John of Nottingham the four of them would ride at the rear.
I did not get much sleep, for I had much to plan. I rose before dawn and, waking the others, headed for the stable. The horse master was there already, feeding oats to the horses. “There is no grazing out there, Captain, and this cold saps energy. You have a long day ahead of you.”
I nodded and pointed to our saddles. “We each have a bag of oats for just such a day. We care for our horses, horse master.”
“I can see that you do. The castle archers you have with you will be riding poor horses. They only ride occasionally, and the horses they have are at the end of their lives.”
My heart sank. They would struggle to keep up with us. As soon as my men had all arrived, we mounted. The four garrison archers struggled even to mount. I rode over to Evan, who was the senior archer. “Time is of the essence today. If you fall back then just follow our trail. The baron and the men at arms will be along soon enough, but we have to catch the Welsh quickly.”
“Aye, Captain. It will not be for want of trying, but these horses…”
I nodded. “I know. The horse master has spoken.”
It was dark when we left, but the snow gave some light, and we were able to follow the trail left by the refugees who had fled to the castle. We found the first farm that had been raided; it had been ransacked and the farmer slain. The trail led to the next farm, and then the next. Each farm had been systematically looted, and every old animal had been butchered; we found the bones and skins. The farm dogs had been slaughtered.
I had studied a map at the castle when I first arrived. It was a crude one, but I noticed that Builth lay to the west by south-west, rather than the south and west course we were following. I guessed they would sweep around in an arc and head back to Builth along the road.
“Tom, let us head more west by south and see if we can cut them off. Follow the trail they took to reach here.” There was a trail which led across country, and with snow on the ground it would be as fast as the slippery cobbles of the road.
Evan said, “You are the captain, but if you lose them, then the wrath of Baron Mortimer will be terrifying to see.”
“As you say, I am the captain! You four wait here and tell the baron what we intend.”
It meant we could now travel faster, and I was sure that I had made the right decision. We were rewarded an hour later when, after following their trail, we found their campfire. It was still warm, and the trail that led from it could be clearly seen. They had raided and then camped here. A trail of animal dung and footprints led due west towards the road. “Tom, go carefully and use your ears. They are afoot, and if we can catch them, they will not escape. Our task is to hold them!”
“Aye, Captain.”
The animals were not co-operating with the Welsh. I could see they had some cows with them, which had wandered off into the trees before returning to the trail. It was clearly cows, judging by their dung and their hoofprints. We descended a little and passed through tilled fields. I was not sure where the Welsh border lay, but suspected we were close to it. We did not see any farms so there could not be many people around.
&nb
sp; Tom and William awaited us when we finally reached the road. “Captain, they are a little way ahead of us. They have armed men at the rear. We can catch them now, for I am guessing they are less than a mile up the road.”
“Robin, you wait here for the baron.” I saw that the fields to the right of us and the road were flat, but there was a piece of dead ground about a hundred paces from the road. “We will ride along the dead ground and try to get ahead of them and hold them up. String your bows!”
The bows had not been used for some time, as we had enjoyed little opportunity for practice. It was reassuringly hard to string them. I hung mine from my saddle. Robin nodded and I took the lead. Tom had been the scout, but now it was my turn to lead.
The snow was virgin and absorbed the sound of our hooves. The ride kept us warm, but I suspected the Welsh would be colder. Their feet would be in contact with the cold ground; cold would rise through thinly-soled boots and shoes, and they were moving at the slow pace of cattle and sheep. The ground to our left rose, and I realised that the dead ground was leading us to a shallow valley with a stream or small river at the bottom. When we reached it, I saw that it flowed towards the road, and that meant either a bridge or a ford. More importantly, it meant the animals would stop. They always did when there was water.
We waded across the stream, and I led us across the slope in an oblique line. I knew that we risked the Welsh spotting us, but it did not matter now. We could cut off their escape, for we were on the Welsh side of the river. Eleanor laboured up the slope, as the snow was thicker. She and the other horses could rest once we reached the road. We would dismount to fight.