by Griff Hosker
I shouted, “My company, stay together. Peter, watch the horses.” With sword and dagger, I headed down the road. A horse loomed up out of the dark and I instinctively raised my blade. I saw it was the warhorse with the dead knight I had killed still upon its back. “Peter, here!” He arrived next to me and I handed him the reins of the warhorse. “Keep this safe.” He grabbed the reins and began talking to the wild-eyed horse. I hurried down the slope, aware that I was now behind my men. I should have led them.
While the baron fought horsemen, we were charging through the Welsh fyrd. Despite Evan’s words, I could not bring myself to be ruthless. The Welsh were tough, but their weapons were poor. I brought my sword down on a farmer wearing an old helmet. He tried to block it with his own sword but my blade smashed his in two. Even as he stood looking in horror at his broken weapon, I punched him in the face. I used the pommel of my sword and rendered him unconscious. I saw that Evan and the garrison archers had no such compunction, and two youths were slain as they tried to take on men wielding swords while they just had daggers. I was glad when a Welsh horn sounded and they fell back.
Dawn was just beginning to break, and I saw that twenty Welshmen were either dead or wounded. The wounded were being helped back by their friends and family. I sheathed my sword. Evan and the other garrison archers ran after them.
Geoffrey, son of Martin asked, “Do we follow them, Captain?”
I shook my head. “We have done enough this day. Find our arrows. If you slew a knight or a man at arms then what he has is yours. I slew a knight, and we will share in the proceeds from him and his mail.”
I guessed, although I did not know, that the knight I had slain was Sir Iago. I knew, from Evan, that he was the richest knight in these parts. We would do well out of this, but the slaughter of farmers made my stomach turn. I did not enjoy it.
We returned to Wigmore at noon. The garrison and the fyrd were in good spirits. This was another victory and I knew that not only Evan but also Baron Mortimer regarded my archers and me as good luck. Men, even Christians, were always superstitious. I put it down to the fact that we were good at what we did.
Lady Maud was even more overjoyed, and she organised a feast for the warriors who had won, on the day following the slaughter. This did not include the fyrd. They had dispersed to their homes, but they were richer by the coins they had taken from the dead as well as the weapons and, in some cases, even boots and belts.
It was a raucous feast but I was largely silent. John of Nottingham leaned over. “Why the long face, Captain? We won, did we not? And none of our men were even scratched. We are all richer. When we lost at Lewes many men would have been downhearted, but we knew that you would find a way to enrich us and you have. And now there is every prospect of being reunited with Lord Edward. From what you say he is already in your debt. The future looks bright.”
“I know, but the hardest part is yet to come.” I lowered my voice. “The Earl of Gloucester knows our plan. He is in London with the Earl of Leicester; what if he tells our enemy of the plan?”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he seeks the lands that his family lost, and he will do anything to get them back. He fought against Lord Edward before. What if he chooses to do so again? This plan only works if the enemy knows nothing about it. Even a hint of the plan will mean we cannot rescue him, for they will stop him riding abroad. I will have to get close to wherever Lord Edward is being held. What if it is in the lands controlled by de Montfort or de Ferrers? Do you think I would succeed, then?”
“Captain, you will not be alone. We will be with you.”
I shook my head. “And that does not make me feel better, for it means I put all of you at risk. Had we begun our plan but a fortnight earlier…”
“Then it would have failed.” I looked at him. He shrugged. “We only got into the castle because of the feast. If they had not been coming for Lord Edward then you would not have even got close! This was meant to be.” He held up his beaker and drank some. “It is half full, Captain. Let us see what happens when we throw the bones.”
I nodded. “Aye you are right. We are still alive. We are rich, and there is always hope.”
Chapter 12
In the last days of April and the first days of May, that hope became tangible. Two things happened within a seven-day period. The Earl of Gloucester finally broke with Simon de Montfort. He and his allies left London for Gloucester. He had not received that which he thought was due to him and he left. I did not trust the earl, and my view was that, had he reaped a better reward from the Earl of Leicester, he might have betrayed us. Simon de Montfort was the architect of his own downfall, for he ignored de Clare and that would cost him.
A day later, we heard that Simon de Montfort was heading for his manor at Hereford. Not only that, he had the king, Lord Edward and Henry Almain there with him. The only royal prisoner he did not have with him was Richard of Cornwall, who was still held at Kenilworth. When the baron told me, I could not believe our good fortune. Hereford was just twenty-four miles from Wigmore and twenty-eight from Gloucester. He was close enough to touch, and our plan, suddenly, had a chance of success.
I was confused about what seemed like a military blunder, until the baron explained to me that Simon de Montfort was a supreme strategist. The Marcher lords were his enemies, and if the Earl of Gloucester led them then he could have a rebellion on his hands. He would place himself on the Severn so that he could control any attack and snuff out any opposition to his rule from the borders. His three prisoners were his surety.
“We have him, Captain Gerald! You need to take your men as close as you can get to Hereford. Roger de Leybourne is one of Lord Edward’s friends. He will try to see Lord Edward at Hereford.”
“Is it likely that de Montfort will let him close? At Wallingford, they had my lord closely watched.”
The baron smiled. “He is not as closely guarded, and de Leybourne will stay with him. It will make them less suspicious and mean that even if they arrest de Leybourne, he will still have a chance to speak with Lord Edward and let him know that you are ready. The rescue will be within seven days of the day of his arrival. So, you see, this is even better. Leave tomorrow, and when de Leybourne arrives you can watch and follow.” A shadow fell across his face. “Of course, if you are seen when following Lord Edward and his guards then the plan fails, for they will lock him up again.”
It was my turn to smile. I knew Lord Edward and he knew me. “Do not worry, my lord, they will not see me. And when I have him safe, where do we take him?”
“De Montfort has men watching the Earl of Gloucester’s castle. The earl is not there, he is at Ludlow. You take him to Ludlow.” The baron had bought the Welsh knight’s horse from me. He smiled. “You can take the Welsh knight’s warhorse for Lord Edward and the other knight’s horse for Henry Almain. They should be able to evade capture on those two mounts.”
Now that the game was afoot we were all keen to start, and we rose before dawn so that we were riding by the time that the sun came up. I had met Roger de Leybourne and would recognise him, and knew him to be loyal to the Prince. I knew not how he had inveigled himself into the enemy camp, but he had, and I was grateful that we had an ally whom we could trust. The baron had said that he would be with Clifford, a noble with influence along the border, too, and I also knew him. As Gloucester was being watched, Roger de Leybourne would tell Lord Edward to head north. We needed somewhere we could watch the castle and yet stay hidden.
It did not take long to reach Hereford, and we had time to search for somewhere to hide and yet keep watch on the road north. We were lucky and found a wood. It was one of the smallest woods I had ever seen, and there was no water, but there was a ruined farmhouse. The half-wrecked barn provided cover and some shelter for the horses. We would fetch our water from the River Wye.
I was the one who knew de Leybourne and Clifford, so I had to be on watch throughout the daytime. We knew it would be daylight
when they arrived, and so I had sleep each night. My men took it in turns to watch with me and to care for the horses. The refuge would only be temporary. Once Lord Edward began to ride, we would need to anticipate where he would be by the eighth day. Our camp would be moving ever northward as we kept pace with Lord Edward’s rides.
What we saw, at the castle, was the army Simon de Montfort was gathering. Although his knights were quartered in the town, his men at arms, archers and crossbowmen were camped by the Wye. He was preparing for war, for he did not trust his former ally and supporter. De Clare had changed sides too often. While de Montfort held the leaders of the royalist cause he would destroy his enemies in the west. With the Midlands, London, the east and the south under his control, there would be no opposition to him once the Marcher Lords were defeated.
By my reckoning, it was about 20 or 21 May when I saw the two young riders, de Leybourne and Clifford, gallop up to the castle. Dates meant little to me. The high and the mighty seemed overly concerned with such matters. We knew church days and holidays, and the rest was determined by the weather. The weather had changed over the last couple of days to become warmer, almost hot, and we simply knew that it was getting closer to summer.
Lord Edward and Henry Almain had ridden forth on each of the days we observed, but they had merely ridden for a mile or two and then returned to the castle. I saw that when they did ride, they had an escort of eight men, half of whom looked like young nobles although they were all armed. I observed that none of the riders, including Lord Henry, wore mail. Lord Edward and his cousin were weaponless. That, I would have expected. I saw that two men rode before the two captives, and two hung much further back than their companions. We might have six escorts to deal with when we attempted to rescue the two men; I had enough archers for that. We had bows and we had a reputation. On the day we rescued Lord Edward we would wear his livery.
That night I went over the plan with my men. “Tomorrow I ride with Tom. We will follow Lord Edward. When they reach the end of their ride Tom will come back and fetch you, while I find somewhere to camp. John, I leave it to you to ensure that you are not seen when you join us. You are woodsmen and you can ride in the dark. Secrecy is all. Lord Edward will keep to the same route each day, it is just that he will extend his ride each day.”
They nodded their agreement.
I went over to Peter while food was prepared. “You know what you must do?”
He nodded. “Aye, Captain, I am to keep Lord Edward’s horse close by me. I must make certain that he is well fed and watered.” He smiled. “War Bow is a good horse, Captain.”
I smiled back at him. “He is named War Bow?”
“I knew not his name when he came to us. At Wigmore Castle they did not speak to the horses. It is good to speak to the animals, I gave him the name and War Bow seems to like it.” He suddenly looked worried. “I hope that you do not mind.”
“I am flattered, that is all.”
I had Eleanor saddled before dawn, and Tom and I waited in the woods. The plan hinged on remaining hidden until the day of the rescue and ensuring that the spare horses were in place when we needed them. Tom also had a good horse; it was a palfrey but a sound one. We had been lucky in war, and we had managed to acquire better horses than other archers.
Lord Edward and his companions must have breakfasted well, for they emerged late. I saw that Clifford and de Leybourne were with Lord Edward and Henry Almain. That had resulted in an extra four guards; it was something we had not planned for and showed that de Montfort was being careful. Our vantage point was half a mile from the main road north. I knew that Lord Edward would keep the route simple, for he was a clever man. Lord Edward pointed north, and they took the road that passed by the end of the lane which led to the wood and the farm. Protected by hedgerows, Tom and I walked our horses down it slowly.
We were halfway to the main road when we heard the clatter of hooves and the sound of laughter. I now saw why Clifford and de Leybourne were there. Lord Edward would be expected to have conversations with his old friends; the talk was to let us know where they were. Until they left the road, we would be exposed. Once they headed for fields and woods then we would have more chance of concealment.
We reached the main road and headed down it. The steaming piles of dung told us, even had we not seen them, that the men we followed were ahead of us. Surprisingly, Lord Edward led them along the road for some time until we came to the village of Moreton on Lugg. We almost missed them, for I had become used to travelling on the road. Tom heard their laughter. “Captain, they are heading towards the river.”
It was a little road which led to the river, and I knew we would be spotted if we followed along it. There were fields beyond the village and I took a chance. We turned through the village and rode between two cottages. I headed north and east; I would get ahead of them and reach the river. It was a risk, but Lord Edward had not done exactly what I had expected. We passed animals grazing in a field and then the ground dipped towards the river. The Lugg was not wide but there was a bridge. When we reached the river, I saw that the riders had dismounted and there was laughter coming from the bridge. We dismounted and I made my way through the tangled undergrowth next to the water, to get closer to them.
I saw that there were two guards on the bridge and two on the road leading to the village, and they were taking no chances. The captives were close to and between them and their horses. I saw that the four lords had wineskins and some bread. They were dining. I found a willow, from behind which I could observe them – they were fifty paces from me. While I heard occasional words, they were largely incoherent. I saw them put the wineskins in their saddlebags and mount.
I did not panic. There were two ways to go. They could continue over the river, in which case Tom and I would have to swim it, or they would return to Hereford. As soon as they clattered back up the tiny lane through the village, I knew we had somewhere to wait.
I returned to Tom. “They are gone back to Hereford.” By my reckoning, we had ridden just under four miles. Lord Edward would need at least a ten-mile gap between us and Hereford to ensure that we could reach Ludlow. “We will cross the river and look for somewhere to camp on the far side.”
“Surely that is a risk, Captain? Suppose he comes to the village and carries on north?”
“Lord Edward came to the bridge for a reason. They left the castle later than normal, and they ate at the bridge. If he heads north it will be on the far side of the river.”
We retraced our steps to the village and rode down the lane. The birds were already pecking at the crumbs that had been left by the bridge. We crossed over, and I saw that the fields on the eastern side of the river must have been prone to flooding, for they were neither tilled nor cleared. The willows, alder and elder made an effective wall close to the river. We left the road and I headed for the Lugg. If we only had to spend one night there, then it was possible it would hide us.
“Tom, ride back and fetch the others. You had better leave well before dark. If you ride through the village after dark you may arouse suspicion. When you come back make a point of stopping in the village and when you are questioned, as I know you will be, then tell them that you are from de Montfort’s army and seeking better grazing for there are too many horses close to the castle.”
He nodded and left me. It was always as well to have a good story, even if you did not use it. I had plenty of time, and so I rode north along the road. I came to a village which had a church. The church was so tiny, as was the village, that I doubted they even had a priest.
The river tumbled next to the church and there was no bridge. Horsemen could ford the river and that made this place interesting to me. Pushing on, I saw that the road, small though it was, paralleled the river. Eleanor was still fresh, and so I rode another three miles. I came to a ford in the river and found myself in a thick wood. There was a trail which led through it.
I forded the river and, while Eleanor drank, examined the tra
il. It was ancient, but there was no sign of horse dung. If Lord Edward could get as far as here then we had the perfect place to rescue him, for we would have trees to hide us and woodland trails to disguise our route.
I headed back to Moreton on Lugg. I estimated that the ford lay almost ten miles from Hereford. Twenty miles was further than might be expected for a day’s ride. If they tried to reach the ford then it would result in questions from his guards or some punitive action to restrain them. I made the camp Tom and I had chosen and, as I took off Eleanor’s saddle, I began to plan. If, as I expected, Lord Edward came towards the tiny church then I knew he would head for the wood. We could make a camp in the wood on the far side of the river where it would be easier to hide our horses. Tom and I could still watch the route Lord Edward would take, and we would not have to move. We would camp here for one night and then, if Lord Edward came this way, we could camp in the woods across the river. The more I thought about it the better the plan seemed. We would have the cover of the woods and the direction of our escape would be hidden.
My men rode through the village in the late afternoon. I heard John speaking to someone who came out of one of the houses. There was laughter, and then the horses continued towards me. Tom brought them through the woods to the water.
As they dismounted, Jack of Lincoln sniffed, “If I had known these would be my lodgings when I gained honest employment I would have stayed in the greenwood!”
He was right, the camp was primitive, even by our standards. “One night of roughing it Jack, and then, for the next few nights we can have a better and more secure camp. It all depends on if I have read the mind of Lord Edward. I believe he will take his guards further north little by little. If I am right then tomorrow he will stop at the small church and hamlet less than a mile up the road. For tonight, we have cold rations.”